Democrat Richardson starts presidential bid

[Ron Burgundy]

Reuters - Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson ofNew Mexico announced on Sunday he was taking the first steptoward a 2008 presidential bid that would make him the firstHispanic to sit in the White House.

"I am seeking the nomination because I believe I can do thejob," Richardson, 59, told ABC's "This Week."

Richardson, who was elected to a second term last yearafter a long career in Washington jobs, said he planned acampaign focused on a broad array of issues, not just thoseaffecting the Latino community.

"I wouldn't run as a Hispanic candidate. I would run as anAmerican proud to be Hispanic," Richardson said.

Richardson entered a growing field of people running forthe Democratic nomination. To underscore his status as anunderdog in the race, his announcement competed on the Sundaynews shows by talk of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton announcingher own exploratory committee on Saturday.

He trails in polls that usually show Clinton, who is tryingto be the first woman president, and Sen. Barack Obama (news, bio, voting record) ofIllinois, who would be the first black president, leading theothers. In a Washington Post/ABC poll published on Sunday,Richardson got just one percent of the vote.

Richardson served as a member of the U.S. House ofRepresentatives and as United Nations ambassador, diplomatictrouble-shooter and energy secretary under President BillClinton. He said that experience plus his years as governor ofNew Mexico would serve the country well.

"The next president must be able to get us out of Iraq,must be able to restore America's international standing, thenext president must be able to make us energy independent, mustbe able to make schools better, to create jobs ... to get thatdone you need real life experience," he told ABC.

Richardson was to file his official papers on Monday to setup the presidential exploratory committee, which allows him toraise money and hire staff.

While Hispanics make up a major voting bloc in theDemocratic party, Richardson said he would stress hisexperience and his role as a governor -- a fertile ground forpresidents in recent years -- as well as being from the West,where Democrats have been growing in political power.

CROWDED FIELD

Richardson said the country was ready to elect someoneother than a white man, adding, "I believe this country is avery tolerant, positive country."

Other Democrats who have said they are running or haveformed exploratory committees included Sens. Joseph Biden (news, bio, voting record) ofDelaware and Christopher Dodd (news, bio, voting record) of Connecticut, the party's 2004vice presidential candidate John Edwards, Rep. Dennis Kucinichof Ohio and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack.

But Clinton clearly dominated the political talk on Sunday,one day after she announced she was in the race.

Biden on "Fox News Sunday" that she was "incrediblyformidable" and "the odds-on pick right now." But he said itwas early in the campaign and others had a chance to get theirviews better known.

"Hillary Clinton is going to have to make her best case,"he said. "And there's a lot of us out there that are known butin a sense not known, and we're going to make our best case.And I don't think Hillary's best case versus mine or Barack'sor anybody else's necessarily trumps us."

On the same show, former Republican House Speaker NewtGingrich called Clinton and her husband, former President BillClinton, the "most formidable pair of politicians in America"and said she "has a six-out-of-10 chance or better of being theDemocratic nominee."

Gingrich has been mentioned as a possible Republicancandidate and he reiterated he would wait until September todecide whether to jump in -- and do so then only if no one elsehad locked up the nomination.

The Republican field is about as crowded as the Democraticcampaign with Sen. Chuck Hagel (news, bio, voting record) of Nebraska saying on Sunday hewould announce his plans "soon."

(Additional reporting by Donna Smith)

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070121/pl_nm/usa_politics_richardson_dc [link]