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JUDY WOODRUFF'S INSIDE POLITICS with Gov. Richardson

WOODRUFF: The nation’s Democratic governors are gathered this hour here in Washington to pick a new leader, and to devise new strategies for spreading the Democratic Party message. Just a short time ago, I spoke with the group’s new chairman, Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico, and I began by asking him what shape he thinks the Democratic Party is in.

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GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), NEW MEXICO: Well, what we want to do with the Democratic governors is we want the Democratic governors that are elected in red and blue states to become the center of gravity of the Democratic Party. We think the party’s made too many decisions based in Washington, D.C., and not enough in the heartland.

We need to rebuild our party’s structures. We need to talk about issues like value and health care. But the big successes the Democrats have had have been in the states, in governorships.

We didn’t lose any seats in the last election. In fact, there’s a possibility for the next two years that we’ll add governorships. So we’re trying to recapture the Democrat Party, move it to the heartland.

WOODRUFF: But clearly the Democratic Party—the Democratic candidate and the party were doing something wrong in this election because they lost. What needs to be fixed?

RICHARDSON: Well, several things. Number one, we need to highlight the successes of the Democratic Party. And they are happening at the state level, policies that deal with education, health care, energy.

Government in Washington, Congress has abdicated to the states. What you get the federal government doing is we’re going to give you less on Medicaid, you’re on your own. On education, you’re on your own. They can’t pass an energy bill. So what we want to do as Democratic governors is highlight the successes that we’ve had in red and blue states. We get Democrats elected in the South, in the West, in the Northeast, in the heartland, everywhere, but somehow our message is not getting through.

WOODRUFF: Are you saying that, among other things, that a senator, especially Senator John Kerry shouldn’t think about running for president again? Because he’s from inside the Beltway.

RICHARDSON: We believe that outside the Beltway is where the heart of the party is, and we have to recapture our base. The presidential candidate issue is far away. That’s four years from now.

What we need to do is rebuild the party at the local level. We need to get more county commissioners, mayors, legislators, governors elected.

We have 38 governorships coming up in the next two years. It’s governors that set policy. What you’re having in Washington is policies of Republican extremism. The real sensible, moderate, pragmatic policies are happening in the states with governors, and we want to raise the center of gravity, the governors within the Democratic Party, and not just have congressional Democrats—that do a good job—make all the policy decisions.

WOODRUFF: Well, one of the leaders of the party is clearly going to be the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Who’s your favorite in that race?

RICHARDSON: We’re going to take a position today that says, number one, there has to be two chairs, a party operator, because we have to rebuild our state parties at the local level, and a party spokesman. We’re not endorsing anyone yet.

We intend to soon. We’re going to look at candidates. We’re going to talk to many.

We think it should be a candidate that is pragmatic, that comes hopefully from a red state that can speak to the heartland, that perhaps has been a governor. Right now we’re holding our powder dry.

WOODRUFF: But is there a sitting governor who’s a logical candidate for that first position?

RICHARDSON: Well, there are, but unfortunately they’re not interested in the job. Governor Vilsack, people like…

WOODRUFF: Taken himself out.

RICHARDSON: Yes, taken himself out. The governor of Virginia, Mark Warner, would be logical, but he’s not interested. But that doesn’t mean that new candidates won’t surface. There are a number of candidates like Governor Dean that out there.

WOODRUFF: He’s here meeting with the governors today. Why not automatically support him? RICHARDSON: Well, because we want to see who is going to be there in the next few days. We want to hear from state chairs. We want to hear from our local party workers.

We don’t want it to be a coronation made by governors. We’re going to have a say, but this race isn’t until early February. And we think it should be somebody that connects with the heartland, that recognizes that we can’t just concentration in the Democratic party on presidential elections, that we have to get involved in local elections, rebuild the party, develop some new leaders, elect county commissioners, mayors, legislators, governors, not just the Congress and the presidency.

WOODRUFF: I know—speaking of the presidency, I know you said it’s a long way off. But a lot of people think Bill Richardson may be giving—having an eye in that direction.

RICHARDSON: Well, right now I have my eye on three things. One, my New Mexico legislature, which is meeting in January. Number two, I want to do a good job as chair of the Democratic Governors. And third, my own reelection, which is in two years. Beyond that, we’ll see.

WOODRUFF: Not ruling it out.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0412/02/ip.01.html

CNN’s Judy Woodruff

December 2, 2004

Copyright & Paid for by The Democratic Governors Association

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