(CNN) - New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson on Wednesday sharply disputed Bill Clinton's reported claim that Richardson promised not to endorse Barack Obama's bid for the White House.
"I never did," Richardson told CNN. "I never saw [President Clinton] five times. I saw him when he watched the Super Bowl with me. We made it very clear to him that he shouldn't expect an endorsement after that meeting."
Bill Clinton's comments reportedly came during a recent meeting with some California superdelegates. The San Francisco Chronicle reported the former president got "red faced" when the subject of Richardson came up and said, "Five times to my face (Richardson) said that he would never do that."
In the interview Wednesday, Richardson acknowledged he was "very close to endorsing" Clinton, but decided not to after the campaign got "nasty."
"I held back. I waited. I felt the campaign got nasty. I heard Senator Obama; he would talk to me continuously," Richardson said.
"The Clintons should get over this," he added.
Richardson, a former U.N. Ambassador and Energy Secretary in the Clinton administration, endorsed Obama late last month.
Read more: Richardson denies promise to Clintons
Related: Watch Bill Richardson's interview on The Situation Room.
I would believe Bill Richardson over the Clintons. The Clintons have a track record of lying.
The clintons should stop acting like spoiled little brats ... they aren't entitled to anything, and we've had enough of their lies, half-truths, and dirty politics .
Funny how all you dems would have defended the Clintons to the death over lying back in the 90's, but now they're a bunch of liars, right? Convenient.
Richardson the opportunist.. Where would you be right now!
If it where not for the Clintons , Bill Richardson wouyld be a nobody. He is traitor. His state voted for Hilalry too. He even betrayed the people in his state
May the Lord bless those reading this message, the next president of the US, and those endorsing him! Obama '08!!
Richardson should trade his stamper (wig) in for some brains. Nobody will ever trust him again. He is disrespectful, a bully and doesn't fool anyone. That includes Carville who had his number a long time ago.
I commend Governor Richardson for having the courage to stand up to the Clinton Machine and to endorse the candidate whom he knows to be the nation's best hope. It's a no-brainer to figure out who is telling the truth here...
Kudos to Bill Richardson!
Bill Clinton....LYING again......WOW, why is anyone surprised????
"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man."
Twain seems spot on for this one
Hillary calls Bill Richardson and says "He (Barack) cannot win." Hmm... Speaking of Rocky, didn't Adrian say the same thing to Rocky before he won his fight?
Who is the real Rocky, Barack (the true underdog from modest beginnings) or Hillary (the Ivan Drago of the Democratic Party)?
"You can't win, Hillary! You can't win!"
Didn't someone just win the election ii which Obama heavily compaigned for him? That doesn't sound like they hated him that much.
Neal:
New Mexico went unanimously for Clinton? Really? Because your use of that word would mean that Obama did not get one single vote in the entire state. Nor anyone else. "Unanimously" would mean that every single person in the state voted for Hilary Clinton.
Do yourself a favor, tiger: stick to words under 3 syllables in length.
Bill and Hillary Clinton are narcistic liars. All liars shall burn in the lake of fire'
This is just too funny. Bill and Hillary think they are entitled and Richardson spurned them. Awwww.
Hillary really needs to withdraw from the race and endorse Obama for the good of the democratic party. The only way she can win the primary is if they coerce the supers to vote against the popular vote which will alienate a lot of democrats. If that happens, watch John McCain sail to an easy victory in November.
The fact that Hillary can't accept the consequences of her actions, can't see the way this is going, and continues to put her ego ahead of doing the right thing, the more she shows she isn't presidential material in the first place.
Hey Hillary, tell us again about dodging the sniper bullets with Sinbad and Chelsea...
Why are you still around? Please do us all a favor and just go away - your thoughts are insignificant.
Billaries should get over it! They should learn that you do not get everything you want in real life. Bill was so used to getting everything he wanted while prez that he takes everything for granted and Hill was supposed to be the inevitable. Everything to them is an entitlement and that is why they have turned so mean and nasty when things do not go their way. How could anyone support such personalities as a leader of our country? Even as Chelsea campaigns to young folks, what does she really know about life for the everyday person? She was brought up rich and privileged and trying to report stories heard on the trail does not connect her to many of us. Our choice is about who will be best for us, not to help build a clinton legacy.
I think it is about time Hillary Clinton finished her White House bid and she should make a fresh start in four years time. Obama '08!
Good job Gov Richardson, stand up be your own man. Go Obama
Hey, CNN. How many times are you going to post this same story? Just curious.
But what I want to know is, why does anyone think Richardson's endorsement is worth anything other than his single turn-coat superdelegate vote? He's a porky loser from a porky loser state, the state that scrabbles with Mississippi and Louisiana for the bottom in everything. An endorsement from Gov. Let's-Grow-Dope is worthless and carries no weight with decent Hispanics.
Bill Clinton ? The biggest LIAR this country ever had. Remember how he pointed his finger on television "I never had sex with that ....". He and Hillary are the worst politicians this country ever had, divisive, nasty, arrogant and totally stupid.
Hey Wendy from Chicago, what pole do you site on this 'snake like reputation'? Or is this your one sided Clinton like opinion of Obama? Another smear campaign from Clinton surrogates.
Watching you Dems insult and ridicule your party and your candidates begs the question...what do you really believe in??? To think I was considering coming over.
A vote for Bugs Bunny would be a better choice.
Gov. Richardson should respect the will of the voters in his state which went for Clinton. FIne if he wants to endorse Obama but he should give up his super delegate seat- he, not the clintons, is over turning the will of the people in his state!!