guv-and-the-pope1Gov. Bill Richardson’s office just released a picture of the governor meeting the Pope this morning in Rome.

Richardson is in Rome along with state Rep. Gail Chasey, D-Albuquerque, Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan, as well as Viki Elkey,  executive director of the New Mexico Coalition to Repeal the Death Penalty. These leaders of the recently successful effort to repeal capital punishment in New Mexico are also being honored with the lighting of the Roman Coliseum.

You can follow news from the trip on Twitter — yep, the guv is getting with the new media program — sort of. It’s  his deputy chief of staff, Eric Witt, who’s doing the actual twittering. But maybe the guv will eventually speak directly to the twitter movement.

Here are a few entries so far:

Lighting is in about 90 minutes — highlight of the trip!

We just got some photos with the Pope…trying to figure out how to Tweet a photo!

BTW, just an observation: in Rome, traffic lane markings and signals are not commands, they are suggestions & very few ppl are listening!

Of course were not scheduled til 1030 but we have to get there early from web

6:30am up and at ‘em. Shave, shower, coffee n off to Vatican to see Il Papa.