Richardson’s speaking style: a little too off the cuff

By Contributor Archive

Filed Under Race for White House 2008 on May 21 

As Bill Richardson formally announces his candidacy today, he is getting plenty of national press and, as Dave points out, has bumped into the double digits in Iowa polling. But a less flattering story hit the wires today and hints that, like another charismatic governor before him, this Bill appears to have a flexible relationship with the truth.

Three years ago, Richardson attended a memorial service for Lance Cpl. Aaron Austin, 21, who died in April 2004. As he campaigns for the Democratic nomination, the New Mexico governor often recounts an emotional conversation with Austin’s mother, saying she thanked him for the federal death benefits she had received and even showed him the government check.

In speeches in New Hampshire, Richardson has gotten Austin’s name wrong at least once and age wrong at least twice. He also has called Austin the first New Mexico soldier killed in Iraq — instead of the third.

But that’s not what bothers the Marine’s mother, De’on Miller, of Lovington, N.M., who says the conversation about money never took place.

“I didn’t exchange words at all with the governor there except when he gave me the flag. And those few words — whatever was exchanged when he handed me the flag and the Spirit of New Mexico award — certainly had nothing to do with money,” she said Thursday in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

This isn’t the first time Richardson’s campaign anecdotes have been called into question. For most of his political career, Richardson touted the fun fact that he was once drafted to play baseball for the Kansas City Athletics, until a New Mexico newspaper recently investigated the claim and found out it wasn’t quite true.

Neither of these are major controversies, but they are the kind of inexplicable blips a polished candidate is wise enough to avoid.

Comments

  • Jason Wright, Editor

    Definitely not good press, but my hunch is he’ll take this over the kinds of blips Obama and Hillary will face. (ridiculous inexperience, imaginary death tolls, fake southern accents, fat ankles)