Finally! Bill Richardson gets some media attention. But this is probably not exactly how he envisioned it.

One of Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson's top organizers in rural Nevada resigned Thursday after the campaign learned he had worked for a brothel and was wanted on a felony arrest warrant in California.

"We did not know about all of this," Richardson spokesman Josh McNeil said after the staffer's record was brought to the campaign's attention by The Associated Press. "We accepted his resignation today."

This doesn't even win him any votes in the pro-brothel community, as one of the charges against the guy in question was that he was stiffing the workers their pay. What can you say about a guy that can't run an honest brothel?

For Richardson, apparently a lack of funds also means a lack of means for background checks and such. Either that or building an organization means scraping the bottom of the barrell so to speak. Long term damage to the campaign is minimal, except for the Nevada organization.

I've been wondering for a long time when the Democrats would discover they had, underneath their noses, a qualified, experienced presidential candidate who would be an electoral nightmare for Republicans to fight. This week Bill Richardson has gotten some attention. Walter Shapiro in Salon:

This week, for the first time, the respected Granite State Poll, sponsored by CNN and WMUR, put Richardson in third place (10 percent support), just ahead of John Edwards and Al Gore (tied at 8 percent), giving the New Mexico governor new bragging rights. But the most relevant number by far in the poll -- and another statistic that can only give Richardson hope -- is that 64 percent of New Hampshire Democrats say they are "still trying to decide" on a candidate.

Good news for the Richardson team. Focused attention on a key state may do the trick. Also, a widespread realization that Edwards is not a serious potential candidate if the Democrats want to, you know, win. The article goes on to quote Richardson on a couple of interesting topics:

...since he has gone from his initial support of the Iraq war to being an outspoken anti-warrior....

...Richardson grimaced comically and then said, "Full disclosure -- the National Rifle Association has given me an 'A' rating."...

... I'm not going to rail against rich persons. That's not me. I believe that we should have a pro-growth economy."...

So we have an anti-war liberal, who is also a pro-business, pro-gun governor from a key western state. This is a scary combination for a potential GOP opponent. Think Jon Tester in Montana and you have about sized up the situation. Thankfully for the GOP, the Democrats appear to be hell bent, just like 2004, in nominating one of their weaker candidates.

In a past post, I wondered whether country-music star Toby Keith could help Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Richardson come election time in 2008. A little Web searching indicates that both men have something in common: They sure can flip-flop.

"Richardson, who went to college in Boston and pitched a season in the storied Cape Cod summer league, has long described himself as a Red Sox fan," the Albuquerque Tribune reported. "But in a recent question and answer session with the Associated Press, the two-term New Mexico governor and second-tier Democratic presidential candidate gave a surprising answer when asked for his other-than-politics dream job. Center field, he said. New York Yankees."

Meanwhile, T.K. mocked anti-war heroine Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks, voted for George W. Bush, and became famous for the patriotic anthem "American Soldier" ... yet this registered Democrat doesn't like the Iraq War and pals around with Richardson.

"When you support your troops, people automatically think you're a Republican," Keith told the Rocky Mountain News last year. "When you're antiwar, people think you don't support the troops. That ain't the case, either. It's such a hard-core line these days. I'm not a very political guy. I just support the troops and I'm very patriotic."

Perhaps all this flip-flopping is a good thing. It suggests a creative mind, adaptable to changing circumstances. John Kerry was unable to persuade voters of the wisdom of "nuance," but perhaps the New Mexico governor and the Oklahoma country-music legend can do the job.

New Mexico governor and presidential aspirant Bill Richardson has been telling a story on the stump about his efforts to get the family of a dead Marine additional benefits. He's used the name of the Marine for political benefit and is accused of embellishing the story somewhat:

Richardson has told how he attended a memorial service three years ago for Lance Cpl. Aaron Austin, 21, who was killed in April 2004. The governor said Austin's mother, De'on Miller of Lovington, N.M., thanked him for the federal death benefits she had received.

Miller says the conversation about money never took place.

He has said he would stop using Austins name, which says to me that he was using it for no more than to score points and get votes. That's plain despicable if true.

I guess one shouldn't be too surprised as Richardson served under the Clinton team and they were well-known for taking every opportunity and making it political.

Richardson is a second-tier candidate who may appeal to some disaffected voters who don't like Hillary and believe Barack Obama to be too inexperienced. He comes off as a strong leader who has good foreign policy experience and would make a good running mate for one of the aforementioned. Here's hoping that Richardson reexamines his thinking on issues such as that of Lance Cpl. Aaron Austin.

Update: Can any of you make a bit of sense out of this blathering?

He's got a popular new song, "High Maintenance Woman," on WKLB-FM, the country-music station in the greater Boston area. He's brought inspiration to American servicemen stationed around the world. Could Toby Keith deliver another hit performance for a friend in 2008?

Keith "counts among his friends several prominent Democrats," Newsday reported in January, and that list includes "New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson..."

Could Keith help out Richardson? Music has played a role in past presidential campaigns. "When Ronald Reagan faced Walter Mondale in 1984," the St. Petersburg Times reported, "(Bruce) Springsteen publicly complained about Reagan invoking 'New Jersey's own Bruce Springsteen' during a campaign appearance." The Boss himself campaigned with fellow performers for John Kerry in 2004.

Then again, any Keith support of Richardson might be problematic for the candidate. First of all, the country-music star was among a list of musicians who backed Bush in 2004. Second, Keith was involved in a dispute with liberal icons the Dixie Chicks after lead singer Natalie Maines blasted President Bush. Maybe Keith ought to sit this campaign out.

An AP story from the Santa Fe New Mexican contains an embarrassing revelation about Democratic presidential (or is it vice presidential?) candidate Bill Richardson. It seems he is in the habit of telling a tall tale in stump speeches around the country.

This case of embellishment ironically centers on an accomplishment that Richardson should be proud of, and that needs no further exaggeration. Richardson pushed for legislation to up New Mexico's National Guard death benefits for veterans to $250,000. It was a good measure, and Richardson should tell everyone about it on the campaign trail. But in campaign speeches, especially recently in New Hampshire, he goes further with the story by reporting that he was prompted to raise the benefit by a conversation with the mother of a son who was killed in Iraq:

Three years ago, Richardson attended a memorial service for Lance Cpl. Aaron Austin, 21, who died in April 2004. As he campaigns for the Democratic nomination, the New Mexico governor often recounts an emotional conversation with Austin's mother, saying she thanked him for the federal death benefits she had received and even showed him the government check.

But he continually botches the story, and even has lied about the conversation:

In speeches in New Hampshire, Richardson has gotten Austin's name wrong at least once and age wrong at least twice. He also has called Austin the first New Mexico soldier killed in Iraq - instead of the third.

But that's not what bothers the Marine's mother, De'on Miller, of Lovington, who says the conversation about money never took place. "I didn't exchange words at all with the governor there except when he gave me the flag. And those few words - whatever was exchanged when he handed me the flag and the Spirit of New Mexico award - certainly had nothing to do with money," she said Thursday in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

The scenario is similar to another event in his life that he's long told stories about, but turned out not to be true -- his being drafted by baseball's Kansas City Athletics (Richardson was forced to retract the claim). That case, like the one reported today, is yet another example of a politician, this time Bill Richardson, lying about something that he or she didn't have to lie about to look good. Is their need for self-aggrandizement that pathological?

This is just Richardson shooting himself in the foot needlessly. And it doesn't help his political aspirations at all, be they presidential or vice presidential. People uneasily view politicians as habitual liars in the first place. Leaving such a paper trail of the lies, however, is particularly unhelpful in overcoming that perception.

Most Americans would agree that a candidate's character and actions matter more than what race or gender he or she happens to be. This might help explain why there's no uproar over the fact that the Republican party has so far put forth 10 white guys from which to choose a presidential candidate. Of the eight Democrats who appeared in the first debate, the country saw a slightly more representative demographic sampling, with a noticeable shortage of women and Asians (who make up roughly 4.3% of the population). What with the fact that women continue to far outpace men in terms of earning college degrees, however, we should start to see more and more female candidates in the near future.

The only Hispanic running for president in 2008 is Bill Richardson. So far, his campaign has been centered squarely on the question of competence and experience, and in the process, he has produced the season's best political ad. In other words, he had chosen to highlight his deeds rather than his ethnicity. Until now, that is:

It's no accident that he [Richardson] chose Los Angeles as the place where he'll announce officially today that he's seeking the presidency. "I'm not running as a Hispanic candidate, but I'm trying to convince Hispanics that I am Hispanic, and they don't know," he told The Post during a swing through Washington past week. "I go to Los Angeles, they don't know I'm Hispanic. When they know, it's a positive. So it's a question of building that."

Smart move. After all, according to the US Census Bureau, more than 35% of California's 36-million-plus residents are Hispanics. That's more than all the other racial groups who reside in the Golden State combined. And seeing as the state recently moved its primary up to February 5, that puts a lot of importance on courting the Hispanic vote. So will the act of highlighting Richardson's ancestral lineage help his chances in the primary? Well, it won't hurt.

Tip to Hotline. Governor of New Mexico and Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson is trying the humor gambit in what is a great way to introduce his great resume.

Funny, effective, gets the point across. This advertisement gets an A grade from me and proves that whatever Bill Richardson is lacking in the polls, he has some smart people on his staff and a sense of humor.

Even though it's so very early in the race, I already think it's over. Hillary Clinton will win the Democratic nomination. She has too much experience. She has been in the background of a successful campaign. She has been through the wars. The Republicans have been attacking her for fourteen years. Like the Energizer Bunny, she just keeps going. The most recent Gallup Poll has her in the lead 38% to 23%.

Barack Obama has made a good impression on voters but he is still new on the scene. So, will Hillary pick him as a running mate? I don't think so. For Hillary, it is all about winning. She is not about to do something just to make a statement (Geraldine Ferraro). I believe that she will seek out a conservative candidate who is articulate and who will help change the color of some of those red states.

The man who fills that description is Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico. He is going nowhere in the polls but he will bring home the electoral votes for Hillary and he may help to capture some of the blue states around New Mexico.

Look for Hillary and Bill to be running this country in 2009.

Second-tier Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson is in North Korea right now on a high profile trip to secure some U.S. Soldier remains from the Korean war. Normally this sort of thing would be extremely helpful to raise his profile and his foreign policy creds. Those creds really didn't need much help, but with Obama sucking away all the oxygen in Democratic circles, a few headlines for Richardson sure wouldn't hurt.

Unfortunately the North Korean handlers had a nasty little side tour for Richardson, a visit to the Pueblo:

The North Korean colonel who served as Richardson's guide smiled as he told the governor the ship was an example of continued U.S. aggression toward his country. Richardson and his traveling companion, former Veteran Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi, were then shown bullet holes circled in red paint and a video describing the maneuvering of "brazen-faced U.S. imperialists."

The USS Pueblo was captured by North Korea on Jan. 23, 1968, after being sent defenseless on an intelligence-gathering mission off the country's coast. It was the first U.S. warship captured since 1807, and remains the only active-duty warship in foreign hands.

Navy records show the ship was in international waters at the time of its capture; the North insists it was inside the Korean coastal zone. North Korea held the ship's crew of 82 for 11 months before releasing them. The ship was then moored in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.

So Bill Richardson raised $6 million last quarter which is not wonderful by any means, but it's more than nothing and puts him at the top of the second tier. Which is where he absolutely needs to be to break in by the end of the year.

Richardson is also getting some nice publicity with a trip to North Korea to negotiate and receive some Korean War remains. And in this interview he shows that he is not only the candidate with the most foreign policy experience, he is hitting all the "right" positions on the issues.

Iraq: Withdrawal this year, not next.

Iran and Syria: Direct talks immediately, ask them to help us in the Middle East. (no mention of what happens when they tell us to go pound sand, ask again nicely?)

Energy: The usual blah-blah about fuel efficiency, green buildings, conservation, plus a big effort to reduce dependance from 65% to 10%.

Bill Richardson Friday signed a bill legalizing medical marijuana in New Mexico. He's also running for president and was asked about whether this would hurt his chances:

"So what if it's risky? It's the right thing to do," said Richardson, one of the candidates in the crowded 2008 field. "What we're talking about is 160 people in deep pain. It only affects them."

The legislation would create a program under which some patients - with a doctor's recommendation - could use marijuana provided by the state health department. Lawmakers approved the bill Wednesday. The governor is expected to sign it in the next few weeks.

Richardson has supported the proposal since he first ran in 2002. But he pushed especially hard for it this year, leaning on some Democrats to change their votes after the bill initially failed.

Far from being risky, this kind of thing should help Richardson in the Democratic primaries. According to some Zogby polling last year, 59% of Democrats supported this sort of thing, with the strongest support on the East and West coasts. Medical Marijuana even gets 33% of Republican support. So I doubt this meets the definition of a risky move. Even in a general election Richardson can support this in states rights and libertarian values, which would make an interesting mix against a statist candidate like Rudy Giuliani.

In fact it's this type of thing that makes running for president as a governor much easier than running as a senator. Senators have to make ugly compromises. Governors sometimes find it easier to get things done (depends on the state).

Bill Richardson still hasn't been able to move the needle on his polling which is still in the single digits. As a conservative, I'm quite happy that the Democrats are ignoring their most electable candidate.

In a shocker today, Bill Richardson is praising Bush for his North Korea breakthrough.

Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson said Friday that President Bush should learn from recent successes with North Korea and engage in intense diplomatic negotiations in the Middle East to end the Iraq war.

"He finally used diplomacy and it works," Richardson said on the first day of a two-day visit to the early voting state of New Hampshire. "My hope is that he uses that lesson ... to talk to Syria about Hezbollah and Iraq, and that he talks to Iran about getting out of Iraq and stop their meddling there.

OK, it's sort of grudging, through-gritted-teeth praise, but you take what you can get if you're President Bush. And if I was Bush I'd be sending Richardson a nice flowery note thanking him for his support of the North Korea diplomatic efforts.

UPDATE: Richardson compliments Bush on N. Korea negotiations.

I like to believe that I am a moderate. I also like to believe that I can see the good done by those elected officials that I don't agree with most of the time. Recently, I wrote a positive article about the success of negotiations by the Bush Team in dealing with Korea. Criticism from the right has been incessant.

If we take the position that disputes cannot be mediated or negotiated, where does that leave us? Some believe that negotiations is a synonym for conceding. It is not. The United States must work with the rest of the world. We are now mired in a no-win war in Iraq. There is no solution. If we leave, a civil war will surely break out and the price of oil will soar or become unavailable. If we stay, more are killed. Not only American soldiers will be killed but Iraqis who we are there to protect.

There is a solution to every problem. However, to resolve a problem the decision makers must be at the table. Could civil war in Iraq result in a civil war in Iran and Syria. As the fighting spreads, will it hit Saudi Arabia. All those with an interest in the Middle East must be at the table. That is why Japan and China were at the table for the negotiations with Korea. They had something to lose if Korea ever became a nuclear force.

Governor Bill Richardson recently negotiated the release of Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Paul Salopek in Sudan. This is not the first time that Richardson, a candidate for the Presidency, has successfully negotiated for the release of an individual.

For those who ridicule me for believing in negotiations, I remind them that war is not working. For those who ask the question: "Would you negotiate with Syria or Iran," I say that you don't negotiate with people who already agree with you. The purpose of negotiations is to resolve disputes.

It's no secret that I think that Bill Richardson is the best candidate for the Democrats both on electability and on the merits. The Albuquerque Journal now has a five part series on Bill Richardson´s life and times up till now.

About Richardson and this series, Hotline on call says:

At first, it's hard not to notice the similarities between Richardson and, if you can believe it, John Kerry. Both had well-traveled, internationalist fathers who were reserved and emotionally distant; both attended blue-blood, East Coast prep schools where they perceived themselves to be outsiders; both followed their fathers to elite Northeastern universities; both began their political careers with unsuccessful, carpet-bagging congressional bids.

But unlike Kerry, whose burning ambition and calculating ways rubbed people the wrong way at every stop in his life from prep school to the Senate, the equally ambitious Richardson seems to have attained at least grudging respect from those who failed to succumb to his considerable charm.

Stylistically, the candidate Richardson most clearly resembles is Bill Clinton. Like Clinton, he is a force-of-nature candidate-a smart, physical politician with prodigious retail campaigning skills, comfortable in front of almost any audience.