Joaquin Guerra's Blog

This is What It's All About: "It's Up to you"

Joaquin H. Guerra — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 17:17:00 MST

It's about Leadership

Joaquin H. Guerra — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 13:13:09 MST

Iowans Ruth Mahon, Kathy Mahoney and Judi Faas tell why they are going to caucus for Gov. Bill Richardson on Jan. 3.

An Iowan's View Of Gov. Bill Richardson's Campaign

Joaquin H. Guerra — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 12:10:40 MST

An inside look from Iowa on what to expect tonight.

Countdown to the Iowa Caucus

Joaquin H. Guerra — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 09:51:40 MST

Camapign Memo

Joaquin H. Guerra — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 15:58:10 MST

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!
Quotes from the media:
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071230/NEWS/71230007/-1/iowap

William Petroski, Des Moines Register

“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.”

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/politics_nation/2007/12/richmentum_1.html

Reid Wilson, Real Clear Politics

"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.”

Other stories:

http://www.messengernews.net/page/content.detail/id/502145.html

http://www.timesrepublican.com/page/content.detail/id/501075.html?nav=5005

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2007/12/30/politics/horserace/entry3657586.shtml

The Making of a Surge

Joaquin H. Guerra — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 09:30:12 MST

We've had a great weekend in Iowa and the polls are starting to move. RealClearPolitics
says's that we've got "Richmemtum."
David Yespen of the Des Moines Register writes:

The New Mexico governor puts together an impressive package. He's of Hispanic
ancestry, which should give him appeal to that growing segment of the electorate
in a number of states. As a Western governor and former congressman, he's
shown his electability. He's also got federal experience as energy secretary
and U.N. ambassador.

A new McClatchy-MSNBC poll put's the Governor at 12% and this clip is a prime indicator of why the Governor is starting to surge.

Watch out for the Richmentum!

Saturday Morning Open Thread

Joaquin H. Guerra — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 09:08:51 MST

Yesterday the Governor was on MSNBC discussing the latest in Pakistan and our campaign. In case you missed it, here it is. Consider this an open thread.

Gov. Bill Richardson discusses the Pakistani Crisis

Joaquin H. Guerra — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 17:24:21 MST

Introduced by former U.S. Ambassador Leslie Alexander, Gov. Bill Richardson calls for the United States to cut off all military aid to Pakistan not directly related to fighting terrorism until Pervez Musharraf resigns in a major policy speech today in Des Moines, Iowa.

Richardson Mourns Bhutto, Calls for Musharraf to Step Down

Joaquin H. Guerra — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 09:53:52 MST

Governor Bill Richardson issued the following statement this morning after
the assassination of Pakistani opposition leader and former prime minister Benazir
Bhutto.

"Benazir Bhutto was a courageous woman. Her death, and the deaths of
so many of her supporters, is more than just a tragedy. It is a testament
to the will of the Pakistani people to see democracy restored. My thoughts
and prayers are with the families of those who died today.
"Ms. Bhutto knew the dangers to her safety. But she would not be intimidated.
We also must not be intimidated.
A leader has died, but democracy must live. The United States government
cannot stand by and allow Pakistan's return to democracy to be derailed or
delayed by violence.
We must use our diplomatic leverage and force the enemies of democracy to
yield: President Bush should press Musharraf to step aside, and a broad-based
coalition government, consisting of all the democratic parties, should be
formed immediately. Until this happens, we should suspend military aid to
the Pakistani government. Free and fair elections must also be held as soon
as possible.
It is in the interests of the US that there be a democratic Pakistan that
relentlessly hunts down terrorists. Musharraf has failed, and his attempts
to cling to power are destabilizing his country. He must go."

On the Trail- Grimes, IA

Joaquin H. Guerra — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 09:01:44 MST

Check out this video of the Governor campaigning at a house party in Grimes, IA.

Qualified

Joaquin H. Guerra — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 08:00:19 MST

Consider this an open thread to discuss the Governor's qualifications to be our next President

Students for Bill Richardson

Joaquin H. Guerra — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 17:24:57 MST

Drake student Max Maher tells why he is going to caucus for Gov. Bill Richardson.

Coming on Strong

Joaquin H. Guerra — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 12:19:12 MST

Iraq: The Elephant in the Room

Joaquin H. Guerra — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 09:10:27 MST

This was first posted at the Huffington Post on Friday, December 7. It's being cross posted here for the Richardson community.

By Governor Bill Richardson

Earlier this week, I was unable to attend NPR's Democratic forum in Iowa because I was attending a funeral. When I read the transcript, however, I was shocked that there was almost no real discussion of the single most important issue facing our county: Iraq.

No other single problem is as crippling to this country right now as the war in Iraq. Our ongoing troop presence is preventing a real Iraqi reconciliation. Maintaining 170,000 troops in Iraq not only stretches our military to the breaking point, it keeps us from having the troops available to deal with other emerging crises -- whether it is peace keeping or disaster response.

We are spending upwards of $10 billion dollars a month in Iraq.

It is folly to believe we can continue on this path and conduct the necessary overhauls to children's insurance, health care, and our schools. It will be almost impossible to deal with global warming and lead the world in a new energy revolution while weighed down by the financial and diplomatic costs of the on-going war in Iraq.

We can't let ending the war become the "forgotten issue" in this campaign, and we can't let it continue. The costs are just too high.

Unfortunately, my fellow candidates seem content with leaving the issue behind. Senators Clinton, Obama and Edwards still mention ending the war - but will not unequivocally commit to getting all troops out quickly (and lets be clear - all troops includes non-combat troops, combat strike teams, or any other spin-variation of "troops" falling under our military command in Iraq).

And they will not commit to getting all of the troops out by 2013. 2013 is six more years of war. Six more years of having our hands tied economically and our foreign policy crippled by a war that should have been ended THIS year.

Six more years is too long to wait. Our new website www.2013istoolate.com lays it out clearly: waiting for 2013 is unacceptable - the cost is just too high.

We cannot let cynicism get the best of us - even though the Congressional leadership have not done what we elected them to do and ended this war. We cannot give up. And we cannot give in to misleading media and White House spin that trumpets "the surge is working."

It isn't. The conventional wisdom, that after just a few months of declining casualty rates, victory is around the corner is rosy-eyed nonsense. If you listen to Washington insiders, we've turned that corner again and again - so many times we may just be walking in circles.

Casualties have fallen three months in a row on nine previous occasions during the 5 years we've been in Iraq - nine times. Each time we've been fed the same lines: "Mission Accomplished," "Dead Ender," "Last Throes." On each of those nine occasions, however, casualties have risen back to newer more tragic levels.

I'm not sure who decided what number of American troop deaths is an "acceptable" cost to buy a declaration of "victory," but last month 37 American troops died. After nearly five years of war, the only "acceptable" number of deaths is zero.

I hope Senators Clinton, Edwards, and Obama have not forgotten what we all know: there is no military solution in Iraq, and as long as our troops are there we will have no political solution either. If they remembered this, they could not in good conscience duck a commitment to get our troops out by 2013.

2013 is too long to wait to do the ONE thing that will work in Iraq: getting all of our troops out quickly, leaving no residual troops behind.

Only one thing will bring long-term stability in Iraq: political progress. The stated purpose of the surge was to give Iraqi politicians the breathing room to take the necessary steps towards real reconciliation. That has not happened - and those on the ground know it. Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister, Barham Salih, last month flatly declared "There will be no reconciliation . . .this is a struggle about power," and Iraq's Vice President (and most important Sunni politician) recently echoed that with "there has been no significant progress in months."

Political progress is impossible as long as our troops are on the ground, making the status-quo possible for Iraqi politicians and leading Iraqi citizens to doubt whether we'll ever leave. There is no military solution to this problem, so our military should not be there.

In fact, the only real progress we've seen in Iraq in the recent months happened in Basra, where the removal of the British garrison has brought about a 90% decrease in violence. No occupying forces equaled less violence, and zero coalition casualties. This is the kind of change we need to see across Iraq to create the landscape for real political progress.

There is a clear answer -- to truly reduce violence and to force Iraqis to find their own political solution, we must begin immediately to withdraw all of our forces - all of them, without any residual troops left behind. There is no military solution in Iraq, and there will be no political solution while our military remains there.

Leaving troops in Iraq until 2013 is not an option - not if we want to end this war, not if we want to move forward and begin addressing problems here at home.

Ignoring this issue won't change those facts.

Statement on National Intelligence Estimate on Iran

Joaquin H. Guerra — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:01:44 MST

Today, the Governor released the following statement on the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iran:

"This NIE tells us one of two things. Either the Bush-Cheney administration
has been willfully misleading the American public on Iran's nuclear weapons
capabilities or they are incompetent and were not aware of the consensus view
of sixteen U.S. intelligence agencies until yesterday."
On October 17th, President Bush said: "If you're interested in avoiding World
War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them (Iran)
from having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon."
"The NIE underscores what I have been saying all along. The next President
will have to use diplomacy to accomplish our goals and strengthen our interests
around the world. I am the only candidate, Democrat or Republican, who has
served as an Ambassador. I will be ready on day one to go toe-to-toe with
the toughest leaders in the world."

There are 99 Counties in Iowa and we've campaigned in them all

Joaquin H. Guerra — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 13:38:52 MST

With a campaign stop in Keokuk County today, the Governor visited his 99th
of Iowa's 99 counties. Joined by his wife, New Mexico First Lady Barbara Richardson,
he held one of his signature "Presidential Job Interviews" at the
Copper Lantern Restaurant in Sigourney, answering the questions of everyday
Iowans.

Check out the video from the event

Mi Familia en New York City

Joaquin H. Guerra — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 17:30:52 MST

Today the Governor inaugurated the 75 New York City area chapters of Mi Familia con Richardson at a meet and greet event. Mi Familia con Richardson is our nationwide family-to-family grassroots mobilization network designed to target the Latino community.

The Governor spoke of the success of his campaign's outreach program and his support within the Latino community.

"Mi Familia con Richardson is a first in American politics," Richardson said. It targets organizational efforts around the culture and importance of family connections.

"The program has exceeded our initial goal of 100 chapters in 100 days, all due to the hard work of our supporters, national co-chairs, Mi Familia directors, Latino outreach coordinators, and nationwide staff. It is thanks to everyone's commitment and dedication that we have been able to top all of the other Presidential candidates when it comes to grassroots Latino outreach efforts."

Mi Familia con Richardson now has nearly 200 chapters nationwide. The New York City area chapters are located in Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, and Westchester County.

What I Saw in New Hampshire

Joaquin H. Guerra — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:45:29 MST

The First Lady of New Mexico Barbara Richardson, sent the following message to our supporters this morning:

Dear Seth,

I have done a lot of campaigning for Bill over the years, but what I saw in southern New Hampshire last week really impressed me.

I went to six events in all kinds of venues. At houses. At schools. Even just on the street.

But at every one of them I saw real passion for Bill's message and for what he can bring our country.

I know it's kind of hackneyed to say it, but it was really heartening.

These were people who are fed up with what's happened over the last seven years, who understand just how much trouble our country is in now, and who know that Bill Richardson is America's best answer to fixing George Bush's mess.

But one volunteer in the crowd said something that really struck me.

She said, "I really agree with him. We all do. But do you really think he can do it?"

And I told her, "Of course I do. I've known this man for 35 years and he has literally done everything he has seriously set out to do. And he has set out to do some pretty incredible things!"

And she said, "Good. That's all I needed to know. I'm going back to work."

She went back and joined up with some other volunteers who were heading out to set up the next event. And a few minutes later, I was right behind them.

So I'll tell you the same thing. I'm sure you've read the polls that say the race is getting closer and Bill's poll numbers are moving up quickly.

But that's not what makes me believe. I believe because I believe in Bill. And because I believe America really wants to get it right this time.

I know you feel the same way that young woman does. Help her and all of the other volunteers get Bill's message out over the next few weeks. And watch him do what he set out to do!

It makes me glad to know that you and so many other people believe in Bill and are committed to seeing him through this campaign. I hope one day to meet you and to thank you personally at the inaugural.

Until then, our heartfelt thanks!

Always,

Barbara

The Governor Talks Education in New Iowa TV Ad

Joaquin H. Guerra — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 10:45:53 MST

Today we released a new highlighting the Governor's commitment to our children's education.The Governor has made education a central part of his Presidential campaign by proposing a $60 billion plan that includes universal pre-kindergarten, 100,000 new math and science teachers, 250 new math and science academies, and a national service program to help pay for college.

Check out our new ad:

Open Thread: 38 Days 'till the Iowa Primary

Joaquin H. Guerra — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 18:08:52 MST

If you missed the Governor yesterday on This Week, you're in luck. Check it out and tell us what you think!