{"id":1291,"date":"2007-02-21T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2007-02-21T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/2007\/02\/richardson-other-2008-hopefuls-square-off\/"},"modified":"2007-02-21T14:00:00","modified_gmt":"2007-02-21T20:00:00","slug":"richardson-other-2008-hopefuls-square-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2007\/02\/richardson-other-2008-hopefuls-square-off\/","title":{"rendered":"Richardson, other 2008 hopefuls square off"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Gov. Bill Richardson is about to take part in a 2008 presidential forum with most of the other democratic hopefuls in Carson City<\/st1:city>, Nev.<\/st1:state><\/st1:place> I\u2019ll have updates every few minutes in this article, with each new update appearing at the end of the article. Check back often, or come back later for complete coverage of the forum. <\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

You can watch the forum live by clicking here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

Chris Dodd<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Update, 1:25 p.m.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

In the first-in-the-nation 2008 presidential candidate forum, Sen. Chris Dodd<\/a> got the first chance to address about 1,000 people in Nevada<\/st1:place><\/st1:state> and more on national television. He said there is a \u201csense of urgency in our country that we all feel\u201d and \u201cissues that we all need to address.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cI believe it\u2019s going to take a sense of optimism,\u201d he said. \u201c\u2026 We\u2019ve got to come together as a party first, and then as a nation. I believe that takes optimism, confidence\u201d and \u201cproven leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Dodd then spoke of his experience as a senator, and took a shot at President Bush.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been through six years of on-the-job training. That has to stop in America<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

In response to a question asked by moderator George Stephanopoulos<\/a>, an ABC News journalist, Dodd said tax cuts for the rich must be repealed, the war in Iraq<\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place> must end, and tax cuts should be offered to the middle class.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Dodd, who voted to authorize the war in Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> in 2002, said it was a mistake.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a mistake, in my view,\u201d Dodd said in explaining that he isn\u2019t afraid to admit mistakes.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

He called for the redeployment or forces from Baghdad<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> \u201cimmediately.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI want to see the Congress have real debates, with real resolutions, with real accountability,\u201d he said. \u201c\u2026 Young men and women are losing their lives in Iraq<\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place>. They deserve better than we\u2019re giving them.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Dodd\u2019s answers elicited a number of rounds of applause, cheers and laughter as he engaged the enthusiastic crowd.<\/p>\n

\n

Hillary Clinton<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Update, 1:40 p.m.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Sen. Hillary Clinton<\/a> was next, and announced that today is the \u201cfirst day of my presidential campaign in this state.\u201d She said she is looking forward to getting to know the people of Nevada<\/st1:place><\/st1:state>.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Clinton<\/st1:city> said she already knows about one topic that matters to people in Nevada<\/st1:place><\/st1:state>: the right to unionize. That elicited cheers from the group.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m in it to be the best president that we can have for the working families of America<\/st1:country-region>,\u201d Clinton<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> said, touting her credentials in health care and education.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

She called for an increase in the minimum wage, keeping social security public and standing \u201cagainst the privatization of our government.\u201d The Bush Administration has cut drastically the federal workforce and replaced workers with contractors, and Clinton<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> said she would reverse that trend.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I want to do with all of you is renew the promise of America<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>,\u201d she said, calling for universal health care and increased use of renewable energy.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Clinton<\/st1:city>, like Dodd, voted to authorize the war in Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>, but has refused pressure to say her vote was a mistake.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cMy vote was a sincere vote based on the facts and assurances that I had at the time,\u201d Clinton<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> said. \u201c\u2026 I think the most important thing now is to focus on what we have to do together, particularly as Democrats, to try to force this president to change directions.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

She said the United States<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> must force Iraqis to take responsibility for their government and said she supports cutting funding for Iraqi troops to force that to happen. She called for an international conference on peace in Iraq<\/st1:country-region> and the withdrawal of U.S.<\/st1:country-region> troops from Iraq<\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place>.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Pointing out that the United States<\/st1:country-region> spends more on health care than most nations, Clinton<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> said the nation must find a way to transition to universal health care without the costs rising. She said she will propose a specific plan, but didn\u2019t go into details. She said she wants universal health care in place by the end of her second term.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Clinton<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> called for Democrats to stay positive during their campaigns against each other for the nomination.<\/p>\n

\n

Tom Vilsack<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Update, 1:50 p.m.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack<\/a> told a story about a 5-year-old boy in Seattle<\/st1:city> who asked him if more troops would make a difference in Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>. Vilsack said he told the boy more troops would not help, and the boy said to him, \u201cI\u2019m frightened every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cLadies and gentlemen, I\u2019m here today because that\u2019s not my America<\/st1:country-region> and that\u2019s not your America<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>,\u201d he said. \u201c\u2026 This war needs to be ended now.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Vilsack said that could happen if Congress asserted its authority and ended funding for the war.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a political solution that is required,\u201d he said. \u201c\u2026 As long as we are in the middle of this, that political solution is being sidestepped.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

The war, Vilsack said, has also \u201cundermined\u201d the National Guard and the nation\u2019s ability to respond to natural disasters and other problems. And, he said, if more troops are needed anywhere, it\u2019s in Afghanistan<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s find Bin Laden, let\u2019s hold those who hurt us responsible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Vilsack also called for a focus on public infrastructure that will provide jobs for Americans.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

On the topic of health care, Vilsack said he agrees that the United States<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> needs universal health coverage, but said the problem needs a more widespread focus on \u201cwellness.\u201d He said that would include education of parents and a focus on health in schools.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cThere are ways to do this without necessarily raising the tax burden on folks,\u201d Vilsack said, calling for \u201cinnovative and creative\u201d ways to \u201clook inside the budget\u201d and find areas, including defense, where \u201cbillions of dollars can be saved.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe we could make health care the priority, and not the war in Iraq<\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place>,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Vilsack also called for an overhaul of social security and Medicare and Medicaid.<\/p>\n

\n

John Edwards<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Update, 2 p.m.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Former Sen. John Edwards<\/a> was welcomed by a loud round of applause. He spoke of his work to raise the minimum wage in Nevada<\/st1:state>, which gives him personal experience with and the approval of unions in Nevada<\/st1:place><\/st1:state>. That\u2019s a large part of why he\u2019s considered the frontrunner in that state.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Edwards said the most important \u201canti-poverty movement\u201d in America<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> is the union movement, and called for making it easier for Americans to join unions.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s nothing but democracy. It\u2019s what we believe in,\u201d Edwards said. \u201c\u2026 We need to grow and strengthen the middle class in America<\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Edwards said Americans \u201ccannot stand silent\u201d in the face of a health care crisis, and said he is the first candidate to propose a \u201cdetailed, substantive\u201d plan for implementing universal health care. Taking an apparent shot at Clinton<\/st1:place><\/st1:city>, he said such coverage can\u2019t wait 6-8 years, and said he\u2019ll start working on it as soon as he takes office.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

He also said the plan won\u2019t be cheap. He said he\u2019ll have to roll back a Bush tax cut for the wealthy to pay for it.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

On Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>, Edwards said \u201cit is not enough to debate, give speeches and pass non-binding resolutions,\u201d and called on Congress \u201cto stand up\u201d to Bush.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is about men and women who are losing their lives in Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>,\u201d Edwards said. \u201cWe need to leave Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had six years of a president who will take no responsibility for what he\u2019s done,\u201d Edwards said. \u201c\u2026 It\u2019s time for a different kind of leadership in this country. We need a leader who will be open and honest with you and the American people.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cI voted for this war. I was wrong to vote for this war,\u201d Edwards said. \u201cI never should have voted for this war. I take responsibility for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Asked if he was directing his comments at Clinton<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> and her refusal to apologize for her vote, Edwards said that is \u201cbetween her and her conscience.\u201d He said for him, \u201cit was important to stand on a foundation of truth\u201d which included admitting a mistake.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cI did what I thought was the right thing then. It turned out to be wrong,\u201d Edwards said. \u201c\u2026 The most important characteristics we need in a president today are honesty and decency.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\n

Speaking about globalization, Edwards said it\u2019s much more difficult for \u201cworking families to be able to move up and for their children to have a better life.\u201d He said the answer is in better education of Americans and \u201ca trade policy that works.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> is up next.<\/p>\n

\n

Bill Richardson<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Update, 2:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Following a short break, Gov. Bill Richardson<\/a> said he can tell people in four words how to solve the nation\u2019s problems: \u201cElect a democratic president.\u201d It\u2019s a line he has used before, but it was well-received.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

He also called for democratic candidates to sign a pledge that they won\u2019t engage in negative campaigning against each other, which he\u2019s also done before.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> then said he is the candidate who can solve the nation\u2019s problems.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cWe need somebody who can bring this nation together,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s critically important that the next president address the huge problems of the middle class,\u201d he said, then added that he believes he has done that in New Mexico<\/st1:place><\/st1:state>.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cGovernors actually do things,\u201d Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> said to a laughing audience. He spoke of creating jobs in New Mexico<\/st1:place><\/st1:state>, reinstating collective bargaining and providing good health benefits.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of candidates and a lot of people talk about these things. I\u2019ve done it,\u201d Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

He called getting out of Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> \u201ccritical.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Congress authorized this war. Now they should de-authorize it,\u201d Richardson<\/st1:city><\/st1:place> said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

He said the next president must fight global warming and make the United States<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> energy independent, using his now-familiar \u201cman-on-the-moon effort\u201d phrase to describe how he would do that.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to have to have a president that can make this happen,\u201d Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

He also called for universal health care and better education, and pledged to support unions.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

A supporter of Barack Obama, the sole Democratic candidate who did not attend the forum, attacked Clinton<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> earlier this week. Edwards refused to call on Obama to denounce the attack, but Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city>, in response to a question, said Obama should.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cI think these name-callings are not good,\u201d Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> said. \u201c\u2026 We don\u2019t need that.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> said he would not raise taxes to pay for universal health care. He said he believes in universal coverage, but would focus on \u201cpreventative\u201d health care as a way to lower costs. He said a focus on states and companies solving the health care problem is the best approach.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> called for a plan that ensures that all children under age five and working Americans are insured.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think the solution of the Democratic Party should always be to spend more and tax more,\u201d Richardson<\/st1:city><\/st1:place> said, adding that \u201cif we give flexibility to the states, we can have universal health care.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

He closed by touting his prior experience and speaking with knowledge about global problems.<\/p>\n

\n

Joe Biden<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Update, 2:45 p.m.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Sen. Joe Biden<\/a> said he\u2019ll be the first \u201cto sign on to Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city>\u2019s pledge\u201d to not be negative. He said he has a detailed plan to get out of Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>, and called on people to visit his Web site to read about it.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

In short, he said, \u201cyou\u2019ve got to decentralize Iraq<\/st1:country-region>,\u201d give Sunnis \u201ca piece of their oil\u201d and involve the world in bringing peace to Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cIf we don\u2019t get it right, we are going to be shackled, financially and in every other way, for a long time to come,\u201d Biden said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Biden has said his vote to authorize the Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> war was a mistake.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cI vastly underestimated the incompetence of this administration,\u201d Biden said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

He said the Bush Administration acted responsibly in Afghanistan<\/st1:country-region>, and he assumed Bush would do the same in Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>, but that was not the case.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cThat was a giant mistake I made, assuming their competence,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Biden said getting out of Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> is the critical first step to solving all other problems. If the United States<\/st1:country-region> doesn\u2019t fix this \u201cmess,\u201d war will spread across the Middle East<\/st1:place>, he said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Biden said he is the only candidate to offer \u201ca specific political solution for Iraq<\/st1:country-region>,\u201d and said it involves the cooperation of all world leaders to pressure Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> to build a \u201cdecentralized, federal state.\u201d He said Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> is currently moving toward a more centralized federal government, and it won\u2019t work.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

He said Iraqis don\u2019t have the \u201cconfidence\u201d they need to stop violence on their own, and said the solution isn\u2019t as simple as Americans pulling out of Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>. He said if the United States<\/st1:country-region> pulls out and does nothing else to help bring peace, disaster will strike when other, dangerous nations or groups enter Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> and spread chaos.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Biden wants to revoke Bush\u2019s authority to go to war in Iraq<\/st1:country-region> and force Bush to use American troops to keep others out of Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> so Iraqis can be left alone to resolve differences and build a federal system.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

He said that\u2019s all American troops should do, saying it would \u201cgive the parties the breathing room\u201d they need to find peace.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cI am betting my career on it,\u201d Biden said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

On education, Biden said the No Child Left Behind Act is underfunded. He said more money must be directed to having smaller classrooms and higher teacher pay.<\/p>\n

\n

Dennis Kucinich<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Update, 2:55 p.m.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Rep. Dennis Kucinich<\/a> said it \u201cmust be tough\u201d for presidential candidates to \u201cclaim that they were tricked, deceived, misled by George Bush.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, here\u2019s one person who wasn\u2019t,\u201d he said to laughter from the audience. It was the first of many shots he took at the other democratic contenders.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Kucinich went on to describe Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> as a disaster. People who want to be president must have the clarity to see such disasters coming, he said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cEverything I saw was that there was no proof that Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> had anything to do with 9\/11, or had weapons of mass destruction,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Kucinich said he has had a plan for several years that would solve the problems in Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>. Congress must cut funding and \u201cwe must end the occupation,\u201d he said. Then, Kucinich said, a United Nations peacekeeping force must be sent in to take its place.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

At the same time, there must be \u201ca program for reconciliation\u201d between ethnic groups, and the removal of American corporations that are contributing to the violence.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a moral obligation,\u201d Kucinich said. \u201c\u2026 We have to stop trying to steal the oil that belongs to the people of Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cIf Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> had not had oil, it\u2019s highly unlikely that we would have gone in there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

He also called for some sort of reparations from the American government and a reconciliation process between Iraqis and Americans.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cI was right from the beginning on this, and if people want real leadership, I\u2019m ready,\u201d Kucinich said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

On health care, Kucinich also supports universal health care. He has proposed in the past \u201cMedicare for all\u201d that doesn\u2019t \u201cprovide for a role for for-profit insurance companies,\u201d which is what Kucinich said separates him from the other democratic candidates.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cOur party\u2019s been the party of the insurance people when it\u2019s come to health care,\u201d Kucinich said, pledging that would end if he were elected president.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

He also called for federal agencies to focus more on workers\u2019 rights, saying government hasn\u2019t done enough to enforce its laws.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

And he criticized the North American Free Trade Agreement \u2013 in which Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> played a role \u2013 and American\u2019s trade agreements in general, saying they don\u2019t do enough to protect workers.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

NAFTA \u201creally undermined workers everywhere,\u201d he said, adding that he would begin the process of cancelling it his first week in office.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

American trade, he said, would then be based on guarantees of workers\u2019 rights.<\/p>\n

\n

Mike Gravel<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Update, 3:10 p.m.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Former Sen. Mike Gravel<\/a> said he is not convinced that democrats can capture the presidency in 2008, because it\u2019s contingent on whether Americans demand accountability on Iraq<\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place>. He pointed out that \u201ctens of millions\u201d of Americans didn\u2019t think the United States<\/st1:country-region> should invade Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>, but Congress allowed it anyway.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

He was highly critical of Congress, and said it should rescind its approval of the war, which he said would set up a \u201cconstitutional crisis\u201d and start a fight with the Bush Administration.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Gravel predicted that such action would end the war within six months.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Gravel has been out of elected office for more than 20 years. When asked why people should vote for him, he said he is \u201cnot politics as usual\u201d and said he has a long record of working for people. Meanwhile, he said, the other candidates allowed themselves to be misled into a war in Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

If he\u2019s not selected, Gravel said, Vilsack is his favorite choice and Richardson<\/st1:city><\/st1:place> is his second, because they have \u201cexecutive experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Gravel was highly critical of Congress and the direction it and the Bush Administration are taking the nation.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re too busy carrying the yoke of the industrial-military complex. That\u2019s what\u2019s going on,\u201d he said. \u201cWe Americans have been drugged with fear for more than 50 years, and it\u2019s got to stop.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Gravel also called for an end to the personal income tax system. He said it should be replaced with a higher sales tax.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever you spend \u2013 if you spend more you pay more tax,\u201d Gravel said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

He said 30,000 lobbyists in Washington<\/st1:place><\/st1:state> milk the income tax to benefit the rich, and said they would not be able to do that under his simpler plan.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Gravel also called for a new public financing system for elections.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nobody running in this race that\u2019s got less money than I have,\u201d he said. \u201cMake no mistake about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Gravel said he is running primarily to empower the people, regardless of whether he wins.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople who acquire power do not want to share it with the people they got it from, and that\u2019s you,\u201d Gravel said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

That was the end of the forum \u2013 the first of the 2008 election season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gov. Bill Richardson is about to take part in a 2008 presidential forum with most of the other democratic hopefuls in Carson City, Nev. I\u2019ll have updates every few minutes in this article, with each new update appearing at the end of the article. Check back often, or come back later for complete coverage of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1291","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1291"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1291\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}