Richardson Grok
Richardson Meets the Press, Again
By Emily Esterson, 5-28-07
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New Mexico Bill Richardson is big as life, and we’re not talking about his weight (which appears to be a fascination with the New Mexico, national press and blogger corps). We’re talking about his stories. You know, those little yarns he tells over and over that somehow become perceived as truth? First there was the baseball tale: Last November he admitted that the claim that he was a pick of the Kansas City A’s in 1966 was untrue. Now he’s decided that he’s no longer going to tell the story about Lance Corporal Aaron Austin, who was killed in action in 2004. When Richardson told the tale, he added that he met Austin’s mother and had a conversation with her about her son’s $11,000 death benefit, which spurred him to go to the legislature, where he lobbied for a much more generous one. But lately Richardson’s decided to stop using Austin’s name after Austin’s mother noted she remembers no such conversation.
That was among the topics on yesterday’s Meet the Press, where Richardson appeared for what seemed like the umpteenth time, with Tim Russert. Russert cut to the chase: He posted a graphic on the screen of New Mexico’s rankings among states in about a dozen different categories: percent below the poverty level, high school dropout rate, violent crime deaths, median income and so on. New Mexico never made it above 46th, and Russert pointed that out. Richardson’s only reply was that the state had made great progress, and that he’d been re-elected with 69 percent of the vote.
The New York Times picked apart Richardson’s Meet the Press experience, too, cluing in on the governor’s flip-flopping on the immigration bill currently before Congress. He said today that he had only read a summary when making his initial remarks, but said that when he read the actual bill he decided to oppose it because it would split apart families.
Richardson, along with Mike Huckabee, are also popular with the editorial page editors. A column penned by David Broder got wide editorial page play on Sunday, appearing in papers such as the Denver Post and Kansas City Star. Broder called the two underdogs the liveliest candidates in the race.
Rich Karlgaard, publisher of Forbes, author of the column Digital Rules, and part-time New Mexico resident, weighed in on the race, nominating Richardson for Vice President on the ticket with Hilary, and Huckabee as VP for Rudy.
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Comments
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.
This isn't a case of two persons with different understandings of what was said between them and nothing more occurred. Following the funeral Richardson took action. If the mother's recollection of what was stated is correct - when obviously she was in a state of extreme emotional anguish - then explain how the death benefit paid to New Mexico guardmen and women was subsequently raised.
Did the mother lobby the legislature? No, it was Richardson that took action because it was at the funeral that Richardson learned of the low death benefit. Richardson then 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.
Yeppers, Teddy Roosevelt who was written in the cartoons as teaching tools for Americans alike..O the Old West grows dim..Giddup ..;)