Ed Morrissey is a major conservative blogger whose piece about Richardson has been getting a lot of linkage the last couple days. The gist: Uh-oh, this guy could take us DOWN in 2008:

However, the punditry and the Democrats may just be overlooking the one candidate that the Republicans should fear the most and, perhaps, Clinton should as well.

The Democrats certainly have no other candidates with Richardson’s experience and his certified centrist appeal.

Neither do the Republicans have anyone in their committed field of candidates who can match this resume, either. And that should worry the GOP, if Richardson gets close.

The GOP has a significant edge in experience at the moment, but it is an edge that will evaporate if Richardson takes the Democratic nomination. Will the Democrats be smart enough to take advantage of it?

Yes! Let’s do it.

It wasn’t that long ago that the National Review also conceded the sheer kick-ass-ness of Richardson. And I’ve had some personal conversations with Republicans where they say Richardson is so impressive that he’s the only guy they could see themselves crossing the aisle for if the GOP nominates a socially conservative nutjob.

Not because Bill’s conservative. He’s a moderate Democrat who loves the environment, renewable energy, kids’ health, investments in education, and the rest. Because he’s such a skilled leader.

Spread the word, guys: The GOP’s worst nightmare in 2008 is a guy named Bill Richardson.

I’ve been slow to move on this story, since I thought for the most part it was inspired by mean-spiritedness. A while back, the Albuquerque Journal published a story (and many other outlets picked up) a story on Gov. Richardson’s tendency to be tactile with those around him. It’s not that the core of the story is untrue: the Gov is a hands-on guy. The one time I met him, he gave me the Man Shoulder Clap and messed up my hair a little bit.

(Check out the Wonkette picture of the Gov with a little kid. It’s funny and cute.)

It didn’t occur to me at the time that I should be offended or even notice that it was strange. The Journal obviously felt differently, produced a couple of quotes from the Lt. Gov. on the subject, and now there’s this “thing.”

The Los Alamos Monitor ran a rebuttal that’s too good to pass up. It gets at the core of this “issue”: that the governor is just an energetic, fast-forward human being, which is exactly what you want in a state’s chief executive.

But there may be advantages to a governor who is on fast-forward fulltime. We get a lot more work out of him. And we get a lot more work out of the staff with whom he comes in contact.

The Year of the Child, the immigration reforms, the railroad construction, the spaceport: these are things the LA Monitor says are the real stories. And they’re right. (I’m proud to note we’ve caught each of these policy moves as they’ve developed, such that I have a post to hyperlink you to for each.)

As Andrea and I have said many times, we’re not apologists here, and if I really thought there was something to this story, I’d have written about it earlier. I’m just loathe to reprint character assassination masquerading as news. If someone publishes a substantive critique of the governor’s policies, message, politics, or anything remotely relating to his fitness as a candidate and elected official, you can bet you’ll see it here.

Anyway, good on the LA Monitor for keeping watchdog on the local press.

At Soy Blue, there is a post combining a recent opinion poll with an op-ed about why Richardson is good for New Mexico. It’s a great read, so go check it out. Here’s the money graf:

In some sense, Richardson’s flair for entertainment is good for New Mexico, because it gets New Mexico out there in the public eye. It brings in business and industry.

Yes, of course, it puts Richardson in the public eye, too – which is what Richardson wants, for purposes of his own career and presidential aspirations.

But having a president from New Mexico wouldn’t be a bad thing for the people of New Mexico, folks. What would we rather have – a president from Texas? Yuck!

Living in New York, I’ve seen first-hand how well the “but they’ve got higher aspirations!” line works: not at all. I’d wager that New Mexico and the entire West would be better off with a Richardson presidency; from the sport fishermen who’d benefit from a sensible environmental policy, to the kids who’d be better off with increased health care and education, to those of us who grew up in the shadow of Cheyenne Mountain and prefer a leader who can effectively make peace around the world.

(Oh, and Richardson’s approval rating is sky-high, of course.)