THIS IS EXCELLENT NEWS!!! FOR OBAMA!!!!

Nice get, but too little too late?

All due respect SpiderPig, but this actually couldn't come at a better time for Sen. Obama...

A high-profile, former fellow-candidate endorsement is huge in a number of ways:
1. it maintains the momentum of super-delegates breaking for Barack, and now, with both Dodd and Richardson endorsing him, that would be 2 - 0 former Dem Presidential Candidates endorsing him over HRC.
2. it will provide some good news to finish off the week, and, while it won't dominate the news cycle like The Speech, or the new passport story, or Wright, it will get some definite play.
3. it says a lot that he would endorse now, in one of Barack's biggest times of need, as fighting on two fronts, against both Clinton and McCain, is clearly difficult, and (I'd hazard a guess that) the past 10 days have been some of the roughest of Barack's political career, so this is, in effect, like receiving a big and capable bunch of reinforcements.
On behalf of supporters of Senator Obama everywhere, "THANKS BILL!"

Actually, I consider that this ends it in a way.

Not because of the influence of Richardson's endorsement but because he wouldn't be risking this unless he knew that Obama was the nominee. And, as an insider, he's in a position to know the mind of the people who will decide this.

I wouldn't be surprised if this is part of a coordinated move that has wide involvement.

The endorsement of anyone with name recognition (who isn't a controversial figure) is always a good thing.

As IDIOTIC would say THIS IS VERY EXCELLANT NEWS FOR OBAMA!!!By the way guys what is this I hear about the Security Breach having an IRON ***** connection?Obama 2008

Huh?

Fantastic news! But I'm concerned.

By announcing late last night, (or really early this morning), I fear that Gov Richardson has left the potential momentum in his endorsement vulnerable to a surprise HRC announcement from Edwards...

I'm speculating about things way beyond my pay grade, but if HRC has any weight with Edwards this would be the perfect time to use it to neutralize the news cycle: "Big Obama Endorsement" becomes "Two major endorsements; Edwards > Richardson" and that would be the Lead through the weekend.

I hope I'm just being pessimistic, any thoughts on this?

How refreshing to see someone from the Democratic establishment speak up so clearly and at such a crucial moment. I like what Richardson wrote about Obama. Well done.

I don't like what he wrote about Bill Clinton ("enlightened leadership"? LOL), because it's bullshit.

For example, I would remind anyone who has forgotten, or who didn't already know, that Richardson is on the record stating -- as had Madeleine Albright before him; she later retracted -- that U.N. sanctions against Iraq during the Clinton administration were "correct policy."

Albright: http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1084

Richardson: http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/09/22/1847207

Quote:

AMY GOODMAN: But many say that, although president Bush led this invasion, that president Clinton laid the groundwork with the sanctions and with the previous bombing of Iraq. You were president Clinton's U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

GOVERNOR RICHARDSON: Well, I stand behind that. I think the strikes that we made, the efforts to disarm Saddam Hussein — there were weapons of mass destruction. The sanctions were the correct policy. Was the correct policy to invade? That's probably another question.

But to think that Saddam Hussein was a benevolent dictator and the best thing to do would be to ignore him, I think that would have been very, very bad foreign policy, because what we have in the area is potential threats to Israel. We’ve got Saddam Hussein, who acknowledged that one of his objectives was to threaten not just U.S. interests but the surrounding countries; that he went to war with Iran. He, you know, he egregiously violated human rights of thousands of people.

AMY GOODMAN: But the U.N. sanctions, for example, the sanctions led to the deaths of more than a half a million children, not to mention more than a million Iraqis.

GOVERNOR RICHARDSON: Well, I stand behind the sanctions. I believe that they successfully contained Saddam Hussein. I believe that the sanctions were an instrument of our policy.

End quote.

Bill Richardson, just another despicable politician who occasionally displays flashes of integrity. Then again, perhaps his motivation was merely to ingratiate himself with America's next president so he can recycle himself in the foreign policy sphere. Perhaps Richardson's goal is to "fix NAFTA" with sanctions against Mexico and Canada?

But what I would really like to know is, where is John Edwards' endorsement? Hmm, still "struggling" with his decision, I imagine.

This is the act of a wise man. If Senator Clinton doesn't get the 65-35 result she needs to get significant delegates (at least a 50 rather than a 20 count lead)in PA, it's time to shut this thing down. We have a GE to win. Otherwise, she becomes the new McGovern.

I was wondering when he would come out of the shadows. Obama needs more of this.

Greg - you have two things to post this morning. 1) the Clinton & Jeremiah Wright pic WITH COMMENT FROM THE HILLARY CAMP SINCE YOU ALWAYS SEEM TO GET THAT

2) the PASSPORT story

Due what is right for journalism and not your personal bias.

THIS IS GREAT NEWS!!! FOR HILLARY!!!

NC has a sizable Latino population.

Kudos to Bill Richardson for doing the right thing -- and doing it at time when I believe it will make a big impact, at least in terms of how the media covers the race.

Which begs the question, John Edwards? Al Gore? Where are you guys and what are you waiting for?

I have never been one of those people who really "got" Edwards, but I'm also not one of those willing to pile on him now and question his timing. For all we know he is being a good team player, exercising restraint in order to make his endorsement at a time that has been decided upon in concert with others.

That's part of why I say that Richardson's timing feels exquisite -- and part of something bigger.

(And what was Edwards's appearance on Leno about last night? Could it have been part of the orchestrated buildup to something? Or was it part of a "frame" for Richardson's move?)

Actually Pennsylvania has a lot of Latinos, too; particularly in the Reading area. Hopefully they will get the word about this endorsement and it will outweigh the recent Murtha endorsement.

The Richardson endorsement is a timely one following the insanity and hysteria over clips of some Wright comments meant to destroy Obama's candidacy courtesy of team Billary. Faced with the mathematical impossibility of winning the nomination
except by some sort of acclamation, they are resorting to every possible dirty trick to accomplish their goal. They are repugnant.
I fully agree with Gov. Richardson that Obama is a"once-in-a -lifetime leader". To fail to recognize this historical opportunity is inexcusable. To try so cynically, deceitfully, and ruthlessly to sabotage his election as the Clintons are doing denotes character faults, an amorality unworthy of holding public office. As Hillary Clinton's constituent, I am ashamed of the manner in which she and her team have run her campaign. I will never vote for her again. NEVER!
I hope the Richardson endorsement will encourage other important figures of the Democratic party to come out for Obama NOW so we can begin to focus on the general election, which ultimately is the prize we are aiming for.

I have the impression that this endorsement is part of the late-dawning realization among the SD's that if this blood-letting isn't brought to a close soon, McCain is going to run away with the general election. Ironically, the Wright affair may have a lot to do with it. With Florida and Michigan now no longer Hillary's yellow brick road to the nomination, and with Obama holding insurmountable leads in pledged delegates and popular votes, it's becoming increasing apparent that he will be the nominee. Weirdly, however, the quasi-prohibitive front runner has been seriously wounded by the Wright imbroglio, and the Hillary camp seems intent on keeping the wound open in the hope of eventually winning by default. That means, as has been apparent for some time now, that Hillary finds herself playing tandem with McCain in an effort to destroy the character of the likely Democratic nominee. The SD's realize that this cannot be allowed to to continue. What's more, Hillary's likely wins in PA, WV, and Indiana will only further embarrass Obama going into the convention, but not enough to deprive him of the nomination. Hence her continue presence in the race can have only a destructive effect and further imperil Democratic prospects in November. Richardson's endorsement, I surmise, may be the beginning of the end; and by 'the end' I mean thge imminent end of the Clinton challenge. It may take several more high-profile endorsements to make the writing on the wall big enough for the Clinton camp to read, but my sense is that those endorsement are forthcoming. One must assume that Richardson has been talking to other honchos in the party, and I would be very surprised if this is not the beginning of the long-awaited cascade for Obama. I should point out that this is coming down to a test of Hillary's character, too. Will she go for broke and wreck the party's prospects in the bargain, or will she graciously step aside and manage, however painfully, to embrace Obama and help him redeploy all the energies of the party against McCain.

That will be 2 cents, please.