This article has been updated.
Gov. Bill Richardson may not have been on stage with President Barack Obama today in Rio Rancho, but he rode in Obama’s motorcade to and from the event (though not in Obama’s vehicle), a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed.
And Richardson was among a handful of state political leaders who met with Obama before the town-hall meeting at Rio Rancho High School.
“The governor met with President Obama backstage before the event in Rio Rancho,” Richardson Communications Director Pahl Shipley said. “The meeting was cordial and productive. They talked the stimulus, the New Mexico economy, North Korea and the border. The governor also reiterated the point he made in a letter to DOE Secretary Chu last week that the guidelines for the green grid grants in the recovery act are too restrictive.”
“The governor also appreciated the president’s warm words during the event,” Shipley said.
At the event, Obama called Richardson “a great friend, one of the finest governors in the country.”