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PUBLISHED December, 2007
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The Parental is Political

Who's Who Among Presidential Candidates: Bill Richardson

by Julie Marsh

Who's Who Among Presidential Candidates is a series of distillations of individual candidates' views on 24 topics loosely grouped into four categories, as presented on non-partisan website On The Issues.

Bill Richardson

Bill Richardson is the current governor of New Mexico (2003-present). Previously, he served as the Secretary of Energy (1998-2001), US Ambassador to the UN (1997-1998) and as the US Congressional representative from New Mexico's 3rd District (covering the northern portion of the state, including Santa Fe and Los Alamos) from 1983-1997.

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

Foreign Policy - Favors diplomacy. Sees US as isolated; need to embrace international cooperation to regain US leadership role.

Homeland Security - Supports closing Guantanamo and adherence to Geneva Convention rules. Sees preservation of individual rights as paramount, taking priority over national security.

War and Peace - Supports sanctions on Iran. Supports withdrawal of troops from Iraq, re-deployment to Afghanistan to continue pursuit of Al Qaeda.

Free Trade - Supports NAFTA and WTO. Differentiates between free trade and fair trade; supports worker and environmental protections.

Immigration - Opposes border fence, but advocates securing the border. Supports establishing path to citizenship - no amnesty or automatic citizenship.

Energy and Oil - Proposes an energy revolution to reduce consumption of fossil fuels, reduce production of greenhouse gases, increase energy efficiency.

DOMESTIC ISSUES

Gun Control - Supports the Second Amendment (right to keep and bear arms). Believes poverty is core of gun violence.

Crime - Supports the death penalty, imposed tougher penalties for DWI and sex offenders/predators in NM.

Drugs - Supports national public smoking ban. Supports treatment and education over enforcement and incarceration.

Civil Rights - Voted for DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) in 1996, regrets vote. Supports civil unions with full marriage rights.

Jobs - Supports minimum wage increase. Passed tax credit in NM for companies creating jobs paying more than the prevailing wage.

Environment - Criticizes administration/FEMA response to Katrina. Supports renewable technologies and conservation.

ECONOMIC ISSUES

Budget and Economy - Supports the Balanced Budget Amendment.

Government Reform - Supports free market, with regulation of food, drugs, land, and energy.

Tax Reform - Replace current administration tax cuts with tax cuts benefitting the middle class. Cut NM capital gains and income taxes.

Social Security - Opposes privatization, supports pension/401(k) portability.

Welfare and Poverty - Supports expansion of Earned Income Tax Credit and child care. Supports increased minimum wage.

Technology - Supports commuter rail and light-rail initiatives.

SOCIAL ISSUES

Education - Opposes No Child Left Behind, supports minimum salary for teachers.

Health Care - Supports universal healthcare (emphasis on preventative healthcare), funding for national/international HIV/AIDS research.

Abortion - Pro-choice. Supports stem cell research as part of preventative healthcare.

Families and Children - Voted for FMLA while in Congress, supports paid family leave.

Corporations - Believes government has essential role in fostering competition and protecting national interests.

Principles and Values - Running on his record. Asserts that he has the most experience and has shown that he can deliver.

SUMMARY

Based on how his views align with the VoteMatch quiz topics, Bill Richardson is classified as a moderate Liberal. His positions on abortion, healthcare, immigration, social security, energy, and the war in Iraq align with liberal views. However, he is a supporter of the Second Amendment and the death penalty, as well as implementing further tax cuts - traditional conservative stances.

Richardson's public service experience is certainly rich and varied. But he hasn't received as much media attention as the three Democratic front-runners - Clinton, Edwards, and Obama - and his poll numbers are currently low.