New Mexico Political Journal Volume I, No. 10
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Monday, July 5, 2004 Roswell
Circulation: 5,651
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In this issue:
Richardson Asks Himself One Last Time, Says "No"
Dueling Coverage: Fawning vs. Realistic
Feedback, Regentgate, Hip-pocketism may set record
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Richardson Not Asked by Kerry
New Mexico Media Stunned
After an almost 9-month stage show that fooled virtually no one
except the New Mexico media establishment, Governor Bill Richardson
finally pulled the plug on his "vice presidential" ambitions
last week.
Richardson's press secretary, Billy Sparks, went to the well for
the last time last Thursday, asking Bill for the 12th time if he
would accept the VP nod and help sweep John Kerry to the White House.
Alas, Bill slammed the door on Billy again. This time he had Billy
draft a letter to Kerry, who of course has never asked Bill to do
anything, much less run for vice president. Here are some of the
juicier parts:
"I am both honored and flattered that you are seriously considering
me for your running mate---as the Democratic vice presidential nominee---in
the coming election,"
(Part of that is really weird: What did he think Kerry would assume
he was talking about? Did he think he had to put in "as the
Democratic vice presidential nominee"? After he already said
"running mate?" What else could it have possibly meant?
After he said "running mate" did he think Kerry would
go "running mate for what?" Well, maybe. In our view,
it goes to show how completely unserious this is. It means "I
really have to spell this out, so that you will know what I am talking
about and also so the New Mexico media outlets will see the words
"vice president" in my letter, since they publish what
I say verbatim.) [Editor's note: They published it verbatim.]
Anyway, it goes on:
"I must tell you I respectfully remove myself from the selection
process and withdraw my name from consideration for the vice presidential
nomination."
Okay, stop laughing so hard. The Albuquerque Journal and Tribune
took it very seriously, and if truth be known, pretty hard too.
They were stunned, writing long, heavy reviews of the "letter."
"NM Won't Supply The VP" intoned the Journal in a front
page headline. "Richardson Letter Makes it Official,"
read the subtitle. "Guv gives final 'No'" said the Tribune.
John Kerry's response: "Huh?" "His letter does what?"
The entire scene begs the question: What did all the previous "offers"
(albeit by Billy Sparks) and "refusals" mean? Richardson's
chief of staff David Contarino inadvertently pointed out the scam
with his comment:
"We've been consistent about this all along, this (letter)
just puts a final exclamation point on it."
What? Why is this one particular "denial" of interest
different from all the others? If they had been sincere there would
be no need for even one additional denial, let alone eleven. Why
the need for an "exclamation point" if you have truly
been (sincerely) consistent. The only logical conclusion that can
be deduced is that NONE of the previous denials was sincere. They
were all screams for attention, acts of a forlorn hope to be taken
seriously.
When at last it became clear that Kerry had absolutely no interest
in Bill whatsoever, the letter was published to try to save face
after an enormously embarrassing display of disdain, not only by
Kerry, but especially on the part of the national media.
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Dueling Coverage: Fawning vs. Serious
While much of the New Mexico media, especially the Albuquerque newspapers
have taken the bait hook, line and sinker, Richardson has more often
than not been ridiculed by the national media. Examples:
the Wall Street Journal:
Answers to Questions Nobody Asked
"New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, one of the country's top
Hispanic Democrats, on Thursday told John Kerry he no longer wants
to be considered as a possible running mate," the Associated
Press reports from Washington. Richardson actually wrote a letter
to the Kerry campaign rejecting the offer that hadn't been made.
[Editor: Note the word actually.]
In the same vein, we'd like to say that if nominated, we will not
run, and if elected, we will not serve."
and from CNN's Capital Gang:
Margaret Carlson called Richardson's desperate letter "bad
form" as the rest of the panel mocked Richardson mercilessly,
with the panelists saying they too would "turn down" the
"offer" to be vice president.
from Fox News Sunday:
Host Chris Wallace said, "Richardson turned down a job that
wasn’t going to be offered to him in the first place.”
Meanwhile back in the Land of Enchantment, most of the smaller dailies
in fact apparently did not take the bait.
The Roswell Daily Record, which routinely runs wire service
stories about the governor (as all papers do) did not carry a word
about Richardson's letter to Kerry. Apparently at least one member
of the RDR editorial staff, if not the entire group, has read the
"Little Boy who Cried Wolf." Conclusion: Non-story.
And it wasn't just the Roswell paper. An on-line search of papers
from Farmington, Socorro, Gallup, Silver City, Las Cruces, Ruidoso,
Alamogordo, Carlsbad, Portales, Clovis, Taos, Raton, Hobbs, Lovington,
Deming, Artesia, and Las Vegas, turned up nothing. Zip. Zero. Nada.
So little news was the non-story that they concluded they would
not even run the standard wire report simply passing on the antics.
As we said, it wasn't because of the lack of wire reports. There
were in fact scores of Associated Press stories in all these papers
about Richardson and about other news. But none, as best we can
determine, about the non-story.
Only the Albuquerque Journal and Tribune ran stories about the non-story.
The Santa Fe New Mexican, the governor's home town paper, understandably,
did run the wire report, written by Darlene Superville of the AP's
Washington bureau. But they balanced it with a column by Steve Terrell,
that showed an appropriate, detached, skepticism:
"...the governor said Friday he believes [emphasis added] he
was on candidate’s short list..."
"I presume so," Richardson said at a press conference
when asked whether he was one of the final contenders to be on this
year’s national Democratic ticket." [Ed: Telling words by Bill.]
"Asked why he thought it was important to put that in writing,
[very perceptive question], Richardson told a reporter, “Because
you never believed me. Nobody did.” [Editor's note: True, no one
believed Richardson would not accept VP if offered, that goes for
right now too, or anytime up to and including the time when the
actual nominee is chosen. But more important, even with the letter,
no one believes Richardson was ever under consideration. Just as
NMPJ has repeatedly reported, there has never been a shred of evidence
that anyone running for President (of the United States, at least)
has EVER considered Richardson, much less asked him.)
"In its Friday edition, ABC’s online political site...expressed
skepticism about how seriously Richardson was being considered by
the Kerry... camp...That Gov. Bill Richardson won’t be the veep
choice is not terribly surprising. Richardson...was not fully vetted
by the Kerry campaign and those with a sense of the process never
thought he had a strong chance anyway...
"although the letter says that Kerry ‘seriously’ considered
him,” [Editor's note: Keep in mind "the letter" is from
Richardson to Kerry thanking Kerry for "seriously considering"
him....There is nothing from Kerry saying, "I seriously consider"
you. It is Bill putting words in John Kerry's mouth. Yes, this is
bizarre, and, arguably, pathetic.]
Contrast all that with the Albuquerque Journal:
"Richardson met with Kerry in Phoenix on Tuesday to discuss
the vice presidential search, the Journal learned. [Editor's note:
the Journal learned? Says who? The Santa Fe New Mexican reporting
on Richardson's own words about the very same meeting, said this:
"Richardson said he and Kerry talked about political issues,
foreign policy and 'our respective visions for the country.' He
declined to be specific. Kerry has been secretive about his vice-presidential-selection
process."
There is a discrepancy between the New Mexican and the Journal.
and the Albuquerque Tribune:
"Richardson had allowed his name to remain on the short list
of potential running mates only because Kerry had asked him to,
Sparks said." [This is glaringly false, as can be seen by any
reading of the voluminous reports where Kerry never says any such
thing. Even though this is reported verbatim, as truth, while obviously
untrue, at least the Trib puts "Sparks said" on the line.
But, it fails to point out that even Kerry has indicated that Richardson
was never on Kerry's "short list." Read the quote. The
only short list he was ever on, was Billy Sparks'. In fact, Billy
only has one name on his list.]
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When a Pledge is not a Promise
Or Something Like That
In discussing the famous letter from Bill Richardson to John Kerry,
requesting that Kerry (who was NOT considering Richardson) not consider
Richardson for the VP slot, Richardson's office released a number
of statements:
"Billy Sparks, a Richardson spokesman, said today the governor
has made good on his promise to the people of New Mexico by withdrawing
his name from consideration."
So when Richardson keeps a promise, it's huge news. That says more
than they realize.
"Governor Richardson promised in 2002 that he would serve out
his full term, and he is keeping his promise," Sparks said...,
Richardson felt he must bow out in order to honor his commitment
to New Mexico..."
and:
"I need to honor that pledge," he [Richardson]wrote. (As
if fulfilling a pledge or not doing it is something that is always
up for grabs in his mind.)
But are even these statements, uttered with seeming finality, anywhere
close to being the truth? Are they anywhere close to being true
even in the minds of the people issuing them--at the very moment
they are speaking?
To understand what we mean, look at this:
"Sparks...would not comment on the possibility that the governor
might accept some other position in the Kerry administration if
the senator does win the White House this fall...There's nothing
to comment on," Sparks said. "Senator Kerry has not won
the presidency yet. We would like to live for the moment - just
for today."
Wait a minute. You just said, and so did Governor Richardson, with
great solemnity, that Richardson would honor the pledge to serve
out his term as governor. Then, when the subject shifts to the question
of an appointment in a Kerry Administration, you forget what you
have just said. This clearly betrays the fact that Richardson would
seriously consider a position in a Kerry cabinet. Forgetting you
just droned on about the promise, the pledge, the commitment to
the people of New Mexico.
In other words, if they were serious, and sincere, they would say
"no" immediately to questions about appointments. Why?
Well, whether it is Vice President, or Secretary of State, if the
answer for one is you have made a commitment not to leave the governorship,
then the answer for the other one must be the same. If you are going
to honor a "pledge" you honor a pledge.
Why can't Billy remember that?
Why can't Bill?
People can be forgiven if they muse that "if you are not telling
the truth, it's hard to keep your story straight." We are not
saying that, but people can be forgiven for thinking that.
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Feedback
Regentgate: The Hip Pocket Society
The recent NMPJs on the unconstitutional signed, undated, letters
of resignation for New Mexico regents, have generated more feedback
than any previous edition of New Mexico Political Journal. Shattering
records set in April, 491 readers requested the "Regent-gate
scandal" information mentioned in the June 28 issue. But today,
we received our 611th request for the "Hip Pocket Regents"
information offered in the July 1 issue. (For the record, LTS...
has received more requests for information, but its subscription
list is more than three times that of NMPJ.)
We have now assembled a package that includes:
1. The Attorney General's opinion, declaring the policy unconstitutional.
It is a four-page letter, issued, May 12, 2004. (Sent as an attachment
in Word format.)
2. A list of the ten schools governed by regents, the regents currently
serving at each school. It shows which regents have "resigned"
already, and which ones have not.
3. A copy of the "resignation" letter, required by the
Richardson Administration as a condition of appointment to a board
of regents.
To get all this information, just click here nmdr@dfn.com and, on
the subject line, type in "Regentgate Package."
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Comments on this issue? Please send them to nmdr@dfn.com
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