Bill Richardson: ‘I Am Running’ in 2008

Bill Richardson has announced his candidacy for president, on Fox News of all places.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is expected to formally file papers to form a presidential exploratory committee in January. But today he told FOX News “I am running,” as he described the professional and personal experiences that he believes have prepared him for the job.

Photo Bill Richardson: 'I Am Running' in 2008 “I’ve dealt with the issues that are very important today — national security, immigration and energy,” Richardson said in an interview with FOX News’ Carl Cameron.

Richardson was secretary of energy and later U.N. ambassador during the Clinton administration. In addition to his diplomatic experience, Richardson believes that his Hispanic heritage will be an advantage in his campaign for the presidency.

Richardson may well be what the Democrats need in 2008: A governor with foreign policy experience and without a lot of political baggage. He is not the most telegenic fellow, however, and I don’t know much about him as a campaigner.

UPDATE: Tom Maguire says not so fast on the “no baggage” claim: “Two years ago I was assured, by a Dem fundraiser who seemed quite certain, that Richardson could never run, due to a private life that, in his phrase, made Bernie Kerik look like a choir boy.” Interesting.

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James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. Triumph says:

    without a lot of political baggage.

    Except for the whole Wen Ho Lee case, which was unconsionable.

  2. Michael says:

    Richard’s campaign says he did not tell Fox he was running, but was responding to a hypothetical question.

  3. Anderson says:

    I know jack about him, but he *looks* like somebody you could have a beer with. That’s all he needs, right?

  4. Ken Camp says:

    Fox News got it wrong. You can read the full story over at Washington for Richardson.

  5. tipid says:

    Rumor has it that he’s going to

    pay Wilson like Kerry

    while he runs for office so he can cover them for criminal conspiracy charges while he runs for President and

    pay off Plame for all that good democratic party work while at CIA.

    They’ve retired there, where all the x government employees wronged by their own government go to get better……….

  6. Kent G. Budge says:

    I live in New Mexico and have been loathing Richardson for years. Yet there has never been so much as a whispered rumor about his private life in the local press.

    This could get interesting.

    Leaving that aside, Richardson should not be underestimated. He is an extremely slick politician. After all, he studied under the Master.