Hillary Clinton’s Campaign released a campaign ad this week inferring that the late former Governor Ann Richards would have supported Hillary. Not so says Richard’s sons.
From the AP:
Clinton’s campaign had permission from Richards’ youngest daughter, Ellen, who said in a statement provided by the campaign that her mother was an “ardent feminist” who would be thrilled by her friend Hillary Clinton’s candidacy.
“I believe that if my mom were alive today that she would be stumping across Texas and around the country supporting Hillary for president,” her statement said.
But sons Dan and Clark Richards, partners at an Austin law firm, say nobody can know who the outspoken and opinionated former governor would have supported in the race between Clinton and Barack Obama.
“As her children, we never presumed to know her mind when alive and we are not prepared to make a claim as to who she would endorse or what she would do if she were still with us,” they wrote in an e-mail last week. “We are not granting permission for her name to be used in advertisements on behalf of either candidate.”
The e-mail, provided to The Associated Press by Dan Richards, was sent to Cathy Bonner, a friend of their mother’s and member of Richards’ administration. Bonner is working with Clinton’s campaign and sent Dan and Clark Richards an early copy of the video on Feb. 19 “to make sure you are okay with it.”
Dan Richards said in an interview Tuesday that they denied permission and he’s angry the campaign published the video anyway. He said the campaign contacted him again last Friday to ask him to reconsider, and he repeated his objections.
“They asked me if I would sue the campaign, and I said no, I wasn’t in the business of suing the campaign, but I didn’t think they should do it,” he said in a telephone interview. “To try to present who she would endorse a year and a half after she died is offensive to me.”
Cathy Bonner said in an interview that after Richards’ sons objected the video was edited to remove photos of the family. “We’re not saying we speak for the family,” Bonner said. She said the video is a statement from the former governor’s supporters about the strong bond between Clinton and Richards.
Hmmm… you be the judge. Is this in poor taste or just an honorable tribute to the now infamous Texas Governor? The ad is still being played for the time being throughout Texas.
By the way, listen how Hillary’s Texas drawl comes out when speaking about Richards.
Off The Grid 
I am sorry maybe I missed it but were exactly in the add dose it say that Ann would support Hillary? I certainly implies it. And lets be honest the woman was a serious feminist and most likely would have. But what I heard was that she would be urging people to make a stand not what that stand should be.
I don’t see anything wrong with the ad. It really just reminds people who Ann was and where she stood on the capability of women to get the job done.
I’m sorry if I wasn’t very clear. I never said that the ad SAYS Ann would have supported Hillary, rather the ad infers it with the strategic placing of Ann and Hillary pictures of them together and using such phrases as “Today, Ann would be asking all of us to make a statement…urging us all to take a stand…to make history.” If that were the case, why would she need to ask this when we (as Texans and Democrats) have already made that statement by having a woman and an African American as our presidential candidates. History will be made regardless of who gets the nomination. Gov. Richards was not only a feminist, but an individual that changed government by having African Americans, Hispanics, AND women in Texas’ governmental body.
I just think that it’s very cheeky of Sen. Clinton’s campaign to use such a Texas icon in the ad – especially one that is no longer here to speak for herself. Obviously this inference was the campaign’s goal – afterall, it’s not from Sen. Obama’s campaign camp.
Just for fun, try to google Ann Richards and Hillary Clinton under images. When I still couldn’t find a picture with the two of them together by page 14, I gave up. 🙂
Hmmm,
Listen…Ann’s sons may disagree but her daughter does not.
Ann was practically best friends with Hillary! And very close to Bill as well; these people were friendly for over 30 years.
Ann Richards WOULD be out there supporting Hillary—NO DOUBT! She wa s afighter for women, c’mon now–plus Hillary’s pal.
Maybe the boys weren’t as close to their mother as her daughter was, or maybe they are just like a lot of males lately….