The Richardson Solution

This is the real deal folks

I can't even believe how many times I've had to start a question this way on this blog,but here it goes...

How many candidates can say they went to North Korea, secured the remains of American servicepersons and then helped push forward nuclear disarmament on one of the biggest international threats to peace and security?

The answer, as usual: only one.  Bill "I get stuff done" Richardson

What strikes me first about this video is the "at work" look.  My sister was commenting on this the other day.  Her and her boyfriend (a registered republican) dig Richardson because his hair isn't perfect, his tie isn't always perfectly straight and that he looks natural.

Natural at what you say?  Naturally at work.  Getting things done.  While John Edwards is still blow drying his hair, Richardson's already out the door disarming nuclear threats around the world. (sorry, I couldn't resist)

Richardson back in North Korea

He's back.  Not for nukes this time, but to recover dead soldiers:

Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Richardson has arrived in North Korea for a rare visit by a prominent U-S official, but he says he won't be negotiating nuclear issues.

Richardson's visit to the isolated country has been endorsed by the Bush administration and it comes days before a crucial deadline in the recent nuclear disarmament accord.

The New Mexico governor says his delegation is there to recover the remains of U-S servicemen killed during the Korean War. But during the flight to Pyongyang, Richardson told The Associated Press that the timing of the visit is important and will show North Korea the good intentions of the U-S.

Pushing for Diplomacy

Richardson acknowledges good and then asks for more:

Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson said Friday that President Bush should learn from recent successes with North Korea and engage in intense diplomatic negotiations in the Middle East to end the Iraq war.

"He finally used diplomacy and it works," Richardson said on the first day of a two-day visit to the early voting state of New Hampshire. "My hope is that he uses that lesson ... to talk to Syria about Hezbollah and Iraq, and that he talks to Iran about getting out of Iraq and stop their meddling there.

In case anyone forgot:

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson will meet with two top North Korean officials this Friday, December 15, in Santa Fe. The North Koreans asked for the meeting with Governor Richardson to discuss the upcoming multi-lateral talks regarding the North Korean nuclear weapons program. The so-called six-party talks include North Korea, South Korea, China, Russia, Japan, and the United States. They are scheduled to resume Monday, December 18, in Beijing, China. Two diplomats from the North Korean Mission to the United Nations, Minister Kim Myong Gil and First Secretary Song Se Il, have been granted permission by the US State Department to make the visit to Santa Fe.

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.