By HOLLY RAMER | Associated Press

Tue Dec 18, 2007 9:52 pm

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Richardson said Tuesday that he wants to keep the Iraq war front and center in the final weeks before the New Hampshire primary.

“Somehow it has dimmed a little bit from the centerpiece of discussions in this campaign,” said Richardson, who focused on the war during a town hall meeting and planned to do the same during stops Wednesday. “I intend to bring it back because the most important part of restoring the American dream is ending the war in Iraq, and it’s the key to bringing our country together.”

A recent poll by The Associated Press and the Pew Research Center showed that the Iraq war continued to be the top issue for likely Democratic voters in New Hampshire, though it was about even with health care among Democrats nationally.

Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, argued that ending the war not only would help restore America’s image abroad but would free up money that could be spent on health care and other domestic priorities. He proposes withdrawing all U.S. troops within a year, then using diplomacy to divide power among Iraq’s various ethnic groups and bringing other countries in to help with rebuilding.

“You can’t bring the troops home and wave goodbye to Iraq because we have a responsibility there,” he said, adding that his experience as a former U.N. ambassador would serve him well in such negotiations.

Voter Gary Lindner told Richardson he worried that a bloodbath would follow if diplomacy failed after the troops return home. Richardson said he couldn’t guarantee success but that political compromise would be impossible until the troops leave.

“Nobody wants what you said — an Iraqi implosion or bloodbath that is going to cause a humanitarian crisis with thousands of refugees flowing into other countries,” he said. “I think what will hold the pieces together will be a diplomatic effort that moves toward some kind of regional stability.”

Linder, of Manchester, said later that he appreciated that Richardson had considered all the possibilities.

“He didn’t remove my concern, but he made me realize that he’s thought through the same issue,” said Lindner, who plans to vote for Richardson. “It’s not a solution, but it’s a path forward.”