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The voting bloc

Copy: New York Times columnist Raymond Hernandez analyzed the famously monolithic "Hispanic vote" and concluded (though the Kates had to wade through lots of other paragraphs to get to it) that Richardson stands the best shot at garnering it.

"If any candidate can appeal to the ethnic pride of Hispanic voters, it is Richardson, the New Mexico governor, who often points to his Mexican roots (his mother is a native of Mexico) when appearing before Hispanic audiences.

"The main problem for Richardson is that he is a relatively unknown figure among Hispanic voters, as well as the general electorate. To raise his profile among Hispanics, Richardson has turned to prominent Hispanics, including Gloria Molina, a Los Angeles County supervisor, who introduced him at the rally where he recently announced his candidacy.

"David Contarino, Richardson's campaign manager, predicted that his candidacy would become a matter of "interest and pride" among Hispanic voters once they learned of his record and roots.

" 'His name is Bill Richardson; that does not necessarily communicate his background,' Contarino said dryly."

On the air

If you're dying to hear Richardson In His Own Words, log on to Blog Talk Radio's "Heading Left" at noon today. You can call in to the show live at (646) 652-4803. If you're not available then, listen to it and previous appearances on the blog's archives (blogtalkradio.com).

Details, please

During an appearance Friday in Pueblo, Colo., Richardson uttered some words that the Kates would love to know more about. Here's how the Pueblo Chieftain reported it:

"Richardson also volunteered to jump into the dispute over the Army's plan to expand the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site by some 413,000 acres.

`I'm opposed to that. It sounds like a classic case where private property needs to be protected from the use of eminent domain,' Richardson said.

"Told that Army officials have warned area residents that without a larger Pinon Canyon training site, Fort Carson may not survive the next round of closings by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission, Richardson just laughed.

"'If I'm elected president, I'll take care of that BRAC problem,' he said."

Wow. Fix "the BRAC problem." OK, the Kates are gonna be calling you on that one, guv.

Way to grab for a headline

Richardson pandered to our obsession with all things Paris Hilton over the weekend by sending out a news release about writing a letter to the judge in her case congratulating him for putting her back in jail. The release prided the guv on his own DWI initiatives, and the Kates are sure the judge nodded sagely while reading of them.

At the "SignOnSanDiego" blog, the story was interrupted by an ad for a plastic-surgery company that can make any mommy's tummy look, well, like Paris Hilton's.

You, you turtle, you

UPI had a story on Richardson's California swing this weekend (gosh, ya don't think that's why he sent out the Paris release, do ya?). In it was this curious quote:

"I'm going to win this race. I'm a tortoise; the first primary is seven months away."

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, the story noted, "Richardson is at ease with people and a tireless handshaker who doesn't look past the person he is greeting and won't insult people by using hand-sanitizing gel when in public."