Another one (candidate) bites the dust

Its a little early for that, isn’t it?

I’d say so, normally; that should be the theme song whenever someone announces the end of his or her campaign. But this may have been a fatal blunder early in the campaign.

dr.e.

Think of the big picture: Because of Richardson the death of a soldier abroad is no longer the financial ruin of the soldier’s family. The family has enough money to keep their house and send the kids to college. 35 other states have now followed New Mexico’s lead.

Following the funeral Richardson took action. Upon learning of the low death benefit, Richardson went to the New Mexico legislature and got the death benefit for fallen New Mexico national guardsmen and women raised. The benefit now stands at $400,000.

Here are some of the other actions Richardson has take to support veterans in New Mexico. It would be great if all governors showed his wisdom, leadership and compassion:

* Elevated Veterans’ Affairs to his Cabinet, creating the Department of Veteran Services.
* Eliminated state income tax for all active-duty military pay.
* Granted extensions for activated Guard personnel to file state taxes.
* Granted a grace period for expired drivers’ licenses for Guard personnel.
* Offered tuition refunds or credits to Guard personnel currently enrolled in school.
* Provided free hunting and fishing licenses to all veterans for one year following their redeployment back to the U.S.
* Granted free tuition to any New Mexico Public University for any child of a New Mexican
Guardsman killed in action.
* Committed to easing the transition between employers and their employees who have been called to serve.
* Granted administrative leave to state employees with family members returning from Iraq.
* Authorized 15 extra days of military leave for every soldier who’s been deployed.
* Presented former Iraqi Freedom POW Spc. Joseph Hudson with the very first “Spirit of
New Mexico” Award, which is designed to recognize New Mexicans who demonstrate extraordinary courage, leadership, and devotion to state and country.
* Invested in veterans’ services:
- Created Vietnam Veterans Memorials in Santa Fe and Angel Fire, NM.
- Funded construction and renovations for veterans’ memorials around the state, including in Farmington, Las Cruces, Gallup, Taos, T or C, and Mora, NM.
- Provided funding to the Department of Navajo Veterans’ Affairs.

Some libertarians have praised Richardson for some of his more libertarian views (i.e. supporting legalization of medical marijuana, voting to repeal the assault weapons ban, cutting taxes), but I doubt many libertarians will support him after this interview. Richardson completely fumbled the assault-weapons question:

MR. RUSSERT: Let me turn to gun control, and this is an article from your Sante Fe Mexican newspaper. “Listening to U.S. Representative Bill Richardson”—senior congressman—“explain his position on gun control to a Sante Fe audience is like watching Fred Astaire dance. ‘I voted to repeal the assault weapons ban because it’s always been my view that occasionally a member of Congress on an issue where he or she has some difficulty in justifying a vote, that I should respect the wishes of my constituents. In this case, the strong majority favor repealing the ban. That doesn’t mean it’s the right vote.’”

You voted to ban assault weapons, uzis, street sweepers, then you voted to repeal it, and you’re basically saying, “Well I know it’s not the right vote but my constituents want it, therefore, I’ll give it to them.”

GOV. RICHARDSON: Well, listen, I know—I’ve been in public life 25 years. I was the whip when President Clinton was—I was the whip, in other words, in charge of getting some of those votes for the crime bill, which put 100,000 cops on the street, which took some of those initiatives. But, look, Tim, you know, I—I’m a gun owner. I’m a western governor. I believe the issue is not gun control. The issue, as, as happened in, in Virginia Tech where I, I just—those—the tragedy there, the issue is instant background checks. I am for instant background—I am for a bill that Carolyn McCarthy is doing now in the House of Representatives which tightens background checks, which, which says…

MR. RUSSERT: Well, why do hunters need street sweepers or uzi machine guns. You voted to ban those. As president, would you seek to ban assault weapons.

GOV. RICHARDSON: Tim, Tim, the assault weapons ban did not work. It didn’t work.

MR. RUSSERT: So you would…

GOV. RICHARDSON: It didn’t work.

MR. RUSSERT: You wouldn’t do that as president?

GOV. RICHARDSON: It didn’t work. What I would do is I would focus more of our efforts—for instance, background checks with those with criminal backgrounds and the mentally ill. We have to tighten up those background checks. I am for doing that. I am for do—but the problem is the states don’t have the database, the resources.

MR. RUSSERT: OK. You received the endorsement of the National Rifle Association, NRA, running for governor. There’s a picture of you at their podium heartily accepting their endorsement. Would you accept the endorsement of the NRA for president?

GOV. RICHARDSON: Yes, I would. I’m a gun owner. You know, Tim, gun control shouldn’t be a litmus test in the Democratic Party. I am for reasonable controls on—I don’t want to see uzis when you’re hunting, obviously, but…

MR. RUSSERT: But you wouldn’t ban them.

GOV. RICHARDSON: …this is the West. But, Tim, I’m a western governor. It’s a cultural issue. I am for strong law enforcement, putting criminals—I have a very strong law enforcement record. I believe it’s not necessarily a gun control issue. Let’s look at some of the issues affecting the mentally ill, the fact that mental health doesn’t have parity with other illnesses. The instant background checks are critically important. I’m for that. You don’t want anybody with a criminal background or mentally ill having these—and I think Representative McCarthy, who is one of the strongest advocates for gun control is—I am for that.

MR. RUSSERT: But the—being the NRA’s man is not going to be popular in some Democratic primaries.

GOV. RICHARDSON: Well, I—you know, I don’t, I don’t change my positions to run for president.

MR. RUSSERT: Well, you did on assault weapons.

GOV. RICHARDSON: I don’t change my positions.

MR. RUSSERT: But you did change it on assault weapons.

GOV. RICHARDSON: But, Tim, that was a vote as part of an overall bill that President Clinton proposed.

Richardson seems to being saying that in his heart, he sympathizes with the gun control platform of the Democrats and that he supported the repeal of the assault weapons ban only because such a position is popular with his New Mexico constituents.

There were several other instances in which Richardson appeared to be guilty of flip-flopping (i.e. the war in Iraq, immigration, his favorite Supreme Court Justice).

And then there was the accusation regarding the mother of the fallen Lance Corporal that MvdG mentioned above. It’s impossible to know who’s “recollection” of the events is true, but Richardson certainly didn’t come out that well from the discussion of this issue.

It was somewhat disappointing to watch Richardson flounder so badly on national television given his impressive resume and apparent willingness as a western governor a take the Democratic Party in a more fiscally conservative, socially libertarian direction.