What about Bill?

[Ian David]

Issue Date: 2/22/2007, Posted On: 2/22/2007
What about Bill?
Laura Kiritsy
[e-mail]


New Mexico governor and presidential contender Bill Richardson’s record on LGBT rights is worth a look. Photo: Rick Friedman

Concord, N.H. — “He’s actually been wonderful. He’s kept every promise he’s ever made to the community.” Anyone remember the last time you heard an LGBT political activist say that about a candidate for the White House? It certainly can’t be said about Bill Clinton, whose 1992 campaign pledge to let gays serve openly in the military resulted in the disastrous “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Ditto for John Kerry, whose reputation for being a longstanding champion of gay civil rights went bust when he came out for anti-gay marriage amendments in Massachusetts and Missouri in the heat of the 2004 campaign. But that’s how Alexis Blizman, the executive director of Equality New Mexico, sums up Democrat Bill Richardson’s record on LGBT issues as governor of her home state.

The governor recently announced his intention to seek his party’s nomination for president in 2008, an announcement that was overshadowed by Sen. Hillary Clinton’s headline grabbing entry into the race on the same day, a symbol of the uphill climb Richardson will have in competing with the likes of top-tier candidates like Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama and John Edwards, who seem to be sucking up all the air on the campaign trail — not to mention their early grabs for gay support. But Richardson, a two term governor, former U.N. ambassador, former U.S. Secretary of Energy and former congressman, is worth getting to know.

And you can get to know him. The aforementioned candidates are packing large venues to overflowing in high schools and on college campuses across the Granite State, thus prohibiting the personal contact that can propel a no-name candidate to frontrunner status (Bill Clinton anyone?). Richardson, however, seems to understand that his strength lies in retail politics. On a trip to New Hampshire last weekend, the governor spoke to a group of less than 100 at the IBEW hall in Concord, and charmed the crowd by acknowledging his low poll numbers, while also taking care to note that the primary is still a year away. “I get all these questions, ‘Well governor, you know, how does it feel to be at three percent? I said, Wait a minute. Six percent. I’m at six percent and I’m moving up.”

“I know the buzz is elsewhere, the glamour,” said Richardson, who at the start of his speech recognized local elected officials in the room, such as New Hampshire state Senate President Sylvia Larsen. “I don’t come in and do one event with a bunch at a gym and then leave. I’ve been here for two days. I’m thinkin’ of moving here,” he added, drawing laughter from the crowd. Already well on his way to being late for his next campaign stop in Portsmouth by the time the event ended, Richardson all but ignored the aides who repeatedly tugged on his sleeves, patted his shoulder and otherwise tried to steer him toward the exit as he stopped to chat, pose for pictures and talk to reporters.

More:
http://www.baywindows.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&AudID=0813BC739F2044E5A03DCF2DE3FDF7C9&tier=4&id=DE28FE4B33E043EF97576A4A91448621

[PresidentObama]

1. Different Bill then I thought....

But still very good.

:evilgrin:

[wyldwolf]

2. I think the world of Bill Richardson, yet I'm amazed...

...his stock is rising like it is among the "netroots."