Richards' sons object to Clinton video By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer
Tue Feb 26, 11:30 PM ET
AUSTIN, Texas - The two sons of Ann Richards, the late former Texas governor, are objecting to an Internet video published by Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign that suggests their mother would have supported Clinton.
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.
Richards was governor from 1991-1995. She died in September 2006 at age 73. The two-minute video on Clinton's campaign Web site comes a week before the Texas primary and targets women voters in the state.
"So many women around Texas and America are saying, `Wish Ann was here, for us and for Hillary,'" a female voiceover says on the video.
"Today Ann would be asking all of us to make a statement. She would be traveling to every small town and big city in Texas, urging us all to take a stand, be counted, to make a difference, to make history," it says while a picture of Richards and Clinton appears on the screen. "This one's for Texas. This one's for our country. This one's for Ann."
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.
Ann Richards' fourth child, Cecile, is president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. A spokeswoman for the organization did not return a telephone call Tuesday night seeking comment from Cecile Richards.
___
On the Net:
http://www.hillaryclinton.com
