• printer friendly
• mail this article
• iPod format
• digg

Bill Richardson

---

The following are a few of Gov. Richardson’s campaign platforms for the upcoming 2008 presidential election.

• Iraq: Richardson is the only top-tier Democratic candidate to promote a complete withdrawal of American troops from Iraq by 2013.
• Health care: Richardson supports government-sponsored universal health care and plans in part to do so by providing families and small businesses with advanced refundable tax credits based on income.
• Education: Richardson plans on scrapping No Child Left Behind policies, eliminating time-consuming and confusing FAFSA applications and expand federal student aid by consolidating federal grants, loans and scholarships. He also plans to provide financial incentives for universities to keep tuition costs low.
• Same-sex marriage: Richardson fought against a Defense of Marriage Act in New Mexico and said he will continue to push for domestic partnerships in 2008. Richardson supports partnerships with full legal rights for same-sex couples.
• Abortion rights: Richardson, who considers himself a pro-choice candidate, fully supports Roe v. Wade, has committed to only appointing judges to the supreme court who consider the case as “settled law,” and advocates emergency contraception for rape victims.
• Immigration: Richardson supports tighter border security, fines for immigrants who entered the country illegally, and what he calls a “tough but fair path to legalization,” including background checks, an English proficiency requirement and back taxes.

SOURCE: www.richardsonforpresident.com

---

Photo

RICHARDSON FOR PRESIDENT

New Mexico governor and Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Richardson will be on campus today to discuss U.S. foreign policy in Latin America.

Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, a Democratic presidential candidate, will be unveiling his foreign policy plan for Latin America on campus today.

“The speech itself focuses on Latin America and how (Richardson) would approach the region as president,” said Tom Reynolds, a spokesman for Richardson.

The event will be hosted by the Bruin Democrats and the New Democratic Network, a political organization and advocacy group.

Having Richardson speak on campus is exciting, said Bruin Democrats President Kyle Kleckner, adding that he believes Richardson’s background as a Western governor makes him a unique candidate that students can gravitate toward.

Joe Garcia, executive director of the New Democratic Network, agreed.

“Californians in particular understand that dynamism and the diversity of what America will look like, and Bill Richardson represents that,” Garcia said.

“He’s a very open guy, and I think students will get that feeling when they meet him,” he added.

Richardson is the only Mexican American candidate in the presidential race; he spent part of his childhood in Mexico.

This, in conjunction with his experience as governor of a state that borders Mexico, has shaped his views on immigration and has made him popular among Mexican Americans, according to polling data.

Richardson supports securing the border – though not by use of a fence – while also establishing what his Web site calls a “reasonable” and “tough but fair” path to legalization for undocumented immigrants.

This is a similar position to those taken by fellow Democratic presidential candidates Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards since they all want to require undocumented immigrants already in the United States to pay fines or back taxes for entering illegally.

Supporters of Richardson say his proposed policy presents a contrast with that of the current administration because they believe it promotes more open discussion with countries such as Cuba and Venezuela that have historically strained ties with the United States.

Richardson has participated in diplomatic trips abroad to countries including Iraq and North Korea and was also appointed United Nations ambassador by President Bill Clinton.

Reynolds said this experience is an important part of the Latin American policy that Richardson will be discussing.

“He’s met with the leaders of these (Latin American) countries; he knows the region ... and that informs the policy that he puts forth,” he said.

One issue on which Richardson differs from his fellow Democratic candidates Obama, Clinton and Edwards is a plan for Iraq.

These other candidates, Reynolds said, cannot commit to having forces out by 2013, which is part of Richardson’s platform.