It is with great pride, understanding and acceptance that I am ending my campaign for President of the United States. It was my hope that all of you would first hear this news from me and not a news organization. But unfortunately, as with too many things in our world today, it's the ending of something that garners the most intense interest and speculation.
I knew from the beginning that this would be an uphill climb. When I entered the campaign, it was clear that we, as Democrats, had the most talented field of candidates in my lifetime running to change the direction of our country. And in the end, one of them will.
Despite overwhelming financial and political odds, I am proud of the campaign we waged and the influence we had on the issues that matter most to the future of this country.
A year ago, we were the only major campaign calling for the removal of all of our troops within a year's time from Iraq. We were the only campaign calling for a complete reform of education in this country, including the scrapping of No Child Left Behind. And we were the campaign with the most aggressive clean energy plan and the most ambitious standards for reducing global warming.
Now, all of the remaining candidates are coming to our point of view. I am confident that the next President of the United States will implement much of what we've been urging for the last twelve months, and our nation and world will be the better for it.
There are so many of you who gave so much to this campaign. For that, I will be forever grateful. Running for president has been, at times, humbling and at other times, exhilarating. I have grown and learned a great deal from the experience, and I am a better person for it.
Also, because of your close friendship and support throughout the ups and downs of what is a very grueling and demanding process, I have never felt alone.
Running for president brings out the best in everyone who graces the stage, and I have learned much from the other candidates running. They have all brought great talents and abilities to the campaign.
Senator Biden's passion and intellect are remarkable.
Senator Dodd is the epitome of selfless dedication to public service and the Democratic Party.
Senator Edwards is a singular voice for the most downtrodden and forgotten among us.
Senator Obama is a bright light of hope and optimism at a time of great national unease, yet he is also grounded in thoughtful wisdom beyond his years.
Senator Clinton's poise in the face of adversity is matched only by her lifetime of achievement and deep understanding of the challenges we face.
Representative Kucinich is a man of great decency and dedication who will faithfully soldier on no matter how great the odds.
And all of us in the Democratic Party owe Senator Mike Gravel our appreciation for his leadership during the national turmoil of Vietnam.
I am honored to have shared the stage with each of these Democrats. And I am enormously grateful to all of my supporters who chose to stand with me despite so many other candidates of accomplishment and potential.
Now that my time in this national campaign has come to an end, I would urge those who supported my candidacy to take a long and thoughtful look at the remaining Democrats. They are all strong contenders who each, in their own way, would bring desperately needed change to our country. All I ask is that you make your own independent choice with the same care and dedication to this country that you honored me with during this campaign. At this time, I will not endorse any candidate.
Now I am returning to a job that I love, serving a state that I cherish and doing the work of the people I was elected to serve. As I have always said, I am the luckiest man I know. I am married to my high school sweetheart. I live in a place called the Land of Enchantment. I have the best job in the world. And I just got to run for president of the United States.
It doesn't get any better than that.
With my deepest appreciation for all that you have done,
Bill
Governor Bill Richardson The Governor's Mansion Santa Fe, New Mexico
There are just 5 hours left until the polls close here in New Hampshire and then I've got to get ready for Nevada, South Carolina -- and then the West.
There is a reason why there are so many contests in this process. So EVERY American from EVERY state can play a role in deciding our next President. Not just one or two states. The American people are too smart and this election is too important to let the early numbers determine the next 48!
But in order to keep going, I need the continued support of people like you. I have appreciated your past support, but I need it now more than ever.
Here in New Hampshire, people have been incredibly responsive to me and my vision for America.
Just yesterday The Keene Sentinel ran a terrific article where they interviewed some of the 200 folks who attended our rally in Keene on Sunday.
Here's what New Hampshire voters are saying:
Frank Dialessi of Keene said he plans to vote for Richardson, calling him the most qualified. "No one can dispute that," he said. "From all angles he's clearly the best candidate ... Richardson is the most highly qualified."
Keene High School teacher Jennifer White, holding Richardson signs at the corner of Roxbury Street and Central Square ahead of Sunday's rally, said it is Richardson's like-minded approach to education that appeals to her, and his pledge to scrap No Child Left Behind.
Keene voter Michael Chelstowski is drawn to Richardson, he said, because Richardson is saying more about the environment than any other candidate. "And that," he said, "is the long-term critical issue we face."
And Bob Jones of Nelson said: "He hit on the points I wanted to hear...Never in my adult life have I seen a situation where one person is going to have to handle so many important issues at once. I've been to New Mexico; I've seen the great job he's done in that state."
Because New Hampshire voters sure did. And our post debate research shows that Bill Richardson changed a lot of minds just ahead of Tuesday's primary!
You could see it in the room. I stood at the back so I could watch people's reactions. And I saw a lot of head nodding whenever the Governor talked about his foreign policy credentials or his executive experience. You can watch highlights here.
And if you missed the debate, you can watch the whole thing again tonight at 7 p.m. EST on CNN. If you saw it, we hope you can see it again, and be sure to tell your friends across the country to tune in. Chris Cillizza of The Washington Post said the Governor was a "winner" last night, he "shone" and definitely "showed his sense of humor and deep resume" we hope you get to see it.
New Hampshire news station WMUR conducted a focus group and when the Governor started talking about his experience you should have seen the results -- they went off the charts!
New Hampshire voters saw a candidate who knew a lot more than the rest of the field on the stage with him -- a candidate who is ready to lead from day one!
This is a whole new race in New Hampshire!
The field is narrower. The numbers are in flux. And people in New Hampshire are taking a closer look at Bill Richardson. Our field staff are hearing it across the state people are coming over to our side every day.
Richardson Speaks with Pakistani Opposition Leader Regarding Crisis in Pakistan
MANCHESTER, NH-- Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson earlier today and thanked him for supporting immediate democracy in Pakistan.
Prime Minister Sharif and Governor Richardson discussed the modalities of an immediate transition to democracy in Pakistan and the steps necessary to guarantee free and fair elections.
"I think our national security is enhanced, not threatened, when we are true to our principles as Americans," Richardson said. "We supported the Shah of Iran until the bitter end and now our greatest national security threat is Iran. We supported the apartheid regime in South Africa, greatly harming our interests in the entire third world. And we supported numerous dictatorships in South America, making us pariahs in our own Hemisphere.
"You need a long-term strategic vision to protect our national security, not more foreign policy myopia."
DES MOINES, IA-- New Mexico Governor and Democratic Presidential candidate Bill Richardson finished in fourth place in today's Iowa caucuses, moving his campaign forward to the New Hampshire primary on January 8th.
"We made it to the final four," Richardson said. "My staff and volunteers worked their hearts out to get us here. Now we are going to take the fight to New Hampshire."
Richardson received 7 % of the vote in entrance polls. After watching the results at a rally in Des Moines, he boarded a plane for New Hampshire.
"It has been an honor to meet with Iowans and be a part of this extraordinary process," Richardson said. "I am the one candidate who has said we must end this war by getting all our troops out of Iraq. We cannot truly change this country until we end this war- and we can only do that by getting every US troop out. Americans who want to get us out of Iraq aren't giving up and neither am I. We cannot end the division in this country until we are out of Iraq and we cannot focus on fixing our problems at home and our image abroad until our troops are out of Iraq. We cannot wait until 2013 or longer."
I just had time to grab a quick coffee with my husband, Jim, who's taking unpaid time off work to pitch in with the campaign.
With so little time left to go, this whole campaign is "rounding up the troops," calling on family and friends to get out to Iowa to help knock on doors, round up caucus-goers and get them to vote tomorrow night.
We spent New Year's Day in a flurry of last-minute volunteer meetings, press calls and voter rallies here in Iowa. Now we've got 7 more events slotted for today -- then I'll join up with Dave and the Governor for a late-night New Hampshire strategy session while Jim joins our volunteers to call more caucus-goers.
At least we see each other at breakfast!
With the Governor's surge in the polls and the rush of positive press has come a HUGE burst of support on the ground. More than 400 people came out to hear the Governor in Des Moines on New Year's Eve and his last two presidential job interviews in Ames and Mason City were packed!
We've already got 1,250 precinct captains in place and more than 21,000 caucus-goers have pledged to attend their caucuses on the Governor's behalf.
The latest poll from CNN/Opinion Research Corp. shows 28% of Democratic caucus-goers STILL haven't made up their minds as to which candidate to vote for!
But hour by hour, minute by minute, those people are turning to Bill Richardson.
As the Governor put in on CNN yesterday morning:
"I'm gonna shock the world.
"People who are voting, they want someone to bring them together. They're inspired by somebody that can resolve problems. And I'm gonna do well, you watch. I'm gonna shock the world as we move into these early primaries."
We're making 11 more stops between now and tomorrow night -- and we're only running on adrenaline now. The turnout tomorrow night depends entirely on how much money we can devote to keeping our precinct captains and volunteers going strong.
If you'll keep up the support now, we'll keep working straight up till 6:59 tomorrow night!
I'll be working side by side with our National Field Director, Dan Sena, to rally all those caucus-goers to make sure they go out and voice their choice. We'll be keeping an eye on the weather and we've got a game plan in place to get to folks who can't make it on their own -- we've even got a fleet of vans ready so we can give them a lift!
Vote for Bill in the MySpace primary! It only takes a second.
The polls are open in the MySpace primary!
The polls close in the MySpace primary Wed. night at 11:59pm - let's pull an upset there like we're going to in Iowa. It only takes a second to vote - go to impact.myspace.com, click on Democrat as your party affiliation and vote for Bill Richardson. Please repost!
As we all gaze anxiously into the promise and anticipation that comes with every New Year, Barbara and I wanted to take a moment to extend a heartfelt thank you for your support and generosity in 2007.
One of our favorite New Year's Day traditions is to take a few moments and reflect upon the experiences of the previous year. Barbara whips up a couple mugs of steaming hot cocoa and we sit by the fireplace and reminisce for about an hour -- it's a wonderful way to remind ourselves of the lessons, both good and bad, we've learned over the past 365 days.
2007 was a wonderfully exciting year and we are both anxious to hit the ground running in '08. The Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary are just days away, and I know you're as excited as we are!
Our Camapign Manger just shared this memo with us. Here it is for your review.
I think you'll share my sentiment...SWEET!
From: Dave Contarino To: Richardson Campaign Senior Staff Subject: Iowa Momentum
As you know, we are well positioned for a big upset on caucus night. The biggest hurdle we will face in bringing our supporters home will be questions about viability on the ground. Here are the numbers we have confirmed to address this directly:
* Momentum! Every crowd down the stretch has been overflow and standing room only. In the last 24 hours, over 350 in Ames, 500 in Des Moines with voters lined up outside waiting for a chance to come inside to meet the Governor or have their pictures taken with him as he departs. In some cases, we are getting triple (Onawa and Carroll) the size being expected by local organizers. The Governor's Des Moines speech was interrupted by raucous applause at least a dozen times, and I don't know if I've seen a more excited crowd. When he finished his speech, the Governor walked into the crowd and was immediately swarmed by supporters. It took him more than twenty minutes to leave the event because there were so many people who wanted to talk to the Governor. * We have over 2,000 organizers, staffers and volunteers across the state. * On caucus night we'll have over 1,500 precinct captains with over 90% of the state's delegates covered. * We have made well over half a million phone calls and knocked on more than 200,000 doors. * We have already confirmed over 18,000 caucus supporters through pledge cards, phone confirmations and home door signups. We expect to reach 22,000 by caucus night. That number alone without any additional unidentified support will get us nearly 20% on caucus night based on previous turnout numbers. * And we're the confirmed second choice of at least 25% of the caucus goers. * Our nightly calling is showing a surge. In some precincts, we see 25% of the undecideds breaking our way. We have been moving significant numbers of leaners from the Biden, Obama, Edwards and Clinton columns into our own. Our internal data shows that the Iraq message has been particularly successful in bringing voters to our side. So push it on caucus night! 2013 is far too long to wait for our troops to come home!
"Democrat Bill Richardson always jokes he's no rock star, but he got treated like one today as a boisterous crowd of about 400 people cheered, whistled and waved Richardson signs at a campaign rally in downtown Des Moines."
"If the big crowd on a frigid weekend afternoon -- when most rational people are snuggly watching football games -- is any indication, RichMentum may be the next buzz word of the 2008 campaign."
The Richardson for President campaign today is unveiling a new ad on Iraq in Iowa entitled "A Way Out." The ad continues to distinguish New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson from the rest of the Presidential field on the Iraq war, both in regard to his experience and plan moving forward.
"This ad continues to sharpen Governor Richardson's argument on Iraq as we move into the final week before the Iowa caucuses," campaign manager Dave Contarino said. "Bill Richardson is the only major candidate who will get all of our troops out of Iraq. He is the only candidate who has negotiated successfully with leaders in the Middle East. Simply put, Bill Richardson is the most seasoned leader with the boldest plan on Iraq.
"Other candidates now are trying to change their position on the Iraq war. Senator Hillary Clinton recently said that we could get all of our troops out within a year after claiming for months that it was not possible. Bill Richardson has been right on Iraq from the start of this race. He is ready to bring our troops home and end this war."
Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and John Edwards have been asked to pledge to pull all of our troops out of Iraq by 2013. They have not done so. Bill Richardson has made that pledge.
In addition, Clinton, Obama, and Edwards have suggested that we should pull out all of our combat troops and leave tens of thousands of non-combat troops behind in Iraq. Removing our combat troops first is a reckless strategy that will undermine unit cohesion and result in an extremely dangerous situation for our remaining brave men and women. This course of action is irresponsible. A rapid and coordinated withdrawal of all American troops is the smartest path toward a political reconciliation in Iraq.
To read more about the differences between the candidates on Iraq, please visit www.thedifferenceoniraq.com.
The Richardson Plan for Ending the Iraq War
We must get ALL of our troops out quickly and safely so that a new political process can begin.
Our military presence in Iraq is prolonging the violence, costing us more than $10 billion a month, and distracting us from the war against al-Qaida. George Bush's "surge" has suppressed some of the violence, at least temporarily, but it has failed to bring about political reconciliation. Our troops have done everything we have asked them to do, but they cannot win someone else's civil war. Now it is up to the Iraqis. We need to get our troops out so that a new political process can begin.
My plan will end the war and stabilize Iraq; the most important step, upon which all others depend, is to remove ALL of our troops quickly.
What we need to do:
Remove ALL of our Troops: Only when the Iraqis know we are leaving will they start seeing us as partners rather than occupiers. A complete withdrawal gives us the leverage we now lack to get the warring factions to compromise, while our presence fuels the insurgency. The Iraqis must take responsibility for their country, and only a complete withdrawal gives them the incentive to kick out al-Qaida and heal their country. Any plan that leaves troops behind will allow the war to drag on and cost more American lives.
Withdraw as Quickly as Possible: We should start redeploying now. The longer we stay, the more people die, the further the situation deteriorates, and the more damage we do, both to our military and reputation. Only when we are out of this quagmire can we refocus on the real war against Al-Qaida-- the terrorists who attacked us on 9-11 and who still are headquartered along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, not in Iraq.
A Diplomatic Surge: Iraq's crisis is a political crisis. It cannot be solved militarily. We need a surge of diplomacy to bring Iraq's factions together, engage all of Iraq's neighbors in stabilization, and put together a coalition of donor nations to aid in reconstruction.
How we do it:
De-authorize the War and Fund Redeployment: Last November, the American people voted for the Democrats because they expected them to end the war. Congress should do what it was elected to: pass a resolution that de-authorizes the war under Article 1 of the Constitution and the War Powers Act. It should pass funding only to redeploy our troops safely, not to leave them endlessly in the middle of a civil war. Congress can and should act now to end this war.
Remove ALL of our Troops from Iraq: We must get our troops out of Iraq as safely as possible and in no later than 2009. Since the war began, we have rotated up to 240,000 troops into and out of Iraq in as few as 3 months. The logistics and details of a withdrawal must come from our military commanders on the ground.I hope that Congress will force President Bush to end this war, but if Congress fails, I will instruct our military leaders to get our troops out as quickly as possible. Steps should include:
Identify the units we can phase out quickly. Support units and their large bases should go first and combat units next.
Identify the equipment we can leave to the Iraqis and the equipment we must bring home.
Move troops and equipment into Kuwait and to regional bases where we are welcome, such as in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.
Redeploy troops from these regional bases to Afghanistan and other locations where they can fight actual threats to America. In addition, we should bring home as many troops as possible to rejoin their families.
Lead a Regional and Global Diplomatic Effort: The hard political work will begin once our troops start to leave.
We must use the leverage of our withdrawal to bring the factions to the negotiating table.
The United States must lead this effort and involve all of Iraq's neighbors, including Syria and Iran, in a regional conference modeled on the Dayton conference which ended the war in Bosnia. Key objectives of the conference should be assurances of non-interference and the creation of a multilateral, United Nations-led Muslim peacekeeping force.
We also must convene a donor conference of wealthy Arab states to fund the reconstruction of Iraq. All of Iraq's neighbors have an interest in preventing the civil war from spiraling even further out of control; they all should play a part in quelling the violence.
