By THE NEW MEXICAN

Mon Nov 5, 2007 11:32 pm

Saturday Night Bill

If there’s one comedian praying for Gov. Bill Richardson to do well in the presidential race, its former Saturday Night Live cast member Horatio Sanz, an overweight Hispanic comic who has portrayed Richardson in SNL skits.

Sanz was back on the show Saturday as Richardson in a sketch about Hillary Clinton throwing a Halloween party for her fellow candidates. The piece pokes fun at what they see as Richardson’s desire to be vice president — something the real Richardson repeatedly has denied.

Sanz/Richardson wore a Nobel prize around his neck and carried an Oscar statuette. “I’m Al Gore,” he said when Clinton asked him who he was supposed to be. “Me dressed as vice president,” he continued. “Weird!”

But he quickly added, “Not that weird, though, right?”

In the skit Richardson asked if he could help out. “Hillary,” played by Amy Poehler, said, “We could use some ice. An overly-eager Richardson scurried away saying, “I’m on it.”

“Bill Clinton,” played by Darrell Hammond, commented, “Man, he really does want to be your vice president.”



Richardson’s plateau?

The Political Insider blog, which is affiliated with Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire, is fairly pessimistic about Gov. Bill Richardson’s chances of becoming president — or getting other prize positions in a Democratic administration.

His campaign “seems to have plateaued,” Political Insider says referring to Richardson’s recent slide in the polls in Iowa and New Hampshire and his failure to rise above single digits in Nevada.

“Richardson's promise to begin a full U.S. pullout from Iraq as soon as he takes office may be backfiring on him,” the blog says. “Richardson's supporters are those who see him as a competent, experienced foreign policy hand, and they grimace when they hear him talk like Rep. Dennis Kucinich.”

Political Insider notes that Richardson insists he has no interest in the vice presidency, “but he is said to be on (Hillary) Clinton's list and he is obviously keeping his options open.” However, the blog speculates that Clinton might prefer Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, “who might boost her over the top in the state that kept Sen. John Kerry out of the White House.”

The post — like virtually any national article about Richardson in recent weeks — mentions the fact that Richardson would be the Democrats’ strongest candidate for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Pete Domenici.

“What happens if Richardson skips the Senate campaign, is not picked to be the Democratic vice presidential candidate, and the Democratic ticket then wins the White House? Richardson could hope to become secretary of state — but that's another race where he would be neck-and-neck with (Sen. Joe) Biden.”