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A weekend grilling

It might have been among the most visible 60 minutes of Gov. Bill Richardson's campaign for president yet.

And in that hour on "Meet the Press" with Tim Russert on Sunday morning, Richardson found himself on the defensive more than a few times, defending his term as energy secretary, his changed position on the immigration bill, his stance on guns, the stock he used to own in Valero Energy, his brief support of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales - the list goes on.

Give Richardson credit for candor. He used phrases like "I made a mistake" or "I shouldn't have said that" seven times in the broadcast - a pretty high frequency for any politician, even under questioning from Russert. And he didn't back down from his position that all U.S. troops should be out of Iraq by the end of this year.

Richardson even managed to spin saying he was a fan of both the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox.

"This is the thing about me, Tim," he told Russert. "I can bring people together. I can unify people."

See the whole interview online at www.msnbc.msn.com

Campaigning's a beach

The first part of Richardson's coming week of fund-raising has a tropical flair, although we doubt he'll get in much sunbathing.

On Tuesday, he'll be in Boca Raton, Fla., then he's off to Condado, Puerto Rico, on Wednesday. He'll also hit St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands.

By Thursday, the governor is expected back in Santa Fe for more fund-raising. On Friday, he'll do the same thing, but in Gallup.

On Saturday, it's back to the East Coast, this time for the New Hampshire Democratic Convention in Concord. That night, he'll fly to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for a dinner, according to his public schedule.

The next day, Richardson heads back to Manchester, New Hampshire, for a Democratic candidate debate. Let's hope he can use the frequent-flier miles.

Nelson is The Tribune's managing editor, and Nash covers politics for The Trib. For more of their dish, check out the "Bill Richardson Log" at www.abqtrib.com.