Bill Richardson: Skilled Diplomat

Bill Richardson may still be in the mix for the 2008 presidential race. Even if his numbers are not good, I hope he runs. A presidential race isn't just about who has the most chance of winning, it's also about ideas and dialogue. Richardson has all kinds of knowledge and experience Americans need to hear about, including the journalists who follow the candidates. If a Democrat wins in 2008, Richardson would be a good man to hire somewhere in the foreign policy area, perhaps as Secretary of State, though Joe Biden should be considered too (Republicans consultants and pundits like to nag Democrats about measuring the drapes, as they put it, but part of the fiasco of the last six years is the unwillingness of Republican leaders to think far beyond the end of their noses; why, for example, have they ignored their own Richard Lugar, who has considerable foreign policy knowledge?).

Here's the latest on Bill Richardson from an AP story in the International Herald Tribune:

Heading on a diplomatic mission to Sudan, Gov. Bill Richardson said Saturday he hopes to persuade the country's president to accept more U.N. peacekeepers in war-ravaged Darfur, a goal that has eluded world leaders.

The New Mexico Democrat, a potential 2008 presidential candidate, said in an Associated Press interview that he does not expect to settle President Omar al-Bashir's dispute with the U.N. over troop levels during the trip beginning this weekend.

He planned to meet with rebel leaders in Darfur on Tuesday and al-Bashir in Khartoum, the capital, on Monday. Sudan's state news agency confirmed Saturday that Richardson would meet the president; several Western officials were unable to get a meeting with the Sudanese leader during their recent visits.

Richardson, who was U.N. ambassador under President Bill Clinton, said he has three goals for his visit to the African nation: increasing the U.N. force in Darfur, improving the humanitarian situation and helping encourage a cease-fire.

It's good to see Richardson still using his foreign policy skills. Let's wish him some luck on his mission.