The Exchange; Interview with Bill Richardson

From New Hampshire Public Radio I'm Laura. And this is the exchange. In recent weeks. New Mexico governor and Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson has begun to get a little traction in the early nominating states of New Hampshire and Iowa and what seems to be helping him is not his extensive political resume or his experience as a former U.N. secretary and roving international troubleshooter. As impressive as this background might be Richardson's recent outspokenness on Iraq that may be causing voters to take a second look. He's called Congress wimpy on Iraq and says he'd get U.S. troops out much faster and more thoroughly than his chief Democratic rivals. Clinton Obama and Edwards also Richardson's been pumping his energy policy lately as bolder than the others in a new book. This former energy secretary promises to dramatically cut U.S. demand for oil hugely to reduce greenhouse gases believed to cause global warming. Heavily tax companies that emit those gases and create a 10 billion dollar research

fund for new green technologies. Today in exchange Governor Bill Richardson returns to our studios and we'll take your calls and e-mails on a wide array of topics. The exchange phone number 1 800 8 9 2 6 4 7 7 our e-mail exchange at any New York and when you do e-mail please keep it brief. Governor Richardson Welcome back to the state. Good to see you. Nice to be with you Laura. Thank you. Well let's dive right into Iraq first since as I said you've gained some attention for your position the front page of your campaign Web site says all troops out by 2009 some of your Democratic rivals Governor Richardson say hey this is unrealistic. What about American forces protecting the embassy. What about American forces continue to work with Iraqi troops to track down terrorists. How do you respond to that Governor Richardson leaving zero American troops is unrealistic and even risky. Well I say that it's the thinking that has happened in Washington and the Senate that has caused the stalemate in our policy. My view is I know the region.

I was U.N. ambassador. Eighty percent of my time I spent on Iraq. I've traveled the region over the years. My view is that our policy is literally a disaster. And unless we shift dramatically. And the biggest difference I have with all the candidates Obama Clinton Edwards is I would get all of our troops out on all residual forces within one year as safely as possible because I think our troops have become targets. You know when 70 percent of the Iraqi people say it's OK to shoot at an American soldier then you know your policies unsustainable. My last point is that not until we get all the troops out can the real peace and reconciliation begin. So I would tie the withdrawal to a political compromise of the three groups in Iraq the Sunni the Shia the Kurds share oil revenue share power an all Arab peacekeeping force headed by the United Nations a donor conference to rebuild Iraq instead of the five hundred billion that we've put in involving

the European Union rich Arab states and so the biggest difference Laura is I get all our troops out no residual forces. Yes the embassy those are Marine forces that we always leave that. But I believe that our troops have become targets until we get them all out. And Clinton Obama and Edwards want to leave 75000 behind until the year 2013. They've said that in a public debate. I think that policy is irresponsible and unsustainable. Well a couple of follow ups for you. First Governor you said I'd pull the troops out when the Iraqis made met certain conditions like reconciliation between the groups and so forth is that is that what you're saying. No no. I would get them all out regard regardless of what's happening in Iraq regardless of if they're at each other's throat. So well they are at each other right now there's a civilian conflict. There's a there's a civil war going on there's sectarian conflict and and see my my big concern is that the Iraqi government the Maliki government they're not going to start the real reconciliation in Iraq sharing oil revenue

sharing power unless we get out by us staying there. They're not going to change because they're in power. Do you think that. Because I mean what are we doing that prevents them from doing what they're supposed to do which is get together. We don't have leverage over them. The Maliki government I believe is basically inept. They don't want to share power. They don't want to share oil revenues because they're in charge. And when we are serious about leaving Can we bring I believe a Dayton type conference. It would be U.S. leadership. So my plan is and OK we're getting the troops out. Goodbye. It's we have a responsibility and we would put forth like we did in Bosnia a Dayton type accord of the three groups and each group shares political power they share oil revenues possibly a soft partition. We bring in an all-Muslim peacekeeping force headed by the United Nations states like Egypt like Jordan

Saudi Arabia financing a big part of the peacekeeping force also and by Europeans. Our policy today is not working. The surge is not working. And my point is that unless we shift dramatically unless we make these dramatic changes taking our troops out pushing a Bosnian style diplomacy that you're not going to have peace in Iraq. I would invite Iran and Syria and I think that they would want to be part of a process that prevents Iraq from imploding from exploding from having a humanitarian crisis. They don't want these refugees Iran and Syria in their country. I guess what I don't understand Governor Richardson is how does the U.S. leaving push the Iraqis to do this coming together. You know pretty much everybody wants them to do because they have no choice right now. By us being there the Iraqis have no incentive to share power to give up power. And so what I'm saying is that by us leaving I think we

also have the opportunity to invite other actors into the game European countries Arab countries that don't want an Iraqi implosion. Iran and Syria I believe that you persuade Iran and Syria to participate by saying you don't want a humanitarian crisis in your country you don't want thousands of Iraqi refugees streaming into Iran and Syria and Saudi Arabia. But that requires diplomacy it requires us leadership it requires getting all our troops out. I'd put some of our troops in Kuwait a small amount there to deal with international contingencies some more in Afghanistan because they are needed there with the Taliban and al Qaeda getting stronger. One more question on Iraq and what you said. Governor Richardson you said the surge is not working. The New York Times Newsweek other publications said just this week that the weekly number of attacks in Iraq has has fallen. That actually the security situation is getting better. I was looking at the headlines this morning. One of them said Baghdad comes alive.

This is from Newsweek New York Times U.S. attacks in Iraq U.S. says attacks in Iraq fell to the February 2006 level. So some people look at that and say hey surge is working situation's getting better. I disagree. You can't measure. You can't measure the success of a surge in body counts especially I think that one American life is too many to lose. And if you look at this last year this has been the bloodiest year. Maybe there's a temporary lull in violence. But look at the other factors one is there are better political conditions for a compromise. No. Secondly are they dividing oil revenues which is crucial to bringing a unified economic Iraq. No the benchmarks of the I O three out of the 18 were were positive. So 15 were negative. Is there an accounting of the General Accounting Office and that's you know the former head of our Iraqi commander General Sanchez three weeks ago is quoted as saying the surge is a disaster it's not going to work. You know my point here is that there is no military solution. There is room for a

political solution. And what we need is to forge a political solution. And you know having one casualty more I mean Laura you're talking about 38 hundred Americans that have lost their lives. Sixty thousand Americans that are wounded mainly mentally wounded with chronic brain injuries with PTSD post-traumatic stress syndrome. 100000 Iraqis have died. This surge is not working maybe it's a temporary improvement in some security situations. But but this has been the bloodiest year. I don't see how anybody can say this is working. You mentioned the Iraqis who have died. Governor Richardson and there is a concern among Republicans and some Democrats that if the U.S. were to leave Iraq in large numbers and very soon it could lead to genocide in Iraq as the factions fight as the Iraqi army and police are unprepared to protect people. I've got an e-mail from Joe here. He says he supports you. He says I believe you are the candidate with the best qualifications. But he says ending the war in Iraq quickly is an admirable goal but it could

result in the unnecessary massacre of innocent Iraqis for which we would be indirectly responsible. What is your plan for ensuring that Iraqi families are protected as we withdraw. Well first of all Iraq is not exactly helpless. And I appreciate the nice comments of that individual. I hope I don't lose their vote. But you know the reality Larry is is is Iraq has over 400000 security forces. It's not as if they're helpless. They have 150 billion reserves of oil so they have an economic foundation. They've had three elections. So they have some democratic institutions. This idea that they're going to totally fall apart that they're helpless. I don't think is founded. My second point is that I would make the American withdrawal within a year I'd let our military tell us how to do it. I think we are capable of doing it. We've moved 140000 troops in a three month period. You do it through Kuwait. You do it through other roads into Turkey. I've got a logistical plan that some military people

told me will work. We also I believe you get all of the American military contractors the mercenaries that are there. That's not working. But what you're still going to leave behind is 100000 Iraqi contractors. I mean I suspect if they're doing security they can still continue to do that. Are they capable of it though you read all the time that the security forces are infiltrated by this militia or that militia with this vendetta and that vendetta you read about the Iraqi contractors who you know just don't really seem capable of doing the job that they're set out to do. Well you know Larry it's reached the point where we've put in 500 billion dollars that should be going into health care and education in this country and see getting out of Iraq is good for our national security. Why is that. Because now we can focus on the real threats that affect our foreign policy building international support for international terrorism nuclear proliferation stopping nuclear materials nuclear terrorism third reducing energy independence

and reducing greenhouse gas emissions doing something about AIDS and refugees and poverty around the world. And rejoining a Kyoto treaty there are just so many priorities that we've left behind dialogue with Iran and North Korea and Syria. You know these are Pakistan. Look at the look at the arc in the Persian Gulf in the Middle East. We've got the Israeli Palestinian dispute. We've got Pakistan falling apart. We got this president threatening to maybe go to war with Iran. We've got Iraq. We're not exactly doing too well. So we have to have a fundamental shift and I think the key is a shift in our Iraqi policy. And we're going to shift to some of those other topics in just a moment. Governor Richardson especially energy independence because I know that's a big one for you. We'll start taking your calls too. Stay on the line. 1 800 8 9 2 6 4 7 7. This is the exchange on HPR. Support for New Hampshire Public Radio comes from your members and from patriot health care and New

Hampshire based company offering innovative insurance solutions patriot health care works for New Hampshire patriot healthcare. Connie from North Branch construction's appointing sustainable construction of commercial institutional and residential buildings in New Hampshire since 1958 on time on budget and online at North Branch dot net and the co-op food stores of Lebanon and Hanover. This Thursday November 20 Sagen all co-op locations will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday. More with New Mexico governor and Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson on the exchange on New Hampshire Public Radio. Then at 10:00 on the Diane Rehm Show an update in the debate over capital punishment. New Hampshire weather this afternoon cloudy a mix of rain for most of the state and snow showers in the north country. This is New Hampshire Public Radio. This is the exchange I'm Laura Conaway today in exchange we're talking with Bill Richardson governor of New Mexico Democratic presidential candidate about his campaign for the White House. We'd like to take your calls to the exchange number 1 800 8 9 2 6 4 7 7.

E-mails are welcome. The address is exchange at HPR. Org. Governor Richardson let's go to the phones now and then I want to ask you about energy especially since your book about energy policy just came out. But let's go first to Hanover and talk to Jim. He's on the air. Hi Jim go ahead. The nuclear age. Arrogant know the right to decide who should and should not have nuclear weapons. It hasn't been completed. Well certainly early in the future is not going to be a and weapons to proliferate. The work or in reading your I think we have a way to deal with that problem. Jim thanks for the call. Well I would do two things Jim and that's an excellent question. The day I take office I'd invite nuclear states to enter into immediate negotiations to reduce nuclear weapons we have 10000. We don't need that many. In fact the Bush administration was going to improve existing warheads and modernize them. I don't think we need to

do that. I would try to go to half in the first negotiation half nuclear weapons and then eventually under the non-proliferation Proliferation Treaty we have to go and eliminate as many as we can. The second step I would take which I think is even more urgent is a treaty on fissionable material. Loose nuclear weapons nuclear materials enrich uranium to many rogue states have them. They're out there with terrorists. I think we need more verification and controls a stronger international atomic energy agency to do that verification. Arms control would be a huge priority with me as a president. We haven't had a serious arms control agreement since early in the Clinton years. And I would pursue that vigorously along with this second treaty and fissionable material nuclear materials that I think is poses a more immediate danger especially to this country. Well and this folds into an e-mail we got from Mike in Hillsboro he says will you commit to reducing the US's arsenal of 10000 nuclear weapons sounds like. Yes yes

absolutely. And then he says as president how would you work to make the world a nuclear weapons free zone. Would you go that far. Well Richardson I would negotiate it. Remember Ronald Reagan and Gorbachev almost did it but they got talked out by their advisers years ago in Reykjavik Iceland. I don't know if that's totally realistic. Eliminate all of them. But certainly I would try to go to half in my first negotiation. The Russians would be key. But then you get all other nuclear states and you modernize the Non-Proliferation Treaty. I think the biggest problem is we got to improve verification. We've got to be able to detect for instance when the North Koreans ship weapons and nuclear materials to Syria and and nuclear terrorism might be out there by terrorists. So we have to find a way to to find nuclear materials enrich uranium by by outlaw states in rogue countries. Let's go to another call. This is Jacqueline Gary. Hi Jack go ahead.

Hi. Hi. Good morning governor and your governor. I retired from the Navy in 1989 after 22 years. Like you by the way I'm turning 60 years old this month. Yeah. Painful it beats the alternative. Yeah. Like like your other Democratic opponents. I believe you've refused to rule out the use of force to delay Iran's nuclear program. What do you suspect the results either positive or negative would be of blaming Iran. Well it would be a disaster if we took military action against Iran not just the price of oil would explode but it would inflame the Muslim world. Look that would be my last option I think. No president can can take the military option off the table in any situation. But I would pursue diplomacy negotiation. I'd go to the United Nations

even economic sanctions. But you know with Iran what I would do is I'd talk to them directly. No preconditions I would say yes. Well the top guys a little unstable. I'd go around him. I don't think he's the real power. I think there are some clerics moderate clerics business leaders diplomats I talked directly to Iran 10 years ago. I was trying to get an Israeli pilot out. So I know there are moderate forces there and I would try to come up with a compromise on the nuclear weapons issue. They can't have nuclear weapons but maybe they can have civilian nuclear power with that insured fuel cycle somebody buying it supervised by another country. I believe also that a carrot and stick policy where you give them economic incentives and diplomatic incentives to just live in peace we don't have to be buddies. But you know Iraq we want to get them out with helping terrorists in Iraq. We don't want them to build nuclear weapons. We want them to be responsible members of the international

community. But when we demonize someone we pass these resolutions in the Senate that Senator Clinton voted for and when we go out and call them an axis of evil that's not exactly conducive to an lessening of tension. Well Governor Richardson how do you feel about the criticism that the policy during the Clinton administration when you were Energy secretary of carrot and stick economic incentives allowing the development of some domestic nuclear power capability gave the North excuse me the Iranians cover to do to do what they are doing now which is creating nuclear weapons. Well we probably could have done better more. I mean I think we handle our policy with North Korea well. We got them to reduce their nuclear weapons they started to cheat. But you know when the Bush people came in and they got hostile. But at the same time you know with I worked with the new administration with the Bush people I said talk to North Korea directly you'll get them to reduce nuclear weapons they just want status.

Talk to them directly and we did and I went there we got them to reduce their shut down their nuclear reactor we got them to bring back six remains of our soldiers on Iran. But Iran. Yeah we should have engaged more in the Clinton years. I would have gotten European countries more engaged Russia and China are key in the U.N. Security Council especially if you're going to put sanctions on Iran. But I probably would have opened a dialogue at the time before Ahmadinejad came in. The last president Rafsanjani was more moderate you know. So I believe it's important to talk. I believe in what you suck Rabin said you don't make peace with your friends you make peace with your enemies doesn't mean when you sit down with somebody you're caving in. You can be delivering just as tough a message today in the exchange it's governor of New Mexico and Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson. He returns to our studio as the New Hampshire primary gets closer. You can join us 1 800 8 9 2 6 4 7 7. It's your chance to talk with Bill Richardson about a wide array of topics. Your e-mails

are welcome to the address exchange at any PR dot org. And Governor Richardson before we go back to the calls I do want to move on to energy of huge important to Democratic voters and to your campaign. As a former U.S. energy secretary as I just said and you've come out with a book outlining your energy strategy now you and I could talk for five hours about this but we won't. I want to just go to the bare bones with your governor please. Your policy is calling for some major investments in alternative energies and for huge reductions in greenhouse gases believed to cause global warming. How do you get to those reductions by an energy revolution by mandates and by the Congress and the president working together and the American people joining too. It's going to take a Kennedyesque commitment by 2020 to do the following. Reduce our consumption of fossil fuels by 50 percent with the shift to solar wind biomass biofuels biodiesel renewable fuels and renewable technology. Secondly it's good to say or that

30 percent of our electricity from now on by the year 2020 should be clean renewable sources solar wind biomass a lot of states are already moving in that direction. Third fuel efficiency in vehicles. You know the Congress wants to go to 30 35 mpg That's pathetic should be 50. We have the technology for 100 mile per gallon plug in hybrids. And then lastly it means promoting energy efficiency Green Building Green Schools green jobs. And also I would be very honest with the American people I'd ask each American Look we're all going to have to sacrifice a little bit. Not with mandates but be more careful when it comes to appliances and mass transit. We have to have new transportation policies that foster commuter rail and light rail and open spaces. And quality of life instead of just funding these Porky highways we do. So it's going to take a massive revolution. But a president has to lead and the American people have to give a little bit you know

broadly Some people might say yeah Governor Richardson sounds good. But when you talk about for example getting rid of Porky highways and building I laugh because with the debate going on right now in New Hampshire they want to expand Interstate 93 from four to six lanes and possibly eight. They don't want to build a commuter rail. When I say they I'm including our governor John Lynch. So you know in theory people say yeah yeah green revolution but in when it gets down to the ground governor. Do Americans really want to not expand their highways to build commuter rail and to you know jump on the train instead of just getting in their cars. I'll give you an example in New Mexico when you change and sometimes people don't get on. We're only two million people. And I decided to build commuter rail between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. We call it the rail line. Everyone said Richardsons folly. Terrible idea. Now we can't keep people off of it. It's crowded it's crowded and you know it's energy efficient it costs less it's pleasant. Look I'm not advocating the solution here I don't know

all the issues here but I would be a president that would say OK instead of just having this annual highway porky bill which it is why don't we work with communities like New Hampshire cities like Concord and Nashua and Manchester and if they want commuter rail if they want expansion of highways Let's bond together let's have joint funding let's have joint planning. So New Hampshire still retains its open space and quality of life. That's all I'm saying. You know instead this highway bill is a bunch of pork that each is chopped up by each senator. They you just get this amount and you're basically just expanding little highways. I mean let's have better planning that involves energy efficiency and quality of life and you know people are so crowded into highways. My last point is Las Vegas Nevada we had the debate the other day. You know everybody over the years has moved to Las Vegas from the East Coast of the West Coast to us Game city to escape traffic congestion. You know what the biggest issue in Las Vegas is traffic traffic congestion you can't get through. I almost missed the

debate. No kidding. I'm kidding because we had no security. But Governor. You know my point is that some Americans don't want to take the train they want to ride you know Americans like to tool around in their SUV. Maybe they don't want to ride. Well no I'm not saying I can't do that. What I'm saying you can have an SUV you have an SUV by the way I read. Yeah but it's flex fuel it's ethanol. I have a hybrid too. I practice what I preach well most of the time. You know because we I tell you where I need to do more politicians need to like. I fly sometimes in private planes because I do three states a day. You know you can't have Southwest go wherever you want. So my point is look I'm not mandating the American people. But we could have an SUV with a fuel efficient engine. You can have it both ways. If we invest in technology if we mandate the auto companies that don't want to do anything because they're worried about profits and they're not doing well they're not being competitive. Look at the other foreign companies

in Europe and Japan they're moving competitively with more fuel efficient vehicles and and they're doing well and we're just sitting here and debating whether we should go to 30 miles per year. That's pathetic. By the year 2020 we should be at 50 and we have a generation of electric vehicles out there waiting. One more question for you on this governor and then we'll go back to our callers. When you talk about a carbon tax that would tax those industries that emit greenhouse gases believed to cause global warming. How much does that jack up the heating bills when companies pay tax on currency. I'm not for a carbon tax. You're not. I thought that was part of the proposal. No I'm for a cap and trade just a carrot and stick approach carrot and stick we're best but it's a mandate. It says the polluters. It says the coal plants. You have got to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or you will be fined or you will be sanctioned. But I'm not for a carbon tax for that reason because I think it's passed on to consumers. Plus a carbon tax. You can't enforce those mandates that I think are Chris critical that you have to reduce

greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by the year 2040 or 30 percent by the year 2020. So I'm for a cap and trade system that I think is far more efficient than a carbon tax. Again I don't want a tax system. You know I cut taxes in my state. I brought in solar energy companies renewable energy companies by saying if you come to my state and you pay over the prevailing wage you trainer people I'll give you a tax incentive as a result. We've got a balanced budget. We've got a surplus we've got a state that is economically doing well attracting new industries that are clean. Like movies like renewable energy like aviation like high tech like biomedical. That's what I would do as president. Give those companies those incentives. Let's go back to our callers. Governor again today in exchange the guest is Governor Bill Richardson Democratic governor of New Mexico and a Democratic presidential candidate. You can join us 1 800 8 9 2 6 4 7 7 to Concord where Dawn has been waiting. Hi Don go ahead you're

on the air. Good morning. Morning. My question is I'm currently in the Midwest Shell Oil is drilling into the largest oil reserves larger than all the Mideast nations put together. I'm wondering if you'd be willing to take this land by eminent domain and give everybody 25 cents a gallon gas and free you. What do you think Governor. Well Darden seems to be the information that I wasn't aware of but my point is that look I don't mind drilling in the United States drilling responsibly not an eco systems not in the Arctic not where there's wildlife or in my state where we have a beautiful desert that we don't want drilling. My point is that yeah I'd like to see the oil companies if they're good at drill drill in the United States but drill safely. I want them to invest in more refineries and more renewable energy our oil companies. But again I

think this untapped resource in the Midwest may maybe a look up and see what he's. What do you mean. Well and another question for you on energy governor is what about nuclear energy. Where would that fit into a Bill Richardson energy policy. Well I'll be honest I'm not a big fan of nuclear but that doesn't mean you discard it. I think it doesn't emit greenhouse gas emissions. But Laura we haven't resolved the waste issue. I can tell you that in Nevada they don't want it which is where the permanent repository was supposed to be. I don't think the solution is in regional sites. What I would do is I would instruct all our national laboratories our scientists to come up with the scientific way to safely dispose nuclear waste. I don't see why we can't do that. And then from there on out build more nuclear power or put it on the downward path. I think that would be my priorities renewable. You know I think the energy bill it has all these subsidies for oil coal and nuclear. I don't think they need subsidies. I think that they should compete with everybody else. If I were going to

give subsidies and I would let me just say that I would end tax incentives and investment. It would be the renewables because they're cleaner. I think they are technologically more promising especially wind energy and I would make a massive shift away from fossil fuels but nuclear does not make greenhouse gas emissions. But I think if you look at this energy bill they're considering there are all these little special deals for nuclear. Why should they get it. Why does solar get wind and biomass and biofuels and biodiesel and hydrogen. Those are cleaner natural gas. Why are we so reliant on these companies. And these these energy companies that control our political process. Well so does that mean a President Richardson would move towards closing down nuclear power you know just making sure no new ones build nuclear weapons just to get an idea of what the future of nuclear energy would be. I'll tell you what it is. Under my administration they would have to compete if they are able to get permits. You know they proceed but they have to.

But we have to find a way to deal with the waste and we're not doing it. We're just saying oh it's let's kick it down the road. We need to find a solution on waste and I would instruct our labs to come up with a way to safely dispose of nuclear waste otherwise it doesn't make sense to build any new ones. Some environmentalists here in New Hampshire do not want nuclear power to be part of any global warming solution what would you say to them. Well I would say to them that it has to be part of the mix but in my opinion it would be a low mix. You know I'm not going to be somebody that waves you know Picard and say no nuclear power I would want to resolve the waste issue first. I don't think they should get all the subsidies and I would shift massively to renewables away from fossil fuels. All right Governor Richardson lots of calls after a short break. Again the number 1 800 8 9 2 6 4 7 7. E-mail is exchange at HPR dot org. Coming up we'll take more of your calls and talk to Governor Richardson about health care and

how he feels the presidential primaries been going. Stay with us. This is New Hampshire Public Radio where support comes from our members and from the Sandler insurance agency of Nashua committed to providing business industry and families with comprehensive insurance since 1924. Online at saddler insurance dot com and the capital craftsmen in romance jewelers at 16 North Main Street downtown Concord featuring fine jewelry and lead free eco friendly handcrafted gifts made in America. 1939. This is New Hampshire Public Radio. MARCO WERMAN Israel tried to destroy Hezbollah in a war with Lebanon last year. Since then the militant Shiite group has rebuilt and rearmed it's also gaining political strength. Hezbollah politicians could be naming Lebanon's next president. We examine Hezbollah's hold on Lebanon next time on the world. Today at

3:00 on HPR. This is the exchange I'm Laura Conaway. Tomorrow on the exchange. Presidential candidate and Illinois Senator Barack Obama is here. E-mail us your questions for Senator Obama before the program if you'd like NHP Yarg exchange at HP Yarg is the place to do that. And you can join us tomorrow morning live at 9:00 with Senator Obama today. Democrat Bill Richardson is here. Governor of New Mexico presidential candidate he's been campaigning a lot in New Hampshire this week and we're taking your calls this hour on a wide array of topics. 1 800 8 9 2 6 4 7 7 1 800 8 9 2 HPR. Governor Richardson right back to our callers to Lebanon where Andrii is on the line. Hi Andrea. Go ahead. Hi good morning Governor Richardson. My question is way to health care. When you ran for governor in 2002 you proposed a plan for all Mexicans to have health coverage within four years. But the number of uninsured in your state has actually

increased and now it's the second highest uninsured rate in the nation. I'm concerned about it. And how do you propose to achieve universal coverage as President when you weren't able to do that in New Mexico. Andrew thanks for the question Governor Richardson. Boy that's a friendly question. Actually her facts are wrong because when I came in we were the highest uninsured and since I've been in office we've insured 24000 additional New Mexicans including all children under 12 children under five and then we've gone up to 12. So you know I followed a very negative Republican administration that really didn't do much. What I propose in New Mexico because I think that was a question is I've said that I want by 2009 all New Mexicans to be fully covered. And I think we're on the way to do that with a plan that involves a mandate increase to prevention. You know what we did in my state is I end the junk food in schools I had a healthy breakfast for every child yeah i could i

did that. Now you're having a mandatory Yeah. Well I'm not perfect at mental health. Thanks very much. It's also thought it's the worst kind you can have. You know I battle with my diet which which means basically we have to be a country that cares more about wellness you know about cancer research and not TISM and and an all Simers and stem cell research and you know diabetes is thirty three percent of what we pay for Medicare we have no strategy to deal with your plan Governor as I understand it takes existing programs like Medicare Medicaid healthy kids and so forth and expands it so that everybody is covered. Yes. In New Mexico in New Mexico that was your approach. That was my approach. The private system. Right. I mean we still have problems in my state. I mean it is one of the poorest states although we have a booming economy but I have a lot of Indian Native Americans 11 percent of my population is Native Americans and they fall under federal guidelines. And then the federal government the Indian Health Service doesn't

do much. They don't fund the program. So I have to assume a lot of their health care response which I do willingly and proudly. But it doesn't help when you're you know measuring health care statistics. But we have increased access so that that you know that sounds like a question from one of my opponents Hey ask Richards this but that's ok I don't mind. At least it's on policy. And one of the things I've said Laura in these debates let's not attack each other personally. Let's not go after you know Senator Clinton is not trustworthy. I trust her. I disagree with her on a lot of issues on Iraq on Iran on whether we're safer on health care. But let's stay positive. Well and I want to ask you about the campaign in a couple of minutes. But one more question about health care I've got an e-mail from Sue. She says My question is since we have already since we already have universal single payer health care in America for seniors Medicare and the poor Medicaid and veterans. And most importantly for every single member of Congress including the president. Why is

universal single payer health care not good enough for the rest of us. Why are you not standing up for us in advocating that kind of a system that's a posting on our Web site from say well the only candidate for single payer is Kucinich. And here's why I am moving in that direction a little bit because I am frustrated with HMO O's and insurance companies. I am so I'm not as negative as others. But my my biggest problem with that is Lori if you have a health care plan under single payer you'd be forced to go into Medicare. You may want to keep your health care plan that you like. And I believe that's important. So what I would do is you've got to you've got to lower cost you've got to improve quality the doctor patient relationship and you've got to increase coverage so some of the steps that I would take are within existing models let every American be part of the congressional plan you buy into it it's cheap enough and small businesses lower Medicare to 55. I would increase the access that a 65 and over I'd give veterans a hero's

health card so they can get health care anywhere they want. I would also increase Medicaid and S-CHIP for kids and lower income people. I think you got to give them that opportunity. And then what I would do is I'd have a sliding tax credit for small businesses and companies and individuals that need health care. It would be like a subsidy that can't afford it. Small businesses can't cover they work too. That's right. Is this like the Massachusetts model that Mitt Romney did it. It is similar to mine is a mandate it's a mandate. But I don't do what what Massachusetts does. My focus is more on on on prevention. My focus is more on modernizing electronic records. You know that's one of the big problems one third of our health care budget which is 2.2 trillion dollars is not direct care it's administration its bureaucracy its HMO overhead a lack of electronic records to keep you know they're all paper records it's inefficient. Well actually this is one more thing on the single payer thing. Advocates of this type of system say hey

if you have single payer you eliminate all this back and forth between the private and the government. And well that's what I want to ask and I like that's one aspect that I like. I'm not throwing you under the bus. I'm just saying that my big worry about single payer is this eliminates choice for the individual but also you know are we sure that we're eliminating the government. Do I want the government running health care Medicare running health care. I mean I look at Medicaid in my state. I don't want my Medicaid people running all of health care in New Mexico. It's them I'm very wary of bureaucracies like super last quick question on this and then I'll go back to our calls how much does this expansion cost. Hillary Clinton says about 100 million how much is Bill. It's about 110 billion. But I have 100 $8 billion in savings for more prevention from electronic records and from eliminating some of those rich health care plans the deductibles that exist no savings on paper we don't know how much that you really love your money.

If you get more screenings you know look at cervical cancer. You can almost detect it if you get screenings cancer is preventable. We spend 45 percent of all health care costs are with chronic diseases or with heart disease with with diabetes with Alzheimer's with cancer. You know we spend six billion dollars in cancer every year much less in industrialized countries. That's two weeks of the Iraq war. This is absurd. Our priorities in this country. That's why I want to run for president. Well Governor Richardson maybe we'll tackle this in more detail at a later date because it's a lot to talk about with health care. You're right. Let's go to Lebanon. Rob's been waiting patiently there. Hi Rob. Go ahead you're on the air. Hi. Thank you for taking my call. And by the way I just turned 70 this month a very young guy. It's better than the alternative isn't it. Well Governor we have a national debt sky high I'm not saying anything new. How are we going to do the things we want to do things with health care the things that are wrong with our infrastructure and get the national debt

down. Well you know Rob I'm the only person that appears on the Democratic stage that is actually balanced budgets as a governor I have to balance budgets around impeached something I don't look forward to. I've balanced five budgets. And you know we have a nine trillion dollar debt. It's to countries like China Japan commercial banks. This is what I would do on the deficit. I would have a constitutional amendment to balance the budget within five to six years. I think we have to do this that will spur economic growth and we need to have fiscal discipline. I'd have a line item veto authority for the president I would have pay as you go policies in the Budget Act if you're going to increase a program or cut a tax find a way to pay for it. How do Democrats in Congress are trying to do that. They can go but they can't. You know they yeah it was in the budget act in the Clinton years but then it went off. And in terms of a line item veto boy every president since who knows when it's trying to get it done. We should have it. Governors have it. I mean I think Governor Lynch has it here. I have it as governor of

New Mexico and I've balanced five budgets. I get rid of corporate welfare $73 billion. Here's some something else I would do. Get rid of congressional earmarks. It's all pork. It's not. For instance this bridge that we built in Minneapolis that fell apart. Well we didn't build it. It should have been it should have been refurbished but we didn't do it probably because of earmarks. I just think we got to be fiscally disciplined and you know I get booed sometimes when I talk about a constitutional amendment but to balance a budget. But you know I remember the Clinton years we sort of balance the budget. We had some economic growth we created new jobs we put some of that money in the social security trust fund. We should be a party of economic growth of entrepreneurship of innovation of science and technology. Biomedicine Why why don't we do that as a country. Well Rob it's a good question you do hear candidates talking about I'm going to do this I'm going to do that and it's good for voters to say hey how are you going to pay for it now. Well I answered it. I want to turn to another issue that has not been as big a part of this Democratic campaign

so far. Governor. But probably in the general election will be a bigger issue and that's gay marriage just broadly what's your position on whether gays and lesbians should be able to get married. I'm not for that but I think there should be civil unions with full marriage rights. Now as a governor I've got the most expensive extensive pro gay lesbian record in the country because I believe in not nobody should be discriminated on the basis of sexual orientation. I've passed the hate crimes bill. I've passed the non-discrimination act with insurance with with the working conditions. I had an executive order saying all state employees could get insurance that were gay or lesbian I permitted transgender which in the Congress they took this out. I did this five years ago in a red state in a red state New Mexico Red State John Kerry lost three out of our five congressional delegation members are Republican. Now it's moving in the right direction towards Democrats. But you know we were a conservative state. My point

is that I believe that we shouldn't discriminate. And I've also put on the call in my legislature last year domestic partnership you know soy. So why not marriage if you want to go this far why not go all the way because I think you have to do what is achievable. And I think there's just a lot of discrimination that gays and lesbians and transgender people today have. I mean I would take other steps before talking about that. Like get rid of Don't Ask Don't Tell. I mean here we have Terri in the military we ask men and women to go fight and die for us. They don't need a lecture on sexual orientation. The Defense of Marriage Act. I think the first step should be to eliminate the whole Defense of Marriage Act which by the way I voted for so full disclosure that was a federal act that say which a federal law cannot get married. Right. But but it if you follow it it obviates civil unions which I am for. Let's go to another call. Governor Richardson since we're getting close to the end of our hour and to have real

mass where Richard's on the line. Hi Richard thanks for hanging on there. Thank you. Governor Richardson I like your position on energy Iraq and education. But as you know February 5th is coming up probably about a month after the New Hampshire primary and you're not going to have the intimacy of campaigning like in Iowa or New Hampshire that you're going to have on February 5th. Well my question is I know you don't have a lot of money and to compete against these other candidates you're going to need a lot of it. Well I was wondering if you have decided like at some point like jaw dropping and and after some public financing while you're up for your campaign I'd just like to add one other thing not to go into all the details. Please don't Richard because we're near the end. OK well it's going to be quick. A.J. Secretary you were energy secretary and Wen Ho Lee was indicted and sent to prison. I don't blame you entirely but I don't know if the FBI or yourself ever have apologized.

OK Richard two questions and boy oh boy. Wen Ho Lee can you address that in 30 seconds. And I want to talk about the broader campaign issues of money and where you go from here. Well I regret that I didn't push for instance for this man. He was incarcerated. I fell in solitary. That shouldn't happen. Now I did voice objections to it but not hard enough. So I regret that but this man what did commit he did misuse classified information nuclear secrets and you know he pled guilty to it but it was one of the greater episodes in my career saw him. I'm conceding that. What about where you go from here. Richard's question can you make it with the money. Things are getting really tight. Once you may rolls around. You know as everybody knows the way Iowa or New Hampshire. They're the ones catapult you to February 5th. I need to do well in Iowa and New Hampshire. I'm trying to end up in the top three in Iowa top three in New Hampshire and then February 5th. But Richard what I wanted to just say to Richard's February 5th is a good date for me.

That's California. When all is in New Mexico I'll win New Mexico that's for sure. All right Arizona Colorado. A lot of Western states. You know that's my territory. And this is why I believe I'm electable I can bring some extra western states. Being a governor. You know we've elected seven of the last eight presidents have been governors governors. I've got the most foreign policy experience I've been able to bring people together Republicans Independents as Democrats. Well Governor Richardson a question on that you have been touting your unique resume of Congressman Governor energy secretary U.N. ambassador. But if your resume is so impressive Why are voters at this point more drawn toward Hillary Clinton and Senator Obama and John Edwards. Because I don't have their money I don't have their glamour. I don't operate in the media of Washington and New York but I'm not complaining. They can have all the press they want. I want the borders in the living rooms of New Hampshire and Iowa. I liked the house parties

in Iowa and Martillo in Marlow New Hampshire you were the first candidate ever to come out. That's right. That's right. And there were no people there. No I'm kidding. It was a wonderful experience. The old town meeting and I was glad to do it. One last question for you Governor and this comes from a U.S. Navy veteran and New Hampshire Republican this is Ted in Brookfield who says he will be voting for you. He says I find it frustrating that media attention the exchange except it completely focuses on the perceived frontrunners and denies our citizens the opportunity to receive equal and balanced coverage of all the candidates. How do you feel you've been treated by the media in this campaign. Governor Richardson I'm not a whiner. You know I'm optimistic about this country so I get frustrated some of these debates when I'm trying to get recognized and they're only shifting to three. You know in general yeah I wish I'd get more media attention but that's fine with me. I'm going straight to the voters grassroots talking issues debates with with

constituents. That's the way democracy should be and this is why New Hampshire deserves to be first because you guys really scrutinize candidates so you know frustrating sometimes but so what I'm positive about this country. I want to be positive. This is why I think I'm going to be president because I can bring the country together. Well Governor Richardson it's been good to talk to you today. We covered a lot. I really appreciate your time. Thank you. That's Bill Richardson. He's governor of New Mexico and a Democratic presidential candidate. The exchange is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio the producers the engineer Dan COLGAN are in turn is Steve Jordan a volunteer is Priscilla Malcolm. Theme music was composed by Bob Lloyd the exchanges executive producer Keith shields and I'm. In