CLEVELAND (TDB) -- Environmental activists are uneasy about New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, whose endorsement of Barack Obama made a big splash last week in the Democratic presidential contest. Some think he could be a "water rustler." Richardson's baggage -- left over from his now-scrapped White House run -- is that he suggested last year fresh water from the Great Lakes be siphoned off to the dry Southwest. Richardson recanted. But enviros still wonder if he's a straw man for development interests intent on sucking the Midwest's most precious natural resource off to the desert. Here's what Richardson said that made waves last year:
"I believe that the western states and eastern states have not been talking to each other when it comes to proper use of our water resources. I want a national policy. We need a dialog between states with issues like water conservation, water reuse technology, water delivery and water production. States like Wisconsin are awash in water."
Lloyd Alter, who writes for Treehugger.com, feels that Richardson's reappearance as a force in Democratic presidential race via the Obama endorsement should put the Great Lakes states -- including Ohio -- on notice that their water is a target:
"If the Great Lakes states and provinces don't take decisive action to prevent the raiding of the Earth's largest supply of fresh water, the water rustlers will continue seeking ways to steal it. Eventually, they will find a way . . ."
Showing posts with label Bill Richardson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bill Richardson. Show all posts
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Sunday, December 02, 2007
President Bartlet, er, Martin Sheen Endorses Richardson: Dayton-Born Actor Backs New Mexican
DAYTON (TDB) -- The Michigan Messenger has the news that Ohio-born actor and political activist Martin Sheen has endorsed New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson's Democratic presidential bid. Sheen is best known for portraying President Josiah Bartlet on the popular NBC series The West Wing. The drama sought to capture what it was like to serve in the White House under a Democratic administration.Sheen appears in this short YouTUBE video posted in October saying he questions the U.S. government's version of the 9/11 attack. He seems to be buying into claims by the 9/11 truthers about a conspiracy.
Richardson is a Hispanic-American, as is Sheen, who was born in Dayton 67 years ago as Ramon Gerardo Antonio Estevez. He grew up in the city's South Park neighborhood and graduated from what is now Chaminade-Julienne High School, a Catholic parochial school. Sheen adopted his stage name from Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, who had a TV show and a large following in the 1950s. Sheen has apparently been actively supporting Richardson for some time, so it is not clear why there has not been prior news of the formal celebrity endorsement.
There is a lot about Sheen's background and career available here on Wikipedia. The YouTUBE clip might make him a liability to the Richardson camp.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Demo Richardson's New Mexico: Whiffs Of Voting Rights Scandal Are In The Air And May Stick To Guv
CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Some of the groups that tangled with Ohio's former Republican Secretary of State Ken Blackwell over voter suppression issues have similar concerns about Bill Richardson's New Mexico. They have openly questioned whether state enforcement of a ballot access law has been shortchanged for low-income citizens, The Daily Bellwether has learned. This poses a potentially difficult political situation for the state's governor, Democratic presidential candidate Richardson, because civil-right lawsuits have been threatened over reputed violations of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.
So far, Richardson is not directly implicated. But New Mexico's top election official, Democratic Secretary of State Mary Herrera, has been warned public assistance agencies in the state failed to actively offer voter registration services as required by federal law.
Herrera is a Richardson supporter and is listed as one of his key presidential backers. As governor, he would also have some symbolic responsibility for making sure all citizens have access to ballots, and perhaps a legal duty, too.
Project Vote and Demos sent letters to Herrera and New Mexico's Human Services Director Pamela S. Hyde, a member of Richardson's cabinet, that described the purported legal violations and said litigation would ensue without corrective action by later this summer. The letters went out last month:
"Substantial evidence demonstrates New Mexico's failure to provide mandatory voter registration services at public assistance offices as required by the NVRA. For example, the state's most recent statistical data for voter registration at public assistance agencies indicates that, from a voting eligible population of over 1.2 million and from 559,162 applications and recertifications for Food Stamps (just one of many programs for which voter registration services are required) New Mexico's public assistance agencies registered only 3,719 voters in 2001-2002. Not only is this number low, it represents a 78 percent decrease in registrations at public assistance agencies since implementation of the NVRA in 1995."
In January, Project Vote said it surveyed welfare offices in New Mexico and found "it clear that New Mexico is disregarding its obligations under the National Voter Registration Act. Project Vote found none of the offices it visited appeared to be distributing mail voter registration applications, assisting applicants with completion of the form, or informing applicants in writing about their options. Virtually none of the applications who were interviewed after applying for or recertifying their eligibility for benefits said they had been offered an opportunity to register to vote."
The full text of the letter, dated June 12, is here. So far, this has not made a ripple in the presidential campaign or national politics. It should because Democrats have been aggressive in Ohio and Florida in registering low-income voters and making sure they have access to the polls. It was a major complaint against GOP conservative Ken Blackwell, whose years as Ohio's chief elections officer were repeatedly hit with Democratic criticism that he wanted to keep poor people from voting. Those poor people were seen by the Democrats as a source of political support because they were not viewed as likely Republicans voters.
Richardson's state, like Ohio, swings in national politics, and its electoral votes could play a key role in deciding the outcome of the 2008 presidential race, assuming the race is close. The possibility that poor people have been disenfrancised because of lax application of the National Voter Registration Act carries a whiff of scandal. Will it turn into a brush fire? There's a chance it could because Richardson has portrayed himself as a competent administrator who is in tune with core Democratic Party values.
But if his state has not been aggressive in helping its low-income residents to vote, that image takes a knock.
Here's some background by another voting rights group, VotersUnite.org about balloting in Richardson's state.
So far, Richardson is not directly implicated. But New Mexico's top election official, Democratic Secretary of State Mary Herrera, has been warned public assistance agencies in the state failed to actively offer voter registration services as required by federal law.
Herrera is a Richardson supporter and is listed as one of his key presidential backers. As governor, he would also have some symbolic responsibility for making sure all citizens have access to ballots, and perhaps a legal duty, too.
Project Vote and Demos sent letters to Herrera and New Mexico's Human Services Director Pamela S. Hyde, a member of Richardson's cabinet, that described the purported legal violations and said litigation would ensue without corrective action by later this summer. The letters went out last month:
"Substantial evidence demonstrates New Mexico's failure to provide mandatory voter registration services at public assistance offices as required by the NVRA. For example, the state's most recent statistical data for voter registration at public assistance agencies indicates that, from a voting eligible population of over 1.2 million and from 559,162 applications and recertifications for Food Stamps (just one of many programs for which voter registration services are required) New Mexico's public assistance agencies registered only 3,719 voters in 2001-2002. Not only is this number low, it represents a 78 percent decrease in registrations at public assistance agencies since implementation of the NVRA in 1995."
In January, Project Vote said it surveyed welfare offices in New Mexico and found "it clear that New Mexico is disregarding its obligations under the National Voter Registration Act. Project Vote found none of the offices it visited appeared to be distributing mail voter registration applications, assisting applicants with completion of the form, or informing applicants in writing about their options. Virtually none of the applications who were interviewed after applying for or recertifying their eligibility for benefits said they had been offered an opportunity to register to vote."
The full text of the letter, dated June 12, is here. So far, this has not made a ripple in the presidential campaign or national politics. It should because Democrats have been aggressive in Ohio and Florida in registering low-income voters and making sure they have access to the polls. It was a major complaint against GOP conservative Ken Blackwell, whose years as Ohio's chief elections officer were repeatedly hit with Democratic criticism that he wanted to keep poor people from voting. Those poor people were seen by the Democrats as a source of political support because they were not viewed as likely Republicans voters.
Richardson's state, like Ohio, swings in national politics, and its electoral votes could play a key role in deciding the outcome of the 2008 presidential race, assuming the race is close. The possibility that poor people have been disenfrancised because of lax application of the National Voter Registration Act carries a whiff of scandal. Will it turn into a brush fire? There's a chance it could because Richardson has portrayed himself as a competent administrator who is in tune with core Democratic Party values.
But if his state has not been aggressive in helping its low-income residents to vote, that image takes a knock.
Here's some background by another voting rights group, VotersUnite.org about balloting in Richardson's state.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Latest Rasmussen Tracking Poll: Hillary's Lead Has Grown
CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The Rasmussen Reports weekly tracking survey is out and shows Sen. Hillary Clinton picked up 4 points and now has the support of 38% of likely Democratic presidential primary voters. That 38% marks a new high for the New York senator, who has opened quite a lead over her rivals, much of it because she is a favorite of women and has remained popular among black voters.
Some pundits have taken shots at Sen. Clinton as staged and stiff. But she just keeps holding her pace and the lead.
Illinois Sen. Barack Obama remained No. 2 at 26%. No change. And former North Carolina Sen. John Edward was at 15%, holding third and also no change. Rasmussen surveyed 783 Americans March 5-8, which was after conservative polemicist Ann Coulter denounced Edwards as a "faggot." Coulter drew severe criticism for the anti-gay slur, and Edwards attacked the remark as offensive. However, he did not move up any in the polls.
Blacks are a major voting bloc in Democratic primaries, but neither Clinton nor Obama has locked up a majority of the African-American vote, Rasmussen said.
"Obama and Clinton are essentially even about African-American voters. Clinton leads Obama by 15 percentage points among women and by 7 among men."
Rasmussen called New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson " a very distant fourth" with just 3% of the vote.
Some pundits have taken shots at Sen. Clinton as staged and stiff. But she just keeps holding her pace and the lead.
Illinois Sen. Barack Obama remained No. 2 at 26%. No change. And former North Carolina Sen. John Edward was at 15%, holding third and also no change. Rasmussen surveyed 783 Americans March 5-8, which was after conservative polemicist Ann Coulter denounced Edwards as a "faggot." Coulter drew severe criticism for the anti-gay slur, and Edwards attacked the remark as offensive. However, he did not move up any in the polls.
Blacks are a major voting bloc in Democratic primaries, but neither Clinton nor Obama has locked up a majority of the African-American vote, Rasmussen said.
"Obama and Clinton are essentially even about African-American voters. Clinton leads Obama by 15 percentage points among women and by 7 among men."
Rasmussen called New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson " a very distant fourth" with just 3% of the vote.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Demo Prezzie Websites: Richardson's Is Bilingual
CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Hispanics are the largest minority in the United States and an important voting bloc for the Democratic Party, particularly in the West and increasingly in the South where their numbers are soaring. All Democratic presidential candidates would say they are for inclusion, but only one, Gov. Bill Richardson, has bothered to create a bilingual Spanish/English portal on a campaign Web site.
The lack of bilingual presidential efforts is a backhand to hispanic Democrats. It is especially noticeable because government agencies commonly include them. Check out what the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio is doing to communicate with the state's Spanish-speaking residents. That type of outreach is not strange, alien or odd -- it is normal for 2007. Perhaps candidates are concerned they would be seen as somehow soft on illegal immigrants if they offered Spanish portals?
There is a huge Spanish media in the U.S. -- TV, radio, newspapers. The culture, it would seem, would be hard to miss.
Richardson, the New Mexico governor and former U.N. ambassador, was born in California to a Mexican dad and American mom. He is not in the top tier of the presidential popularity polls. He does not have the name recognition, but he may have something more important over a long haul -- a loyal base. And he is speaking to them in a way other Democratic contenders have yet to do.
Since 2002, hispanics have been the nation's largest minority. How could so many campaigns and strategists fail to include them at the start? Is this a blindspot by politicians representing a party that prides itself for welcoming minorities and standing up for their rights and interests?
The Midwest is the region with the fewest hispanics, but there are more than 40 million across the land.
The lack of bilingual presidential efforts is a backhand to hispanic Democrats. It is especially noticeable because government agencies commonly include them. Check out what the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio is doing to communicate with the state's Spanish-speaking residents. That type of outreach is not strange, alien or odd -- it is normal for 2007. Perhaps candidates are concerned they would be seen as somehow soft on illegal immigrants if they offered Spanish portals?
There is a huge Spanish media in the U.S. -- TV, radio, newspapers. The culture, it would seem, would be hard to miss.
Richardson, the New Mexico governor and former U.N. ambassador, was born in California to a Mexican dad and American mom. He is not in the top tier of the presidential popularity polls. He does not have the name recognition, but he may have something more important over a long haul -- a loyal base. And he is speaking to them in a way other Democratic contenders have yet to do.
Since 2002, hispanics have been the nation's largest minority. How could so many campaigns and strategists fail to include them at the start? Is this a blindspot by politicians representing a party that prides itself for welcoming minorities and standing up for their rights and interests?
The Midwest is the region with the fewest hispanics, but there are more than 40 million across the land.
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