New London – Bill Richardson vowed yesterday to disclose the names of his potential Cabinet members prior to the general election, if he becomes the Democratic presidential nominee.

"I will select a Cabinet that looks like America," he told about 200 voters who packed into a small New London coffee shop yesterday morning.

A successful administration depends on the quality of the President's advisers, Richardson said. "It's the people. It's who you bring in. It's the tone you set."

His Cabinet would be a diverse collection of talented professionals and include members of the Republican Party, he said.

"I'm not going to overdo it, though," he said, evoking laughter. "Don't worry."

Later, during a speech at Dartmouth College's Alumni Hall, the New Mexico governor and former ambassador to the United Nations said he would appoint a union member as secretary of labor and a teacher as secretary of education. His talk was part of a Service Employee International Union conference in Hanover this weekend.

Richardson's campaign staffers said they had anticipated a small, intimate gathering in New London, home of Richardson's wife's alma mater, Colby-Sawyer College.

The crowd, Richardson said, is evidence that his campaign is on the upswing.

"You're looking at a campaign that is moving up," he said. "We are third in New Hampshire today, and third or fourth in Iowa. We are surging."

Throughout his three-day tour in New Hampshire, Richardson emphasized that his plan to withdraw all troops from Iraq within six months sets him apart from other Democratic candidates. He said troops should be redeployed to Afghanistan and other locations where Al-Qaeda has gained a foothold.

If elected, Richardson said, he would formulate a "foreign policy based on our ideals," relying heavily on diplomacy and negotiations with foreign leaders, particularly in Syria, Iran and North Korea.

Asked about improving health care for veterans, Richardson said he would issue every veteran a "Hero's Health Card." With the card, veterans could receive medical care anywhere, he said, thus eliminating long commutes to VA medical centers.

He also said he would reorient the veterans affairs health care system to mental health issues, such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

Calling quality medical care a "human right," Richardson said he would open the congressional health care plan to all Americans and lower the threshold age for Medicaid from 65 to 55.

In Hanover, SEIU representatives said every presidential candidate had been invited to the organization's conference, but only Richardson accepted. The event started with union members clapping in unison and chanting, "We're fired up; not gonna take it no more. Push Bush out the door."

During his 15-minute speech, Richardson stressed his commitment to education, saying he would eliminate the No Child Left Behind Act, institute a $40,000 minimum salary for entry-level teachers and create "a national art-in-the-school program." The former energy secretary under President Clinton also called for a 90 percent decrease in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.

Before leaving to mingle with voters at Hanover Street Fest, Richardson urged the SEIU audience, consisting of mostly Maine residents, to "Give me a chance."

"I'm hustling. I'm out there working," he said. "I don't just come in, swoop in, see a thousand people and leave."