With all the presidential candidates swarming Ames lately, Gov. Bill Richardson was next in line Thursday. The Democratic presidential candidate and current governor of New Mexico answered questions at the Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Ave., in the main gallery.

State Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, District 45, gave Richardson’s introduction.

“What an incredible turnout for a hot, Iowa afternoon,” Wessel-Kroeschell said as she greeted the crowd.

Wessel-Kroeschell said she has been very impressed with all the Democratic candidates she has seen so far.

“We really do have a strong field of Democratic candidates running for president this year,” Wessel-Kroeschell said. “I’d like to say that because I don’t think they can say that on the other side.”

She said she felt privileged to have one of those candidates in Ames. She said Richardson’s resume includes being a congressman, U.S. secretary of energy, and an ambassador to the United Nations.

Richardson said he has been campaigning in every small town across Iowa.

“I’m hustling for votes and for you just to get to know me,” Richardson said.

Recently, Richardson has been to Mason City, Fort Dodge, Nevada and Maquoketa.

“I’m very happy to be in a town whose name I can pronounce,” Richardson joked.

He said he finally broke double digits in the polls, which indicates his grass roots campaign is paying off.

Richardson said he has six main issues he would fix in his first six days as president.

“Day number one: We have got to get out of Iraq,” Richardson said.

He said our troops have become targets and that 71 percent of Iraq citizens want U.S. forces out.

Richardson said he doesn’t believe in leaving any soldiers in Iraq.

He said he United States should engage in what it used to be good at – diplomacy.

“We need a leader with some foreign policy experience,” Richardson said.

Day two would be used to revitalize education in America, he said.

“I would start by getting rid of No Child Left Behind,” Richardson said.

He said he also would increase teachers’ minimum wage to $40,000 a year.

“I believe the key to a good education is a strong teacher,” Richardson said.

Richardson said he wants science and math education to be a top priority, along with supporting the arts to unlock children’s minds.

Revitalizing the economy would be on the agenda for day three. The middle class is struggling, Richardson said. He said he would help the middle class by cutting taxes for them. Tax incentives for renewable energy sources, start-up technology businesses and rural businesses would be available, Richardson said.

Day number four would be devoted to health care. Richardson said he is in support of universal health care, without the addition of new taxes. He said he wants to eliminate bureaucracy in medicine to save money.

Starting good health practices at a young age is something Richardson said he wanted to start.

“I would get rid of junk food in schools,” Richardson said.

Mandatory physical education, smoking bans and stem cell research would all be considered under his plan, Richardson said.

The fifth day would be to make the U.S. have cleaner energy. Richardson said he has a plan to make light trucks and cars have a minimum mileage of 50 miles per gallon by 2020.

“We should be looking at technology to be more fuel efficient,” Richardson said.

Richardson said greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by 90 percent by 2040. He said he would join the Kyoto Protocol and put pressure on China and India to do the same.

Richardson said America should have independence on foreign oil and move to biorenewables such as biodiesel and ethanol, which will help Iowa’s economy.

On the sixth and final day, Richardson said he would restore America’s values.

“I will be a president that will follow the Constitution of the United States,” Richardson said.

Richardson said he wants people to know his credentials and attitudes on issues.

“This is who I am,” Richardson said. “This is who I am going to be.”