Western Dems Rally for Spitzer

By GIL BRADY, updated July, 20 (3pm)

JACKSON, Wyo. (CT) — About 125 supporters and prominent western Democrats gathered Tuesday evening under a tent pitched on a valley ranch here to raise money for N.Y. Attorney General Eliot Spitzer’s bid for governor of New York.

Besides Spitzer, other marquee Democrats in attendance included Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer and guest speaker Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico. Richardson, who also chairs the Democratic Governors Association, has not ruled out a White House run in 2008.

Asked if he was running for president in ‘08, Richardson said: “Who knows? I got to get re-elected first in November like Govenor Freudenthal. Then we’ll see. We’ll see what happens.”

The former Clinton-era Secretary of Energy praised Spitzer’s political star power and record of prosecuting Wall Street wrongdoers. “We see a major pick-up in Eliot Spitzer winning in New York,” Richardson said. “And when a lot of my western fans got this event going together, I wanted to be here.”

Richardson told the lively mix of supporters and local Democratic party leaders that Spitzer’s “55-point lead” over his rival made him a sure winner. “In fact, why are we here? Richardson joked.

"If we’re going to change this county, it’s going to happen in the states, Richardson said. “Jobs, renewable energy, health care, making sure America moves forward. And right now there’s nobody better, in this county, with the potential to become a national leader instantaneously with this election, than Eliot Spitzer.”

Richardson also said he supported Spitzer’s pro-consumer, pro-environment, pro-economic growth agenda.

In his twenty minuted speech, Spitzer thanked his wife, Silda, a fellow Harvard Law School graduate, for teaching him the difference between courage and stupidity. He also said that his efforts to reform Wall Street were not “some populist crusade to redistribute wealth” but rather “a very simple effort to get people to play by the rules.”

After thanking Schweitzer and Richardson for advice on energy policy, Spitzer invited Schweitzer to speak.

“You’ve already heard from the most articulate and best-looking democratic governor, Bill Richardson,” Schweitzer said. “And you’ve been hearing from the most successful candidate for governor of any state in America...and I’m just on up the canyon a little bit. But we had some success in Montana and those of you in Wyoming know that it’s okay to be green in the West.”

Dubbed "Montana's Coal Cowboy," Schweitzer appeared earlier this year on the TV news magazine "60 Minutes" to promote his controversial plan to turn his state's billions of tons of coal deposits into synthetic liquid fuel, or synfuel.

"Why wouldn’t we create an economic engine that will take us into the next century, and let those sheiks and dictators and rats and crooks from all over the world boil in their own oil?" Schweitzer said in a February press conference, according to CBS News reporter Lesley Stahl.

Meanwhile, New York Republican Gov. Pataki, who trailed Spitzer in most early polls by as much as a 3-1 margin, has announced he will not seek re-election and will leave office at the end of the year. Pataki, the longest-serving current U.S. governor, has never lost a competitive political race. As reported by The Sioux City Journal, Pataki will not decide on his poltical future, including an '08 presidential run, until sometime after the 2006 midterm elections.

Dem. Thomas Suzzi, Spitzer’s lone gubernatorial rival, is Nassau County, New York’s county executive and currently trails Spitzer by wide margins in most polls.

As the edges of the Tetons dulled behind a haze of summer forest fires near sunset, Jackson Hole Land & Cattle Co. ranch owner Richard T. Fields held a trick horse demonstration, which culminated when Schweitzer, riding on horseback, corralled a cow as about 75 spectators hooted and hollered from the grandstand.

Besides listening to speeches, enjoying beverages, hors d'oeuvres and rodeo-style horsemanship, as well as dancing to a country western band, an e-mail encouraged attendees here to donate up to $10,000 for Spitzer's campaign.

Leaning against a grandstand armrail, Mike Gierau, a local restaurateur, county commissioner and Wyoming Democratic Party Chairman, said he had "absolutely no idea," when asked how much money had been raised for Spitzer locally. When pressed about $1,000 donors, he laughed and said "there were more than a couple of $1,000 donors."

Depending on how much money is raised here, Gierau explained, the Democratic Party could decide to "kick-back to the state party for helping put it together."

In an unscripted moment, Spitzer said he would be back in New York on Wednesday, proudly wearing his newly acquired cowboy boots.

(Photo Credit: Gov. Bill Richardson, AP on-line; Silda & Elliot Spitzer, courtsey of Spitzer2006.org; Gov. Schweitzer, courtsey of Heartlandpac.org; WY Dem. Party Chariman, Mike Gierau, on-line stock photo)