From John Nichols of The Nation:

BILL RICHARDSON: A SERIOUS CANDIDATE...

The Democrats and Republicans who are seeking the presidency run the gamut from ridiculous to frightening. But one word that does not apply to most of them is "serious." Oh, yes, of course, they are serious about winning their respective nominations, or at least about positioning themselves for a vice presidential run, a Cabinet post or the next television camera.

But serious about governing? That's a higher standard than most of the contenders are even trying to reach.

The exception, throughout the race, has been New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who actually chooses to engage in the fundamental debate about what America will be when it grows up. This does not mean that Richardson is the best candidate, or even that he would be the best president.

What it means is that the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations is going deep, talking about smart, nuanced, diplomacy-driven approaches to international challenges while most of the other candidates are dealing in slogans.

This is clear in Richardsons's smart plan to quickly extract all U.S. troops from Iraq. It is clear is his get-tough-on-China responses to the crises in Darfur and Burma -- both of which will ease only if China clamps down on its client states. And it will be clear next week when the governor answers a call by former Congressman Jack Kemp, General Barry McCaffrey and a bipartisan group of civic, political, business and academic leaders for a new approach to America's stilted and frequently dysfunctional foreign-policy debate.

Kemp, McCaffrey and their compatriots will gather November 8 in Manchester, N.H., for an event sponsored by the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College and the Center for U.S. Global Engagement. The purpose will be to urge the presidential candidates of both parties to speak more aggressively and consistently about the use of non-military tools -- negotiation, direct aid, loans medical diplomacy and moral authority - to reengage the United States with the world.

All the candidates have been asked to respond to the call. So far, only one has agreed to participate: Bill Richardson.

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From the man himself:

Stop the Insanity: No War With Iran

By Gov. Bill Richardson

11/01/07 "ICH" -- -- It is a tragedy that in the midst of one failed war in Iraq, George Bush and Dick Cheney are pushing a second front of failure and gearing up to attack Iran. The "unilateral sanctions" recently imposed will hurt diplomatic progress in the region, and I find it disconcerting that so many Democrats supported President Bush in his saber-rattling.

Senator Clinton voted to enable George Bush when she voted for the Kyl-Lieberman Amendment. Senator Obama, skipped the Iran vote entirely.

Saber-rattling is not a good way to get the Iranians to cooperate and work with us for peace. But it is a tried and true method of laying the groundwork for another war -- a war that would be a disaster for the Middle East, for the United States and for the world. Saying that we're on a "path to diplomacy" while imposing these sanctions and increasing the war rhetoric only strengthens hard-line elements in the Iranian leadership and increases the risk of violence breaking out.

Further, a policy of "unilateral sanctions will actually diminish our diplomatic options. "Unilateral sanctions" are both ineffective and porous, and they will undermine the effort to get meaningful multilateral sanctions that the Iranians would possibly pay attention to.

Diplomacy continues to be the path not taken by the Bush administration.

Again and again, President Bush has shown a disdain for diplomacy and our own governmental institutions. The Democratic Congress needs to stand up to this president and prevent him from starting another needless war, which will further isolate us in the world and strengthen our enemies...[Open in new window]

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I've heard it said that Bill Richardson is running for Vice President. Could be. What a huge step up from the shit we got now.