Bill Richardson on Iran and Iraq

He had some good things to say in the debate tonight on both Iraq and Iran, but I can’t find them online yet.

From last week on Iraq: http://action.richardsonforpresident.com/page/community/post_group/Headquarters/CLhp Ads Don't Kill People, Wars Do

From February on Iran: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/23/AR2007022301595.html. The Iranians will not end their nuclear program because we threaten them and call them names. They will renounce nukes because we convince them that they will be safer and more prosperous if they do that than if they don't.

From June on Iran: http://www.richardsonforpresident.com/newsroom/speeches?id=0013 Iran must not acquire nuclear weapons: virtually the entire international community agrees about this. The P5+1 countries -- the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (the US, UK, Russia, China and France) plus Germany -- have been negotiating with Iran, and in June 2006 offered the Iranians a package of incentives to give up their nuclear enrichment efforts.

Ahmadinejad at Columbia

What did you think of the students applauding and cheering Ahmadinejad?

If the Republicans are smart, they will send Condi Rice to speak at Columbia (some other Ivy League would work as well). She’ll get booed. Then they run the students booing her in contrast to cheering Ahmadinejad. That will cost the Democrats the 2008 election.

Of course, that could also undermine the US before the United Nations. So maybe they will someone else out to get booed. Or maybe they have to choose which is more important to the nation, getting Iran to back down or winning the next election.