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Richardson: God wants Iowa first
By JASON CLAYWORTH
REGISTER STAFF WRITER


September 4, 2007
15 Comments



Sioux City, Ia. - God's will is for Iowa to have the first-in-the-nation caucus, Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson told a crowd here Monday.

"Iowa, for good reason, for constitutional reasons, for reasons related to the Lord, should be the first caucus and primary," Richardson, New Mexico's governor, said at the Northwest Iowa Labor Council Picnic. "And I want you to know who was the first candidate to sign a pledge not to campaign anywhere if they got ahead of Iowa. It was Bill Richardson."

Several people in the crowd snickered after Richardson made the comment.

"That was a little weird," said Sioux City resident Joe Shufro. "I don't know what God had to do with choosing Iowa among other states. I found that a little strange."

Other states have been jockeying to beat Iowa to hold the first presidential caucus. Many Democratic candidates have promised to skip campaigning in states that try to position themselves before Iowa.

Sioux City resident Jan Hodge agreed that Richardson's statement was odd.

"It's the kind of thing that would make me wince if, for instance, George Bush said it," Hodge said. "Richardson has the saving grace of not taking himself too seriously. It was one of those off-the-cuff remarks that can't be taken as seriously as the punsters will make it."

Much of the crowd that had gathered earlier to hear Hillary and Bill Clinton had left by 1 p.m. when Richardson took the stage. During a roughly 15-minute speech, he highlighted many of his key campaign points and professed his commitment to unions.

Part of Richardson's promises includes a goal to reduce the age for Medicare eligibility from 65 to 55.