| Submit your comments on this article |
| -Obits- |
| Bill Richardson, former governor of New Mexico and UN ambassador, dead at 75 |
| 2023-09-03 |
| [NYPOST] Bill Richardson, a two-term Democratic governor of New Mexico and a U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who dedicated his post-political career to working to free Americans detained overseas, has died. He was 75. The Richardson Center for Global Engagement, which he founded and led, said in a statement Saturday that he died in his sleep at his home in Chatham, Massachusetts. “He lived his entire life in the service of others — including both his time in government and his subsequent career helping to free people held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad,” said Mickey Bergman, the center’s vice president. “There was no person that Gov. Richardson would not speak with if it held the promise of returning a person to freedom. The world has lost a champion for those held unjustly abroad and I have lost a mentor and a dear friend.” Before his election in 2002 as governor, Richardson was U.N. ambassador and energy secretary under President Bill Clinton and served 14 years as a congressman representing northern New Mexico. Richardson also traveled the globe as an unofficial diplomatic troubleshooter, negotiating the release of hostages and American servicemen from North Korea, Iraq, Cuba and Sudan. He bargained with a who’s who of America’s adversaries, including Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. It was a role that Richardson relished, once describing himself as “the informal undersecretary for thugs.” Armed with a golden resume and wealth of experience in foreign and domestic affairs, Richardson ran for the 2008 Democratic nomination for president in hopes of becoming the nation’s first Hispanic president. He dropped out of the race after fourth place finishes in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary. Richardson was the nation’s only Hispanic governor during his two terms. He described being governor as “the best job I ever had.” “It’s the most fun. You can get the most done. You set the agenda,” Richardson said. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #5 Old school demokrat politicians were corrupt, and deal-makers, but had the background of being Americans, on a cultural, social level. Obama's era, introduced progressive/Marxists who are far more characterized as anti-American globalists and even communists who actually dislike or even hate the traditional citizens they purport to serve. |
| Posted by: NoMoreBS 2023-09-03 13:18 |
| #4 He was a Clinton capo too. |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2023-09-03 09:10 |
| #3 He had his corruption, like any main stream politician in NM. He ran a pay-to-play scheme while governor and was being investigated by the federal DA* till Obama got elected and shut it down. Unlike the Biden family, it wasn't so much to line his own pockets but towards organizations that he favored in the state. *The outgoing DA said that IL had nothing on corruption compared to NM, only the pols were a lot cheaper. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2023-09-03 08:36 |
| #2 RIP, Bill. From afar, he did seem like a decent fella. |
| Posted by: DooDahMan 2023-09-03 04:11 |
| #1 Politis aside - I worked his detail briefly when he was USUN. A personable and funny guy who didn't seem to take himself overly serious. |
| Posted by: Bangkok Billy 2023-09-03 04:08 |