Center for International Policy

As printed in the Seattle Post Intelligence

October 15, 2005

Richardson Dismisses Partisanship in Talks
by Barry Massey

Within days of taking office in 2003, Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson juggled his duties as the state's new chief executive with another role he long has savored: diplomatic troubleshooter.

Richardson, a former congressman, U.N. ambassador and energy secretary during the Clinton administration, hosted three days of talks with visiting North Korean envoys that January. On Saturday, he left on another diplomatic foray, traveling to North Korea at the invitation of the regime in Pyongyang.

Richardson, accompanied by several other New Mexicans, left the Santa Fe airport for Anchorage, Alaska, in a twin-engine Gulfstream jet supplied by the Air Force. The group planned to arrive in North Korea on Monday evening. The group is scheduled to be back in New Mexico on Oct. 22.

The unofficial talks come at a critical juncture before formal six-country negotiations resume next month on efforts to rid North Korea of nuclear weapons.

For Richardson, who's considered a likely presidential contender in 2008, the trip offers a potential headline-grabbing opportunity to display his credentials to would-be voters across the country.

``It's a good thing for Richardson. What other presidential candidate in the Democratic Party would be called upon by an administration in a nonpartisan way to represent American interests in a dangerous place?'' said Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.

Richardson dismisses the talk of political advantage.

``I am traveling as an American, a New Mexican, not as a Democrat or Republican, in the cause of peace for my country to help push the diplomatic process forward,'' he said. ``Partisanship stops at the water's edge.''

Richardson said much is at stake in the six-party negotiations.

``The stability of Asia, the future of Japan and the security of America will be determined by our ability to convince the North Koreans once and for all to dismantle their nuclear program,'' Richardson said. ``That is the goal of the six-party talks which I support and that is the message I will be carrying.''

A longtime foreign policy observer of North Korea agrees that Richardson can help advance U.S. interests.

``I think he'll be smoking out what the first steps of a denuclearization process could be,'' said Selig Harrison, director of the Asia program at the Washington-based Center for International Policy.

``It's a significant visit. The North Koreans trust Richardson, as someone who has shown them in the past, as part of a Democratic administration which was dealing with North Korea ... that he hears them and understands what they're trying to get across.''

Harrison, who returned in April from a visit to North Korea, stressed that Richardson is no diplomatic freelancer.

Richardson has consulted with the State Department, including Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, who is the chief negotiator in the disarmament talks with North Korea. The Bush administration also is providing a plane for Richardson.

``It's very valuable to the State Department to have what are called second track contacts with North Korea because they are more frank, and they're not burdened by the official process,'' said Harrison.

``Richardson is a very shrewd guy. He may come back with some insights that will be helpful in shaping the U.S. negotiating posture,'' he said.

Richardson said the objective of the trip was to ``reinforce and emphasize the diplomatic process,'' in the six-nation talks. ``North Korea is truly at a crossroads today and it should take advantage of the goal of the six-party talks - a nuclear free Korean Peninsula - to advance its own interests in reviving its economy and building a better life for its citizens,'' Richardson said.

Richardson developed a reputation as a roving international Mr. Fix-it when he served in Congress. He traveled to Iraq, North Korea, Cuba and Sudan to gain the release of captive Americans.

Richardson resigned from Congress to join the Clinton administration as ambassador to the United Nations. Just days before President Clinton announced his appointment in December 1996, Richardson had been in a hut in Sudan, eating goat meat with Marxist rebels as he negotiated the release of three Red Cross workers.

Asked once to describe the strategy for successful negotiations, Richardson answered, ``Understanding your adversary.''

Since his election as governor, Richardson has remained active in foreign affairs, appearing frequently on national TV shows to offer his opinions and entertaining a steady stream of diplomats visiting him in Santa Fe, including ambassadors from China, South Korea and Japan.

In New Mexico, Richardson's activities on the national and international scene has stirred only a few ripples of political discontent.

During a contentious legislative session that just ended last week, Democratic state Sen. John Grubesic complained, ``The true problem we have here is that we have a presidential candidate pretending he is interested in running our state.''

Richardson is seeking re-election next year, but so far no experienced GOP officeholder has come forward as a challenger.

The governor's trip to North Korea, according to Sabato, is a golden opportunity for Richardson to set himself apart from other possible candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination.

``Rarely do you have a governor who's already been U.N. ambassador and energy secretary as well as congressman. I mean he really does have a very rich resume. This just underlines it for Democratic primary and caucus voters,'' said Sabato.

``Democrats understand that if they are going to win in 2008, they have got to select reasonable candidates who can match the Republicans in experience on foreign policy and the war on terror. They have no choice. And that's Richardson's big ace not possessed by most of the other candidates.''