New Mexico Gov. Richardson: If elected President, I may tap James Baker as Mideast envoy

[IChing]

Source: Haaretz

Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico, one of the Democratic candidates for president, said Wednesday that he would consider appointing former secretary of state James Baker to be special envoy to the Middle East peace process if elected president.

Richardson's statement came in response to a question from reporters after addressing the National Jewish Democratic Council in Washington.

Read more: http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/852210.html

---

Bill Richardson has finally lost any consideration of my support.

[roguevalley]

1. James "We don't have a dog in this fight" Baker. Well, that's too bad.

[Wetzelbill]

2. I'd prefer to tap James Baker with a right hook but

you know, I am a Liberal pantywaist pacifist and all.

[katty]

92. me too, no more bakers,bots,...etal - their time is OVER

go home and eat your billions.

[ryanmuegge]

95. LOL

[Solly Mack]

3. Oh, then he can get Lee Hamilton to be his Secretary of State

and then Baker and Hamilton can...LMAO

Sorry

I just couldn't continue without laughing

[AnneD]

67. Snarky....

:rofl: I lived in NM when Richardson was first elected. I never liked/trusted him. I couldn't put my finger on it-but I didn't. Same thing with Bush Sr. before I got the facts. Jr was a putz from day one and THAT was obvious. My 'crook' radar goes off when I listen to him. If he is an honest guy, I apologize. But for now-I trust my radar and the fact that I DO KNOW how crooked Baker is. That is fruit enough for me to know the tree.

[Dems Will Win]

74. Everyone should know Richardson has totally sold out to the nuclear power industry as well!

That FUCKING BASTARD!

No VP slot for him either!

Way too dangerous...

[AnneD]

80. Thanks...

My radar is getting fairly good then. I am seeing lots of things on this thread that re-enforce my initial opinion.

I need to develop and market it. Anne's Bull Shit Detector Patent pending. Emits a loud obnoxious sound when Bull Shit is in the air. Tired of making poor political decisions????Worry no more. Tired of losing money in the stock market??? Take Ann's Bull Shit Detector in to your meeting with your broker. Guaranteed to break up 96% of all staff meeting. This labour saving device , worth $2999.99 is yours for the low, low price of $19.99. Please make checks payable to DU.

[Hugin]

82. Links?

or is this speculation...

[AnneD]

86. About the BS detector...

purely a figment of my imagination.

But some of the other posts on this thread are causing me to remember some things, and are easy enough to follow up on.

Prag, want to help me develop the BS radar. Might earn us an extra buck or two. But it has to have an air horn alarm, in case folks are sleeping.:evilgrin:

[katty]

94. yup, Richardson the wolf in 'mister mellow' sheep's clothing...

[Solly Mack]

83. Ever feel like you're living in a really bad novel?

[AnneD]

87. Yeah....

"All the President's Men"

[corkhead]

4. a kingpin in the BFEE? good gravy.

he's off my list too.

[Bucky]

44. You should be able to spot a campaign gimmick when you see one.

Baker will never ever be asked to fill a solo mission under any Democratic president. But saying he might be considered looks good and opens up minds to voting Democrat. I think Richardson played this smart.

[corkhead]

45. I hope you are right, but a wink in my direction from Richardson would sure be helpful

I have serious BFEE fatigue and believe they should be imprisoned or exiled to either Paraguay or the new planet that was discovered the other day

Baker was instrumental in the theft of the 2000 election, he needs to go into retirement, for the sake of what's left of this democracy

[MasonJar]

5. Sorry, Bill, that definitely did not increase your measure with me.

[musette_sf]

6. the correct answer to that question, Governor,

would be "Jimmy Carter".

but thanks for playing and letting us all know that the BFEE has their claws sunk into you, too.

[enid602]

7. kBaker

I wonder how his wife Tammy Faye will fare in a Burka.

[Webster Green]

8. The bush crime family's "fixer" ?

Why the hell would he do that?

I guess he's an fucking idiot!

[Mme. Defarge]

9. Oh well!

[flyarm]

10. noooo!!! that can not be allowed to happen!! Baker represented the saudi's

against suits by the 9/11 families!!

what is he thinking????????????????


this can not be allowed!

fly

[Connie_Corleone]

11. Bill Clinton would be much better.

[BeyondGeography]

12. I guess he's appealing to the pro-James Baker wing of the Democratic Party

or maybe he's just being completely inept. :wtf:

[krkaufman]

90. Ha! Good one. n/t

[bbgrunt]

13. go away, mr. richardson. you are just too dumb for words.

[JohnnyLib2]

14. Well, that's handy info.

Shortens the list.

[DKRC]

15. Too bad. I had heard good things about him here. nt

[Benhurst]

16. Congratulations, Governor Richardson. You are the first

candidate to be scratched from my list.

[tnlefty]

17. Thanks, my list just got shorter by one.

Helped fix the election in FL, represented the Saudi's against the 9/11 families, and a much longer dirty laundry list. I find this difficult to stomach.

[LisaM]

18. After what happened in Florida in 2000?

That man (Baker) has never apologized to me or the rest of the world for that fiasco and his flat out whiny lies ("the ballots have been counted and recounted....it's not fair....") It makes me LIVID just to think about him.

[DearAbby]

19. Buzzzzzzzzzz....Sorry wrong response

But for your parting gift here is Don Pardo!

[Patsy Stone]

20. Ruh Roh

If there's one member of the BFEE I hate more than the others, that's the one.

[bullimiami]

21. well, hes off my list then.

[MGKrebs]

22. YIKES!

That is a deal-breaker kind of thing.


But like I always say- Everybody makes mistakes, it's how well you handle the recovery that counts.

[musiclawyer]

23. Boy, Bill just deep sixed his campaign

It's over Bill. Calls your judgment into question in the most spectacular way. Anyone who is not looking forward, and relies anything remotely related to Bushco, is done.

[Beausoir]

24. Sharpening my pencil and crossing Richardson off my list.

Baker GAVE us the filthy murder-monkey.

[Elwood P Dowd]

25. He jumped in bed with Newt, Delay, and the other repukes during the NAFTA

fight in 1993. Told the same lies that his repuke friends were telling. He and Newt were like two little happy peas in a pod.

[Delphinus]

26. You've got to be kidding me!

Another one bites the dust. :puke:

[eggplant]

27. Damn.

And I was *really* liking him. Sigh.

[ShortnFiery]

28. Bye Bye Bye! There goes any consideration for me to vote for Richardson. n/t

[youngdem]

29. WHAT. THE. FUCK?

Bill, are you dipping into the bales coming across your southern border again?

What the fuck are you thinking putting Baker in charge of ANYTHING other than his prison wing?

Ugh.

Some Democrats make me wonder why we even have a fucking opposition party to begin with.

Hillary banging the Iran drum today and now this bullshit?

WHY in the fuck is it so hard for a Democrat to see that these PNAC'ers CANNOT come anywhere NEAR the controls of this country EVER, EVER, EVER AGAIN.

Bill, you are a FOOL for suggesting this. A FOOL.

[electron_blue]

53. Perhaps some (many?) Democrats are also sucked in by PNAC.

Twould explain a lot, wouldn't it?

[David Zephyr]

30. Well, that seals the deal for me against Richardson. Completely.

Sorry. James Baker is the legal counselor to the Bush and Saudi crime families.

[LandOLincoln]

31. Dayum. Now I'm going to have to move.

This state ain't big enough for both of us if you're gonna say damfool scary, creepy shit like that, guv.

[lakeguy]

32. oops...

someone just fell off the radar screen.

[Forkboy]

33. Ouch...that is not good.

That changes things drastically.

[countmyvote4real]

34. Not good at all, but good to know.

I can't support Richardson if that is the case.

[laylah]

35. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand he's out! n/t

[seasat]

36. That was a monumentally stupid answer by Richardson.

Hopefully, it was just a gaff. The author of the blog considered it to be one.

According to the blog:

Like all Democratic candidates, Richardson calls for a more "engaged" American approach to the peace process. Whether one likes it or not ? whether one thinks this is no more than political propaganda (the Bush administration is doing quite a lot) ? Richardson is no different than the others in this sense. However, he did make one specific suggestion in his presentation: promising to appoint a special envoy to the peace process. No further details were shared.
...
Thus, right after the speech, Richardson entered a room full of reporters. He didn't have much time, so the number of questions was limited. As a print-journalist, I yielded my time to a TV reporter, and we agreed in advance that he will ask the question I knew will produce the headline we wanted: Who's the envoy Richardson has in mind.

They always fall for this question if they come unprepared, and Richardson proved just that. Israel, he said, should be a bi-partisan issue he said charitably. And with this sense of bi-partisanship in mind pulled out of his hat the first name he could think of: Former Secretary of State James Baker.
...
That makes this Baker gaffe a lose-lose situation for him. Either he admits it was a gaffe - which makes all this bragging about experience seem quite silly. Or he can stick to the Baker proposal - which makes the pro-Israel bragging quite questionable.

However, I'm changing my avatar from Richardson until I hear some sort of Mea Culpa on that one. Heck, he could have said Colin Powell or some less offensive Repug. I'm officially undecided now.

[donheld]

37. Isn't Baker dead yet?

:sad:

[Jim Sagle]

38. Jim "Fuck the Jews" Baker can eat shit and die and so can Dumbfuck Richardson.

[kurth]

39. Stupid ass licker

[garybeck]

40. And to think I was considering voting for him.

Just another DLCer I guess.

[Czolgosz]

41. Maybe Bill Richardson can appoint Abu Gonzalez, too. He's stood by Gonzalez "because he's Hispanic":

In an April 18 interview with The Hill, Richardson not only supported Abu Gonzalez, but he explicitly based his support on racial grounds:

Presidential candidate and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) said Monday the reason he has not called for the removal of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is that the two both have Hispanic backgrounds.

Richardson, in an interview with The Hill, said he is “pretty close” to making such a call, but added that he is reluctant to do so before Gonzales’s Senate testimony despite the high-profile involvement of New Mexico in the U.S. attorneys scandal.

“The only reason I’m not there is because he’s Hispanic, and I know him and like him,” Richardson said, adding, “It’s because he’s Hispanic. I’m honest.

“I want to give him the benefit of the doubt.”

http://www.thehill.com/campaign-2008/gov.-richardson-pretty-close-to-calling-for-gonzales-to-resign-2007-04-17.html

You almost want to believe that this was a joke or a gaffe, but prior to that interview with The Hill Richardson had made similar comments:

Tavis: It occurs to me now, listening to you talk about your friend who you know, Mr. Gonzalez, it draws a stark contrast between—I haven't checked where all the other candidates are, but I know Obama is on record very clearly saying Gonzalez should step down. I suspect other Democrats running for president are maybe saying the same thing. That's a contrast between you and others on whether or not this guy should step down.

Richardson: That's right. I do believe that it's up to a president to make those decisions about Cabinet members. Obviously, Alberto's very damaged, and he's gotta be frank and testify and do what has to happen. But I think that's up to the president.

Tavis: So you would not call for his stepping down right now.

Richardson: No, no. And you know what? Part of it maybe is because he's the highest-ranking Hispanic ever.

Tavis: But wrongdoing is wrongdoing, though. If he did wrong.

Richardson: Well, I think it's more a lack of attention, lack of a plan, lack of being thorough.

http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200703/20070321_richardson.html

[fooj]

42. Bad call.

James Baker deserves to rot in hell.

[Justitia]

43. I just heard the sound of a trapdoor opening - So Long Bill! -eom

[Kolesar]

46. A proSaudi agent who advocated for Palestine in Baker/Hamilton report cited to a Jewish audience

A Jewish Democratic audience, to be clear, but that was still notable.

[MrSlayer]

47. Well, there goes the last of the support I had for him.

Fuck man, I liked him better than the top 3 front runners before he spoke highly of Gonzo and now this settles it. Even considering a member of the Bush mafia is a non-starter.

Of course, he may just be saying this to gain some credibility among moderates and Independents. Most people don't know Baker like we know Baker.

Either way it's unsettling.

[Dogmudgeon]

48. Umm ... why?

This isn't just wrong, it's puzzling.

I'd like to hear why he'd pick Baker after Baker has done so much to hurt the country.

:shrug:

--p!

[LizW]

49. He has a dumb position on public education funding, too.

Richardson endorses one of those right-wing elitist plans for funding public education that sounds good on the surface, but is really bad for schools. It tells schools what percentage of their funding they may spend where. For instance, football is funded, but librarians are not. Richardson is the only Democrat among a long list of right wing nuts that supports it.

[Malikshah]

50. Please-- can we get a new playlist? Baker is not a godsend for anyone

his actions in 2000 alone show him to be morally and ethically bankrupt-- that is the last kind of person needed as MidEast Envoy.

Don't even get me started on the ISG...

Richardson-- reflect and realize that the purge must come.

[VLC98]

51. He's mentioned sending Baker before.

Check out the Hardball transcript from Feb 26. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17365816/

[Hugin]

70. In the MSNBC quote he is saying Bush should send Baker...

"President Bush send your own Republican friend from Texas, very skillful. He has talked to the Syrians 11 times before the first Gulf War. He could talk to Iran. He could recommend it, and its bipartisan cover."

So, this quote is not saying what he would do.

[VLC98]

75. You may be right....

but you missed the first part of what he said:
"RICHARDSON: Well, if you read the Iraq Study Group before—the report, it is James Baker, it s Lee Hamilton. I would send James Baker—

President Bush send your own Republican friend from Texas, very skillful. He has talked to the Syrians 11 times before the first Gulf War. He could talk to Iran. He could recommend it, and its bipartisan cover. And I believe."

So it was very choppy, probably because Chris Matthews interrupts too much, but I got the impression he would send Baker.

[Hugin]

76. I'm under the impression he was saying for Bush it's a choice between Rice and Baker... Send Baker.

If he were Bush.

But, since he's not, he has other choices... There is that pesky 'may' up there in the headline.

[VLC98]

77. Yes, I would go along with that. nt

[Hugin]

78. A couple of good points from that transcript, however...

1) Richardson is acutely aware and concerned about the ongoing mid-east crisis. (A pleasant change
from the do-nothing Administration currently in power.)

2) No matter who gets elected President... The American people need to be very involved in who
does get sent as a special envoy.

and the responses to this thread indicate Baker is a no-no.

Anyone have Carter's phone number? :)

[Imagevision]

52. Richardson isn't so stupid after all, this should be welcome news to the new world order group...

[Doctor_J]

54. I guess I'll have to cross Bill off of my list a possibles

Baker's had his hand in the 27-year destruction of America. He's defending the 9/11 perps in court agains tthe victims. He is as partisan as anyone in america except make the hate radio group.

:wtf:

[jakem]

55. Wow. He would really tap that? nt

[Marnieworld]

56. Wow I had no idea he was this clueless

I was actually giving him a good look.

What's next? Henry Kissinger as Secretary of State?

[Orsino]

57. Sorry, no. The correct answer was...

..."anyone not evil." Thanks for playing.

[pberq]

58. Are we starting to get the idea yet?

Having a (D) after someone's name doesn't guarantee a thing.

Unbelievable - the guy who was instrumental in stealing the 2000 election!

[hatrack]

59. Secretary Imhotep III, back from the Baker Botts sarcophagus

Great.

[bigtree]

60. I really don't have have any idea why he said what he said. I think it was unnecessary and stupid.

I expect him to defend himself on things like this, so, instead of going there I'll wait for his explanation and hope it blows over. He's still my candidate. He still has the best approach to Iraq other than Kucinich. He'll be his own envoy to the ME, so I'm not going to dwell on the Baker thing as if it's extremely important unless his foreign policy approach proves to be out of whack. I'll judge all of that on the merits of what he proposes, not on an offhand remark about using Baker as an envoy.

[Hugin]

61. Are there any other sources or transcripts for this story?

I'd like to know the context of the comment before I leap to any preconceived and ideologically
convenient conclusions.

[brentspeak]

65. Thanks. I'm glad there are other DUers not gullible enough to take this reporter's word for it

Any high school journalism student knows they're supposed to supply direct quotes in an article. It's embarrassing that a lot of DUers read the link but automatically bought the reporter's claim without even the benefit of direct quotes. Makes you wonder how many here might believe something printed in the World Weekly News.

[Hugin]

66. My regular reading of the WWN has rendered me immune to such tactics...

:)

But, further reading at the source news site revealed that the reporting journalist also asked the
question which resulted in the headline and other than the headline there doesn't seem to be much
'there, there'.

Thanks for your fellowship and support brentspeak.

[VLC98]

68. Please see my post #51. nt

[FreeStateDemocrat]

62. Is this guy really just a stalking horse for Hillary? After Gonzo support, he's only a distraction.

[brentspeak]

63. The article contains no actual quote by Richardson on this topic

We're supposed to take the reporter's word for it when the basic journalistic standard of citing a specific quote isn't even followed?

[Canuckistanian]

73. He had better comment soon - either confirm or deny

These things take on a life of their own sometimes.

And you're right, it could be completely false - a little piece of disinformation to discredit him.

Or maybe it's meant to discredit Baker, a member of the ISG.

[lonestarnot]

64. Oh brother.

[tidy_bowl]

69. Past time to retire the 50's cold warriors like Baker. nt

[Canuckistanian]

71. Bad news

Bill Richardson is considering hiring the man who almost single-handedly brought us the Bush administration?

A man who defended Saudis against Americans for 9/11 deaths?

Has he lost it?

[Doremus]

72. These damned idiots, trying to appeal to moderates, don't give a flying flip

if they completely lose their loyal base in the process. And those moderates they hoped to pick up? Most wouldn't vote for a (D) anyway.

No doubt Richardson will come to realize just how foolish that was.

Stupid.
Idiot.

[donsu]

79. well, cross Richardson off the list

Baker is a neo con criminal, why would Richardson want to consort with him?

[bigtree]

81. I'd think you'd want to hear from Richardson himself instead of this reporter

from the Israeli newspaper.

The earlier statement from Richardson about Baker was that Bush should send his "friend" Baker to the ME. It certainly would be a different matter if Richardson had actually said he'd make him his envoy if he was president.

[classysassy]

84. Dusty

Baker,not Jim the Texas slime ball.

[Alexander]

85. Richardson won't be getting my vote, that's for sure.

His (Richardson's) poor judgment allowed the Bush clan to rig New Mexico in 2004.

And now Baker? Ugh.

[peacebuzzard]

I knew this guy was a fake.

[peacebuzzard]

88. I knew this guy was a fake.

[krkaufman]

89. So much for Richardson as a candidate, then. Total lack of judgement.

Very disappointing.

[xxqqqzme]

91. ahhhh, I knew sooner or later

The DLC self buried inside would struggle to the surface. You just can't suppress those leanings.

[VegasWolf]

96. Exactly! The New World Order must perservere even if a Democrat is

elected President. They have another candidate in addition to Hillary now. They are hedging their bets. DLC for the New World Order, with Haliburton, the Carlyle Groug, the Vangard Group, ExxonMobile and GE providing the funding.

[Jacobin]

93. At least he's not a neocon

Baker was against the invasion and tried to tell smirky to get the fork out of Iraq.

There could clearly be better choices

[DavidMS]

97. I don't think its a disqualifier.

Baker is a good practitioner of realpolitik. Even if he is a repuke. Amoungst leftists, I do like leaders who can practice the art. He would still loose to the great masters but he isn't that awful a choice provided he is kept on a real short leash.

I still don't consider Richardson to be a top choice, but he is also not disqualified.