Gov. Bill Richardson didn't get to go to North Korea to rescue two captive American journalists — as his ex-boss former President Bill Clinton did. But as a consolation prize, the governor was thrust back in the national spotlight Tuesday for national television interviews as a result of Clinton's successful mission.

Richardson's punditry dance card was full for much of the afternoon. Among his television appearances were interviews on the evening news shows on NBC, CBS and ABC, The Situation Room, Larry King Live and Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull on CNN and The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC.

Clinton, whose wife is Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, secured the release of television journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee Tuesday following a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.

Richardson has been a frequent commentator about North Korea on cable news shows because of his past experience negotiating the release of other Americans, going back to his days as a Congressman. In recent months there had been discussion about the possibility of sending Richardson to negotiate for the release of Ling and Lee, who had been sentenced to 12 years of hard labor by a North Korean court.

On The Situation Room, Richardson said that he'd talked to Ling's sister in recent weeks.

"Well, I talked to Lisa Ling, who I've been working with on this issue for some time, along with the administration, although I don't speak for the administration," Richardson said. "They asked for my advice. And (Lisa Ling) is very excited, the fact that the girls have been pardoned ... Lisa has suffered a lot. You know, it has been five months."

Richardson also said on the show that Hillary Clinton — one of his rivals in his campaign for president in 2008 — had called him "to get advice."

Contact Steve Terrell at 986-3037 or sterrell@sfnewmexican.com. Read his political blog at roundhouseroundup.com.