Richardson really has foot in mouth disease...latest gaffe...

[SaveElmer]

"Thank you AFSCME!"

That was how New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson closed his speech to the SEIU membership in Washington today.

SEIU is many things, but it is not AFSCME -- the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

AFSCME is, in many states, an SEIU rival.

Oops.

IF his qualifications weren't so well known he would be the laughing stock of the race...really disappointing...I had high hopes!

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/

[Carrieyazel]

1. Oh, please. So he made a minor mistake. He's human, and unlike Hillary not scripted.

He's been campaigning endlessly almost 18 hours a day, actually talking with the voters.

Why don't you go back to his formal announcement speech in May in L.A. It was the most inspiring, rousing speech of the year. Awesome. Many of his early speeches from early in the year were great as well. He had a great ABC This Week debate, unlike Hillary.

[SaveElmer]

2. Not his first...and I find it funny...

That everyone's answer to criticism of their candidate is to bash Hillary, often on an unrelated topic...

If Hillary had made the same mistake you could mistake DU for the rapture...

Being able to communicate to the audience the fact that you know who you are speaking to is pretty important...

And this is hardly Richardson's first gaffe...

I like Richardson, he was initially my second choice...but his public campaigning skills have proven to be so poor I don't think he would fare well in a general election campaign...

[Carrieyazel]

4. No, his public campaigning skills are great. Getting a few things mixed up has zero to do with that

[SaveElmer]

7. You mean like saying being gay is a choice...

Little mixups like that?

[Carrieyazel]

14. He came to that debate with almost no sleep, and the word choice

is used by many Dems to support a pro-choice position for women's reproductive rights.

It was an honest mix-up, and thats what he could have been thinking about.

By the way, Hillary also made a gaffe at that LGBT forum. When she stated that an amendment to ban gay marriage would be "the first time discrimination would be enshrined in the Constitution".
Not the first time.
As any eighth grader studying the Constitution knows, discrimination was enshrined in that document from the original signing. That slaves would be considered 3/5 of a white person, and women also not considered equivalent to white males. Hillary's gaffe got some chatter at some other sites I visited, but apparently not DU.

[sandnsea]

11. Do you know him from NM?

he makes a lot of mistakes, lots. Is he always like this, kind of scattered?? I'm honestly just asking because it would be easier to dismiss these kinds of things if I could put them in some context to his personality.

[seasat]

3. Sort of like when Hillary chatised Obama for his statement on using nukes.

From the Washington Post:

Obama (Ill.) was responding to a question by the Associated Press about whether there was any circumstance in which he would be prepared or willing to use nuclear weapons in Afghanistan and Pakistan to defeat terrorism and bin Laden.

"There's been no discussion of using nuclear weapons, and that's not a hypothetical that I'm going to discuss," Obama said. When asked whether his answer also applied to the possible use of tactical nuclear weapons, he said it did.

By the afternoon, Clinton (N.Y.) had responded with an implicit rebuke. "Presidents should be careful at all times in discussing the use and nonuse of nuclear weapons," she said, adding that she would not answer hypothetical questions about the use of nuclear force.

"Presidents since the Cold War have used nuclear deterrents to keep the peace, and I don't believe any president should make blanket statements with the regard to use or nonuse," Clinton said.

And later from the Washington Post:

NEW YORK -- Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton, who chastised rival Barack Obama for ruling out the use of nuclear weapons in the war on terror, did just that when asked about Iran a year ago.

"I would certainly take nuclear weapons off the table," she said in April 2006.

And I had such high hopes for her.

[rinsd]

5. At least she got his name right.

This was a silly gaffe on Richardson's part.

Also in your 2nd link/quote Hillary was talking about Bush doing nuclear dick waving and how in terms of diplomatic threats nuclear weapons were off the table.

The New York senator, a member of the Armed Services committee, was asked about reports that the Bush administration was considering military intervention _ possibly even a nuclear strike _ to prevent Iran from escalating its nuclear program.

"I have said publicly no option should be off the table, but I would certainly take nuclear weapons off the table," Clinton said. "This administration has been very willing to talk about using nuclear weapons in a way we haven't seen since the dawn of a nuclear age. I think that's a terrible mistake."

[seasat]

9. It was also her husband's policy during his administration to not use nukes on terrorists.

It also is the public policy of every non-Weekly Standard policy expert. This was publicly known for ages. No one in their right mind would use nuclear weapons against a nonnuclear target to take out a terrorist. It would be insane. Even Dodd noted that Obama's position was correct. If you really mean that she would seriously consider a nuclear attack on a nonnuclear target, then I'll join up with the Hillary bashers on this board and be one of her fiercest critics. Hillary was attacking Obama and made a huge gaffe. However, since Richardson flubbed some earlier speeches, it's now become the standard to attack him every time he slightly minces words.

Obama called the Prime Minister of Canada, President in one of the debates. Edwards said he didn't know what kind of health care system Cuba has. Everyone of the candidates has made flubs. However, Richardson's were more publicized especially since Richardson moved up in Iowa and New Hampshire.

So let me know if Hillary really wants to use nukes against soft targets in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Provide me a link. I've considered Hillary a third choice but will make it my mission to post a negative article against her once a day if you actually can provide me with a link that she'll support such an insane policy.

[jillan]

6. That's like bsh calling APEC - OPEC

But we all know that bsh has OPEC on his mind.

So who is winning the gaffe polls?
Biden, Richardson, or someone else?

Biden hasn't had one for a while - maybe I should be worried.

[sandnsea]

8. Does anybody know this guy well?

I can't figure this out. Is he always like this? What's the deal?

I had actually heard that he wasn't really all he was cracked up to be, but I never thought he'd turn out being a complete buffoon. This is strange.

[Tellurian]

10. Nobody's Perfect... Let it play out by itself..

The public will either make it an issue or they won't. Richardson's popularity will dictate which way it goes.

A human failing. He made a mistake. Let someone cast the first stone who has never made a mistake. We have to be a forgiving party with good common sense, not narrowing our focus in the endless search of perfection.

[Omaha Steve]

12. I'm a proud AFSCME member

I have nothing against the SEIU. I do have nothing but respect for one of the Democratic party's largest contributors and door knockers! Nothing here to get in a stew about.

[AnnieBW]

13. D'Oh!

I think that Richardson is self-destructing.