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May-21-2007 12:04TweetFollow @OregonNews New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson Joins Presidential RaceSalem-News.comRichardson has devoted more than 25 years to public service, including 7 terms as a US Congressman, as US Ambassador to the United Nations, as Secretary of Energy, and is now in his second term as Governor of New Mexico.
(LOS ANGELES) - New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson today announced he is ending the exploratory phase of his campaign and is officially seeking the 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination. With his wife Barbara by his side, the Governor made the announcement this morning during a news conference at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, California. "The United States faces huge challenges, but also huge opportunities. I am running for President because these times call for a leader with a proven track record, and a demonstrated ability to bring people together to tackle our problems at home and abroad," said Governor Richardson. "I am that person, not because I say so, but because of what I have done, and what I can do for the American people." Governor Richardson has devoted more than 25 years to public service, including 7 terms as a US Congressman, as US Ambassador to the United Nations, as Secretary of Energy, and is now in his second term as Governor of New Mexico. "This Presidential election is unlike any other we've ever seen. From day 1, we have to repair the damage done here at home and to our reputation abroad. And that all starts with restoring diplomacy as the primary instrument of our foreign policy ... and basic fairness as the primary means for problem solving in Washington," said the Governor. "There are a lot of candidates in this race with good ideas. But coming up with a good idea is only half the job. The other half is bringing people together to get it done. I'm proud of my record of getting things done. And I'll put that record up against anyone's." The Governor announced the formation of his Presidential Exploratory Committee on January 22, 2007. As he began his campaign, Governor Richardson was fully engaged in the 60-day session of the New Mexico Legislature, where he passed approximately 90% of his initiatives. Governor Richardson today also received the endorsement of more than two dozen California political and community leaders, including many from the Latino community. A complete list of endorsements is below. Here is the complete text of the Governor's remarks from today's news conference, as prepared for delivery: "I'd like to thank all of you for joining us here today. It means so much to me to officially announce my candidacy in California, the state I was born in and the state whose primary I plan on winning on my way to becoming the next President of the United States. The United States faces huge challenges, but also huge opportunities. I am running for President because these times call for a leader with a proven track record, and a demonstrated ability to bring people together to tackle our problems at home and abroad. I am that person, not because I say so, but because of what I have done, and what I can do for the American people. The challenge of the campaign I am launching today is to get that message heard. Running for this office is the ultimate job interview. It's not just about the positions you've held but the job you've done and your ability to lead on day one at a very critical time in our nation's history. This Presidential election is unlike any other we've ever seen. From day one, we have to repair the damage done here at home and to our reputation abroad. And that all starts with restoring diplomacy as the primary instrument of our foreign policy ... and basic fairness as the primary means for problem solving in Washington. There are a lot of candidates in this race with good ideas. But coming up with a good idea is only half the job. The other half is bringing people together to get it done. I'm proud of my record of getting things done. And I'll put that record up against anyone's. Some of the critical questions to ask every candidate in this race are: how will you solve the crisis in Iraq and bring our troops home? How will you deal with global warming? How will you address the health care crisis in this country? And what will you do about illegal immigration? How will you grow the middle class again? I cannot address all these in one short statement, and I urge everyone to check my website, www.Richardsonforpresident.com, for a more complete explanation, but let us discuss several: First, Iraq. Some will tell you that we only have two options: either stay in Iraq and try to referee a civil war or leave and collapse into chaos. I've spent a lot of time in this part of the world and let me tell this: that is a false choice. Removing all of our troops and healing Iraq are one and the same. Only when it is clear that the US will leave Iraq can the hard diplomatic work have a chance for success. A negotiated political settlement, involving the warring parties and interested neighbors is how to prevent a regional war. And we have a strategic interest in organizing a regional conference, with all of Iraq's neighbors including Syria and Iran, to help stabilize Iraq. But I would leave no troops behind in Iraq. No air bases. No security patrols. No embedded soldiers training Iraqi forces ... because we all know what that means. It means our troops would still be out on the streets with targets on their backs. We need a president who is not dismissive of diplomacy, but someone who embraces it as the primary instrument of foreign policy because he has practiced it, and knows how to get results. Being stubborn is not a foreign policy and being President means working with both parties. As Lee Iacocca has said: "Courage in the 21st Century doesn't mean posturing and bravado. Courage means a commitment to sitting down at the negotiating table and talk." I agree. It was tough, face-to-face talks that helped secure the release of journalist Paul Salopek, and two colleagues from a jail in Darfur. I am so proud that his wife, Linda Lynch, is here today. You know, when I visited Darfur in January and negotiated a cease fire, I saw thousands of widows and fatherless children trying to escape the genocide ... waiting in line in oppressive heat for a month. They wanted to know why it was taking the United States so long to do something. I didn't have a good answer. As President, I will make sure the US leads the world in saying no more- the violence must end. We also need a President who is not dismissive of energy independence and global warming. This is no longer a choice---it is a moral imperative for our planet and a matter of survival of our country. I'm proud that I made New Mexico the clean energy state. We're already requiring utility companies to produce energy from renewable sources. We've already invested directly in energy efficiency, we're promoting renewable energy with tax credits for using wind, solar, and biofuels, and we've eliminated taxes on hybrid cars. I have the most aggressive plan of anyone running for President. Within twelve years, my plan would reduce greenhouse emissions by 20 percent, lower demand for oil by fifty percent, and push fuel economy standards to 50 miles per gallon. By the year 2040, my plan would require that 50 percent of our electricity be generated from renewable sources and would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent. The League of Conservation Voters rated mine the most aggressive plan with the highest goals of any candidate. I'm also ambitious on health care. Every political candidate says that all Americans should have access to affordable health care. But how do we achieve that? . In New Mexico, we have made a start by expanding our state health insurance to cover every child under five, we have tackled childhood obesity, we've insured more working New Mexicans and we're looking to expand it even more. But states shouldn't have to struggle to solve this problem on their own. My plan as President is simple: Every employer must provide health insurance for their employees or pay an equivalent fee to the federal government, and every individual must have health insurance. Employers and individuals will have their choice of options-- if they like the coverage they have, they can keep it. My plan creates no new federal bureaucracies. Next, the middle class. They have been under attack for the last 6 years. As President, I am going to reverse that and pursue polices like those we have in New Mexico. We gave tax credits to companies that create jobs paying above the prevailing wage, we helped start up high tech companies and we invested in technical training And, while Washington DC could not do anything, we passed a $7.50/hour minimum wage And finally, immigration. As the Governor of a border state, I deal with this issue every day. The proposal moving forward in the Senate is a step in the right direction toward establishing a path to legalization. But at the same time it's a step in the wrong direction because it separates parents from children and loved ones from their families. The touchback provision is ill conceived, and any guest worker program mustrequire available jobs to be first posted for American citizens and legal residents. We can address the illegal immigration problem by taking three realistic steps. First, we have to recognize that no fence ever built has stopped history. And a border fence wouldn't either. If you build a ten foot fence, someone will use an 11 foot ladder. Instead, use that money to secure the border with more Border Patrol officers. We need to at least double the number of Border Patrol agents. That would secure the border. Second, we need a path to legalization requiring those living in the United States illegally to pay a realistic fine, pass a background check, and pay any back taxes. And third, we have to work closely with the Mexican government. Mexico needs to do more to stem the flow. But if we create a reasonable guest worker program and provide a path to legalization for illegal immigrants already here, there is every reason to expect Mexico to do its part with economic reforms and to help us with border security. You can go to my website, www.Richardsonforpresident.com, to find my complete plans on each of these issues. These will be some of the defining issues of the campaign. This is a pivotal time in our nation's history. The challenges we face are not acts of God or accidents of fate. They were man-made and deliberate. Whether it was willful ignorance or an ignorant will, we are left with the ravages of an administration that will take years to rectify. We cannot expect the world to readily trust us as before. But we can try. We can negotiate with honor, defend with integrity, and reach out with conciliation. We have many fences to mend ... and I'm ready to get started." Video Articles for May 20, 2007 | Articles for May 21, 2007 | Articles for May 22, 2007 | googlec507860f6901db00.html | |
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The Editor - Tim King May 22, 2007 9:36 pm (Pacific time)
Well, for all the people who have been frustrated by a comment poster named Rosenberg, your lucky day has arrived. I have tried to be understanding of the guy's jaded position in life and I have personally taken the time to commend some of his viewpoints. Embarrassingly, I have very recently been telling people that he can even on rare occasions make sense, like when he criticizes the presidential administration.
But today he tried to post a personal insult toward us and that means no more Rosenberg for all of you decent people out there. At the bottom of this post you will see all of the pseudo names ol' rosey has been using.
This is not a political move for the record. I have let this guy antagonize people for a long time and he does claim to be an ultra right conservative. That is fine with me; everyone is fine with me, but today he delivered a personal insult and it was the straw that in this case, dropped the camel to the ground.
A few days ago I mentioned an increased editing presence in the comment section. They are all approved by a living, breathing person as it is, but we fear we have been too lenient.
I hope that for some of our regular visitors, this announcement will be regarded as great news. It will be a pleasure to not see his name or his ramblings anymore. Ding dong, the witch is dead.
There is nothing wrong with any individual's politics when the overall goal is good for all people. Antagonistic attacks get really old though, and one major point about Rosenberg is that is that he attacks anything or anybody with an agenda rooted in peace and understanding.
One interesting irony is that he obviously has a thing for names that sound like they are Native American; "Running Bear" and "Jason Two-Dogs". Then he uses "Armstrong" which is the middle name of General Custer. And he rages against people who are immigrants. Well, I have spent a lot of time around Native Americans and most do not seem too driven to see the white man keep this land for himself. In fact, many see the Hispanic as a brother, they share much of the same heritage in many cases.
I think you call that the epitome of hypocrisy.
Life is short, burial cloaks have no pockets. It is time for all of us to be decent and tolerant and understanding.
This guy has been anything but nice or kind. I have watched him play psychological warfare with our other comment posters for too long. Maybe you didn't think this day would come rosenberg, but it is here. I'm sorry you chose to get personal with us, in my opinion we have been very tolerant.
You see, our team at Salem-News.com has the easy ability to ban somebody like this from the site. We also can easily see all of his comments, at least the ones from his IP, with the click of a button. So here are all the aliases of our antagonistic former problem who never even had the courage to tell us his real name:
- Running Bear
- Oracle
- Armstrong
- Mathew (5-22-07)
- SHIRLEY KITZHABER - My, Rosenberg, something you didn't tell us?
- Krakatoa (5-22-07)
- Hannigan II
- Open the Border (5-19-07)
- Hey Zus (5-1-07)
- Mike Hammer (4-30-07)
- RC
- Ben Casey (4-26-07)
- K Rove (4-23-07)
- Vincent (4-24-07)
- Coulter (4-23-07)
- Oregon Vote (4-22-07)
- Bush (4-22-07)
- Marx (4-21-07)
- Retired Contractors (4-19-07)
- Sooth (4-19-07)
- Dr. Kildare (4-18-07)
- Raise Tuition (4-18-07)
- Fred (4-16-07)
- Fred Engels (4-16-07)
- Butch Cassidy
- Susan (4-16-07)
- Murphy (4-16-07)
- Needles (4-16-07)
- Sharpton (4-16-07)
- O'Reilly (4-16-07)
Miles, Jameson, Harvey, LeMay, Sanchez, Harrison, Walden, Simpson, Jason Two-Dogs, Sid Morrison, EJ Morgan, Jim B Davidson, Neal Goldsmith, and there are more.Did he argue with himself? You bet. Did he set people up and bait them? You bet he did. He acted like a man and woman talking in the same post. Maybe one of those names is the real thing, maybe not. I think the guy needs help. If any of you have seen "Meet the Parents" and you know the character De Niro plays, a crazy military zealot who is nothing but a cruel nut job with too much money and too little to do, then you are getting my idea of who this man is/was.
I went to Afghanistan over last winter and I spent a lot of time recording soldiers in a war and I did not take it as an opportunity to do anything but tell it like it is. As it turned out, I witnessed incredible things that our people were doing and accomplishing. I didn't use it as an opportunity to launch an agenda, except maybe support of people who pay the highest price in all of society; the combat soldier. I am sad and dismayed that this person of many assumed names and personalities, has caused so much grief around our other visitors. Those days are over.
Tim King
One final note to all of the veterans who have watched all of this go on over the last few months; I would take arguments from any people who share this list of names and go back to the drawing board. He might have had me going a time or two, but burn me once shame on you, burn me twice... shame on me. I think he's full of it from A to Z.
Hank Ruark May 22, 2007 8:14 am (Pacific time)
Mathew: You any relation to "Running Bear"? Yr song somehow seems suddenly very familiar, with same tone-and-notes, resulting in similar dissonances...
Dale Corvallis May 21, 2007 8:27 pm (Pacific time)
Great Video Bill!
Matt Johnson May 21, 2007 4:48 pm (Pacific time)
Clinton was a saint next to Bush and his band of criminals. The country spent more money on the investigation of Clinton's BJ under Rove, than they did to learn what really happened on 9/11. Of course with respect to emerging theories and information indicting the government in the 9/11 attacks, you really have to reach for straws. Justify that Matthew. After all the immoral garbage of the last six years you have either a lot of guts or a really small brain to wage this war. Clinton balanced the budget dooof! - forgot THAT one didn't you. Hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi and Afghan people did not die under his watch. He was a thousand times better man than W., who a new study reveals may actually have a touch of mental retardation. Great hero man.
ken May 21, 2007 1:32 pm (Pacific time)
sounds like some good stuff. he's entering a little late, so he will need to be brought up to speed!
Maddox May 21, 2007 1:10 pm (Pacific time)
He could pull off the presidency, but I think he would be a great Secretary of State, given his proven track record of diplomatic successes. Good luck to you, Bill!
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