The Knuckleheads of the Day

Today's winners are New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and his driver who feel taking the police on a 100 mile per hour chase is just a misunderstanding. What it is putting other people's lives at risk by a selfish politician who thinks he is above the law.

I have two words for you governor- Bill Janklow

Hat tip to Just One Minute.

The entire story can be read at- http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/29290.html


Speeding incident a 'misunderstanding'
By Steve Terrell
The New Mexican June 21, 2005

Gov. Bill Richardson is at the center of another speeding controversy. According to a report Monday by KRQE’s Larry Barker, a state police driver for the governor refused to stop June 2 for an Albuquerque police officer who noticed the governor’s white Cadillac sport-utility vehicle “speeding and driving erratically” on an interstate frontage road in Albuquerque.

Barker’s report showed footage of the chase and a recording of the Albuquerque police officer. The report didn’t say how fast the governor& driver was going.

A spokesman for Richardson referred questions about the incident to the state Public Safety Department, which called the incident “a simple misundersta nding,” noting that the Albuquerque officer was in an unmarked car and not in uniform.

In a written statement, DPS circumstances, state police are trained to take evasive action and not to stop. Likewise , there was no procedure in place for the APD officers to make contact with the Governor’s vehicle.”

“They had flashing lights and a siren , but that doesn’t cut it,” Olson told The New Mexican.

Because of the incident, there now is a direct phone line state police can use to instantly communicate with Albuquerque police dispatchers , Olson said.

The report comes at a time in which state Republicans are airing radio commercials spokesman Peter Olson said, “There was no p rocedure in place for the governor’s driver to verify it was indeed an APD unit. Under those blasting Richardson’s “high roller” lifestyle, including his highway habits.

One ad says Richardson “isn’t bothered by speed limits.” The speeding first was picked up on the political radar in 2003, when a Washington Post reporter, traveling with Richardson on the way to a political function, noted that the governor ordered his driver to go faster when they already were in excess of 100 mph.

There have been similar reports of Richardson’s speeding since then.