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Two North Korean diplomats are in Santa Fe and will meet with Gov. Bill Richardson on Wednesday. A spokesman for Richardson said a delegation from the North Korean mission to the United Nations will meet at the governor's mansion for a daylong meeting but the topic was not disclosed. The North Koreans had requested the visit, but the governor's office said Richardson will not be negotiating nor will he be representing the Obama administration. The delegation, which includes Minister Myong Gil Kim and Councilor Jong Ho Paek, also are scheduled to receive briefings on renewable energy initiatives in New Mexico...

The DNCC announced the speakers for the prime-time slot on Wednesday night of the convention, and the list is intriguing. Wednesday night is when the VP nominee addresses the convention, and CNN scrutinizes the list for a hint on Barack Obama’s choice Former president Bill Clinton will address the delegates, as will Harry Reid, Ken Salazar, and Jay Rockefeller. Alexander Mooney focuses on two other speakers, but misses an obvious third choice: The two senators widely believed to be at the top of Barack Obama’s shortlist for VP have been given prime-time speaking slots at the Democratic convention Wednesday night...

Gov. Bill Richardson is back and so is the Legislature. Lawmakers convene Tuesday for a 30-day session and the governor will map out his priorities during a State of the State speech to a joint meeting of the House and Senate. Richardson said his speech will have a simple message for legislators: "Health care. Health care. Health care.'' "It's going to be an address saying that we have a responsibility in this Legislature, with the governor, to produce universal health care for every New Mexican and to start it with a comprehensive bill — not piece meal,'' Richardson said. Also...

Gov. Bill Richardson on Friday ordered a six-month moratorium on minerals drilling in the Galisteo Basin south of Santa Fe. Richardson's announcement came as good news to opponents of Tecton Energy's plan to explore for oil and gas near the communities of Cerrillos and Galisteo. "It's a fragile ecosystem," Richardson, just off the presidential campaign trail, said during a wide-ranging news conference at the Roundhouse. "I have serious reservations about drilling in the Galisteo Basin." The moratorium will allow Tecton to continue with the application process with the New Mexico Oil Conservation Division, but prohibits the division from approving new...

DES MOINES, Iowa— After a long list of phone calls to potential Iowa presidential voters, New Mexico Transportation Secretary Rhonda Faught can recite her political sales pitch by heart. "Hi. I'm Rhonda Faught," she says in her best phone voice when asked for an example. "I'm calling on behalf of Governor Bill Richardson ... and I would love to talk to you about some of the great things the governor is doing in New Mexico. Do you have a minute?" Faught is among the scores of New Mexicans— many of them high-level Richardson state appointees volunteering on their own time—...

Democratic New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, called on President Bush to force Musharraf to step down. Until then, Richardson said the U.S. must suspend military aid to the Pakistani government. "A leader has died, but democracy must live. The United States government cannot stand by and allow Pakistan's return to democracy to be derailed or delayed by violence," Richardson said.

SANTA FE — Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Richardson has a Christmas wish for some of the state government employees in his administration: pack your bags and head to Iowa. The two-term governor is asking governmental appointees and other state employees to volunteer to help his campaign by traveling to Iowa before the Jan. 3 leadoff presidential contest Several of the governor's top administrators already have hit the campaign trail in Iowa and New Hampshire. Others plan to be in Iowa for the critical final days before the caucus.

<p>A new group of critics is taking on Gov. Bill Richardson, calling him a bully and asking for others to speak up.</p> <p>A blog, starting online Sunday, will encourage people to talk on the Internet— anonymously if they want— about being targeted for retaliation by Richardson or his staff, members said.</p>

Four people were indicted Thursday in an alleged kickback scheme that?s at the core of the debate over the firing of U.S. Attorney David Iglesias. Former state Senate President Pro Tem Manny Aragon, Toby Martinez, Raul Parra and Sandra Mata Martinez all face charges. The U.S. attorney?s office in Albuquerque says Marc Schiff, Ken Schultz and Manuel Guara had already entered guilty pleas in the case. Investigators say the kickbacks were related to the construction of the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Courthouse in Albuquerque. Iglesias believes he was fired as the federal prosecutor for New Mexico for resisting pressure from Senator...

SANDIA PUEBLO, N.M. (AP) - For $2,300, the maximum individual donation allowed, contributors became "Friends of Bill"; for $1,000, donors became "Supporters of Bill" as Gov. Bill Richardson aimed at a $2 million goal in a single fundraiser. It was the largest fundraiser in New Mexico history, according to Richardson's fledgling Democratic presidential campaign. The governor and first lady Barbara Richardson attended Thursday night's gala at Sandia Resort, but the campaign did not release a guest list. "Most of these people are typical high-dollar donors," said Terry Brunner, state director for Democratic U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, a primary co-host of...

SANTA FE New Mexico is taking its fight against drunken driving to men's restrooms around the state. The state has ordered 500 talking urinal cakes that will deliver a recorded anti-D-W-I message to bar and restaurant patrons who make one last pit stop before getting behind the wheel. The top of the devices feature the state D-W-I slogan -- "You drink, you drive, you lose." Some Albuquerque bars installed the devices this week. And the state Transportation Department plans to distribute them to Santa Fe bars and restaurants as well as establishments in Farmington, Gallup and Las Cruces. The state...

WASHINGTON: Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson said Thursday the United States must lead the way on global struggles by reducing its nuclear weapons, closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and dramatically cutting energy use. In the first foreign policy address of his nascent candidacy, Richardson indicated he would reverse many Bush administration policies if he is elected to the White House in 2008. The New Mexico governor and former diplomat called his proposals "new realism." "This administration's lack of realism has led us to a dangerous place," Richardson said during a speech to the Center for Strategic and International Studies....

Jan. 19, 2007 at 12:11PM New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who served in Bill Clinton's Cabinet, plans to establish his presidential exploratory committee Monday, UPI has learned.       A source close to Richardson, a Democrat, told United Press International Friday, "Richardson will announce his exploratory committee on Monday."

Attorney General Patricia Madrid said Friday that a request by a Republican legislator for an investigation into Gov. Bill Richardson's hiring practices is "neither appropriate or warranted." Sen. Kent Cravens, R-Albuquerque, and other legislators signing onto the letter, "have neither allegations or presented any evidence that a public servant has received pay for services not rendered," Madrid said in a news release. The legislators earlier this year asked Madrid for an inquiry after news reports about Richardson's hiring of dozens of so-called "gov-ex temp" employees. Those employees are in jobs created and filled outside of the state's normal hiring process...

The Bill Richardson campaign-money machine kept churning last month. In his bid for a second term as governor, Democrat Richardson took in more than $824,000 last month, according to his campaign-finance report filed with the state Thursday. That brings the total he has raised for re-election to more than $8 million -- about the same amount he raised for his 2002 campaign. Richardson, who has at least a dozen full-time employees on his campaign staff, spent more than $1.5 million last month, leaving just under $5 million in the bank. Meanwhile, Richardson's Republican opponent, John Dendahl, was not able to...

Gov. Bill Richardson recently made a quick-turnaround trip to Chicago to take part in an immigration forum— scoring some Windy City press coverage in the process. Richardson was in Chicago June 11 for an immigration panel discussion at the annual conference of the Rev. Jesse Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH Coalition.-- snip -- Richardson's comments at the gathering were the subject of a Chicago Sun-Times news story and a news spot on a CBS television station there. "Yes, we have to strengthen our border security, but we also have to protect the millions of immigrants who are already in America," the Sun-Times quoted...

Damron withdraws from gubernatorial race; former GOP chairman replaces him Last Update: 06/17/2006 6:12:59 PM By: Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE (AP) - Former state Republican party chairman John Dendahl is the party’s new nominee to challenge Democratic Governor Bill Richardson. State Republican Party Chairman Allen Weh says Dendahl, 67, was nominated by unanimous voice vote Saturday at a Republican State Central Committee meeting in Albuquerque.

Gov. Bill Richardson's re-election campaign has supporters from coast to coast, and many of them have hefty checkbooks, a Journal analysis found. Nearly half of the $3.7 million in cash contributions Richardson has raised the past year came from donors listing addresses outside of New Mexico, a breakdown of his latest disclosure for the 2006 campaign shows. But nearly three-quarters of all donors are from New Mexico, pointed out Richardson campaign manager Amanda Cooper. She said 72 percent of the contributors, or more than 2,000 donors, on Richardson's 300-plus-page report have New Mexico addresses. "It's a strong show of support...

Barbara Damron, wife of Republican gubernatorial candidate Dr. J.R. Damron, says she was “pressured” to resign from the St. Vincent Regional Medical Center’s governing board by hospital officials who feared retribution from Gov. Bill Richardson. Barbara Damron said in an interview this week that St. Vincent chief executive officer Alex Valdez told her “he had heard comments around the Roundhouse that my being on the hospital board was jeopardizing the hospital’s getting our requested funds.” The hospital was seeking $4 million to expand the emergency room at Santa Fe’s nonprofit general hospital. A Richardson spokesman denied the governor, a Democrat...

SANTA FE— Gov. Bill Richardson vetoed Republican-sponsored capital outlay projects twice as often as projects sought by Democratic legislators, a Journal analysis found. The Democratic governor used his line-item veto to strike nearly 33 percent of the projects sponsored by Republicans. Democratic sponsors lost only about 15-percent of their projects. Richardson made the cuts in the $762 million capital outlay bill passed during the 30-day legislative session that ended February 16. The analysis found that lawmakers who either have been outspoken critics of the governor or who opposed key legislation in the recent session were more likely than Richardson allies...

In state government they’re called “Gifts from the North” and these supposedly temporary jobs have long life-spans and big salaries.

SANTA FE — Leading up to this year's legislative session, Gov. Bill Richardson proclaimed 2006 the "year of the child'' for his proposals. The "year of the Legislature'' might be a better description of the just-ended session, however. More than any time during Richardson's administration, lawmakers — particularly the Senate — exerted greater independence on a wider range of policy decisions. A number of Richardson's proposals died in the Legislature: a higher minimum wage; tax cuts, including an $18 million income tax credit for the working poor; most of his anti-corruption package; and a $250 million road construction program. <<...

Former gubernatorial spokesman Billy Sparks doesn't meet the written minimum requirements for his new six-figure job at the University of New Mexico. A bachelor's degree is required for the position of executive director of communications and marketing at the Health Sciences Center, according to a written job description provided by UNM. Sparks, who served as Gov. Bill Richardson's deputy chief of staff, has acknowledged that he is "a couple of courses short" of a bachelor's degree. No salary is listed in the description for the newly created position. But Dr. Paul Roth, executive vice president for health sciences, said Sparks...

The University of New Mexico has created a new communications job that will be filled by Gov. Bill Richardson's former chief spokesman, Billy Sparks, at a $120,000-a-year salary. Dr. Paul Roth, executive vice president for health sciences, said he approached Sparks about the job because of his unique set of skills. Roth said the position, executive director of communications and marketing for the Health Sciences Center, was not advertised. Roth said Sparks will start work there today. Roth said the hiring fell under a "sole source" category designed for candidates with a unique set of skills. Under that category, "we...

The National Hispanic Cultural Center's visual arts director says she refused to work on an exhibit of works by a Santa Fe artist collected by Gov. Bill Richardson because its scheduling didn't follow museum procedures. Helen Lucero, who said the show by Elias Rivera would benefit a private gallery, said the experience prompted her to plan to retire early, at the end of March. But on Monday, state Cultural Affairs Secretary Stuart Ashman put her on paid leave until then. Her office phone and computer were cut off, and the department's head of security stood by as she packed her...

You might soon be seeing more of Gov. Bill Richardson, at least in the offices of the state Motor Vehicle Division. A division worker fired off a fax this week to MVD field offices statewide that reads like an urgent command to get [Richardson] portraits on state office walls. "ATTN: ALL OFFICE MANAGERS— ALL OFFICES THAT DO NOT HAVE THE PICTURE OF THE GOVERNOR UP IN THE OFFICE WILL NEED TO CONTACT GLORIA GARCIA IN THE DIRECTOR'S OFFICE RIGHT AWAY," the faxed memo says. The memo went to managers of all 70-plus government-operated MVD field offices in New Mexico. But...

(Albuquerque, NM) – “I can assure you we will not meet our costs,” said State Transportation Secretary Rhonda Faught to the Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee. “I do not know of a single (train) system in the world that makes money.” [ABQjournal, “Train Will Lose Millions,” 1/24/06]. On Monday, planners for Governor Bill Richardson’s Rail Runner Express commuter train told lawmakers that the first year of fare revenues will amount to only ten percent of the train service’s $10 million annual operating cost. Instead federal funding, and possibly taxpayers, will foot much of the bill – even as state Education...

What do Beetle Bailey, Dennis the Menace and Gov. Bill Richardson have in common? All three are in today's Albuquerque Journal comics section. Today's installment of Ripley's Believe It or Not!, a comics feature that celebrates the unusual, includes a tidbit on Richardson's handshaking record set in Albuquerque several years ago. On Sept. 14. 2002, Richardson shook 13,392 hands while campaigning for governor at the New Mexico State Fair and a Lobos football tailgate party outside of University Stadium. A Guinness World Records official was on hand for Richardson's feat. And Guinness created a new category for the most handshakes...

SANTA FE— The fast-tracked New Mexico Rail Runner Express commuter train is a sweet deal for the state and will be the "fastest thing in town" 20 years from now as more and more cars clog the freeways, train planners told lawmakers Saturday. Several members of the House Transportation Committee, which heard the pitch for the $390 million train, agreed train service linking Belen, Albuquerque and Santa Fe will be vital. But some said planners need to do a better job of keeping legislators informed on train planning. "Some legislators feel like they're being left behind," said the committee vice-chairwoman,...

Video of Governor Richardson at the controls of his new play train (scale 1 ft.= 1 ft.). (Aside who is the female singing "Take me down, but I will not be broken")

LAS CRUCES— Apparently it was a $2 million cup of coffee. Gov. Bill Richardson was all set to announce $19 million for New Mexico State University building projects on Friday, but the recommendation grew to $21 million after a chat over coffee with NMSU President Michael Martin. Richardson planned to recommend $3 million for construction of a new Native American Cultural Center to be built near the student union, Corbett Center. ''I said, 'We can't do it for $3 million. That's an old number,''' said Martin, recounting his brief talk with the governor minutes before Richardson's appearance on the NMSU...

SANTA FE— One lawmaker called it a "shell game." Another described it as "Enron-style accounting." The Richardson administration's plan to pay for its $390 million RailRunnerExpress commuter train by digging deeper into a fund intended to pay for roads is coming under fire. A new legislative analysis shows the 2003 transportation package known as GRIP now has far less for road projects than lawmakers were told. State Transportation Secretary Rhonda Faught said concerns are unfounded and there will be enough money to build all road projects. Rep. Dan Foley, R-Roswell, a frequent critic of Gov. Bill Richardson, said he plans...

Gov. Bill Richardson's $300 million commuter rail project has a name, a sleek design, two locomotives, 10 bi-level cars, a computer screensaver and a Web site. But no business plan has been released outlining expected yearly operating revenues, costs, ridership estimates or fares. No public estimates have been issued as to how much it will ultimately cost to maintain the 300 miles of state track. And while the administration is poised to spend $50 million for track in the first phase from Belen to Bernalillo, legislative staff are still asking questions— including whether the state has fully investigated environmental problems...

Like many American males growing up in the 1950s, Joe Carraro loved getting a train set for Christmas. Today, as a state senator, Carraro said he is not as happy with the RailRunner train the state of New Mexico is about to see running the rails next month. "I understand the importance of mass transit - for a high, dense population area. I think that's where things kind of should be, where things like this make sense," he said. But New Mexico isn't Manhattan. It's just one of several multi-million-dollar expenditures for Gov. Bill Richardson, and Carraro, a Republican, says...

SANTA FE— When Brian Moore, 20, came to see Gov. Bill Richardson on Wednesday, he was ready to make a pitch for $20,000 for his college world affairs club. What Moore wasn't prepared for was the governor peeling off a $100 bill from a fat money roll and handing it to him. Wearing a natty vest with Zia symbols on both sides, Richardson held a kind of fireside chat for ordinary folks at his office Wednesday. But instead of fireside, the governor sat at his massive Cabinet table, so large there's barely walking space around it. Scheduled for 10:30 a.m....

LONDON - Virgin Galactic, the British company created by entrepreneur Richard Branson to send tourists into space, and New Mexico announced an agreement Tuesday for the state to build a $225 million spaceport. Virgin Galactic also revealed that up to 38,000 people from 126 countries have paid a deposit for a seat on one of its manned commercial flights, including a core group of 100 "founders" who have paid the initial $200,000 cost of a flight upfront. Virgin Galactic is planning to begin flights in late 2008 or early 2009.New Mexico Economic Development Secretary Rick Homans said construction of the...

Gov. Bill Richardson's office wanted bigger guns to represent New Mexico's interests in Washington, D.C. So the state has hired a high-profile lobbying firm whose co-chairman is the brother of John Podesta, Richardson's friend and former colleague at the Clinton White House. The firm of PodestaMattoon was selected from among six that responded to a request for proposals issued last summer. Under the contract, PodestaMattoon will receive $11,500 a month or $138,000 a year, plus expenses. John Podesta's brother, Tony Podesta, is one co-chair of the company. He is a Democratic strategist who ran John Kerry's presidential campaign in Pennsylvania....

State of NM Governor Bill Richardson and First Lady Barbara Richardson ride at front of float in buckboard. ... State of NM Governor Bill Richardson was born in Pasadena From TheNew Mexican: "A worthy investment" Richardson, an oft-discussed potential 2008 presidential candidate, said he did not initially want to ride on the float, but was persuaded by Cerletti and his Tourism Department Deputy Secretary John Hendry. With his background as both a diplomat and cabinet secretary in the Clinton administration, Richardson is one of the state's most recognizable personalities. Richardson said his participation in the parade was not an attempt...

Gov. Bill Richardson likes to touch people. He hugs, pokes, jabs and tickles. Looking to start a conversation, he might lean forward and head-butt someone— male or female. Bored on an airplane flight? He'll lick his finger and smudge an aide's glasses. Richardson says he's just joking and teasing to ease tension and boredom. Lt. Gov. Diane Denish [a Democrat] says she finds the practice irritating. She said she tries to avoid sitting or standing next to the governor at public events. She said the governor's personality is "one of charisma, joking, joshing," but also used some other words to...

SANTA FE— Our fleet is not as big as his, but that didn't stop New Mexico from using its new jet to fly billionaire businessman Sir Richard Branson here last week for his space tourism pitch. Branson, known for brash antics such as inscribing aircraft with a "Mine is bigger than yours" slogan, owns several of his own airlines, including Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Express and Virgin Blue. But a New Mexico economic development spokeswoman, Katie Roberts, said there will be no taxpayer cost for flying Branson here on the state's $5.5 million Cessna Citation Bravo. Branson came to New Mexico...

New Mexico's plan to build a $225 million spaceport calls for the state Legislature to contribute $100 million in new money over the next three years — the "cornerstone" of an effort that could open up outer space to thousands of paying customers over the next decade, Gov. Bill Richardson said Wednesday. The balance would come from state funding already approved, as well as federal and local funds, said Rick Homans, New Mexico's economic development secretary. New Mexico's political leaders said the investment would bring a return in the form of thousands of new jobs as well as heightened prestige.

SANTA FE — The state Republican Party is skewering Gov. Bill Richardson in a new radio ad parodying "'Twas the Night Before Christmas.'' The ad lampoons the Democratic governor for his presidential ambitions, his recent admission that he was not drafted by a professional baseball team as he has claimed for decades and issues that have been the subject of previous GOP criticism, including the state's purchase of a $5.4 million jet. The ad started airing Tuesday on an Albuquerque radio station and will run through Thursday, according to Marta Kramer, GOP executive director. The opening line of the ad...

SANTA FE— The New Mexico Rail Runner Express will need about $320 million in state transportation money, Transportation Secretary Rhonda Faught said Thursday. At least one lawmaker and legislative analysts say that's about $200 million more in state money for the commuter railroad than they were earlier told. Faught says she never meant to mislead legislators about the cost. Gov. Bill Richardson's commuter-train service would link Belen, Albuquerque and Santa Fe. With federal money added in, the total cost is now estimated at around $390 million, Faught said in an interview. But staff members with the Legislative Finance Committee say...

Gov. Bill Richardson is coming clean on his draft record _ the baseball draft, that is, admitting that his claim to have been a pick of the Kansas City A's in 1966 was untrue. For nearly four decades, Richardson, often mentioned as a possible Democratic presidential candidate, has maintained he was drafted by the Kansas City Athletics. The claim was included in a brief biography released when Richardson successfully ran for Congress in 1982. A White House news release in 1997 mentioned it when he was about to be named U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. And several news organizations,...

N.M. Gov Admits He Wasn't Baseball Pick 13 minutes ago Gov. Bill Richardson is coming clean on his draft record — the baseball draft, that is, admitting that his claim to have been a pick of the Kansas City A's in 1966 was untrue. For nearly four decades, Richardson, often mentioned as a possible Democratic presidential candidate, has maintained he was drafted by the Kansas City Athletics. The claim was included in a brief biography released when Richardson successfully ran for Congress in 1982. A White House news release in 1997 mentioned it when he was about to be named...

SEOUL (AFX) - US politician Bill Richardson, hoping to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons, arrived in Pyongyang today for a three-day visit, the North's official media reported. 'Bill Richardson, governor of New Mexico State of the United States, and his party arrived here Monday,' the Korean Central News Agency said in a brief dispatch. Richardson said Friday his three-day trip to North Korea was unofficial but White House-backed and is aimed at giving momentum to the six-way nuclear disarmament talks. The US governor will visit Japan and South Korea to brief officials in Tokyo and Seoul of...