Bill Richardson News Blog @newzblogz.com

No political issue in Northern Virginia is more highly charged than transportation. And lately, no issue has been more likely to prompt elected officials to duck public debate and seek sanctuary behind closed doors.

Last week two massive initiatives reached critical, perhaps make-or-break stages: the $1 billion transportation funding bill passed by the General Assembly, and the first phase of the $4 billion Dulles corridor rail project.

The Fairfax Board of Supervisors met in closed session March 12 to discuss a resolution it had passed twice before in essentially the same form. Hoping that the third time would charm Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D), Supervisors Linda Q. Smyth (D-Providence), T. Dana Kauffman (D-Lee), Joan M. DuBois (R-Dranesville) and Chairman Gerald E. Connolly (D) prepared a resolution once again asking that the proposed Metrorail extension to Dulles International Airport be opened to competitive bids that include the option of a tunnel under Tysons Corner.

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Back in the early morning hours of July 1, 1952, Amarillo's Gold Sox Field burned almost to the ground.

The scheduled promotion for the game later that evening against Pampa was "Cigar Night."

Quit snickering.

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WASHINGTON - The creator of the atmospheric faux-Apple ad against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has been unmasked as a Democratic operative who worked for a digital consulting firm with ties to Sen. Barack Obama, NBC News confirmed Wednesday night.

The operative was first identified by the political blog Huffington Post as Philip de Vellis, a strategist with Blue State Digital. After NBC News confirmed de Vellis? identity, he publicly admitted his involvement on the same blog.

?Hi. I?m Phil. I did it. And I?m proud of it,? de Vellis said in a Huffington Post article Wednesday night.

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Let us take a moment to appreciate that, finally, we live in a country where a female senator has a serious chance at becoming a major-party candidate for president, as does a senator whose late father was Kenyan, and a governor whose mother is Mexican.

So there's progress, true progress.

And then again, not.

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.-Vaughn Wedeen Creative has joined with a "dream team" of Native American actors and filmmakers to produce a groundbreaking anti-DWI TV campaign as part of Governor Bill Richardson's "You Drink, You Drive, You Lose" campaign.

"We are pulling out all the stops on fighting DWI in New Mexico. That includes helping our tribal neighbors combat drunk driving and make their communities safer," said Richardson, who has made the fight against DWI a centerpiece of his administration.

In a related initiative, Richardson appointed G. Michelle Brown-Yazzie as tribal DWI Coordinator for the Department of Transportation. According to Brown-Yazzie, there is a need for greater awareness because Native Americans are disproportionately represented in highway fatality statistics.

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March 19: A YouTube ad attacks Hillary Clinton and pitches for Barack Obama. Is this how the 2008 election will play out? The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza discusses.Countdown

WASHINGTON - The creator of the atmospheric faux-Apple ad against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has been unmasked as a Democratic operative who worked for a digital consulting firm with ties to Sen. Barack Obama, NBC News confirmed Wednesday night.

The operative was first identified by the political blog Huffington Post as Philip de Vellis, a strategist with Blue State Digital. After NBC News confirmed de Vellis' identity, he publicly admitted his involvement on the same blog.

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Recently on a talk radio program, I listened to a commentator remark on Sen. Hillary Clinton's announcement to seek the Democratic nomination for president. He is not the only one giving opinions on the matter. Sen. Clinton's decision to run for president sent shockwaves throughout the country. For the first time in U.S. history, a woman could be the President of the United States. (This is an extraordinary time in U.S. politics, as it is also possible for an African-American or a U.S....

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Chicago lawyer Coco Soodek has given $2,300 to Sen. Barack Obama's

presidential primary campaign, the most allowed under federal law. But in

recent days, she has questioned her contribution, just as she has questioned

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Every once in a while I dust off that plan to bring commuter trains linking Rockford and Belvidere with Chicagolands Metra rail system. I first started writing about this topic in 1997, when Boone County leaders had a meeting about it.

A decade has passed, and despite several million U.S. taxpayer dollars paid to consultants to study rail routes and other federally mandated but meaningless alternatives like rapid bus, more lanes on Interstate 90 and doing nothing, commuter trains are no closer to Rockford and Belvidere than they were in 97.

Local officials say we must be patient. These things take time. And theyre right, at least in Illinois, which has not had a capital spending plan in half a decade. So, lets look at a place where theres a local, regional and state commitment to make commuter rail happen quickly.

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So, Colorado now has a second official state song - "Rocky Mountain High."

Big whoop. Lawmakers in our Centennial State (aka Colorful Colorado) have been congratulating themselves for bringing the John Denver ballad into the fold of state symbols, but only after they persuaded one another that "Friends around the campfire and everybody's high" did not refer to use of illegal substances.

But last week, the Land of Enchantment stole a beat on Colorado when Gov. Bill Richardson signed legislation designating the bolo as New Mexico's Official State Tie.

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It's kiss and make up for Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson and acerbic broadcaster Don Imus. All because of $600,000 in New Mexico money. Imus unleashed a tirade against the governor and his staff last month on his nationally syndicated show because the governor hadn't put up state money to renovate an old school and convert it into a community center for a village near Imus' New Mexico ranch.

Imus called Richardson a "fat sissy" and a "fat baby" and then, in Spanish, invited the governor to kiss his rear end - "Beso mi culo!"

All that changed after Richardson got the state legislature to provide $600,000 for the renovation project. The money was part of a more than $600 million capital improvement financing measure the governor signed into law last week.

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In his spare time, Barack Obama likes to make out with seagulls—extremist Muslim seagulls.

A flight of fancy, to be sure; but watch as readership soars. With audiences flocking to Fox News and talk radio, we in the media have learned that balanced debate is for the birds. Whether you’re attacking faith, belittling women or simply fanning the flames of racial hatred, it is our divisiveness that brings us together.

That’s why the Democratic list of presidential candidates is so disappointing, a veritable who’s who of Goody-Two-Shoes diversity: half-black, half-Latin, all-woman, part-Dodd and some kind of Kucinich. And now that Ann Coulter has bravely outed John Edwards, we’ve even found a minority in the unlikeliest of places: a married, white, Southern male. Well, that … is … it.

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TALLAHASSEE ? Florida voters would choose their presidential nominees as early as January under a plan the state House of Representatives resoundingly passed Wednesday.

The Sunshine State?s primary would move to Feb. 5 or seven days after the New Hampshire primary, whichever comes first. The plan could push Florida past a handful of other states that have already scheduled a Feb. 5 primary; more than a dozen other stares are also considering a Feb. 5 vote.

But the Florida Senate, which has not yet chosen a new primary date or moved a bill out of committee, stands in the way of giving the state more relevance than its current March primary brings.

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SANTA FE, N.M. ? It's kiss and make up for Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson and acerbic broadcaster Don Imus. All because of $600,000 in New Mexico money. Imus unleashed a tirade against the governor and his staff last month on his nationally syndicated show because the governor hadn't put up state money to renovate an old school and convert it into a community center for a village near Imus' New Mexico ranch.

Imus called Richardson a "fat sissy" and a "fat baby" and then, in Spanish, invited the governor to kiss his rear end ? "Beso mi culo!"

All that changed after Richardson got the state legislature to provide $600,000 for the renovation project. The money was part of a more than $600 million capital improvement financing measure the governor signed into law last week.

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The creator of a widely circulated viral web video portraying Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton as an Orwellian Big Brother was identified Wednesday as an employee of an Internet consulting firm that works for one of her opponents, Sen. Barack Obama.

The Obama campaign denied any involvement in the ad and the consulting firm said it fired the employee immediately after the company learned of his role.

White House 2008

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Many Texas lawmakers want to move next year's March primary to Feb. 5 to be in the heat of the battle for president.

Considering the dynamics of the wide-open race for both parties' nominations, moving the primary could hurt the state's effort to become a major player in determining who sits in the White House.

Here's why:

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Dallas mayoral candidate Darrell Jordan says he did not plagiarize when lifting, verbatim or nearly verbatim, entire sections of other people's documents in crafting "The Darrell Jordan Accountability Pledge & Plan of Action to Reduce Crime" and "The Darrell Jordan Crime Reduction Plan."

"If there are similarities, there are similarities. Darrell looks at other ideas where people have been successful," said Jack Klaus , Mr. Jordan's campaign manager. "Just because you like a good idea that's out there doesn't make it plagiarism. If it's a good idea, it's a good idea."

Former U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez, R-Colo., who wrote an accountability pledge last year that's nearly identical to the pledge Mr. Jordan released this year, doesn't quite agree.

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The Suns (51-16) get a seeming schedule break as they bear down on a 60-win season and an almost certain No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

They play two straight games versus the Kings (29-38), at home Thursday and on the road Sunday. The Suns have won four straight against them and are 2-0 this season.

The main goal: Kick up the pace and — when teams sag in the middle to stop Steve Nash's penetration and to hinder Amare Stoudemire, as they have lately — kick the ball out quickly to open shooters.

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If the 2008 presidential election were held on YouTube, Barack Obama would win in a landslide.

Candidates of both parties have established channels on the video-sharing site. Earlier this month, YouTube set up a hub specifically for '08 candidates.

It has attracted the participation of Democrats: Illinois Sen. Obama, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich and Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd; and Republicans: Arizona Sen. John McCain, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Rep. Ron Paul.

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If the 2008 presidential election were held on YouTube, Barack Obama would win in a landslide.

Candidates of both parties have established channels on the video-sharing site. Earlier this month, YouTube set up a hub specifically for '08 candidates.

It has attracted the participation of Democrats: Illinois Sen. Obama, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich and Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd; and Republicans: Arizona Sen. John McCain, former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Rep. Ron Paul.

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At El Paso International Airport, a three-story sculpture of a horse and rider sits atop a massive 8-foot base. It is a commanding display, out of proportion to its surroundings.

But it had to be large. The sculpture -- called The Equestrian -- has become the embodiment of the first Hispanic immigration into the American Southwest; a brutal assault on a native people; and a battle of politics and correctness in El Paso itself.

The likeness of Don Juan de Oñate and his powerful war horse, scheduled for its official unveiling next month, was never supposed to be all that.

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. . . & Talk 'em: Jailed Chicago Bear Tank Johnson, who has been cooling his heels in the Cook County hoosegow since his incarceration for probation violations last week, has not been fussy.

• To wit: Tank is getting the same food as everyone else, does not have a TV in his cell, and although he established a commissary account to add snacks to his diet, he hasn't ordered anything yet.

• Tweet tweet: But a little birdie told Sneed Tank received a 45-minute visit last Friday from the Rev. Jesse Jackson, and the two chewed on harmony and grist.

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COLUMBIA - Gov. Mark Sanford is inviting presidential candidates from both parties to spend some time huffing, puffing and across the state in his Family Fitness Challenge.

Sanford says he is inviting fellow Republicans and rival Democrats to take part in a 70-mile bike ride from Aiken to Estill or a 5K walk in Aiken on May 5.

"If there's anybody that would appeal to, that would be Mike Huckabee," says Mike Campbell, who is advising the former Arkansas governor's S.C. campaign, adding it is the kind of event that fits well with Huckabee's image after his dramatic weight loss.

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I can't say that I'm ready to start campaigning for any of them, but neither am I prepared to flee the voting booth in horror.

Among the Democrats, I was surprised by my reactions to Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

I had great expectations about Obama and was disappointed. Maybe he had an off day, or maybe his campaign is overhyped and nothing he could say would be enough. I haven't written him off, but he'll have to win me over.

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American Indian Democrats have set the stage for an unprecedented "Prez on the Rez" presidential candidate forum on the Morongo Band of Mission Indians' Reservation in Cabazon.

Rumblings of the forum with Democratic presidential contenders have reverberated across Indian Country since January and dealt with at least one other front-runner site: New Mexico's Sandia Pueblo Indian Reservation.

Official confirmation came Tuesday. The event that will showcase candidates and demonstrate the political brawn of Indian voters will be held Aug. 23 at Morongo Casino Resort & Spa's Event Center in Cabazon.

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New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson will visit the Southland for the second time in 15 days today to attend fund-raisers for his Democratic Party presidential campaign in Laguna Beach and Laguna Hills.

Richardson will attend a $500-per-person fund-raiser in Laguna Beach and a $1,000-per-person fund-raiser in Laguna Hills, according to a report on the Orange County Register's Web site.

Richardson is currently favored by 5 percent of Democrats surveyed March 12 through March 16, according to Rasmussen Reports.

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March 21, 2007 -- RUDY Giuliani's supporters call him "America's Mayor." But he is something more: the first serious presidential candidate in history with a vowel at the end of his name.

Oddly, so far in this year of ethnic- and gender-identity politics, Rudy's Italian-American heritage hasn't been much of an issue. Much more attention has gone to Hillary's "favorite daughter" campaign, Barack Obama's quest for African-American authenticity, Bill Richardson self-depiction as the first Hispanic candidate and the Mormon beliefs of Mitt Romney.

Almost nobody has focused on Rudy as the Italian Stallion. Yet.

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According to D.C.'s Political Report, these are the candidates for president in 2008:

Dems: U.S. Sen. Joseph R. "Joe" Biden, Jr., U.S. Sen. Hillary R. Clinton, U.S. Sen. Christopher J. "Chris" Dodd, ex-U.S. Sen. John R. Edwards, ex-U.S. Sen. Maurice "Mike" Gravel, Ohio's U.S. Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich, U.S. Sen. Barack H. Obama, Gov. William B. "Bill" Richardson, ex-Gov. Thomas J. "Tom" Vilsack, General Wesley K. Clark (retired), Randy Crow and Saleh Mohamed.

Reps: U.S. Sen. Sam D. Brownback, U.S. Rep. Duncan L. Hunter, ex-Gov. James S. "Jim" Gilmore III, ex-New York City Mayor Rudolph W. "Rudy" Giuliani, U.S. Sen. John S. McCain, III, State Rep. Ronald E. "Ron" Paul, ex-Gov. W. Mitt Romney, U.S. Rep. Thomas G. "Tom" Tancredo, ex-HHS Sec. and ex-Gov. Tommy G. Thompson, ex-House Speaker Newton L. "Newt" Gingrich, ex-Gov. Mike Huckabee, ex-Gov. George E. Pataki, ex-Gov. Jeb Bush, U.S. Sen. Charles T. "Chuck" Hagel, Secr. of State Condoleezza "Condi" Ri...

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Presidential candidates are collecting contributions at a record-setting pace and are racing to load their schedules with fundraising events ahead of March 31, the campaign's first deadline for filing financial reports.

The amounts that contenders can bring in will shape the narrative of the race for months to come -- potentially vaulting a candidate into the top tier -- and could spell an early exit for some.

More politics news

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CABAZON -- American Indian Democrats have set the stage for an unprecedented Prez on the Rez Presidential candidate forum on the Morongo Band of Mission Indians Reservation in Cabazon.

Rumblings of the forum with Democratic presidential contenders have reverberated across Indian Country since January, and dealt with at least one other front-runner site: New Mexicos Sandia Pueblo Indian Reservation.

Official confirmation came Tuesday: The event that will showcase candidates and demonstrate the political brawn of Indian voters will be held Aug. 23 at Morongo Casino Resort & Spas Event Center in Cabazon, about 90 miles from Los Angeles and 20 miles from Palm Springs.

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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Illinois Sen. Barack Obama brought his Democratic presidential campaign to Oklahoma for the first time Monday with a promise to end the war in Iraq and change the culture of political gamesmanship in Washington. "We've got a war that should have never been authorized and should have never been waged," Obama said as a crowd of more than 1,000 people erupted in cheers and applause. Obama said the Iraq war, which enters its fifth year Tuesday, has diminished the natio...

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AUSTIN Democratic presidential hopeful and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson says the U.S.' foreign policy focus on the Middle East has cost the country progress.He says it's left Latin America virtually ignored.Richardson arrived in Dallas yesterday and was in Austin today to receive accolades from the Republican-controlled Legislature.The former ambassador says he would meet with leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez as part of a broader Latin American policy plan.Calling President Bush's...

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SANTA FE Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Richardson is again calling for the withdrawal of U-S troops from Iraq.Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, says the troops have done all they can and it's time to bring them home.His comments came today -- a day before the fourth anniversary of the start of the U-S-led war in Iraq.Richardson also is asking Americans to say a prayer for U-S military personnel serving their country and for the family and friends of those Americans who have died in ...

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      • John McCain. To many, the senator from Arizona's candidacy is a foregone conclusion, and his recent buddying up to Bush loyalists and other old adversaries suggests he's serious. He's a genuine hero with terror-fighting credentials and know-how in handling the media. Allies say he's the answer to the GOP independent-voter problem that exploded last week.

      • Rudolph "Rudy" Giuliani. He continually scores well in national polls, and GOP candidates across the land flew in the former mayor of New York as an anti-terror symbol. But he's given no indication thus far of wanting to run, and skeptics wonder how far his distinctly moderate Republicanism would play among hard-core GOP conservatives.

      • Mitt Romney. Perhaps no one benefited more from the collapsing political career of Virginia Sen. George Allen, which opened up a space in the party's conservative wing. Romney's ability to become governor of Massachusetts shows electability. His name and good looks are assets. Some wonder if his Mormon faith will play in places like South Carolina.

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New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said Monday night that he's picking up steam for the Democratic presidential primaries, and he predicted he would eventually lose his long-shot status.

"I'm on the second tier — I know that," said Richardson, a former congressman, energy secretary and ambassador to the United Nations. "But I'm on my way up."

He was in San Antonio for a private fundraiser at the Plaza Club.

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New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, right, entered the Texas House of Representatives where he was honored Monday in Austin. Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, on the left, was one of his escorts.

(Harry Cabluck / Associated Press)AUSTIN -- Democratic New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said Monday that U.S. foreign policy's concentration on the Middle East cost the country progress on other important issues and that Latin America has been virtually ignored.

"My point is that Latin America is a very important part of the world," Richardson said, noting that he would meet with leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez as part of a broader Latin American policy plan.

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New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democratic aspirant for president in 2008, said Monday that the wall being erected on the U.S.-Mexico border needs to go.

"The wall should be torn down," Richardson told reporters after the Texas House and Senate approved resolutions in his honor.

"It's bad policy. It was done to get election votes," Richardson said, referring to congressional action last year authorizing construction of a wall along parts of the border. "And the next president should not build it. I wouldn't build it."

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New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson concedes he's no political rock star, but asserts he is the rock-solid candidate for president of the United States.

The candidate spoke to about 100 people at a fundraiser Monday morning at the home of John and Debbie Blake at 865 Sayles Blvd.

Richardson, 59, pitched his candidacy based on long seasoning in public life, international experience, moderate views, status as the only Westerner in the presidential field, dedication to hard work - and the fact that he's a next-door-neighbor.

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      Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republican Mitt Romney have emerged as the leading presidential favorites among party insiders, according to a new Los Angeles Times poll, which found deep partisan divisions over the country's direction and top issues in the 2008 campaign.

Hillary Clinton Mitt Romney

      The survey showed former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina in second place among Democratic Party leaders, ahead of Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois. It pointed up danger signs for Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who trailed Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, and former New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, the leader among Republicans in national voter surveys.

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Given the hype the 2008 presidential election is generating, you wouldn't guess that it is still 20 months away. But changing the date of a major primary has changed the calculus of winning the nominations entirely.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson thinks this will help him most, which is why he isn't worried about trailing in the polls.

"We're clearly in the second tier (of candidates)," he says, "but I'm at the top of the second tier and gaining momentum."

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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Democratic New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said Monday that U.S. foreign policy's concentration on the Middle East cost the country progress on other important issues and that Latin America has been virtually ignored. "My point is that Latin America is a very important part of the world," Richardson said, noting that he would meet with leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez as part of a broader Latin American policy plan. Calling President Bush's recent trip to the re...

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      WASHINGTON — Resurgent Democrats swept toward control of the House and gained ground in the Senate on Tuesday in elections shaped by an unpopular war in Iraq and scandal at home.

      "Mr. President, we need a new direction in Iraq," said California Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, in line to become the first woman speaker in history.

      Aided by public dissatisfaction with President Bush, Democrats won gubernatorial races in New York, Ohio and Massachusetts for the first time in more than a decade, then put Colorado, Maryland and Arkansas in their column as well.

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      WASHINGTON — John Edwards aimed for their tear ducts, Hillary Clinton appealed to their fighting spirit and Barack Obama asked them to join him in pursuit of a thing called "hope."

      The hundreds of Democrats — a focus group of the faithful — gathered for the winter meeting of the Democratic National Committee weren't in a mood to choose candidates on Friday, it being almost a full year before the first primary and caucus votes will be cast in the 2008 presidential primary.

      They wept, let out whoops and rose to their feet in agreement mostly as a unified group, with even those clutching one candidate's signs responding enthusiastically to the other five presidential hopefuls — including a woman with a "Hillary" placard who pronounced herself "ready to swoon" for Obama.

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OKLAHOMA CITY — Illinois Sen. Barack Obama brought his Democratic presidential campaign to Oklahoma for the first time Monday with a promise to end the war in Iraq and change the culture of political gamesmanship in Washington.

"We've got a war that should have never been authorized and should have never been waged," Obama said as a crowd of more than 1,000 people erupted in cheers and applause.

Obama said the Iraq war, which enters its fifth year Tuesday, has diminished the nation's standing in the world and made it less safe. Without naming her, Obama made an issue of the 2002 vote to authorize the war by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Obama's chief rival, and expressed pride in his public opposition to the war two years before he was elected to the U.S. Senate.

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SANTA FE -- Lawmakers who had barely enough time to get a good night's sleep and do a load of laundry headed back to the state Capitol for a special session on Tuesday.

On their plates: leftovers. Gov. Bill Richardson says while lawmakers did a bang-up job in the 60-day session that ended Saturday, there are a handful of items he didn't get and still wants.

That list includes a highway funding package, domestic partnership legislation, a couple of ethics bills and some crime-related measures.

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OKLAHOMA CITY Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama is planning his first campaign stop in Oklahoma.The U-S senator from Illinois will attend a fundraiser at the Farmer's Public Market Building at 311 South Klein in Oklahoma City. About one-thousand tickets were sold for 25 dollars each, and state party officials say the event is sold out.Obama is the second Democratic presidential candidate to visit the state this week. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson attended a private fundraiser in...

Friday Night Lights

Deal No Deal

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On paper, New Mexico's medical marijuana law looks good.

However, if similar laws in other states are any indication, the Land of Enchantment won't be that enchanted with how the law works in reality.

There have been numerous media reports of how medical marijuana laws are abused and manipulated by individuals whose only illness or disease is the willingness to break the law to satisfy their own desires.

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Jim Gilchrist has lost some trusted friends in the ongoing skirmish over control of the Minuteman Project, the anti-illegal immigration group he founded two years ago. But in the process, he's brought an old opponent to his side.

Guy Mailly was one of 19 candidates who threw their hats in the ring when Christopher Cox vacated his Congressional seat in 2005 to become head of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Republican came in 15th in the primary, while Gilchrist running as an American Independent came in third and advanced to the general election, where he also came in third.

"He was very friendly to me and he said he was on my side," Gilchrist said of his initial encounters with Mailly.

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Democrats, environmental activists and presidential hopefuls are angling to share the spotlight with former Vice President Al Gore this week as he comes to Capitol Hill to testify on global warming.

    Mr. Gore, who has made a personal crusade out of climate change, will appear Wednesday before House and Senate panels to urge Congress to attempt to halt climate change, and he expects to bring a mailbag filled with the nearly 300,000 postcards he has collected since Christmas.

    "You and I know that political will is a renewable resource, and enough already exists to start solving this crisis," Mr. Gore, a Democrat, told supporters Friday in an e-mail, noting he's collected 294,000 cards and is aiming for at least 50,000 more. "We just have to communicate that forcefully to the political leaders of our country."

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SANTA FE  — Former New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey, who resigned after revealing that he was gay, says culture is outpacing politics in the acceptance of homosexuality.

McGreevey, who is in Santa Fe this weekend to speak at a fundraiser for the Human Rights Alliance, called his decision to come out “one of the most painful but honest decisions of my life.”

Even though the revelation of being gay can hurt family and friends, McGreevey said Friday that people must learn at an early age to be open about their sexuality.

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NEW YORK - MySpace, the largest Internet social network, said on Sunday it has launched a politics channel ahead of the 2008 U.S. presidential elections.

The News Corp.-owned site's politics site, called the Impact Channel, will feature links to the profiles of 10 presidential candidates - five Democrats and five Republicans.

MySpace attracted some 60 million U.S. users in December, according to comScore MediaMetrix, and about 90 million globally.

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LAS CRUCES, NM- A law in New Mexico could increase the penalties for sex offenders against minors.

Governor Bill Richardson could sign a bill that would create a new crime of aggravated criminal sexual penetration, an increase in penalties for sex offenders against minors, and would impose a lifetime parole for certain offenders.

"Jessica's Law" is inspired by 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford from Florida who was kidnapped, raped and then buried alive. 48-year-old Evander Couey was convicted and could face the death penalty in her death.

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WASHINGTON ? Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., posts regular ?HillCasts? to talk about her positions on equal pay, health care and Iraq.

Rudolph Giuliani treats YouTube as if it were C-SPAN ? a place for his 58-minute speech to the Churchill Club. Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., put up a casual backstage interview before his appearance on ?The Daily Show.? And though Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., was the last of the presidential front-runners to jump on the online video bandwagon, he now has more than 25 videos circulating on the Web.

One after another, presidential campaigns are adding videos to their Web sites as well as to video-sharing sites such as YouTube, MySpa