Bill Richardson: In Big Oil's Pocket?
He's got the credentials, the background, and the Western bona fides to be VP material. He promises a "man-on-the-moon program" on energy. There's just that small matter of who he used to do business with.
Despite his populist appeal and a recent bump in the polls that saw him surpass John Edwards in New Hampshire, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, once considered a potential running mate for Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004, seems destined to find himself once again in the running for the number two job.
Assuming that Richardson's lackluster debate performances and campaign trail gaffes—during one stump speech he forgot that France was a member of the U.N. Security Council, even though he once served as the U.S. ambassador to the U.N.—don't make him a non-starter, he could be prove a valuable asset to the Democratic nominee.
For one, he's a border state governor of Hispanic background at a time when the immigration debate is coming to a head and the Latino vote is growing ever more important to the Dems (particularly after George W. Bush secured approximately 40 percent of this bloc in the last election). Richardson is also the only Democratic candidate who can claim close ties to the powerful National Rifle Association, which endorsed him during his last reelection bid. A gun owner himself, Richardson backed a concealed carry law in New Mexico and embraces the gun as a symbol of western heritage. Given his gun rights bonafides, he could give the Democratic nominee a boost in rural red states and in the West.
Without question, Richardson has the resume for the job (in fact, his experience makes the Democratic frontrunners look like political neophytes). He has significant foreign policy experience, which has included regular diplomatic dealing with North Korea, and his days as Clinton's energy secretary also make him an authority on energy policy, which is surely one of the most crucial domestic issues facing the country. Seasoned politician though he is, Richardson does not come without baggage, primarily owing to his dealings in the private sector.
At the close of the Clinton administration, Richardson signed on as a senior managing director with Kissinger McLarty Associates, the advisory firm formed by Henry Kissinger and former Clinton chief of staff Mack McLarty, and promptly joined the boards of three large oil companies: Houston-based Diamond Offshore Drilling, a company once run by George Herbert Walker Bush; Denver-based Venoco; and Valero, North America's largest independent refinery. Until recently, Richardson held Valero stock worth between $100,001 and $250,000 and options valued between $250,001 and $500,000, according to disclosures filed with the Federal Election Commission. He divested himself of his stake in Valero in May, saying his financial ties to the company had become a "distraction" to his presidential campaign.
Though on the campaign trail he has come off as a staunch advocate of green energy, even proposing "a man-on-the-moon program" to address global warming and curb the nation's dependence on oil, his close ties to the oil industry would seem no small contradiction. Currently, he is one of the leading recipients of campaign contributions from oil and gas companies among the presidential contenders.
Beyond his coziness with the oil industry, Richardson was also caught up on the fringes of the Peregrine Systems scandal, a financial scam in the Enron style. Between February 2001 and June 2002 he served as on outside director on the board of Peregrine, a San Diego-based software company whose CEO, Stephen Gardner, was the brother-in-law of Richardson’s wife. During this period of time the company's directors were engaged in various acts of financial impropriety, including masking the severity of Peregrine's losses with phony accounting. The company eventually went bankrupt and Gardner was later charged with obstruction of justice and securities fraud. When Richardson was asked about the Peregrine scandal during his gubernatorial campaign in 2002, he claimed to have had no involvement "because I was what was called an 'outside director" and "didn't have time" to read the company's corporate reports. But according to the San Diego Reader, "Records show that Richardson attended, in person or by phone, 15 board meetings. In those meetings, directors were hearing that the company might get caught cooking the books."
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Only problem, is when they ask him about Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, he had trouble answering so to speak. Gonzalez is the highest ranking Hispanic in American politics and the questionable practices surrounding him sour me on any other Hispanic candidate.
No He cannot win an election. He is for amnesty for illegal alien lawbreakers.
I'm a Canadian, so my view is that of the neighbour from across the fence, but I'd sure vote for Bill Richardson. He's got brains, experience, not too much ego, and doesn't make me feel nervous. Any time we Canucks have NOT voted for this profile, we ended up regretting it. (I'm thinking of Robert Stanfield, way back when we SHOULD HAVE voted for him. Brian Mulroney had lots of flare so we voted him in, and god help us, we're still trying to pick the gravel from our knees!
Remember, this is A JOB INTERVIEW -- NOT A POPULARITY CONTEST!
Good luck, you guys!!
Yeah, and what does he know about ZEKI BELMAN and GIZA TECHNOLOGIES that could trigger a new spark in 9/11 litigation...
I don't think it's fair to tar all Hispanics with the brush of Alberto Gonzales. And Richardson later fessed up that although he had grave doubts about Gonzales, he was reluctant to condemn him as a prominent Hispanic. However, Richardson has gotten over that. He's also stayed pretty clean in a state (my own) which has a long and rich tradition of political corruption. I would love to see Richardson as a vice-presidential candidate, not because I don't think he would make a good president, but because he's not a dynamic campaigner and thus unlikely to win if nominated. A President inclined to give substantive responsibilities to the Vice President would find Richardson more than capable of carrying them out with distinction.
The comment posted by Ray Gulley (26 July)horrifies me. He says that as a result of the actions of one individual he is soured "on ANY OTHER Hispanic candidate"(emphasis added). That in a nutshell is the basis of rascism.
Bill Richardson is the only Democratic candidate to have signed medical marijuana legislation...the sign of a progressive.
I'm 100% with Bev-Ann.
Don't generalize from the particular to the ethnic generality. That's the modus operandi of racists.
On the other hand, I was disappointed by Richardson's performance on Meet the Press. Weak at best.
I was looking forward to yelling 'Si! Se puede!" at our State Democratic Convention, but Bill failed to show.
Let's keep his voice active in the run-up to '08. But he's not a contender for the big jobs.
Bill Richardson and Joe Biden would be so good together, either one president and either vice president they are so concerned and so knowledgeable about the world and our problems caused mostly by the Bush Adminstration.
I would be more interested in how long he served on the boards of those oil companies, not in how much stock he owned in them, which isnt much compaired to the wealth of the other contenders. Edwards had millions in Fortress hedge funds, how much of that was in oil stocks? Anyone who owns a regular S&P 500 fund has their money primarily in Exxon, does that make most 401K holders in the pocket of Big Oil? Also NM is a oil state if you want a high paying job what do you expect?
This just shows how the big oil special interests are activly hedging their bets in playing both sides of the aisle. Be careful America, know who you are really backing!
to the contributor who has been soured by A Gonzalez on any other Hispanic candidate: on their record, how do you feel about white guys? some good, some bad?
Richardson support seems to come disproportionately from the outright progressives - who actually care about many issues. I was even shocked to find that my Red State neighbor who believes that someone found tons of yellowcake uranium in Iraq [and covered it up - with the aid of Cheney?] is strong on Richardson listing him as one of only three current presidential candidates he would support[Gravel and Thompson being the other two; despite his anti drug war stance he doesn't care for Ron Paul]. He is a "duh" candidate for teachers since he came out early and often for smaller classes and higher pay scales. Currently I expect to vote for the Libertarian - or possibly the Green if the Libertarian is GOP lite. If Richardson wins the Democratic nomination I might seriously consider voting major party. Same can be said for Kucinich and Ron Paul. I don't know enough about Gravel at this point.
I often thought that Richardson had the best credentials of all the fronrunners for a presidential candidate. However, in te "let's vote for the best looking and let me entertain you" mood this country has been in since glamorous Ronald Reagan became president, Richardson lacks the looks,charisma and glamor of a frontrunner. Besides, how many American voters even know who Richardson is? But I agree, he would make a great vice presidential candidate on the right Democratic ticket.
There is also the question of Bill Richardson's role in FDA rules moratorium with respect to the Vitamin and Herbal Supplements. He proved a very effective lobbyist for the industry, overturning quite strong objections from Congressional Committee's run by members of his own party and spread campaign contributions for that purpose far and wide.He, Tom Harkin and Orin Hatch were key figures in legislation protecting what is now a $30 billion industry that provides little proven benefit to the American people and causes great harm. There is, for examople, no law requiring the manufactures of vitamins and herbal supplements to test for heavy metals though independent studies show that they are not infrequently contaminated.
No doubt that Richardson jumped on the "populist bandwagon", as many others did, but the result has been a disaster, as outlined in Dan Hurley's expose "Natural Causes; Death, Lies, and Politics in America's Vitamin and Herbal Supplement Industry."
Peregrine's main control during the same period of time stemmed from The SD Padres' owner who was found to be "favoring" the undisclosed holdings of a SD city council woman. In return, Valery Stallings would update his negotiating team of the City's stance on matters pertaining to the PETCO Park and neighboring land redevelopment, sometimes she would call him during breaks while definitive negotiations were going on. She resigned and Moore ended up with the "upper" hand. The City was found to be in deep financial deficit after all dust was settled and it is since then on the brink of bankruptcy with pension funds missing from the coffers at the tone of Billions.
This is more proof that using campaign spending limits to get America better politicians is the only way to solve America's problems enough.
That cheesy clean money public financing of political campaigns is too weak to do more than half the campaign finance reform job we need done.
Evidentally experience does not count, but a "C" ave from Yale and two or more business failures makes one a presidential selection either by hook or crook...America get real, I 'll take proven experience over trivia media...Remember, recordar :
"The ones to trust are the ones who give not just their money,prayers, counsel,and support,but their
person(s) who give their lives for their family,neighbor, and country.
S Jim Rodriguez-Eclecticist Spirit Seeker
Please, go to the Richardson site, ask him a question, read his policies, and decide for yourself,can he do the job? Do you like what he has to say?Personally,I admire his experience, knowlege, concern & plan for the enviorment.He will get us out of Iraq, given the chance, he can restore hope and help restore our "good guy" status in the world. He wants us all to have quality healhtcare. He wants to negotiate peace in Darfur. This is what intrigues me. We finally have a candidate that has actual, well thought out policy on more than a single issue, plus he has a sense of humor, and most people are lookin for hidden faults, is this because he seems too good to be for real? I hope you do not confuse him with Gonzales. They are not the same person, and as far as distrusting all of any ethnic group...why would any bigot choose to post on the Mother Jones site? No one here likes that xenophobic stuff.
"Richardson lacks the looks, charisma and glamour of a frontrunner."
I don't know about that. But look at our CURRENT president, whom we elected twice. Sort of.
As a New Mexican, I want to respond briefly to the posters who commented that Richardson "is a "duh" vote for teachers" because of his support for education and that R. "wants quality health care for all of us".
Richardson proclaimed himself the "Education Governor" a few years ago - and NM is 4th from the bottom of the national rankings of states in education, where we've been consistently and all through his tenure. He talks a lot, but teachers salaries still are lower than almost everyone else's, and he vetoed - among other things - an appropriation to replace the roof on a high school gym in Albuquerque - which fell in that summer after a hard rain. He did, though, install a Higher Education Secretary with a salary of almost $250,000: he took the appropriated $100,000+ for that position, and added the $100,000+ salary for the position the man had at NMSU.
Re health care, a recent study showed that the cheapest way to get quality health care coverage for everyone is a government-run single payer system. Richardson said he wouldn't support any system that didn't have a major role for the insurance companies.
I could go on, but I said I'd be brief.
I dont know why you would feel threatened by Richardson. It is Romney the Republican that approved the LNG tanker terminals for SUEX subsidiary Distrigas . Also, Md Gov Ehrlich and Jeb Bush Florida Governor approved LNG terminals-foreign gas imported after gas laws deregulated to charge high Industry prices. AES corp and SUEX subsidiaries, as well as El Paso Corp joint venture in Florida Calypso-make ROMNEY and Jeb Bush more dangerous for America's oil and gas deals than Richardson.
Richardson's got more experience than all the other candidates combined. Hence, he has more history and mistakes to point to. I'm curious why people aren't climbing all over Hillary for her ever-changing mood, mind, and platform. I'm not too fond of anyone trying to re-write the past. We have a lot of apologizing to do to the world. Richardson can do that. He's an amazing foreign negotiator.
you are a geat governor.thanks for every thing you have done.
I have watched Bill over the years, & after mulling over my choices for the CA Feb 5th vote I have chossen Bill for President I feel he is a calming infuence on the world stage & will get us out of Iraq, I believe Bill will come to the fore in the west & south.
