It's All About Hillary

The NY Times has a story covering the formal entrance of Bill Richardson into the Presidential race with a weird Hillary-centric angle:

Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico formally kicked off his bid for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination yesterday, highlighting his Hispanic roots and wealth of experience and issuing a forceful call to end American involvement in Iraq.

Breaking with some of his fellow candidates, including Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, on the war, Mr. Richardson pledged to “leave no troop behind in Iraq.”

“No airbases,” he said. “No security patrols. No embedded soldiers training Iraqi forces.”

Mrs. Clinton has suggested that if elected president, she would keep a limited American military force in Iraq to fight Al Qaeda and deter Iranian aggression.

And why single out Ms. Clinton?  Surely John Edwards and Barack Obama have positions on this, yes?  Does Mr. Richardson's view (which seems daft to me, but I am not his target audience) distinguish him from the other leading Dem candidates?  Why pick on Hil?

For starters, last fall Mr. Obama called for a gradual reduction in our forces in Iraq but seemed to expect to leave some behind for training and special operations.  From the AP:

CHICAGO -- Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, who is contemplating a run for the presidency, on Monday called for a "gradual and substantial" reduction of U.S. forces from Iraq that would begin in four to six months.

...

Obama was careful not to set a specific timetable for withdrawal of troops or suggest troop levels.

"We cannot compromise on the safety of our troops, and we should be willing to adjust to realities on the ground," he said.

He proposed redeploying troops to Northern Iraq and to other countries in the region.

Well - if Mr. Richardson is the candidate most stridently opposed to continued US involvement in Iraq, the Times ought to say so - it's not as if Hillary is the only major Dem candidate.

Comments

[Other Tom]

I think the reason for it is simply that it's the New York Times, and in their world everything is Hillary-centric.

[Jeff Dobbs]

if Mr. Richardson is the candidate most stridently opposed to continued US involvement in Iraq

Not a candidate but.......

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev. talks with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, May 22, 2007, following debate on the Iraq funding bill.

Q: Senator Reid, can you explain your position on Iraq.

A: Let me give you a visual