{"id":2290,"date":"2007-09-27T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2007-09-27T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/2007\/09\/edwards-obama-call-guvs-claims-dishonest-at-debate\/"},"modified":"2007-09-27T07:00:00","modified_gmt":"2007-09-27T13:00:00","slug":"edwards-obama-call-guvs-claims-dishonest-at-debate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2007\/09\/edwards-obama-call-guvs-claims-dishonest-at-debate\/","title":{"rendered":"Edwards, Obama call guv’s claims dishonest at debate"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Gov. Bill Richardson\u2019s<\/a> performance at Wednesday\u2019s Democratic presidential candidate debate was overshadowed by the assertions of others that some of his claims were unrealistic and disingenuous. <\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

To top it off, it was John Edwards<\/a>, not Richardson<\/st1:city>, who most convincingly set himself apart from the frontrunners on the issue of troop withdrawal from Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

The night started off well for Richardson<\/st1:city> because the moderator of the MSNBC<\/a> debate, Tim Russert, asked the frontrunners whether they would promise that, if they were elected, there would be no American troops in Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> by the end of their first term in January 2013.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

The question appeared to be driven by Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city>\u2019s recent attacks on the frontrunners for rejecting his plan for the withdrawal of all American troops, including residual troops, in a matter of months. Richardson<\/st1:city> has repeatedly said Edwards, Barack Obama<\/a> and Hillary Clinton<\/a> aren\u2019t being honest with the American people when they say they would end the war but also plan to leave some troops in Iraq<\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place>.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

All three refused to make the promise. That could have provided an opportunity for Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> but, even before the governor had a chance to speak, Edwards stole his thunder. The former senator said he would leave only 3,500 to 5,000 non-combat soldiers in Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> to protect the embassy and American humanitarian workers. He attacked Clinton<\/st1:place><\/st1:city>, saying the \u201cfundamental difference\u201d between their plans is that she would leave some combat troops, and he would not. Edwards argued that leaving combat troops was continuing the war.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

When Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> got the chance to speak, he gave the same answer he\u2019s pushed for weeks \u2013 that the frontrunners, in leaving even residual troops, would be continuing the war, and that his plan has a \u201cfundamental difference.\u201d He made his point, but Edwards had already set himself apart.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Things got better for Edwards and worse for Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city>. Obama was suffering from a cold and had an off night, and Clinton<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> had a hard time clearly answering questions. Edwards plainly answered each question that was asked, appearing straight-forward and sharp.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

A botched answer<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Russert asked tough questions of several of the candidates. He pointed out the security breaches at Los Alamos National Laboratory while Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> was energy secretary and the governor\u2019s recent misstatements on the campaign trail, which included mistakenly saying that homosexuality is a choice. Russert asked, \u201cBased on those kinds of comments and that record of performance or questionable activities, how can you tell people you have the experience to be president?\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> said he does make mistakes, but he admits them. He said the real issue, however, is whether he delivers, and that\u2019s when his answer went downhill. He pointed to his experience in meeting with foreign dictators and said he negotiated a ceasefire in Darfur<\/st1:place> earlier this year. The reality is that, despite his trip, a ceasefire never happened.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

He also said New Mexico<\/st1:place><\/st1:state> has a balanced budget, implying that he gets credit for that. The reality is that the state Constitution requires it. It\u2019s not an option.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Then Richardson repeated the line that earned him a great deal of positive attention after a recent debate in Iowa, saying Clinton may be the candidate of experience, and Obama may be the candidate of change, but with him, voters get both. The campaign has milked the clever line for all its worth in recent weeks, and this time it came across as cheap.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

What goes around\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Then Edwards and Obama got back at Richardson<\/st1:city> for his recent and relentless assertion that they\u2019re not being honest with the American people about their plans for Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Candidates were asked if they would ensure the solvency of social security by lifting the cap on the tax that kicks in at an income of $97,500. Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> said he would not, but would ensure the continuance of the program by growing the nation\u2019s economy. When Russert pointed out that estimates indicate the number of people on social security is going to double, and suggested that Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city>\u2019s assertion that economic development alone could pay for the increased costs was outrageous, the governor refused to waver.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Edwards seized the moment, saying the only way to run for president \u201cis to be honest.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cYou cannot solve this problem just by growing the economy,\u201d Edwards said before adding that \u201cthere has been so much doubletalk on this issue.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

No other candidate agreed with Richardson<\/st1:city> on the social security question, just as no other candidate \u2013 except Dennis Kucinich<\/a> and Mike Gravel<\/a> \u2013 believes Richardson<\/st1:city>\u2019s timetable for Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> withdrawal is realistic or logistically possible. When Richardson<\/st1:city> turned another question back to Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> moments later, Obama took the opportunity to point that out.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> was asked if, given the group\u2019s stance on homosexuality, he would accept the position of honorary chairman of the Boy Scouts of America \u2013 a title usually given to the president \u2013 if he was elected. Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> said he would not. He then somehow got back on the subject of Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> and again attacked the frontrunners. Obama cut in.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, I\u2019m happy to have this discussion again, Bill,\u201d Obama said. \u201cI think it is important to tell the American people the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

He said generals don\u2019t believe it\u2019s logistically possible to safely withdraw American soldiers as quickly as Richardson<\/st1:city> proposes, and said Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city>\u2019s plan is not realistic.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the same pretense with social security that somehow we can do this magically. We can\u2019t,\u201d Obama said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Though candidates were allowed some back-and-forth and Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> likely could have challenged Edwards and Obama, he did not. Richardson<\/st1:city><\/st1:place> pointed out during a post debate interview that Obama \u201cchallenged me\u201d and \u201cgot irritated with me,\u201d but even then, he didn\u2019t really respond.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

All that added up to a fairly unmemorable performance by a candidate who appeared to be marginalized by Russert\u2019s tough questions and the challenges from Edwards and Obama.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

You can watch the debate by clicking here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gov. Bill Richardson\u2019s performance at Wednesday\u2019s Democratic presidential candidate debate was overshadowed by the assertions of others that some of his claims were unrealistic and disingenuous. To top it off, it was John Edwards, not Richardson, who most convincingly set himself apart from the frontrunners on the issue of troop withdrawal from Iraq. The night […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2290","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2290","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2290"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2290\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}