Richardson Endorses Obama

Senator Barack Obama accepted the support of Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico on Friday in Portland, Ore.
Photo: Alex Brandon/Associated Pres
In a campaign rally at Portland's Memorial Coliseum in Oregon, Governor Bill Richardson, the Hispanic governor of New Mexico, endorsed the candidacy of U.S. Senator Barack Obama for the presidency of the United States.

Here are excerpts from the New York Times report:

By ADAM NAGOURNEY and JEFF ZELENY
Published: March 22, 2008

PORTLAND, Ore. — “I talked to Senator Clinton last night,” Gov. Bill Richardson said on Friday, describing the tense telephone call in which he informed Senator Hillary Rodhan Clinton that, despite two months of personal entreaties by her and her husband, he would be endorsing Senator Barack Obama president.

The decision by Mr. Richardson, who ended his own presidential campaign on Jan. 10, to support Mr. Obama was a belt of bad news for Mrs. Clinton. It was a stinging rejection of her candidacy by a man who had served in two senior positions in President Bill Clinton administration, and who is one of the nation’s most prominent elected Hispanics. Mr. Richardson came back from vacation to announce his endorsement at a moment when Mrs. Clinton’s hopes of winning the Democratic nomination seem to be dimming.

But potentially more troublesome for Mrs. Clinton was what Mr. Richardson said in announcing his decision. He criticized the tenor of Mrs. Clinton’s campaign. He praised Mr. Obama for the speech he gave in response to the furor over racially incendiary remarks delivered by Mr. Obama’s former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright, he came close to doing what Mrs. Clinton’s advisers have increasingly feared some big-name Democrat would do as the battle for the nomination drags on: Urge Mrs. Clinton to step aside in the interest of party unity.

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JG: If Senator Clinton was a smart and responsible person, something which I am beginning to have great doubts about, she would graciously end her hopeless campaign and end her candidacy and unite the Democratic Party as they seek to recapture the White House in November. The only thing that her bickering and constant whining is doing is provide ammunition for warmonger John McCain.