Richardson: I never promised Clintons
(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.
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Why don't we ask Richardson about the price of gas? 8 years of leading the Energy Department and what did he do to make us less dependent on oil? Nothing.
we dont need people like billary in the white house
thank you richardson for working with obama
GOD BLESS YOU
I am wondering how much Bill Richardson sold out for.
Who can believe Bill Richardson? No one I've talked to. He wants something and Obama promised. Under all of the negative and really derogatory treatment that Hillary Clinton is getting from the press, just proves that she has the meddle to be President.
The clinton's are sore losers. If Richardson thought Obama could not win, he would not have endorsed him. I respect his decision.
Dont worry about them richardson
Your on the right team.....
OBAMA/ Edwards 08
Richardson is a Judas ... and he betrayed the voters of New Mexico who voted for Clinton as well!
Cindy, living in the Chicago suburbs, I resent your implication that Obama getting a lot of votes from us means it's because he's a sleazy politician. The truth of the matter is that Obama is extremely well liked here, and not because he's sleazy. It's completely disrespectful to us voters to imply we're somehow corrupt. Obama is our senator. Now, if you look at the facts, won't you see that Hillary easily won New York, the state in which she is the senator? WHAT A SHOCK.
Bill Richardson is a Judas! he deserves to be branded. Trader!!!!
I am a lifelong Republican voting for Obama both primary and general. My vote is to remove these cronies in our American politics and give other children growing a chance to get where they have gotten. To get new ideas and stop setting ideas in washington!
Gov Richardson I salute you for your support of standing up for the TRUTH and your courage. Never mind Clintons, as slick as they all are, they do try to shove few exagerated words and comments here and there, conveniently. It is their habit which has now become their character. All in the name of politcs.
Go 'Obama' go.. Excellent choice for 08.
A.M. Saqib
Houston, Texas
What i find more disturbing than Bill Clinton's famed forked tongue (and flash temper) – is that this guy will be on the other side of the Whitehouse with Hillary in office!
Can you imagine: Hillary Clinton is about to make an important policy statement, when the news is interrupted to tell us that Bill Clinton just laid another whopper!
No thanks, there's just too much intrigue in that family not to make a commedy show out of the office of the President.
will someone please tell Bill to just "CHILL-OUT".
I'm getting bored already. Lets get some news here already.
I am a democrat who will NEVER vote for Obama. In my opinion, he is the MOST hypocritcal candidate there ever was on the democratic ticket. He claims to do things differently, yet he benefits from the same "old" school politics that he claims to be against. I have never voted republican but *gasp* this will be the first time if BO is nominated. All the posturing the party does to try and pull itself together after the convention will not change how hypocritical BO is.
Gov Richardson, did play Judas... get over it no one cares..... Hes a scam and will now have trouble with reelection... GL HF GG..
The Clinton's will never get over this......hence the problem she has with the majority of Democratic voters.
obrack will never be the next pres?people need to get a life?go away obark? go hillary?
Richardson gave me the impression of being an ineffective speaker, often stumbling to find the right reply to a sudden question from the moderator.
The fact he has jumped aboard the ""Obama"" all talk-no-beef campaign is NOT surprising, at all.
Maybe someone should tell the Clintons ...... the race for the nomination is just about over and they are not the winners. This burn the village, destroy the city, further divide the country in the hope of getting a nomination is shameful and unbecoming.
Richardson is flat out lying. Hypocrite. Wonder what he was promised in return for his Judas betrayal?
It is ridiculous that the people works in the Bill Clinton Administration has to support Hillary...
Are we in a democratic system or a inherited system?
It's ODD, I think, that Richardson's denial was to saying he'd endorse Hillary when Bill's comments address the fact that "...he would never do that!"...I read that THAT as never endorse Obama...not anything to do with endorsing Hillary per se...still knowing how CLINTON HATERS love to play with words (and then paint them with that brush) it doesn't surprise me to see this SPIN...and especially here at HUFFPO where the LET'S SLIME HILLARY at every turn behavior abounds!!! Sorry if this reasoning is a bit too complicated for those who need to have someone TELL THEM what a speaker actually means...way too much of that out there too...
Maybe you guys should report the whole story. Come to find out that Richardson told the Clinton's that he did not think Obama could win either when he told them that he would not endorse him. He said that he was too inexperienced. I believe the Clinton's and their supporters when they say that Richardson told them he would not endorse Obama. It justs seems unlikely that they would be so upset over this particular endorsement versus the others that have gone to Obama if they hadn't been told or promised by Richardson something else. I understand that Richardson was part of Bill Clinton's administration, but other superdelegates who have had ties to the Clinton's endorsed Obama, and you don't see much made of them. I think, again, there is so much being made of this endorsement because Richardson is not being honest about why he did this.
Bill: Just calm down. You need to calm down.
... besides, according to Hillary, this doesn't matter. It was after Texas, you don't need the latino demographic anymore.