A new game Part II

We have more entries in our new game about presidential pussyfooting. As you'll recall, Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel has already set the bar pretty high, but I think you'll have to agree the next entry is pretty good.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, former UN Ambassador and world-travelling Congressman, has been bruited about as a Democratic candidate for president for some years now, including in 2004. He's been equivocating a lot, as we'd expect, about whether he'll run in 2008. Well, like all presidential candidates he's visiting New Hampshire. Here's what he had to say at one speech while there:

"I want to be very clear to the media in the back of the room. No I will not run for president in 2008. Pero, estoy si."
For non-Spanish speakers, what he said there at the end was, "But, yes I am."

I think he's giving ol' Chuck a run for his money.

Then, there's Indiana Senator Evan Bayh, a potential competitor of Richardson's for the Democratic nomination. His name has also been floating around for some time, including in 2004, but at that point Bayh felt he had not spent enough time in the Senate (John Edwards didn't feel the same way and he nearly won the nomination, so Bayh may have been wrong). He's usually one of the top three names on a list of likely 2008 candidates in the Democratic party.

Now, I think Evan's entry into our contest is a little weak compared to the two previous ones, but it's worth putting in just for comparison. Earlier this week in Fort Wayne, he had the following exchange, apparently with himself:

"Am I doing the practical things that would allow me at some point to make that decision?" he said. "Yes, I’m doing the practical things to keep that open as an option."

So, there you have it. The game continues!