http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/richardson/ en-us Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:45:49 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2269202/posts Who's talking to North Korea? By: Ben Smith June 10, 2009 05:08 PM EST In the opaque, dangerous days after North Korea sentenced two American journalists to 12 years’ hard labor, the White House faced the challenge of fashioning a response that doesn’t raise the tension level with the volatile hermit nation with a burgeoning nuclear weapons program. But that wasn’t all: The Obama administration also had to get Gov. Bill Richardson off television. At a time when North Korea’s uncertain leadership and bracingly bellicose threat to the stability of the region have put Pyongyang high on the radar of... The Politico http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2269202/posts#comment Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:45:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2251712/posts The governor was trying to be nonchalant. He didn't quite pull it off. "This morning I was with the president of the United States," he told reporters at a Thursday news conference. "This afternoon I'm with Robert Redford." It was almost like the old Bill Richardson. Back in the early years of his administration, it seemed he was always appearing beside Washington bigwigs and hobnobbing with Hollywood celebrities. Had a few North Korean diplomats dropped by the Roundhouse on Thursday afternoon, the picture would have been complete. President Barrack Obama was in Rio Rancho to talk about credit card legislation... The New Mexican http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2251712/posts#comment Fri, 15 May 2009 17:26:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2234779/posts t looks like Gov. Bill Richardson’s (D-N.M.) troubles might be getting a bit worse. Richardson is currently entangled in a federal pay-to-play investigation in his home state. Today, The New Mexico Independent’s Heath Haussamen reports that Steven Rattner, who is currently overseeing the Obama administration’s auto industry bailout program, has also been a major contributor to Richardson’s gubernatorial campaigns in recent years — donating a total of $20,000 over two elections. The problem? Richardson heads the State Investment Council (SIC), which manages the state’s investments. In October 2005, the SIC voted to invest $20 million with Quadrangle Group LLC, according... Wash Independent http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2234779/posts#comment Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:37:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2226101/posts Drumbeat Continues: Administration Enlists Another Soldier for its War on American Energy Production Washington, D.C. - Institute for Energy Research President Thomas J. Pyle issued the following statement in response to Secretary Salazar’s appointment of Ned Farquhar – former employee of the most aggressive of all the anti-energy lawsuit groups, the Natural Resources Defense Council – as the new Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management. “Ned Farquhar’s professional history demonstrates that in the past, he has ascribed to a philosophy right in line with the Administration’s emerging agenda: To artificially increase the price of the energy we use... Institute for Energy Research http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2226101/posts#comment Fri, 10 Apr 2009 03:30:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2216984/posts The governor's popularity numbers continue their slide.. . 54 percent of New Mexicans don't like the job Gov. Bill Richardson is doing. In January, the governor's approval rating fell below the 50 percent mark and has been dropping ever since. Eyewitness News 4 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2216984/posts#comment Sat, 28 Mar 2009 19:38:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2210153/posts Gov. Bill Richardson signed legislation Wednesday repealing New Mexico's death penalty, making it the second state to ban executions since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976. Richardson, a Democrat who formerly supported capital punishment, said signing the bill was the "most difficult decision" of his political life but that "the potential for ... execution of an innocent person stands as anathema to our very sensibilities as human beings." Richardson said he made the decision after going to the state penitentiary, where he saw the death chamber and visited the maximum security unit where those sentenced to... The Washington Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2210153/posts#comment Thu, 19 Mar 2009 19:32:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2206331/posts The New Mexico Senate voted to abolish capital punishment, a measure already approved by the lower House that Governor Bill Richardson must sign before it goes into effect, the Senate said on its website. The Democratic-controlled Senate voted 24-18 to strike the death penalty from its law books. Democrat Richardson, who last month withdrew as President Barack Obama's pick to be commerce secretary, has not made clear whether he agrees with the repeal measure or plans to veto it, but lawmakers said they expect him to sign it into law. Supporters of the measure argue that replacing the death sentence... aP via Breitbart http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2206331/posts#comment Sat, 14 Mar 2009 04:43:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2201390/posts SANTA FE — A House committee approved a controversial bill Thursday that would allow certain ex-cons who have steered clear of trouble to have their criminal histories essentially erased. Over objections from prosecutors and the Albuquerque business community, members of the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee endorsed the bill 3-2. Supporters of the measure, House Bill 866, said that people with criminal histories have difficulty landing good jobs and that the possibility of having their records expunged could encourage good behavior. “These people are marked for life, even if they get a conditional discharge,” said Hugh Dangler, New Mexico's... Albuquerque Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2201390/posts#comment Sat, 7 Mar 2009 16:05:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2196917/posts The Rail Runner Express commuter train service would get a police force of its own under a bill approved Saturday by the state Senate. The measure from Sen. Linda Lopez, D-Albuquerque, would authorize the Rail Runner transit districts to hire law officers who would patrol rail-line stations, parking areas and at least some of the commuter trains that roll six days a week between Belen and Santa Fe. The certified, armed train officers would wear distinctive badges and uniforms and "have the powers of peace officers on all property, tracks, rights of way, easements, vehicles, buses, vans, railcars, locomotives and... The Albuquerque Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2196917/posts#comment Sun, 1 Mar 2009 23:15:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2196904/posts ABQ Journal video: Ride the Rail Runner with Dan Mayfield(Works only in my IE Browser, not Firefox version 2) The Albuquerque Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2196904/posts#comment Sun, 1 Mar 2009 22:51:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2196748/posts The House approved non-binding measures Thursday requesting the Department of Transportation to study the feasibility of extending commuter rail from Santa Fe to Taos and from Santa Fe to Las Vegas and Raton. Also endorsed was a non-binding measure for a feasibility study of establishing commuter rail service between El Paso, Texas, and Las Cruces, the second largest city in the state. Associated Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2196748/posts#comment Sun, 1 Mar 2009 17:53:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2196347/posts Who tried to deep-six New Mexico's public records law? It's a Roundhouse mystery with an intriguing cast, including a powerful veteran Democratic lawmaker, a freshman Republican and a behind-the-scenes state lawyer who isn't returning a reporter's calls. Some clues seem to lead back to Gov. Bill Richardson's Cabinet-level agencies, but the Governor's Office said he wasn't aware of the attempted hit. While questions abound, this much is clear: A sweeping rewrite of the state Inspection of Public Records Act was quietly inserted earlier this week into a bill aimed at beefing up the statute. And that rewrite, which now appears... Albuquerque Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2196347/posts#comment Sat, 28 Feb 2009 21:43:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2189204/posts Governor Richardson is working hard behind the scenes, trying to convince state lawmakers to vote for one of his favorite pieces of legislation; the deeply controversial domestic partners bill. The governor is using his formidable persuasive powers to pull uncertain lawmakers his way, but there are powerful forces at work on the other side too, mainly religious groups, including the Roman Catholic Church. The bill would give unmarried couples, gay and straight, the opportunity to have the same legal rights as married couples. The Senate is where the bill will sink or swim. KOB-TV http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2189204/posts#comment Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:57:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2184111/posts Over the span of just three months, Bill Richardson has gone from being on the shortlist for secretary of state to late-night punch line, a breathtaking descent that has tarnished his once-sparkling career. Since withdrawing as the nominee for secretary of commerce in early January amid questions surrounding a federal grand jury investigation, New Mexico’s Democratic governor has seen his political fortunes crater. — numbers that have dropped below 50 percent... “He’s had a pretty rough go of it since he withdrew,” said Timothy Jennings, a Democrat and New Mexico’s Senate president pro tempore. “His popularity has really declined in... yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2184111/posts#comment Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:38:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2181137/posts Federal investigators have been looking into the question for months: How did a Beverly Hills company that gave Gov. Bill Richardson's political committees more than $100,000 land a lucrative state financial adviser contract? Joe Gosline has the same question — and he was one of the state officials who judged the contract proposals. Gosline is a former controller and chief financial officer of the New Mexico Finance Authority, which awarded the contract to CDR Financial Products in 2004. -SNIP- He said six firms submitted proposals and recalled that CDR ranked middle to bottom. When he asked what had transpired, Gosline... Albuquerque Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2181137/posts#comment Sun, 8 Feb 2009 21:53:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2180363/posts A grand jury subpoena in the federal "pay-to-play" probe that ended Gov. Bill Richardson's nomination for commerce secretary sought more than six years of correspondence between the governor's top advisers and the financial firm that won nearly $1.5 million in state business. -SNIP- Specifically, the subpoena sought any correspondence between CDR officials and: • David Contarino, a Santa Fe businessman who is Richardson's former chief of staff and presidential campaign manager. • David Harris, a University of New Mexico vice president who previously served as Richardson's deputy chief of staff and executive director of the New Mexico Finance Authority. •... Albuquerque Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2180363/posts#comment Sat, 7 Feb 2009 14:01:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2178177/posts -SNIP- Attorney Victor Marshall kicked it off when he held a news conference Tuesday to publicly claim that Dave Contarino, one of Gov. Bill Richardson's closest advisers, pressured State Investment Board and Education Retirement Board members to support a total of $90 million in bad investments. Defense lawyers Marty Esquivel and Sam Bregman took to the podium immediately afterward to attack Marshall's statements. A 30-minute shouting match ensued in which Bregman yelled "liar" and "hypocrite" and Esquivel attacked former investment officer Frank Foy's credibility. -SNIP-The State Investment Council and Educational Retirement Board invested the $90 million with the Chicago investment... Albuquerque Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2178177/posts#comment Wed, 4 Feb 2009 16:10:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2177673/posts ---snip---"Four investment firms contributed to the DGA in 2004, around the same time those firms won lucrative contracts to manage the state's bonds, according to a report in the Albuquerque Journal today. Richardson at the time served as vice chair of the DGA, and would become chair the following year." Last month, Bloomberg reported that investigators had subpoenaed Richardson's office for its correspondence with the DGA, in connection with the probe*. Talking Points Memo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2177673/posts#comment Tue, 3 Feb 2009 21:25:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2176823/posts As political alliances go, the four-year marriage between Gov. Bill Richardson and the Democratic Governors Association was golden. Richardson got prestige, coast-to-coast travel and national exposure that would help fuel his presidential bid, while the DGA basked in his growing notoriety and fundraising prowess. "It's been very beneficial," Richardson acknowledged in late 2006, when his stint with the political group — as federal liaison, vice-chair and unprecedented two years as chairman — wrapped up a month before he launched his unsuccessful quest for the White House. Now, that political shine could be tarnishing. Recent news reports say authorities have asked... The Albuquerque Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2176823/posts#comment Mon, 2 Feb 2009 19:04:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2174614/posts Gov. Bill Richardson has asked state engineers to look into ways to prevent suicides at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge near Taos. Since 1999, about three people a year have leaped to their deaths from the 650-foot-high span. Seven suicides were reported in 2005, and the most recent such death occurred last month. Rescuers who have had to climb into the steep, rocky gorge complain that the job of retrieving bodies puts them at risk. The governor "is very concerned about the problems up there," Richardson spokeswoman Alarie Ray-Garcia said. "It's not a new problem. He's heard of the stories... The Santa Fe New Mexican http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2174614/posts#comment Fri, 30 Jan 2009 01:23:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2173241/posts CLEAR LAKE, Iowa (AP) - It's been 50 years since a single-engine plane crashed into a snow-covered Iowa field, instantly killing three men whose names would become enshrined in the history of rock 'n' roll. The passing decades haven't diminished fascination with that night on Feb. 2, 1959, when 22-year-old Buddy Holly, 28-year-old J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson and 17-year-old Ritchie Valens performed in Clear Lake and then boarded the plane for a planned 300-mile flight that lasted only minutes. "It was really like the first rock 'n' roll landmark; the first death," said rock historian Jim Dawson, who has... ap via Breitbart http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2173241/posts#comment Wed, 28 Jan 2009 05:21:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2173137/posts Weekday Rail Runner ridership has dipped by about 1,000 a day since Jan. 5 — the post-holiday season — but operators say a true gauge of daily use probably won't emerge for some time. Daily passenger boarding numbers provided by the Mid-Region Council of Governments also show, as might be expected, that the stations at Downtown Albuquerque, Los Ranchos/Journal Center, Sandoval County/U.S. 550 and the two in Santa Fe are the most used. The numbers also show that on weekdays this month, there are close to 90 bicycle boardings a day. With the Santa Fe leg of service opening Dec.... The Albuquerque Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2173137/posts#comment Wed, 28 Jan 2009 02:07:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2172912/posts The news is full of stories about how Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich attempted to sell Barack Obama’s Senate seat to the highest bidder. But media have been hesitant to show the pattern of close Obama associates involved in scandal. “‘Pay to play’ means you’ve got to give something to get something,” said Alan Lichtman, professor of history at American University. “So, you want a contract, you want a job, you’ve got to give something to the decision maker.” It is an epidemic amongst FOBs – friends of Barack. FOB Bill Richardson recently withdrew his name from nomination for Commerce secretary... Cross Action News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2172912/posts#comment Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:43:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2169929/posts Taking pictures on most pueblos has been prohibited for decades. And that has prompted Rail Runner officials to ask its riders turn off their cameras on pueblo land. The train conductor lets riders know to put their cameras away on Santo Domingo and San Felipe land. Rail Runner officials say the pueblos made that request. The Isleta and Sandia pueblos have not asked the conductor to have riders put away their cameras. "I think it goes back years and years ago when a lot of folks from other parts of the country would come in and take photos of the... KOB-TV4, Albuquerque http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2169929/posts#comment Fri, 23 Jan 2009 01:55:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2167590/posts Gov. Bill Richardson unveiled his slightly-more-than-5-o'clock shadow at a news conference in Santa Fe Monday, prompting reporters to ask if the beard was back. The Albuquerque Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2167590/posts#comment Mon, 19 Jan 2009 20:52:26 GMT