Bill Richardson 2008 - Job Interview Background Documents

“JOB INTERVIEW” RICHARDSON FOR PRESIDENT SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS ATTACHMENT 1:

Richardson touts unique qualifications NEDRA PICKLER Associated Press February 3, 2007

KHARTOUM, Sudan - It's been said that Bill Richardson would negotiate with the devil. And by some definitions, he has - several times. New Mexico's Democratic governor has bartered with some of the most notorious rulers of modern times: Iraq's Saddam Hussein, Yugoslavia's Slobodan Milosevic, Cuba's Fidel Castro, Kenya's Daniel Arap Moi, Zaire's Mobutu Sese Seko, Nigeria's Sani Abacha and most recently, Sudan's Omar al-Bashir. Richardson has compared himself to Red Adair, renowned for his ability to put out erupting oil well fires. He has done this work on his own ambition as an influential U.S. citizen, but usually without an official imprimatur from the government. Now he is trying to use his freelance diplomacy, combined with his state executive experience, to show he has unique qualifications in his run for the presidency. Richardson has more international experience than just about anyone else in the 2008 field. The 59-year-old was ambassador to the United Nations in the Clinton administration, served on the intelligence committee during his 14 years in the House and has done international work from his perch as a small-state governor.

Richardson's most recent trip came last month at the request of the Save Darfur Coalition, which sent him to Sudan to try to help bring an end to the four-year-old war. The governor was persistent, straightforward, friendly and above all relentless in his determination to emerge promoting progress. "I have good news," Richardson told al-Bashir after four days of back-to-back meetings with all sides in the conflict, including two rare hourlong sessions with the elusive president. "We are going to leave today." Al-Bashir, who has ruled during the ethnic persecution in Darfur that has killed more than 200,000 people, laughed. "With all that, we expect you to be the president of the United States!" he said in English, after speaking Arabic for the earlier discussions. The exchange was classic Richardson. The gregarious governor tries to put the people he meets at ease with jokes, gestures and occasionally overeager touching. "I'm not one for tight bows or formal handshakes when a bear hug or a gentle fist on the shoulder is an available option," Richardson wrote in his autobiography, "Between Worlds." His approach worked once with Saddam, after a bad start. Richardson had gone to Baghdad in 1995 at the request of the Iraqis to negotiate with Saddam for the release of two U.S. oil mechanics who had wandered over the border with Kuwait. Richardson has an impressive track record in convincing dictators that they should free U.S. prisoners from countries as isolated as North Korea, Cuba and Sudan. The meeting with Saddam started out tensely. Richardson unknowingly committed the slight of crossing his legs and leaving the bottom of his shoe facing the Iraqi leader. Saddam stormed out of the room. An interpreter explained to a surprised Richardson that he must apologize for the insult. After Saddam agreed to return, Richardson decided not to apologize but to continue making his case with respect and his feet firmly planted on the floor. Saddam authorized the mechanics' release after an hour of discussion. Richardson said he instinctively reached out in a gesture of thanks and put his hand on Saddam's arm. The curtains around the room suddenly parted and out came armed soldiers who had been hiding in case Richardson harmed their leader, the governor remembered recently with amusement. Richardson can be prickly and demanding of his staff. But he also likes to lighten the mood by having fun with people's names and their backgrounds.

He first introduced himself to longtime international adviser Calvin Humphrey, a black face in a sea of white congressional aides, by asking him in mock seriousness, "Are you a soul brother?" Richardson bonded with Castro over their shared love of baseball and with Iraq's thenDeputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz over their shared Catholic faith and penchant for cigars. As U.N. ambassador, Richardson took his colleagues from around the world to a game between the New York Yankees and Mets. Richardson emerged from his diplomatic meetings with clear impressions. He has written: _Castro had horrible dandruff, but was humorous, personable and extremely wellinformed about U.S. politics and geopolitical issues. _Mobutu was dignified and regal despite overseeing vast corruption. His successor, Laurent Kabila was street-smart and had no scruples. _Saddam had a twitch on the right side of his face and made Richardson sweat by staring him down. Richardson's first visit to Sudan was in 1996, when he went to free three Red Cross workers held by Marxist rebels. Richardson learned the rebel leader had recently lost a daughter and a son was on his death bed in the rebels' disease-ridden camp. The rebel leader wanted $10 million. Richardson appealed to him by saying he could get him medicine, rice, vehicles and other aid so other children did not have to die. Some criticized Richardson's effort because he violated a cardinal rule of hostage negotiators: never bargain for their release. "If you give them money, that is negotiating with a terrorist," Richardson said in a recent Associated Press interview. "But a couple of Jeeps, a health study, medicine, that's what made it happen. It was a human connection with that rebel. "I don't mind saying I try to psychologically go into their heads and see what's on their mind and what's important to them at the time," he said. "I do study my subject pretty intensely." Richardson's freelance diplomacy has gotten mixed reaction from the White House over the years. President Clinton gave his private blessing to the Iraq trip, whispered to Richardson as the two were watching the premiere of the Spanish-language movie "Mi Familia."

David Goldwin, who worked in the Clinton State Department and later became Richardson's national security aide at the U.N., said the administration also was appreciative that Richardson negotiated for the release of two downed Army helicopter pilots in December 1994 in North Korea. "They had no real diplomatic access in North Korea," Goldwin said. "He had good access first person. ... He's delivered them bad news every time he's dealt with them. But they feel listed to and respected by him and so they are willing to take that message." James Dobbins, who worked for President Bush and his father as well as in the Clinton administration, said he does not recall anyone at the White House complaining about Richardson acting as a free agent. "He was by and large taking missions that the president was happy to have him take," Dobbins said. "There have been many occasions where congressmen have been encouraged to go places where we have a difficult relationship or no relationship at all to see what develops." Richardson writes in his book that Clinton administration officials urged him not to travel to Haiti to negotiate a peaceful transfer of power in July 1994, as Clinton was threatening military action. Richardson went anyway, although it was Clinton's approach that eventually forced the military rulers to step down. Upon his confirmation as Clinton's nominee for U.N. ambassador, Richardson wrote that incoming Secretary of State Madeleine Albright ordered him to stop all independent diplomacy and warned him that others had been fired for trying to negotiate side deals. Interest in different cultures is rooted in Richardson's childhood. He is the son of an American businessman father and a Mexican mother. He grew up in Mexico City and is fluent in Spanish. His father sent him to high school in the United States and Richardson has said he often felt trapped between two worlds. Michael Dukakis, the former Massachusetts governor who was the 1988 Democratic nominee for president, said Richardson's combination of foreign policy and executive experience should be an asset in the 2008 race. Governors often make stronger presidential candidates but can suffer from criticism that they are light on foreign affairs. "Bill's foreign policy experience is a big plus for him," Dukakis said. "He has a lot more than most of us who began in state politics and came up through the ranks and became governors. ... And I think foreign policy is going to be a big issue in this campaign,

especially in the Democratic primary." Bill Weld, a Republican who was Massachusetts governor, was three years ahead of Richardson at the Middlesex School, a boarding school in Concord, Mass. Weld said Richardson does not need to prove himself like other governors who get most of their international experience through trade missions. Richardson's experience in single-handedly brokering high-profile diplomatic deals and his time in the statehouse "is a very attractive combination," Weld said. That is not to say all of Richardson's travels are successful. Richardson was not able to achieve one his top goals on the trip to Sudan - persuading al-Bashir to allow U.N. peacekeepers in Darfur. But he persuaded al-Bashir to agree to a 60-day cease-fire with rebel armies while peace talks could be arranged. It didn't hold

ATTACHMENT 2: SUMMARY OF BILL RICHARDSON’S NOMINATIONS FOR THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001 1995 Nomination: Nominators: • Professor Henry Mark Holzer – Brooklyn Law School Professor Miguel A. Mendez – Stanford Law School Dr. Robert McGeagh – Professor, Northern New Mexico Community College The Honorable Ed Pastor – Member, United States Congress The Honorable Esteban Torres – Member, United States Congress The Honorable Raul Yzaguirre – former Fellow, JFK School of Government, Harvard University • Nomination Letter Date: January 31, 1995 • Sent From: c/o 810 First Street NE Third Floor Washington, DC 20002 Reason for Nomination: Nominators give historical information detailing the Nobel Peace Prize and the cultural and political history of the Southwest. They nominate Richardson as an international and Hispanic leader because he “embodies the characteristics of both an idealist and a pragmatist… Richardson not only articulates his vision, he helps make it happen.” This includes biographical information as well as a summary of: o Domestic Achievements o The Hispanic Civil Rights Movement o Rights of Native Americans o Immigration o Foreign Affairs Achievements o North American Free Trade Agreement o US-Mexico Relations o Accomplishments in Foreign Diplomacy

Conclusion to Nomination States: “Few individuals in the world embody the personal characteristics, or have the record of achievement, deserving consideration of a Noble Peace Prize. Bill Richardson is one such

individual … For Bill Richardson whose commitment to human rights stems not from abstract academic concepts of justice but from his own personal experience, the causes of domestic civil rights and international human rights are one and the same… For Bill Richardson who understands that rights without jobs are meaningless, or that economic growth which benefits only a small portion of society is untenable, the linkage of human rights and economic growth is axiomatic… For Bill Richardson, his intuitive commitment to the rights of the disadvantaged is easily and naturally harmonized with his skill in assessing what is possible.” The nominators also attach a Press Release from the National Council of La Raza declaring the nomination that was released August 14, 1995.

1997 Nomination: Nominators: • The Honorable Xavier Becerra—Member, United States Congress Professor Henry Mark Holzer—Brooklyn Law School Professor Miguel A. Méndez—Stanford Law School The Honorable Ed Pastor—Member, United States Congress The Honorable Esteban Torres—Member, United States Congress The Honorable Raul Yzaguirre—former Fellow, JFK School of Government, Harvard University • Nomination Letter Date: N/A • Sent From: N/A Reason for Nomination: • Nominators give a brief introduction, quoting the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Dr. upon his own receipt of the Peace Prize: “The choice today is not between violence and nonviolence. It is either non-violence or non-existence.” • They then state that Richardson is a leader in this vein, “a man of action in the struggle for peace… [who] dares enter into dangerous situations where few others will tread, unafraid to risk his life or career in order that another might be spared.” • A one-page biography follows, detailing Richardson’s childhood, education, work as a House staffer and at the State Department, and finally his political career. • It concludes by citing his bi-cultural heritage as having “given him a unique perspective from which to deal with world situations.” • The Nomination then reviews several “thematic interests” of Richardson that serves as the reasons for his nomination. They include: o Promoting Democracy: esp. in Myanmar, Guatemala, and Nicaragua o Human Rights: esp. in Myanmar, Cuba, and Tibet o Intl. Hostage Rescue: esp. in N. Korea, Cuba, Iraq, Sudan, & Bangladesh o Peace Mediation: esp. in Haiti, Serbia, the Koreas, Kashmir, etc o Refugee Affairs/Intl. Human Relief: esp. in Sudan and Myanmar o Protecting the Rights & Cultures of Indigenous Peoples o Hispanic Civil Rights o Immigration Reform o Environmental Protection o Intl. Justice: discovering the fate of MIAs from Vietnam and N. Korea. o Intl. Frameworks for Cooperation: NAFTA & Framework with N. Korea • The Nomination that praises Richardson’s interactions with specific countries. o Mexico o Sudan o Former Yugoslavia/Kosovo o North Korea o Myanmar o Nigeria o Cuba

2000 Nomination: Nominators: • The Honorable Joe Baca—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Xavier Becerra—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Peter Deutsch—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Norm Dicks—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Eliot Engel—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Bob Filner—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Charles A. Gonzales—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Bart Gordon—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Ruben Hinojosa—Member, United States Congress • Professor Emeritus Mark Holzer—Brooklyn Law School • Professor Robert McGeagh—College of Santa Fe • Professor Miguel A. Mendez—Stanford Law School • The Honorable Jim Moran—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Grace Napolitano—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Solomon P. Ortiz—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Ed Pastor—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Silvestre Reyes—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Lucille Roybal-Allard—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Ciro Rodriguez—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Tom Sawyer—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Jose Serrano— Member, United States Congress • The Honorabloe Peter J. Visclosky—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Raul Yzaguirre—former Fellow, JFK School of Government, Harvard University Reason for Nomination: • Formal DoE bio, followed by 30 pg. bio; Famous People of Hispanic Heritage • Formal nomination: “Today, Bill Richardson is healing the legacy of the Cold War, dismantling the arms that pushed too many nations apart, and returning lands that housed weapons to those to whom it first belonged. His is a selfless, unswerving commitment, and it bodes well for our world’s often opaque-future.” • His achievements while in Congress follow: o Domestic Policy Achievements ƒ Hispanic Civil Rights Movement ƒ Native American Rights and Reparations ƒ Immigration o Foreign Policy Achievements ƒ NAFTA ƒ Foreign Diplomacy, esp. Myanmar, N. Korea, Mexico, Iraq, Kosovo, Nigeria, Cuba, and Sudan • Foreign Policy Achievements while U.S. Ambassador to the U.N: o Zaire/Congo o Afghanistan

o Tajikistan o African Great Lakes Region • Achievements while U.S. Secretary of Energy o Domestic Policy Achievements ƒ Environmental Clean Up ƒ Taking Responsibility for the Health of America’s Workers o Foreign Policy Achievements ƒ Stockpile Stewardship ƒ Arms Control ƒ Nuclear Materials and the Russian Nuclear Complex • The nomination concludes: “Bill Richardson is realizing the kind of humanity that can make a global difference.” • Dozens of pages of press releases follow.

2001 Nomination: Nominators: • The Honorable Joe Baca—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Xavier Becerra—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Eliot Engel—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Bob Filner—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Charles A. Gonzales—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Bart Gordon—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Ruben Hinojosa—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Jim Moran—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Grace Napolitano—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Solomon P. Ortiz—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Ed Pastor—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Silvestre Reyes—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Lucille Roybal-Allard—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Ciro Rodriguez—Member, United States Congress • The Honorable Jose Serrano— Member, United States Congress Reason for Nomination: • Nominators cite nuclear proliferation of WMDs as the world’s greatest threat • Richardson has invested “years fighting to ensure that humanity need not cower in the shadows of a lurking nuclear peril.” • Richardson “stakes his life to ensuring the enduring species of man.” • Short bio, then his achievements while in Congress follow: o Domestic Policy Achievements ƒ Hispanic Civil Rights Movement ƒ Native American Rights and Reparations ƒ Immigration o Foreign Policy Achievements ƒ NAFTA ƒ Foreign Diplomacy, 1994-1996, esp. Myanmar, N. Korea, Mexico, Iraq, Kosovo, Nigeria, Cuba, and Sudan. • Achievements while U.S. Ambassador to the U.N: “It was at the U.N. that Richardson employed his human touch to reinvigorate situations hopelessly mired in conflict.” “It was at the U.N. that Richardson continued to embark on diplomatic barnstorming the likes of which had rarely been seen before.” o Zaire/Congo o Afghanistan o Tajikistan o African Great Lakes Region • Achievements while U.S. Secretary of Energy: o Domestic Policy Achievements ƒ Environmental Clean up and Relations with Native Peoples

ƒ Taking Responsibility for the Health of America’s Workers o Foreign Policy Achievements: ƒ Stockpile Stewardship ƒ Arms Control ƒ Nuclear Materials and the Russian Nuclear Complex ƒ Securing a Safe Post-Soviet Nuclear Legacy Underseas ƒ Securing a Safe Post-Soviet Nuclear Legacy on Land • The nomination closes with ‘Our Judgment:’ “Bill Richardson has shown his fight in the struggle of humanity by shining the beam of reason into those corners of the world darkened by nuclear peril for far too long, helping to ensure that we can live in a world where arms hold us together—they don’t keep us apart.”