MyDD :: Ricardson Meets With Hugo Chavez

Ricardson Meets With Hugo Chavez

by Kate Stone, Thu Apr 24, 2008 at 09:04:44 AM EST

Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico will leave for Venezuela tomorrow to meet with Hugo Chavez. Richardson hopes to convince Chavez to help negotiate for the release of hostages being held by rebels in Colombia. The Governor met with President Uribe of Colombia recently.

We are reminded that Richardson had the deepest foreign policy experience of the entire lot running for president. Now we are left with two candidates, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, who have no important foreign policy experience. She visits troops and he went to school in Indonesia as a child and that is what they point to as their foreign policy experience. Since neither has foreign policy experience of any significance we are left choosing which candidate would better serve our interests abroad. Obama would open communication with our enemies through diplomatic channels. Clinton wouldn't talk to anyone and, by the way, she would bomb Iran to smithereens if they even look at Israel crossways.

As this race for the nomination between Clinton and Obama continues do you ever wonder why these two emerged as the front runners? I do. Some of you chose a relative newcomer and hung your hat on his calls for hope and change. Others chose Clinton, a tried and tested insider with baggage we all knew about. Much of our choices were driven by the media who manipulated their viewers and readers -- A Woman! An African American! Firsts! Fights! Action! History In The Making! Two For One! Race! Gender! Horserace! -- and excluded other worthy candidates from analysis and inclusion in the early debate process.

When Barack Obama is elected President in November we hope that one of the first choices for his Cabinet is Bill Richardson come January 2009. Obama needs a great deal of heft. Richardson has it.

Tags: Election 2008, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, foreign polilcy, Bill Richardson (all tags)

Permalink :: 8 Comments :: Post a Comment

No question about that (none / 0)

Richardson will probably end up Secretary of State. He's by far the most qualified for that role. I can only grin at thinking about a merit-based State department under his charge.

I think Richardson endorsed Obama despite his strong ties to the Clintons because he sees in Obama a willingness to give diplomacy every chance. People like Chavez are not inherently anti-United States, they're anti-George Bush imperial policies. Quite honestly, I've enjoyed Chavez's criticism of Bush and his policies. While I'm a bit concerned about his president-for-life policy, he doesn't seem to be genuinely despotic... he diplomatically diffused the crisis between Columbia and (I'm blanking, was it Ecuador?) last month fairly deftly even though Bush was rattling some serious sabres.

I think Richardson, in an Obama administration, could really make inroads, and perhaps even secure a favorable oil deal with, Venezuela. Better them than freaking Saudi Arabia, I say.

In this avalanche, the pebbles get to vote.

by Dracomicron on Thu Apr 24, 2008 at 09:17:42 AM EST

"Prez for Life' is BushShit (none / 0)

Removal of term limits does not end the need to face the voters.

Democratic Candidate, US Senate, Wisconsin 2012

by benmasel on Thu Apr 24, 2008 at 10:25:05 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Ricardson Meets With Hugo Chavez (none / 0)

Clinton's six years on the Senate Armed Services Committee doesn't qualify as foreign policy experience? If you are going to write a diary, at least be factually accurate and fair. Obama has responsibility for Eastern Europe and NATO (covering the mission in Afganistan) and has not held a single hearing or even travelled there. Richardson's meeting with Hugo Chavez sounds a lot like Carter visiting Hamas to me.

by mddem08 on Thu Apr 24, 2008 at 09:38:21 AM EST

Re: Ricardson Meets With Hugo Chavez (none / 0)

Wow, he personally has total responsibility for Eastern Europe and NATO, huh? And its all him, and there is no one else in either the government or the military who has any responsibility? Wow, that's pretty crazy that he became the super-czar.

I dislike Chavez but despise Hamas. Do you have any evidence that Chavez has sponsored terrorism? Or have Hillary supporters started adopting all rightwing talking points to save time?

John McCain: Healthcare for Kids? In America? No way

by bosdcla14 on Thu Apr 24, 2008 at 10:01:11 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Ricardson Meets With Hugo Chavez (none / 0)

Wow, he personally has total responsibility for Eastern Europe and NATO, huh? And its all him, and there is no one else in either the government or the military who has any responsibility? Wow, that's pretty crazy that he became the super-czar.

Given how he has attacked Sen. Clinton on foreign policy, it is hypocritical of him to have not taken advantage of this opportunity because he was "too busy" campaigning. He could have at least stepped aside and given the responsibility to someone who wasn't too busy to serve as Chairman.

Linfar's co-blogger opposing John McCain

by psychodrew on Thu Apr 24, 2008 at 10:06:04 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Ricardson Meets With Hugo Chavez (none / 0)

You don't have to be factually correct when you are attacking Hillary Clinton on foreign policy. She voted for the resolution to authorize force in Iraq so that means that can demean and dismiss her travels as First Lady (what Obama belittle as her having "teas") and you can ignore her service on the Senate Armed Services Committee and long list of foreign policy endorsements.

Linfar's co-blogger opposing John McCain

by psychodrew on Thu Apr 24, 2008 at 10:02:57 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Ricardson Meets With Hugo Chavez (none / 0)

No, I don't think serving on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee amounts to much esp. when she was in the minority party until mid-2006. And Senators are a deliberative body. They talk a lot. How has she distinquished herself on that committee?

by Kate Stone on Thu Apr 24, 2008 at 12:45:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Ricardson Meets With Hugo Chavez (none / 0)

"They talk alot"? What does this add to your point? I think Obama not having served even a single term in the Senate is quite revealing. He's not up to the task. And yes, he does have responsibility as subcommittee chairman for holding meaningful, substantive hearings on US policy regarding Eastern Europe and NATO. For one reason, his position on Iraq is focused almost entirely on his argument that the diversion of US forces to Iraq has distracted from the central mission in Afghanistan. Yet, he shows no leadership on this issue for which he can, as chairman, set the agenda. That is the whole point of Senate deliberation -- as chairman he has a chance to lead, to set the terms of debate, gather useful data and testimony to inform deliberation, and craft policy -- yet has done NOTHING! You simply choose to ignore Senator Clinton's years of service on the SAS -- but the comparison and distinction between the candidates' experiences are real. I think any reasonable person would reject your unsupportable conclusion that Clinton's six years on the SAS is worthless experience. Let it also be said that, with her SAS experience, she has more foreign policy experience than most governors who run for President -- more than Bill Clinton had when he ran.

by mddem08 on Thu Apr 24, 2008 at 02:11:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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