Liftingthefog: Political Humor from Barbara Sehr

Exposing the Foggy Bottom from the Third Rail

Exposing the Foggy Bottom from the Third Rail

Color North Koreans "Enchanted"

It's Manhattans All Around in New Mexico

In the News

Predictions for 2003

Los Alamos, New Mexico - New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson speaking at a Los Alamos photo opportunity said three days of talks with North Korean officials have convinced him that North Korean diplomats have absolutely no plans to develop or manufacture a nuclear bomb.

The Korean diplomats, busily taking tourist photos at the site of the Manhattan Project which culminated in the drop of atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, said the Los Alamos facility was just the recreational paradise where they could have fun in the sun and learn about the history of the Land of Enchantment. Richardson passed around pictures of the diplomats making funny faces and writing with accelerated speed during their visit to the historic site.

Los Alamos gained fame during World War II when Dr. Robert Oppenheimer met "Fat Boy" and "Little Man."

Richardson said his goal as governor of New Mexico is to make the whole world understand the beauty and history of the aptly named "Land of Enchantment." New Mexico has great diversity, the governor noted. "We want to be known for more than just our beautiful adobe architecture, our unequalled wild life, our ancient artifacts, and as a place in which to blow up atom bombs without anyone noticing," he said.

Richardson, who served as US Energy Secretary and Ambassador the United Nations before becoming governor of New Mexico this month, said the visitors did their best to act like American tourists. "Heck, they even took me to a country bar near Alamogordo and ordered "Manhattans" all around.

After a few rounds of drinks, the diplomats and Gov. Richardson reportedly went back to the Governor's mansion where the Koreans expressed a lot of interest in the governor's personal computer, a relic from his days as Secretary of Energy. "I couldn't imagine why these guys who seemed so technically advanced would be interested in a dusty old Pentium 133 that took longer to boot than a cowboy who wears a size 17," Richardson said.

The Koreans seemed to test the Governor's knowledge of New Mexico cities, asking him to name as many cities in his native state as he could. "Heck, I remember places that even people who have lived here all their lives couldn't remember, "the governor noted. "Everyone knows places like Los Cruces and Roswell. I taught myself to remember obscure little cities in New Mexico like Raton and Artesia by using them as passwords during my Department of Energy days. "

Richardson said now that the North Korean diplomats have experienced great hospitality and increased their knowledge of the world; he suspects that many more tourists from their country will arrive in the state to experience the sand and the sun. "They'll be telling everyone that New Mexico is a blast!" the governor said with a beaming smile.