The endorsement of recent POTUS dropout and wildly-popular governor of New Mexico Bill Richardson has been sought with increasing frenzy of late. Both Clintons are said to have called him, and Ted Kennedy, who will be stumping on Richardson's turf this week, has reportedly made his own pitch for Obama.
Richardson obviously has personal reasons to hold Clintons in affection--he worked in Bill's cabinet, for one--but it seems there is an equally personal motivation to join Obama's team. From the horse's mouth:
I had just been asked a question -- I don't remember which one -- and Obama was sitting right next to me. Then the moderator went across the room, I think to Chris Dodd, so I thought I was home free for a while. I wasn't going to listen to the next question. I was about to say something to Obama when the moderator turned to me and said, 'So, Gov. Richardson, what do you think of that?' But I wasn't paying any attention! I was about to say, 'Could you repeat the question? I wasn't listening.' But I wasn't about to say I wasn't listening. I looked at Obama. I was just horrified. And Obama whispered, 'Katrina. Katrina.' The question was on Katrina! So I said, 'On Katrina, my policy . . .' Obama could have just thrown me under the bus. So I said, 'Obama, that was good of you to do that.'
Regardless of Richardson's eventual pick, I find this really endearing.
--Dayo Olopade
Update: To clarify, it is Richardson's aw-shucks bumbling (see New Hampshire debate, various foot-in-mouth moments in 2007) I find endearing--though as a POTUS candidate it was somewhat alarming to watch.