Bill Richardson

William Blaine "Bill" Richardson III was born on November 15, 1947 in Pasadena, Calif.. His father, William Blaine Richardson Jr., was executive director of Citibank in Mexico City. There he married his secretary - Maria Luisa Lopez-Collado Marquez who later became a "socialite". Father Bill was half-American, born in Nicaragua, and, according to his son, very worried because that was not born in the U.S., and therefore sent his wife to give birth in Pasadena. Bill received the right of the American and Mexican citizenship: only his grandfather from his father was an American, and his mother was Mexican and Spanish roots. Also in Richardson has a younger sister, Vesta, she works as a doctor in the United States.

. Richardson grew up in Mexico City but in the age of 13 his parents sent him to Concord, a city near Boston, to study at the prestigious Middlsekskoy Preparatory School (Middlesex preparatory school)
. Despite the difficulties with the English language, Richardson was able to get used to new surroundings. In school, Richardson took a great interest in baseball, played for amateur teams but Richardson's baseball career interrupted by injury hands. For a long time in the biographies of Richardson noted, . that shortly before the injury, he was invited to play professional baseball club, Kansas City Athletics, . but journalistic investigation in 2005 found, . that he was never invited to the club,
. Then Richardson also acknowledged the error.

Richardson avoided conscription because of heart disease. After graduation in 1966 he enrolled at the Fletcher School of Jurisprudence and Diplomacy at Tufts University medfordskom (Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy), where he studied political science and French language. Richardson led the local chapter fraternity Delta Tau Delta (Delta Tau Delta). In 1970, he received a bachelor's degree, and in 1971 - Masters. While studying at the University of Richardson has decided to devote himself to politics: his inspiration, he called the vice-president of the U.S. Democrat Hubert Humphrey (Hubert Humphrey).

. After graduation, Richardson began working as an international business consultant
. In addition, he was a volunteer assistant to Republican congressman Bradford Morse (Bradford Morse), and later took a job in the foreign policy committee of the U.S. Senate, and then joined the Democratic Party. Until 1980 he worked at the U.S. State Department.

In 1980, Richardson unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. House of Representatives. However, in 1982 he was elected to the House of Representatives from the third electoral district in New Mexico, . that differed the most multi-national composition: it lived 44 per cent of Europeans, . 34 - Hispanics and 20 percent of voters Indians,
. After the House of Representatives 14 years (from 1983 to 1997), Richardson became one of the leading Democrats in Congress and became friends with future President Bill Clinton.

. January 21, 1997 Richardson was appointed to the post of U.S. ambassador to the United Nations (UN)
. He held talks with North Korea, Sudan, Cuba, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Iraq and Afghan Taliban. Thus Richardson proved himself a talented negotiator and has repeatedly sought the release of American hostages and prisoners. Later, Richardson represented the U.S. at the inauguration of President Hugo Chavez's Venezuela and subsequently criticized the policies of President George W. Bush directed against Chavez. In addition, the post of U.S. ambassador to the UN Richardson was involved in a scandal relating to Bill Clinton's relationship with Monica Lewinsky. In late 1997, shortly before the scandal was made public, he personally invited Lewinsky work in the American representation on the UN with a fairly high salary. Lewinsky herself from his post at the UN refused. Subsequently, in response to the court, Richardson said that he knew nothing about the special relationship between Lewinsky and Clinton.

July 31, 1998 Richardson was appointed Minister of Energy. In this position he devoted much attention to the destruction of nuclear waste as well as the return of federal lands with rich natural resources of Indian tribes. Richardson participated in negotiations with Nigeria, one of the major countries - postavschits American oil. He also promised financial assistance to the State in exchange for economic reforms and privatization of oil companies. In addition, Richardson was involved in the National Laboratory Los Alamos (Los Alamos National Laboratory) Wen Ho Lee (Wen Ho Lee), who was accused in the transfer of American nuclear secrets to China. Richardson, in turn, accused that he did not provide adequate information security measures. Wen Ho Lee was later acquitted but the scandal has deprived Richardson's chances for the Democratic candidate for U.S. president Al Gore (Albert Gore) has chosen its partner in the elections in 2000. Richardson resigned from the post of Minister of Energy in 2001 after the election victory of George W. Bush.

. Following the resignation of Richardson for some time engaged in business was a member of the board of directors of oil companies Valero and Diamond Offshore Drilling and he sold his stake in Valero in 2007 alone, . when he stated that, . that supports the program of transition to renewable energy,
. In addition, about a year Richardson was led by non-governmental organization Freedom House, are concerned with the civil rights and freedoms in various countries.

. In November 2002, Richardson was first elected governor of New Mexico, ahead of the Republican candidate, John Sanchez (John Sanchez)
. During his campaign, Richardson was in the Guinness book: during one of his meetings with voters he had for 8 hours to shake the hands of 13,392 of his supporters, beating the record set by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt in 1907. Richardson took office in 2003.

As governor of the liberal state Richardson approached the issue of illegal immigrants from Mexico. He refused to build a fortified wall on the Mexican border, instead of increasing the number of patrols, and suggested to give part of the illegal immigrants U.S. citizenship. Richardson also advocated the modernization of the economy of New Mexico and an increase in wages. He supported the invasion of Iraq in 2003, although in the House of Representatives in 1991 spoke out against the war in the Persian Gulf. In 2006, Richardson was elected to a second term, scored 69 percent of the vote.

Richardson in 2008, took part in the presidential primaries for the Democratic Party. Among those who supported his campaign were well-known director Steven Spielberg (Steven Spielberg) and billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian (Kirk Kerkorian). Total Richardson was able to collect $ 20 million donation. If successful, Richardson could become the first Hispanic president, but he withdrew his candidacy on Jan. 10, 2008, after having finished fourth at the Iowa Caucus. Despite its withdrawal from the campaign, the nomination Richardson still raised the question of whether or not to become the U.S. president a man who was born in the United States, but spent his childhood abroad.

. It was expected that Richardson, as a close family friend of the Clintons support the candidacy of Hillary Clinton, but in March 2008, he said that is a supporter of another Democratic candidate - Barack Obama
. Clinton adviser James Carville (James Carville) has compared this act with the betrayal of Judas. Richardson's support brought Obama voters, Hispanics and to some extent, ensured him a victory over Clinton.

. After Obama on Nov. 4, 2008, was elected president of the United States, Richardson was called one of the likely candidates for Secretary of State, but later it became known that Obama would appoint Richardson's new Minister of Trade
. Richardson was to take office after Obama's inauguration in late January 2009 but on January 5 unexpectedly announced that refuses to this post. The reason was the investigation initiated by U.S. Attorney General on the fact of obtaining lucrative contracts from state companies, who were making donations to the election campaign Richardson. His rejection of the post of Minister of Trade Richardson explained that the trial would delay the process of his appointment. Obama said he regretted the decision of the Richardson. Press compared Richardson to the Governor of Illinois Rod Blagojeviд? arrested by the FBI in December 2008 on charges of trying to sell seats in the Senate, the representative of Illinois, which previously held Obama.

. Political scientists often noted multi-ethnic origins of Richardson, but he has repeatedly said that he never represented the interests of only one Hispanic or Indian minorities, and called himself Californians.

. Richardson is the author of the memoir "Between Worlds: The Making of an American Life", issued in 2005
. Since 1997 he is an honorary doctor of Tufts University. Richardson was nominated five times for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Richardson is married to Barbara Flavin (Barbara Flavin). The couple met in Middlsekskoy school and married in 1972. Children they had no. We know that Richardson is fond of hunting.