Richardson tells Dems ‘don’t roll over’ on financial bailout

By Brian Lawson, PolitickerNH.com Reporter

MANCHESTER-- New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said at a town hall forum that congressional Democrats should not support the president's proposed Wall Street bailout.

Richardson, campaigning for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, said that Democrats should not "roll over" to the administration's proposals.

"More than anything my hope is that Democrats, and I'm now not speaking for Senator Obama because I'm speaking an American, has a former congressman, has a governor," Richardson said at Southern New Hampshire University. "My hope is that the Democrats don't roll over on this. If you want to bail out banks, if you want to bail out these big financial institutions and insurance companies, what about bailing out homeowners, those people that have lost their homes, what about making sure that this never happens again."

Richardson, a former United Nations ambassador, also said that he will be at the first presidential debate later this week and said U.S. Sen. John McCain should have an advantage. The first debate will be centered on foreign policy topics.

"Senator McCain should have an advantage in this next debate because he's been an expert on national security and he's spent a lot of time and I expect that he'll be strong. But Senator Obama is going to talk about America's role in the world, he's going to reassure the American people that his goal is to protect us first," he said.

Richardson also joked that his role at the debate will be that of "spinner."

"I will be at the first debate, national security -- my role is going to be what's called a spinner. I will declare, don't write this down John, Obama the victor before the debate starts," Richardson said, referring to Union Leader's political reporter John DiStaso, who was seated in the front row of the event.

At the beginning of his remarks Richardson, a former presidential candidate, said that he missed campaigning in the Granite State.

"You know I just love New Hampshire, I just drove up here from the airport and I went through the beautiful homes, the greenery and the nice sun and I miss you guys," he said.

Also in the audience were former prominent Richardson supporters including former Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand, who was sporting a Richardson presidential lapel, Ambassador George Bruno and state Reps. John and Mary Ann Knowles (D-Hudson) and state Rep. Steve Spratt (D-Greenville).

Brian Lawson is a PolitickerNH.com Reporter and can be reached via email at noreply@politicker.com.

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