Who won the debate?

I choose Richardson. He seems pretty down to Earth and articulate. That guy Mike Gravel is a little angry, isn't he?

Who up there really has ANY foriegn policy experience?

Richardson on gun control:

http://www.snubnose.info/wordpress/news/bill-richardson-on-gun-control/

It seems to me that the most gun-friendly candidate from either party at this point is a Democrat, Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico. He has consistently received endorsements from the NRA and he is the only candidate for president in 2008 who has publicly stated that he holds a concealed carry permit. Richardson is one Democrat who seems to “get it” on gun rights:


A large man sitting in a small office, wearing a brown suede vest and heavy, battered boots, Richardson clearly revels in his image as the quintessential Westerner. “You have to talk about guns in the context of lifestyle, recreation, a way of life,” the Governor argues, “rather than as just a measure to prevent murders and deaths. Democrats need to move into a void in the West. The Bush Administration is scaring off recreationists, hunters and fishermen because of their extreme anti-environmental policies. It’s important to build alliances with these ranchers and fishermen and broaden the dialogue. The West is becoming more fertile Democratic territory. It’s important for Democrats on the East Coast not to make the gun issue a litmus test.”

… A Western regional primary, says Richardson, “would mean the presidential candidate would have to be attuned to Western issues – and the gun issue would be important. It would force candidates to confront the gun issue more realistically, instead of just a blanket opposition. The core issues are access to healthcare, jobs and job protection, education. These are Democratic core issues. The gun issue? It should not be a litmus test. Because there are more and more Democrats who support the Second Amendment.”

“Richardson’s a very politically astute individual,” says Robert Goode, NRA regional representative for West Texas and New Mexico. “He knows you’re beating your head against a wall when you go after the firearms issue. And he backs his words with his votes.” Goode continues that, if a candidate like Richardson ran for the presidency, he believes the NRA would step back and not take a partisan stance on the election. Goode’s colleague Charles Weisleder, a 70-year-old NRA lobbyist, agrees. “Richardson,” says Weisleder, a bald man smiling broadly over coffee at an Albuquerque Shoney’s, “got a lot of gun votes because of what he said to us. A lot of people are driven by the firearms issue.” Hard-core lefty source

The NRA likes Richardson and has for a long time. I particularly like his open and public support for shall issue concealed carry:


The NRA endorsement [of Bill Richardson for governor in 2006], announced Monday at a West Mesa shooting range where hundreds of law enforcement officers from around the world took part in an NRA-sponsored shooting championship, wasn’t the first time Richardson has garnered the group’s backing.

“He’s been a pretty solid guy on the gun issue,” Van Horn, a member of the NRA’s board of directors, said.

Whether that record could woo pro-Second Amendment voters into the Democratic fold in a national election is another question.

“He has treated us first class,” said Kayne Robinson, NRA’s executive director for general operations. “What the implication of that will be in national politics is beyond my pay grade.”

A news release announcing the endorsement cites Richardson’s support for a law that allows New Mexico residents to carry concealed handguns with a permit.

Richardson said he has earned a concealed-carry permit himself. “I am not packing today, though,” he said, “because I have plenty of State Police officers here to protect me.” That drew a laugh at the shooting range. Source

Richarson did have one notable mistep in gun rights; he voted for the Clinton Assault Weapons Ban:


In 2003, Richardson backed and signed a long-debated bill to establish licenses to carry concealed weapons. A similar bill was passed and signed into law in 2001 by then Gov. Gary Johnson. However, that bill was struck down by the state Supreme Court on a technical issue.

In 2005, Richardson successfully worked for a bill to lower the age of eligibility for the licenses. Richardson also has called for tougher penalties against criminals who use guns to commit felonies.

Richardson has a history of campaigning as a pro-gun candidate. During his 1994 congressional campaign, Richardson had a full-page newspaper advertisement in Clovis saying his GOP opponent Greg Bemis favored gun registration — which Bemis denied.

As a congressman, Richardson was a vocal opponent of gun-control proposals for most his career. In 1994, however, he voted for a crime bill pushed by President Clinton that included a ban on assault rifles.

That vote disappointed the National Rifle Association, which refused to endorse his re-election that year.

However, he has apparently worked his way back into the organization’s good graces. On June 30, Richardson received a $1,000 contribution from the NRA Victory Fund. Source

Counterpoint: Richardson was Secretary of Energy in the Clinton administration, perhaps the presidency most hostile to gun rights of them all. Richardson has successfully distanced himself from the Clinton ideology, a neat trick in itself. It’s a fair question to ask if his post-Clinton gun advocacy is a heartfelt conviction or only the expediency of a shrewd politician. The argument against this suspicion is a pretty solid and consistent track record that places him on the side of gun owners.