High time the party bigs started to rally around his candidacy. With the attacks he's been subject to in the last few weeks, this couldn't come too soon. Hopefully more will follow Richardson's example.

up next me (John Edwards).

off topic, what happened to the blogs. There are all gone.

and how come nobody's covering the hypocrisy of the Clintons, Politico released the smoking gun pic of the Bill Clinton and Jeremiah Wright, why is Clinton shaking hands with the so called "David Duke" of black people?

Also, the passport breach news has a Clinton connection.

Its retaliation time. Somebody blog this up!

http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0308/A_Bill_ClintonJeremiah_Wright_pic_emerges_.html

Which are the remaining primary states,with a big Latino population,where Bill Richardson would be able to help Obama against Clinton ?

How much influence does he have any way over Latino voters ?Clinton won New Mexico.

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.

I could not have been more eloquent than Richardson with his quote explaining the endorsement for Obama

"His words are those of a courageous, thoughtful and inspiring leader, who understands that a house divided against itself cannot stand".

Bravo Mr. Richardson

Obama for president of the USA

By the way, Richardson's endorsement was news here in Europe five hours ago.

WOW! This is huge news. And, with this, a cascade effect should now be in place to sweep the remaining superdelegates to BHO's side.

It looks increasingly clear that no matter what happens next for HRC, she's done.

Stand back and watch the cascade begin!

I think this endorsement is huge. Not because Obama picks up one more superdelegate, but because Richardson is sending a signal to the remaining uncommitted super delegates that it is time to bring this process to a close.

I think Richardson held off endorsing until all reasonable paths to the nomination for Hillary were closed, particularly in light of the revotes in Michigan and Florida being shot down that reality is now upon us.

The democrats are paying a huge price for this nomination battle being prolonged. Whereas there are people arguing that it's a good thing, the truth is is that McCain has now surpassed both Clinton and Obama in head to head matchups. This is directly attributable to the interminable blood letting in the democratic primary.

Good for Richardson, and now let's await the remaining uncommitted's.

Bill Richardson is a gifted ,savvy , & wise politician -who truly has the best interest of the American people & Country always at the forefront .
Actually an Obama / Richardson ticket makes a whole lot of sense in the coming GE. I agree with DirkVa - this could be the beginning of a concerted effort to have Obama as the nominee-so we can concentrate on beating McCain .
\ Richardson can add heft to the Obama ticket with his foreign policy experience. And no politician is better at retail politics particularly in the urbanizing Hispanic southwest then Richardson . And speaking first hand of how some latinos are distrustful of African Americans -Richardson can definatly help bridge that cultural divide too.

Exquisite timing, Governor! Just when Obama needs it. Ole! Vamos, amigos!

The impact of this endorsement isnt about BR impact on the Latino community, because that is debatable, but like some posters mentioned, it sets the ball rolling again as it relates to the SD.

The SD are all Hillary has now if she wants to win the nomination and if the SD were on hold after the TX and OH primaries, BR endorsment is a signal to the other uncommitted SD to make up their minds quickly so as to bring this thing to a close. Plus with the damage that the fight is having upon the party, a quick ending will not only help BO but will give the party sufficient time to begin to heal and unify before the convention.

With the Fla and MI revote dead, HRC chances of winning the nomination went from 10% to 2%. The Dem party leaders want this nomination to be wrapped up now and i wont be surprised if there is a move to end this before PA...

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.

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.

NC has a sizable Latino population.

Rhammer - agree totally with what you say. And doesn't a bit of big, positive news feel GOOD just about now!? Among my relatives and friends there was a lot of solid respect and support for Richardson while he was in the race, so this endorsement, coming now -- just as some of those same people were saying that 'it's over for Obama,' etc. -- is a real boost.

Also, has anyone noticed that Joe Biden has been very quick to make a supportive (of Obama) remark lately? (Although he's much better to remain neutral because if the moment *should* come, I think he's one of the people who could 'talk to' Hillary and maybe have a chance of being heard.)

Now if Edwards would just ........ But I hear/see more rumblings that he is going to endorse Clinton .... which makes NO sense. Just her donors alone. Oh, well. Bless you, Bill Richardson.

I thought that the speech might bring out some of the superdelegate sort, because it was a very statesman-like effort. ----------- A week ago, when all the Wright stuff was just breaking, I wanted to fast-forward a week to see if Obama was still standing, even. There are still more rocks along the roadway, of course, but I didn't anticipate things feeling as solid and hopeful as they do today. And we've all -- Obama supporters and non-supporters alike -- gained something of real value with his speech on Tuesday.

This would have been great 2 weeks ago, but still, great news.

Gore would probably endorse Obama if it weren't for his long association with the Clintons; I'm not sure how people would perceive it if he did do so . . .

Yesterday my just-turned-voting-age son asked me what the difference was between "hispanic" and "latino." I gave a stumbling, not too convincing explanation (I won't bore you by repeating), but here is a link to a page that seems to do a good job of explaining the difference.

Turns out, there are many layers to the answer, not a simple straightforward thing.

http://www.lasculturas.com/aa/aa070501a.htm

Wake up Hillary !!! It is 3 am and Bill Richardson just endorsed Obama !!!

(From a blogger at Marc Ambinder)

Si Su Puede!

I really think this is big news, and portends well for Obama. I, too, took notice of Biden's quick support of Barack this week and thought that it significant, especially coupled with Pelosi's recent comments (all but lost in the Wright din).

I'm not really sure what Edwards is waiting for, unless it is to be a power broker at the convention, since he still holds some delegates.

My gut feeling is that we won't hear anything soon from Gore, but he lives pretty close to me - maybe I could leave a note in his mailbox. . . ?

Yeah, the alert was on the CNN website at around 3 AM.

RHETORICAL QUESTION: whats does Bill Richardson's endorsement of BO says about the Clinton influence?

The Clinton wanted this endorsement. They let it be known publicly that Bill Clinton and Bill Richardson was watching the Super Bowl together. Everyone thought BR was going to side with Hillary, at least that was the impression that the Clintons gave.

To go to that length to capture an endorsement and still come up short says a lot about how the Clinton mystic and their clout may not be what we all think it is.

While it would've been great to have Richardson's support in Texas, the news of it is very much welcome at this particular moment, in that it, along with Obama's recent speech, tells a bigger narrative.

Specifically, it says that Obama's message that we need to look beyond race and religion and look to the needs of all Americans has worked. It has resonated. And it is going to help unify our party.

This is big, not only for the superdelegate effect and the "inevitability" argument, but also for the effect it could have in the national polls, where it should help to shift latinos into Obama's corner.

I think we've seen Hillary's high-water mark. From this point on, it will be difficult to see Obama in any light other Obama resurgent -- the true underdog who has succeeded despite all the negative attacks. The *REAL* comeback kid.

Thanks for being a stand-up guy, Bill Richardson. John Edwards - we're waiting! What are you waiting for?

I would call this the "Oh shit" effect. It's like in a sci-fi flick when your protagonist has blasted the living crap out of the alien, throwing everything at it that there is to throw, and it's lying on the ground, supposedly dead. The guy turns around and starts to walk away and then slowly, steadily, the alien starts to pick itself up off the ground. The next thing the guy utters is what you're hearing in Clinton campaign offices around the country right now: "Oh shit."

Thanks, Bill. I love ya, man.

THIS IS EXCELLENT NEWS!!! FOR HILLARY!!!!

Obama / Richardson is not bad, but could face McCain / Martinez. It's all about balance, and Sam Nunn, I think, gives Obama the balance he needs. This guy lays out how it should work:
http://digits.hrblock.com/ssDigits/digits.php?rType=1&sPath=1140&sNode=1140&uId=198

My Congressman, Mike Doyle, D-Southwestern Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh), has been going around for months saying that he strongly supported Richardson for president but hasn't decided yet between Hillary and Barack. Looks like his mind has been made up for him now, unless he actually cares about who the majority of his constituents are backing.

Doyle is very liberal, by the way, and was one of the few in Congress to oppose the Iraq War from the outset.

Awesome.

Not surprising. Edwards has a time slot too.

Last Dog Death Watch

I truly do think that Gore and Biden, and I'm sure others, have held back to be, if needed, power brokers and 'big guns' should a talk with the Clintons (or, in fairness, either candidate) become necessary ..... and it only makes sense that Edwards has also, esp as he has some delegates to weigh in with.

Richardson may have been in that group also but something was needed right now and he's a wonderful one. Before Texas, he was pretty clear in saying that if HRC didn't win Texas and Ohio it was over but since it was likely that she wouldn't do that, he could have avoided endorsing away from his old boss. I can't blame him at all for wanting to avoid that.

Just thought of something ....... After this, if HRC should win the nomination and election, his future in the party would be burnt to a cinder - and stomped on! (Clintons never known for their forgiving nature.) While he has plenty of courage and integrity, I don't see Richardson as the intentional martyr type. One more indication that it possibly means more than one endorsement, major though it is.

Did someone say "imminent" conclusion to this race? What a lovely thought.

Obama on Tuesday:
I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother – a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe.

Obama on Wednesday:

610 WIP host Angelo Cataldi asked Obama about his Tuesday morning speech on race at the National Constitution Center in which he referenced his own white grandmother and her prejudice. Obama told Cataldi that

"The point I was making was not that my grandmother harbors any racial animosity, but that she is a typical white person.

If she sees somebody on the street that she doesn't know (pause) there's a reaction in her that doesn't go away and it comes out in the wrong way."

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/phillygossip/16851906.html

He is not infallible and the GE is not a sure thing.

Gov. Richardon is a true Party Leader.

And more importantly, he is the national leader of Latinos in the US.

I welcome this BIG TIME. Talk about hearing Obama's message about all of US average Americans, blacks, browns, asians...etc. working together for a better America!

Bill Richardson, I LOVE YOU MAN!!! I really do.

Good morning,

Well, this is probably one of the greatest news of the week for senator Barrack Obama. I believe it is the right time for the democrats if they want to win the elections in November.

HRC should have concedes before the elections in Texas and Ohio.
She has used the kitchen sinks too many times, and I believe she will do so until North Carolina. She indicated that McCain would be a better Commander in Chief. She keeps trying to portray a poor image of Barrack Obama.

The reality is that her campaign team is not unified, she does not know to manage a budget, and she does not have a vision.
She thought she had won the nomination before its started, and therefore did not have a strategy after Super Tuesday.

During an interview in New Hampshire in October, she said that the Michigan would not count anyways. And do she is indicated that Senator Obama was responsible for this mess.

She has already lost the number of states, she has lost the number of pledges delegates, she is more likely to lose the popular vote. And with Bill Richardson endorsing Obama, this is pretty much the signals for super delegates to endorse Obama and to end this battle which has lasted way too long.

I don't know if you remember but at the Iowa convention when Senator Obama got 8 delegates from the Senator Edwards, I thought that there was the first signal that democrats understood they needed to end this debate. Then, Nancy Pelosi sent the message saying that "whoever had the higher number of pledge delegates should won the nomination." And the drama came up with the Obama's pastor, and then the speech.

The speech of Barrack Obama has touched so many, and he probably won the nomination on that speech, That speech was historical for America and for Americans. I believe the super delegates have understood then what a great leader he was, is and would be (if they were not sure before).

This is indeed a great for Senator Obama, a great day for democrats, and I hope that Senator Clinton will be able to concede graciously!!!

I have a ticket for the 1:00 PM show at the Salem Armory, but he is already late for the Portland production - and I only had a couple of hours off from work.

Guess he doesn't consern himself with working people. Just students and manager types that can manipulate their own schedules.

~sigh~ At least Hillary showed up for the graveyard shift. That might sound like just a little thing to you, but to someone like me that works the odd hours for the 'normal' people's convenience, it means a lot to me.

If my bus is late, I am late for work, which jeopardizes my job. If Obama is late we are just supposed to roll with it, I suppose.

My life don't work like that. Sorry, Obama, if you don't care about me now, you certainly are not going to care about me when you are president.

dissapointed,

Yep, Richardson killed it! Much respect to that man and his speech. The crowd there in Portland is awesome. Great way to start the weekend!

@Micahel O

You're right: he's not infallible. Great speechwriter/orator though he may be, he sometimes makes inartful off-the-cuff remarks. These will be used against him. Sound bites can kill a candidate. Anybody who has read Obama's first book will know exactly what he meant about his grandmother (incident with the panhandler). But only a fraction of a fraction of the electorate will have read his book.

Look, a woman of any race, walking down the street, has good reason to be wary of strange men of any race. Many--perhaps most--white people are a bit more apprehensive if the strange man happens to be African-American. Rail against it if you will, but that's reality. Even Jesse Jackson in '96 said that if he heard footsteps behind him, he was relieved if he turned and saw a white person.

How cute of Richardson to suck up to Obama The Deceiver in the hopes of getting the VP slot. Not only is it cute, it is despicable.

Clinton is going to change to entire tone of this discussion in a few weeks. At that point it will be hard to enter the convention with a string of Clinton wins and look at Obama The Deceiver as anything but a weak and failing candidate. It will no longer be about who has the most of anything because they will be in a statistical deadlock/stalemate.

Then the choice is simple, who has the momentum to carry the Dems to the White House? That will be the only criteria. The rules will be explained in a way that allows any delegate to vote for either candidate.

This is not even close to being over.

This is a HUGE endorsement for Obama and couldn't have come at a BETTER time!

http://osi-speaks.blogspot.com/2008/03/speaking-of-obama-new-mexico-governor.html#links

Actually it was poorly timed. This will be totally forgotten about by the next round of primaries and they will decide who should be the nominee. Everything before was just a warmup. Even the grand poobahs of the media have predicted about a 2-3% difference in the delegate count by convention time. That is a statistical tie. Deadlock baby.

It will all come down to the rules committee. That is where the decision on the nominee will be made.

Seriously, the only way Obama could lose the nomination now is if Bill endorses him.

Bill Richardson endores Bill Richardson. Despite the major career help by Bill Clinton he displayed a lack of loyalty and major self-interest. He said he voted with the people of his state, but didn't the state go for Hillary. Believe he's term limited and has to leave office in two years, wonder what he was promised.

You raise a good point about the Clinton Partners in Pathos and their fair-weather-friend attitude towards those black preachers who came to offer them political cover when Bubba Bill needed to "repent" over his reckless personal indiscretions (i.e., blowjobs) involving White House intern Monica Lewinski. The photo of Reverend Wright with Embarassed Bill in the White House came out of that emergency salvation seance.

But let us not forget, as well, what the Reverend Jesse Jackson got from the Clintons in return for his equally ready support when they called. Jackson first wound up having his own mistress and love-child exposed to public view and more recently had Bill dismiss Barack Obama's South Carolina primary win as "just Jesse Jackson." People don't have to look very far to discover why so many African Americans have ditched old "two for the price of one" for Barack Obama.

In any event, I don't care for "religious" people if I can see any clear path to avoiding them -- especially the Single-Spook-Animist variety of pandering politician -- but their innate, bible-thumping hypocrisy does sometimes provide inspiration for poetic polemics. In grateful return for your own sharing, then, let me offer a snippet from a much larger, and still unfinished epic:

From "Boobie Constitutional Concupiscence"

...

[Bill's] ready acquiescence, though,
And helpful compromise
Left his attackers madder still
Convinced that in his lies
They saw no manly fruit hung down
Between his henpecked thighs

A white Tar Baby in a patch
Of briars sharp and thick
A spineless puff of marshmallow
At which they'd flail and kick
A cross between the Doughboy and
The sperm whale Moby Dick

Then Boobie Jesse Jackson came
To share Bill's weary mile
And so they got down on their knees
To laugh and pray and smile:
A black man's Elmer Gantry and
A white man's Gomer Pyle

To both of these adulterers
An empathetic sigh
And to the tune of violins
The crocodile will cry
A single stream of tears out of
The corner of one eye

...

Michael Murry, "The Misfortune Teller," Copyright 2005

I realize that any politician running for President in medieval America has to kiss the hirsute Hebrew hindquarters of the Zionist AIPAC lobby as well as the unwashed feet of the holy-rolling Christian peasantry, but assuming that Senator Obama eventually wipes the obligatory shit and dirt from off his lips, then perhaps he will grow into a Benjamin Disraeli who said: "I believe in the religion of all wise men." And when asked: "What religion is that?" replied: "Wise men never say." One can only hope.

I don't think it's quite as grim as that, but of one thing I'm convinced: if Obama is not elected, and if a lot of people don't then get involved with him and his administration in an intimate and urgent manner, it'll be anybody's guess as to what the future of America will be.

This is an FDR moment. FDR didn't assume power with a program that had much to do with what he eventually accomplished: among other things, the New Deal. He ~became~ a change agent because he responded to the demands of organised labour and other political and non-political groups.

And where he fucked up, it was largely because there was no or little pressure from anyone in the country to have him do something else.

Are Americans sufficiently aware of the mess they're in? Or is it going to take another depression to wake them up?

Hillary has more spin cycles than my washing machine.

How disengenuous that her campaign manager would dismiss the importance of the highly coveted and important endorsement from Gov. Bill Richardson. The spin would have been a whole lot different if she had garnered such a plum.

Hillary, your campaign has spun into desperation mode - please do the party a favor and drop out so that we can unify and beat the wing nuts.