Nationally, Democrats have a well-deserved reputation for holding double standards, and our local Dems have apparently decided to follow that lead. While Democrats have been falling all over themselves to criticize Darren White’s handing of his wife’s accident, it’s interesting to contrast the handling of the White accident with that of a boating accident involving then Governor Bill Richardson.
In 2009, Richardson was on a house boat at Elephant Butte that was involved in an accident. Those on the boat, including Richardson, fled the scene before police could arrive. The 911 caller states clearly that she believed the driver of the Richardson houseboat “is drunk.” Listen to the 911 call here.
Unlike White, who took his wife to the hospital after the scene investigation was complete, Richardson and his crew immediately fled the scene before police could arrive. An eyewitness to the boating accident put it like this, “It was like they tucked their heads and said see ya.”
Unlike White who took his wife to a hospital where she was diagnosed by a neurologist with having a seizure, Richardson and the alleged driver, Brian Condit, took off and didn’t report the accident for two days.
Unlike White’s wife who tested negative for drugs and alcohol, Condit never took such a test. Instead, he was allowed to tell the officer, two days after the accident, that he was not under the influence of alcohol. No test. Just his word.
So, where was the outrage? Where were the demands for an out-of-state, independent investigation?
The New Mexico Independent covered Richardson’s incident at the time:
Gov. Bill Richardson, his chief of staff Brian Condit, budget secretary Katherine Miller and security officers were gone within minutes from the scene of an accident Saturday in which a houseboat was sideswiped and another was smashed into at Elephant Butte State Park, according to an eyewitness.
State officials have cited Condit with operating a vessel in a negligent manner and damaging another person’s property. He was at the helm of the houseboat that caused the accident.
Within three minutes of the houseboat docking the governor’s party took a small boat to shore. There they got into two vehicles and left, said Carl Shaw, Jr. whose houseboat was grazed in Saturday’s accident.
Classic manufactured outrage is what we have seen from local Dems willing to demonize a good man and use a difficult personal situation for political gain. They should be ashamed (though I’m not holding out hope there).