Gov. Bill Richardson shocked many Hispanics this weekend by agreeing with President George W. Bush that the national anthem should only be sung in English.
Many Northern New Mexico Hispanics were already upset with the governor because they believe he is ignoring their needs. They protested his action and inaction several weeks ago at the state Democratic pre-primary convention.
One source said the latest move is a bad one for Richardson.
“His national anthem position showed Gov. Richardson’s formerly well-tuned political ear has increasingly gone tone deaf,” the source said. “The governor has failed to lead on immigration and border issues, where he should be a natural. Growing up in Mexico, likely the only Hispanic running for president, why join the Bush position?”
Richardson has pleased the left with some immigration stances and the right with others. Weeks ago he admitted the complexities of the issue to a group of grade-school students in Española.
It isn’t easy to figure out what to do about more than 11 million undocumented immigrants and the future influx of others. But my source had some interesting points.
“The national anthem has been interpreted from Hendrix to Rosanne Barr. Why not in Spanish?” the source asked. “I just got back from my weekly Catholic mass, where Hispanics and Anglos alike are accustomed to hymns and prayers, including the Lord’s Prayer, in both English and Spanish.”
Point: If God hears prayers in all languages, why can’t Lady Liberty? If someone is waving an American flag, does it matter that he’s saying “Viva America” instead of “Long live America?”
That’s essentially what Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday in breaking with Bush on the issue.
The governor’s statement might be motivated by his presidential ambitions. He’s looking at the first primaries in New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina, where people probably won’t appreciate a Spanish national anthem.
“After those three states, the governor will be either the nominee or likely a footnote,” the source said.
But he is also up for re-election this year, and the Wednesday Morning Quarterback reported last week that Richardson’s opponent, Republican J.R. Damron, may be shaking up his staff. That would please many Richardson opponents who have been frustrated that Damron hasn’t attacked the governor thus far.
“Expect this to inflame the governor’s growing problems with state Hispanic leaders and voters,” the source said. “He is making a mistake thinking he is going to do well based upon his mother’s bloodline, rather than by his actions.”
The source pointed out that the governor’s top campaign staffers are Anglos, as is “the governor’s hand-picked state party chair.”
Republicans are gaining among young Hispanics while Democratic conventions, the source said, are attended largely by “liberal retirees from Santa Fe and Los Alamos, the progressives moving here from out of state dominating the local party structure.”
In Doña Ana County, the past several party chairs have been Anglos.
“The Democratic Party has lost its Hispanic base in New Mexico,” the source, who is a longtime Democrat, said.
What happens today, and Richardson’s response to it, will have an effect on his future political opportunities. Many Hispanics plan to boycott American businesses and goods and skip work to show their impact on the economy. Is this traditionally politically quiet group finding its voice? The last few weeks of protests might point to that, but today will be a major indicator.
And is Richardson, who should be the candidate of Hispanics, poised to ride their awakening into the White House?
Only time will tell.
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Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., is leading the way on a proposal that would give millions of taxpayers a $100 rebate check designed to provide relief from high gas costs. But the rebate comes with a condition: The measure would also allow controversial drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.
I spoke with Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., about that last week. He called tying the rebate to Alaska drilling “somewhat perverse.” When asked if it was an election year ploy, Bingaman said, “You can make your own conclusions on that.”
I’ll give you the same freedom, but consider this: If Democrats vote against the measure in order to protect the wildlife refuge in Alaska, they’ll be accused of opposing giving Americans back their money.
The real question is whether Americans are willing to sell a pristine, albeit seldom-used wildlife refuge to oil companies for a one-time gift that will be gone after 2-3 tanks of gas. How would we pay for the rebates, anyway? We have a huge deficit. It’s not like there’s money just floating around out there that can easily be returned to us.
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Since I’m blogging about topics that extend so far beyond New Mexico’s borders today, I also wanted to tell you about more than 60 people who camped out behind the Court Youth Center in Las Cruces Saturday night to raise awareness about what’s happening in Northern Uganda. Each night, some 40,000 children walk miles from their remote villages to towns and sleep in the streets, which are safer than their homes. For 20 years, a rebel group has been abducting children, killing some and forcing the rest to be soldiers and sex slaves.
About 60,000 people in 130 cities around the world joined together Saturday night to walk, like the children, and sleep on the streets. I joined the group in Las Cruces. We wrote letters to our nation’s leaders calling on them to help, created artwork that will be included in a magazine about the event, and slept in temperatures that dipped into the lower 40s. Some walked to the Court Youth Center from City Hall; others walked from the business complex at New Mexico State University.
Another group in Albuquerque held a similar event.
The Las Cruces event was led by high school and college students, who did a great job. You can learn more about the cause by clicking here.
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Who knows what today will bring? Will immigrants shut down major U.S. cities by staying home, as some hope? Stay tuned. Come back tomorrow for more on New Mexico politics.