Looking out for Ohio

With 31 days left until the Iowa caucuses, it is a busy time to say the least. Candidates are trying to get to every last voter, shake every hand, and let people know why they should be our next president. At least that’s the Bill Richardson strategy; having recently completed stops in all 99 counties in Iowa, it is very clear who is working the hardest to make sure all of our concerns are heard. Since the last post here, Governor Richardson has added a fifth Nobel Peace Prize nomination to his other four thanks to his diplomatic efforts in Sudan and North Korea:

Between campaign stops this year and his job as governor of New Mexico, Richardson went to North Korea to recover the remains of missing U.S. troops from the Korean War and to Sudan to encourage a cease-fire in the Darfur conflict. Richardson often undertakes these efforts on his own, without an official imprimatur from the U.S. government, and he has negotiated with some of the world's most notorious dictators, from Iraq's Saddam Hussein to Cuba's Fidel Castro.

"I'm profoundly humbled by this nomination, but I was just trying to do my part," Richardson said. "There are hundreds of dedicated advocates, nonprofits, humanitarian organizations and public servants who work each day to reduce tension in Korea and try to bring peace to Darfur."

Restoring America's leadership in the world. More can be read here.

A CNN/WMUR poll out of New Hampshire shows Hillary Clinton dropping seven points, while the governor has made the biggest gains, jumping from 6 to 12%.

"I have campaigned everywhere, shook so many hands and visited so many New Hampshire towns," Richardson said. "I love doing it, but when you see the fruits of your labor producing momentum, that's where I want to be."

Richardson said he thinks voters are making the connection that he's qualified to bring change to the country.

"What's happening in New Hampshire is they are seeing me as a candidate who has serious experience -- as a governor, as a diplomat and as a secretary of energy," Richardson said. "That I've been able to bring change."

Richardson appeared on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" to speak about withdrawing all troops from Iraq and denouncing the claims made by Senator John McCain that the surge has been working:

Just days ago while campaigning in Iowa, Governor Richardson unveiled his agriculture plan, including incentives for alternative energy production (hello Ohio) as well as limiting subsidies to large-scale operations:

In his policy package, Richardson sought to blend together farm incentives with alternative energy proposals he has discussed on the campaign trail. Those plans address wind energy, ethanol production and biodiesel fuels.

Richardson set ambitious goals, including cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2020 and reducing dependence on foreign oil by 50 percent over the same period. He would offer tax credits for production of ethanol and other alternative energy options, including biofuels, wind and solar.

He also pledged to support "an alternative energy infrastructure" that would include flex-fuel and plug-in pumps at gas stations.

The full text of the AP article can be read here. Governor Richardson has also released a statement on a crucial issue for Ohio: home foreclosure. Our state ranks as one of the highest in the country in this respect, and Richardson is taking the lead on this issue:

As Governor, Bill Richardson:

* Prohibited lending made without regard to one's ability to pay back the loan.
* Prohibited the refinancing of a home loan when the loan provided no net tangible benefit to the borrower.
* Restricted the fees and points charged for a home loan.
* Limited late payment fees.

As President, Bill Richardson will:

* Reform the bankruptcy laws to give primary housing residences the same status as vacation homes so that mortgages on people's actual homes can be restructured during bankruptcy.
o This alone will prevent some 600,000 hardworking Americans from losing their homes in the coming months and years.
* Prevent up to 1.75 million Americans from defaulting on their mortgages by enacting the FDIC's proposal for a temporary freeze of introductory rates on the most default-prone adjustable-rate loans.
* Insist on transparency in the mortgage industry and build a firewall between credit-rating agencies and the companies that they rate.
* Preserve our communities affected adversely by foreclosures. While fighting to prevent foreclosures, Richardson also will work with lenders who do have foreclosed properties to ensure that these properties are responsibly maintained and that our neighborhoods are protected.
* Guarantee transparency in the credit card industry and all of its activities.
o Insist on 'plain English' instructions for all credit card contracts. Users of credit should not need a PhD to understand what they are signing.
* Prohibit retroactive higher interest rates on balances incurred before a rate increase went into effect.
* Place limits on the interest rates that can be charged for medical debt and prevent credit agencies from downgrading credit scores due to medical debt.
o Over one-third of working-age Americans have had trouble paying medical bills or have incurred medical debt in the last year, and medical expenses play a role in nearly half of all personal bankruptcies.

Having already taken great steps against predatory lending and other usurious practices in his own state, Richardson has already shown his ability to meet this type of lending head-on, and he would do the same for our country. The governor will be in Iowa today before heading to Washington D.C. and then Florida.