The Richardson Solution

Richardson's foreign policy objectives

This was posted on DailyKos recently, in advance of a speech the governor will be making tomorrow in Washington, D.C. at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The seven key points of "The New Realism and the Rebirth of American Leadership":

1. Repairing international alliances by working with traditional allies and reengaging them in our foreign policy;

 

2. Renew the U.S. commitment to international law and treaties, including abiding by the Geneva Convention, shutting down Guantanamo, rejecting torture as a policy device;

 

3. A "wholesale assault" to reduce global warming, including going beyond the Kyoto protocols in establishing national benchmarks for enivronmental protection;

 

4. Engage our enemies by having direct talks with North Korea, Iran, and Syria;

 

5. Refocus on the "real international threats" including nuclear proliferation and the threat of nuclear terrorism;

 

6. Engage Latin America on a range of issues from immigration reform to economic, energy, and environmental cooperation;

 

7. Fight international poverty.

BRS Focus:  This may be the inner IR geek inside me, but that focus list is pretty much my dream list (excepting UN and NATO reform).  I was actually invited to a Facebook group the other about global warming and not that I don't mind the substantial effort Kyoto will make toward combating global warming, I really believe we need stronger and more effective national and international agreements.

Engaging Latin America could be the rebirth of our role in our hemisphere and a return to the spirits of the "Good Neighbor" policy of FDR or the Alliance for Progres under JFK.  The IR geek in me will also be parsing the speech tomorrow, guarenteed.  Exciting times.

Richardson, Iraq and Withdrawal

I know this has been blogged about before, but I wanted to make sure it was in the archives here.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said Saturday night in Greenville that he doesn't "believe there is a military solution" to the Iraq insurgency.

Richardson, here for a political event, said the best course is to "tie a withdrawal to a political solution with all the ethnic groups," leaving only a small force in Iraq.

The potential 2008 Democratic presidential candidate told reporters that a withdrawal deadline -- this year or next -- should now be set and a redeployment to "trouble spots around the world ... Afghanistan, to fight international terrorism, to (neutralize) weapons of mass destruction. I would redirect some of those resources to protect our railways, our ports, airports, our homeland security."

Being a governor, Richardson is affored some leeway on this issue. It is however, becoming a fast limus test for those running for presiden and has some influence in the power behind Obama's candidacy. 

What would truly set the governor apart from the field would be an Eisenhower-like pledge to go over to Iraq and the broader Middle East to negotiate a peace of some sort.  No other candidate is credible on the issue of foreign diplomacy and it could even occur during a part of the primary campaign.  It may be seen as grandstanding - but grandstanding to save American and Iraqi lives may be all we have left.