Every politician seems to tell them. Stories involving an intimate moment with a constituent that motivated them to take action. And, apparently Governor Bill Richardson is no exception:
On the campaign trail, presidential hopeful Bill Richardson tells a moving story about a New Mexico Marine killed in Iraq and his mom. But is it true?
Three years ago, Richardson attended a memorial service for Lance Cpl. Aaron Austin, 21, who died in April 2004. As he campaigns for the Democratic nomination, the New Mexico governor often recounts an emotional conversation with Austin’s mother, saying she thanked him for the federal death benefits she had received and even showed him the government check.
Of course, in Richardson’s case, there is one slight hiccup:
But that’s not what bothers the Marine’s mother, De’on Miller, of Lovington, N.M., who says the conversation about money never took place.
“I didn’t exchange words at all with the governor there except when he gave me the flag. And those few words – whatever was exchanged when he handed me the flag and the Spirit of New Mexico award – certainly had nothing to do with money,” she said Thursday in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.
Now who are we supposed to believe here – the Governor of the State of New Mexico and Democratic candidate for President, or the Marine’s mom? Based on Bill Richardson’s story telling history, smart money backs the mom.