It’s just Republican rhetoric

A Latino-oriented coalition (although I suspect they will be greatly offended to be referred to as “Latinos”) is using New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson’s final days in office to denounce him as being worthless in advancing Latino interests.



RICHARDSON: What was he worth to Latinos? Photographs provided by New Mexico governor's office.



The Hispano Roundtable of New Mexico is a coalition of some 50 groups. None of them has much influence on their own. But by sticking together, they hope to build up some political pull.

THERE’S NOTHING WRONG with coalition building. It is a basic tool toward gaining political influence.

Yet this coalition managed to pass a resolution that inspired the Associated Press to write a short story that is popping up in newspapers and websites all over the country.

Many are playing it similar to the Las Cruces Sun-News, which headlined the story, “NM Hispanic group: Richardson doesn’t speak for us.”

Their resolution calls Richardson, the California-born but raised as a child in Mexico City official who on Saturday ends his eight years as governor of New Mexico, “ruthless, dishonest, dishonorable, contemptuous and abusive” toward Latinos.

SPECIFICALLY, THEY BLAST him for never creating a separate state agency for Hispano Affairs, which they claim was a specific promise of his when he got elected governor following his time in Washington as a part of the Bill Clinton administration.

They also say he should never express any opinion on issues relating to Latinos, “today, and in perpetuity.”

While I don’t know much about this particular coalition (other than that the respected League of United Latin American Citizens chapters in New Mexico have worked with them on projects in the past), it’s that last part that makes me think there’s a touch of absurdity to this particular resolution.

It also makes me think that somebody with the Associated Press should have put just a tad more thought into whether or not this action was worth a story. I don’t care if it is the week between Christmas and New Year’s. Some happenings are too cheap to take seriously, no matter when they occur.

MY REACTION IS that this coalition is favoring the interests of that segment of the Latino population that would prefer to think of themselves as Republican. That “Hispano” part of their name (not even Hispanic) makes me think that these are the types of people who like to associate themselves specifically with the Spanish conquistadores, and not the lowly Indios – even though anyone who’s honest admits that modern-day Latinos are a mix.

So the idea that GOP partisans are saying something hostile toward a Democratic official with a national reputation who may well become a part of the Obama administration in coming years strikes me as, “So what!”

I expect certain people to speak out against others based on party labels. What next? You’re going to tell me that Obama backers don’t think much of that crazy witch from Delaware who seems to have gotten caught up in a mess related to her campaign funds.

Could 'Ponch' play Richardson in a film someday?

Of course they’re getting a giggle, particularly at the way in which she is getting all worked up by labeling it a “thug politic tactic.”

IF IT SEEMS like I think this group’s rhetoric is about as credible as Christine O’Donnell’s these days, you’d be interpreting me correctly.

It comes off as vague allegations that aren’t really allegations, being made by people who wouldn’t mind if they could make something stick against Richardson to prevent him from having any kind of future in public life.

It is much like the investigation that wound up turning up nothing, other than that it scared off political types when Richardson was being considered for Secretary of Commerce.

This just has too little specificity to stick.

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