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 Editorials | Issues | May 2008 
Richardson Keeps Up His Envoy Work
 Leslie Wayne - NYTimes
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| | New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson speaks at a fundraiser for the campaign of Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire Monday, April 28, 2008, in Seattle. Gregoire is seeking re-election and will face Republican Dino Rossi, who also opposed her in 2004. (AP/Ted S. Warren) | | |
Is Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico still running a campaign of his own? On his mind may just be Secretary of State in the cabinet of the candidate he endorsed, Barack Obama.
Speculation over Mr. Richardson’s ambition kicked in following the former presidential candidate’s visit to Venezuela, where he met with President Hugo Chavez late last month in an attempt to gain the release of three American contractors who have been held hostage by Colombia rebels for five years.
The notion is that Mr. Chavez might have some sway over the FARC rebels, who operate in the jungles of neighboring Colombia and who have handed over hostages to Mr. Chavez before.
Mr. Richardson returned to his Santa Fe home empty-handed. But he enthusiastically promoted his skills as an international envoy and trouble shooter to the local press and to CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on his return, and added that Mr. Obama has “enormous support” in Venezuela.
In press interviews, Mr. Richardson said that he was able to get Mr. Chavez to “agree to try to help us” in securing the hostages’ release.
In addition, he said he helped woo the Venezuelan leader, who is an antagonist of the Bush Administration, through their mutual love of baseball. Mr. Richardson proffered Mr. Chavez some baseball cards and a baseball signed by Mickey Mantle.
The two, according to Mr. Richardson, debated over who was the better pitcher. “He’s an old pitcher,” said Mr. Richardson, who was quoted in The Albuquerque Journal, “I told him that my curve ball was better than his. He disagreed.” Mr. Richardson repeated this baseball story on Mr. Blitzer’s show.
Mr. Richardson did not go as an envoy of the United States or of the Organization of American States – both the State Department and the OAS issued statements saying so. But, his trip was coordinated with the State Department. Mr. Richardson also met with the United States Ambassador to Venezuela and the former head of OPEC while there. In the Clinton Administration, Mr. Richardson was Energy Secretary and Ambassador to the United Nations.
Mr. Richardson’s trip has run into some flak. In an editorial, the Investor’s Business Daily, which has a conservative to libertarian slant, took Mr. Richardson to task for meeting with someone who is an arch-rival of Colombia, a country that the United States supports, and whose bombastic and socialistic leanings are wellknown.
“Such disrespect for Colombia raises questions about the governor’s judgment and, worse still, what he might have offered Chavez and FARC on behalf of a future U.S. administration,” said the newspaper’s editorial.
Possibilities that Mr. Richardson might have offered include keeping the Colombia trade back “on ice,” making concessions to the Colombia rebels, taking the rebels off the list of international terrorists or cutting of military aid to Colombia, the editorial speculated.
Closer to home, Mr. Richardson’s hometown newspaper, The New Mexican, last weekend, quoted a number of political scientists about Mr. Richardson’s foray.
Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University told the newspaper: “Things like this help keep in mind his stature as an international statesman.” |
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