There’s a triple play of bad news for Gov. Bill Richardson’s presidential campaign today.
Wyoming Republicans have decided to hold their presidential nominating contest on Jan. 5, the Associated Press is reporting. While recent shifts in the calendar have left open the possibility that no contests would be held in December, the decision by the state’s GOP, unless it’s reversed, all but ensures a December contest in Iowa.
In addition, the nation’s firefighters union has given its endorsement to Chris Dodd, whose previously non-presidential campaign now has the potential to compete with or move ahead of that of Richardson.
To top it all off, an Associated Press article that details the governor’s presidential campaign contributions from corporate executives who are seeking state contracts is gaining national attention.
Wyoming further skews primary calendar
On its surface, having an early presidential nominating contest in another Western state might seem like a benefit to the governor’s campaign, were Wyoming Democrats to follow the lead of the state’s GOP, which has not happened, at least yet. The problem is that the move by the Wyoming GOP forces other contests to move up, and likely moves Iowa’s contests for Democrats and Republicans into December. Richardson is climbing in the polls, but not likely fast enough to be poised for victory in less than four months.
It could get worse. More states are expected to move up their contests. As it stands now, Iowa’s caucuses are scheduled for Jan. 14 and Michigan’s contest is tentatively set for Jan. 15. Nevada’s is set for Jan. 19, the same day that South Carolina Republicans are scheduled to vote. New Hampshire’s primary is scheduled for Jan. 22, and Florida’s contest and that of South Carolina Democrats are scheduled for Jan. 29.
A host of other states hold their contests on Feb. 5.
But state laws will force New Hampshire and Iowa to move their contests up. The final calendar is impossible to predict until the dust settles. Both parties have tried in vain to stop states other than Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina from moving contests into January.
It’s important to remember that Richardson helped start this domino effect. He was among the leaders of the group that pushed for Nevada and South Carolina contests in January to have early primaries that more accurately reflected the nation’s diversity. If those states could step on the toes of Iowa and New Hampshire, other states figure they can too.
Dodd gains huge endorsement
Until Tuesday, Dodd’s campaign was a non-starter. Then he was endorsed by the International Association of Firefighters, whose endorsement of John Kerry in 2004 gave momentum to a struggling campaign that later won the Democratic nomination.
The endorsement was a surprise. Dodd was fighting with Joe Biden for sixth place out of eight candidates in national polls, but he’s now touring Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada with officials from the firefighters’ union to promote the endorsement.
News of the endorsement and the three-state tour is making the rounds today.
The union represents 281,000 firefighters and emergency medical personnel in the United States and Canada, the Associated Press reported. It gave $2.1 million in political contributions in 2006.
Dodd should quickly gain ground in polls. It will be interesting to see in the coming weeks how his newfound support stacks up against that of Richardson. It will be difficult enough for a fourth candidate can catch the Big Three in the Democratic primary without two fighting for the right to be that fourth candidate.
Richardson’s donors draw attention
While Richardson didn’t get the endorsement of the firefighters, donations from some backers who want state contracts are getting national attention.
The Associated Press article, making the rounds today on some national news sites, discusses the money given to Richardson by Santa Fe developer Gerald Peters, who is in negotiations with the Department of Transportation to build its new headquarters in Santa Fe.
Peters and his wife each gave $2,300 to Richardson’s presidential campaign in late June, and Peters hosted a fundraiser for the governor last week at his Wyoming home, the article points out. The campaign paid for Richardson and Peters to fly to Wyoming, a spokesman told the news service.
But Richardson has flown on a jet owned by Peters for six presidential campaign trips this year, the news service reported. The campaign reimbursed Peters for the travel – at the rate of first-class airfare, not at the actual cost.
That’s allowed by federal rules, but compared with Barack Obama’s decision to not fly on corporate jets at all, it makes Richardson look like a Washington insider at a time when the public doesn’t like just about anything about Washington.
The article also reports that Richardson used a plane owned by the company that operates the state’s commuter rail – a pet project of the governor – for one campaign trip. That travel was also reimbursed at the rate of a first-class ticket.
Executives from the company also gave Richardson $13,800 for his presidential campaign in March and April – weeks before a competitive bidding process began for a contractor to design and build an extension to the train system, taking it from Bernalillo to Santa Fe.
Earlier this month that corporation, Herzog Companies, won the contract, worth $117 million.
The company also gave $25,000 to Richardson’s gubernatorial campaign in late December to help pay for his inauguration celebration.
Richardson’s campaign spokesman, Pahl Shipley, gave a quote to the news service that is familiar to New Mexicans – “Contributions or support of any kind have no effect on decisions made by state agencies or the governor’s office.” It’s the same, tired quote the governor’s office spokesman, Gilbert Gallegos, gave to the Santa Fe New Mexican for an article published today about the DOT situation: “Anyone who knows the governor realizes he makes decisions based on what’s best for the state of New Mexico.”
Of course we do.
The reality is that New Mexicans are numb to such quotes because examples of Richardson campaign contributors getting state contracts or other benefits are plentiful, but voters in other states may today be discovering this side of the governor for the first time.
Voters in states with better ethical track records might be less tolerant than New Mexicans of the governor’s mixing of government and political business.
There’s a triple play of bad news for Gov. Bill Richardson’s presidential campaign today.