Bill Richardson on the Issues

It's important to vote for a candidate based on the issues, experience, and judgment as opposed to the production values of their television commercials. The candidates do their best to hide their positions on important issues. Here is my effort to try and present where they stand on the issues.

Iraq
Bill Richardson would remove all troops from Iraq as soon as possible. He has said that would be anywhere from 3-8 months. He would not leave any residual troops in Iraq. Richardson believes that America's presence in Iraq is only making things worse. This is a good assessment. Most Iraqis do not want the U.S. in their country. According to the Iraq Study Group Report, 79% of Iraqis are against America's presence in their country. Fareed Zakaria states that even our noblest intentions are making things worse. So-called democratic elections have exacerbated sectarian tensions, because people only vote for their sect. By training the Iraqi military, we are actually arming the two warring factions. As long as America stays in Iraq, the Iraqi government will not be perceived as legitimate. When we leave, the Iraqis could very well unify to get al Qaeda out of their country. Most Iraqis detest al Qaeda's methods, but appreciate their anti-America stance. Bill Richardson understands the best policy for both Americans and Iraqis is to redeploy all American troops out of Iraq.

Health Care
Bill Richardson favors a universal healthcare plan. The plan would make health care mandatory. It would provide tax credits on a sliding scale to help residents purchase health insurance. His plan would require employers to pay a share of the health insurance costs. There is more about his plan here.

Education
Richardson has the most ambitious education plan of all of the candidates. His plan would cost $60 million. He wants to scrap No Child Left Behind with the assumption that kids learn a lot less when they are taught to one test. He promises a national average starting salary of $40,000 for teachers. He vows to hire 100,000 new math and science teachers. He is in favor of a universal pre-kindergarten and enacted legislation towards that end in New Mexico. He would pay for his plan by cutting loan subsidies to private banks and lenders. He would also cut Pentagon waste and outdated weapons systems designed for the Cold War.

Immigration
Richardson would not waste money on building a barrier on the Mexican border. He believes that if you build a 12-foot wall, there will be a lot of 13-foot ladders. As with all Democratic candidates, he is in favor of providing a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. He is in favor of undocumented immigrants obtaining a driver's license, something he has passed in New Mexico. They're going to drive anyway, it's better to teach them the laws of the road and have a record of their presence in the country. As with all candidates, he is in favor of punishing employers who hire undocumented immigrants, which makes you wonder how these people are going to make money.

Iran
Bill Richardson is against war with Iran. He is firmly in the diplomacy camp, which is not a surprise considering that he's an experienced diplomat himself. It also happens to be the right position, especially since the latest National Intelligence Estimate states that Iran has not had a nuclear program since 2003. Of the Democratic candidates, only Hillary Clinton voted for or supported the recent non-binding resolution that named an Iranian military unit a terrorist organization.

Gay rights
Bill Richardson is in favor of gay marriage, but does not believe it is practical, much like Lincoln was against slavery, but didn't believe abolition was practical, until the situation arose two years into his term. Not that the abolition of slavery and gay marriage are alike in really any way, just saying. However, Richardson claimed that he believed that homosexuality was a choice at a debate over the summer. he also used a slur in Spanish for gay people on the Imus show in the Spring of 2006. However, his record is strong on gay rights. As with all Democratic candidates, he supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. In New Mexico, he has enacted legislation granting for benefits for same-sex partners. A confusing dichotomy indeed.

Environment
He would mandate a 90 percent greenhouse-gas emission reduction by 2050, which is the strongest call of any candidate. He also calls for a short-term reduction of 20% by 2020. He believes carbon-clean coal will play a role in the future. he also believes that nuclear power will play a role. However, he would eliminate subsidies given to coal, nuclear, and oil. He is a strong supporter of both corn-based ethanol and cellulosic ethanol. Richardson has a strong incentive for electric cars in his auto proposal. He's proposing an increase to a 50 mpg standard for automobiles by 2020, one of the most ambition plans of any candidate.

Other issues
death penalty: He's for it.
guns: He's for them. He against an assault riffle ban and has the most conservative stance on gun control of any Democratic candidate.
Cuban embargo: He believes it's outdated and would lift it.

Other stuff
Bill Richardson is currently the Governor of New Mexico. He has an impressive resume. In addition to being a two-term governor, he was Secretary of Energy under Bill Clinton, a United Nations Ambassador, and a congressperson for 14 years. Richardson is of Mexican descent and grew up in Mexico City. You might not believe this, but he also speaks Spanish. He's married to his wife Barbara. Richardson is not a great debater, but comes across as charming in one-on-one interviews. He would be the first Mexican-American president if elected.