August 17, 2008
Posted: 05:42 PM ET
From CNN Political Producer Kristi Keck (CNN) — New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said he’s now comfortable with Sen. Hillary Clinton placing her name in nomination at the Democratic convention, but he admitted he was uneasy about the move at first. “It's going to be placed in nomination in recognition of the 18 million votes that she got — her historic candidacy. But then she is going to pledge her delegates to Sen. Obama so that it's a unanimous — a unanimous election. That — that gives me comfort,” he said Sunday on CNN’s “Late Edition.” “Until that had been worked out, I was a little uneasy about there being just a roll call without any transference of that support to Sen. Obama. But the point is the party is united.” Last week, Barack Obama’s campaign said it encouraged Clinton to put her name in roll call "as a show of unity and in recognition of the historic race she ran and the fact that she was the first woman to compete in all of our nation's primary contests." Clinton last month suggested that doing so could provide a "catharsis" for her supporters. Richardson on Sunday called Clinton a “long-time friend” who “ran a great race.” He and the New York senator were scheduled to hold two private fundraisers Sunday to help retire her campaign debt. Things got ugly between Richardson and the Clintons after he endorsed Obama in March. Richardson, who served as secretary of energy in Bill Clinton’s administration, said in April that he was "very close to endorsing" Clinton, but decided not to after the campaign became negative. "The Clintons should get over this," he said in April. His endorsement was viewed as an act of betrayal by some longtime supporters of the Clintons. CNN Political Analyst James Carville, who has long and deep ties to both Clintons, even likened Richardson’s endorsement to Judas’s betrayal of Christ. Richardson responded to Carville’s criticisms by saying that Carville and other Clinton supporters believe they are a “dynasty” and that they were “clinging to the throne.” Filed under: Barack Obama Bill Richardson Hillary Clinton |
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