Richardson’s conduct toward women scrutinized

Since news broke on Friday that Gov. Bill Richardson would run for president, the blogosphere has been abuzz with talk about rumors and allegations involving his conduct with women.

Three of the top liberal blogs in the nation – DailyKos, Wonkette and Huffington Post – have all made references to such rumors in recent days.

Markos Moulitsas Zúniga, the administrator of DailyKos, wrote about Richardson’s private life being “the subject of – how should I delicately put it? – Clintonian rumors.” Wonkette referred to Richardson’s “unspecified bimbo-itis.”

But the most concrete and potentially damaging allegations came Sunday from Stephen Clemmons, who runs the blog The Washington Note. His critique was also run by Huffington Post.

Though he phrases his criticism in the form of a question Richardson needs to address, Clemmons says people he knows have seen the governor make lewd gestures toward women in public.

“Have you behaved inappropriately or not in public settings with female members of your government administration, jokingly or not?” Clemmons wrote. “Have you gestured to female public servants and political appointees – who work as colleagues with you – and made lewd gestures, specifically pointing to them and then pointing at your crotch with a room full of media and other politicos there in the room?”

As someone who worked as a senior staff member to Sen. Jeff Bingaman when Richardson was a congressman, Clemmons claims to know well many who have worked for Richardson over the years.

“I ask (the question about the lewd gesture) because I was not in the room when this particular incident occurred but many others were – and rumors have long swept around Santa Fe that Bill Richardson makes a constant festive joke out of demeaning women,” Clemmons wrote.

And, he wrote, the allegations go way beyond comments made by Lt. Gov. Diane Denish last year that Richardson “pokes me… pinches my neck. He touches my hip, my thigh, sort of the side of my leg,” and that such toughing makes her avoid Richardson. The allegations Clemmons brings up, he wrote, are “about a far more crude kind of gesture that demeans professional women.”

Richardson was asked about such blogger comments during a news conference this afternoon, and about whether he can pass the test of enormous scrutiny inherent in running for president.

“Sure, there’s going to be enormous scrutiny. I’m ready for it,” Richardson said.

He appeared at the news conference with his wife, who, almost certainly by design, pointed out their 40 years together.

Richardson pointed out that he passed background checks to become U.S. secretary of energy and U.N. ambassador, survived the public scrutiny of seven congressional and two gubernatorial elections, and was considered by John Kerry as a potential running mate in 2004.

“I was vetted for vice president and found solid, but I wasn’t chosen, obviously,” Richardson said. “But I’m confident.”

Such a vetting is solid, but not foolproof. It’s important to remember that President Bush’s 1976 arrest for drunken driving didn’t become public until a few days before the 2000 presidential election. He went through two gubernatorial campaigns, a congressional campaign and most of a presidential campaign before it came out.

Richardson was asked about the bloggers like Clemmons who are making such comments, and spoke of the important role bloggers play in democracy.

“I hope you continue your issues-based campaign,” he said.

He didn’t directly address the questions raised by Clemmons.

Clemmons wrote that Richardson either needs to follow the lead of Calif. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who “fessed up to some of his past misbehavior and moved forward successfully,” or “categorically deny” that he has done anything that could have been perceived as “seriously demeaning to women.”

Richardson will likely have to address these issues more directly as the campaign progresses. It’s sure to be a topic the press and Richardson’s opponents scrutinize.