“West Wing” television President Josiah Bartlet has picked the person he would like in the real White House West Wing on Jan. 20, 2009 — long-shot hopeful New Mexico Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson. 
 
Actor Martin Sheen, who played Bartlet for the seven seasons the hit NBC show ran, plans to campaign in Iowa speaking at rallies, knocking on doors and shaking hands on behalf of the former energy secretary and U.N. ambassador.
 
In a fund-raising appeal to Richardson supporters, Sheen said:
 
“Other campaigns have approached me about supporting their candidates, but I believe Bill Richardson is our best hope for healing the nation. I also think he’s our best hope for winning the White House from the Republicans.
 
Because if we nominate the wrong candidate and the Republicans win again, America will continue its dark spiral under the influence of the Far Right.”
 
So far, Richardson has trailed the front runners in the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire, coming in fourth place but only winning single-digit support from voters in most surveys.

And Sheen endorsed Howard Dean in 2004 which didn’t seem to help him much since he came in third in Iowa and failed to win the Democratic nomination.

– Photo credit: Reuters/Joe Giza (file)