“In Texas Politics, It's All Right to Step on Your Dick as Long as You Don't Stomp on It” – Molly Ivins (Well Done, Senator)

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. …

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.


The children of JFK, RFK, and MLK are expected to announce their fathers' support for Barack Obama tomorrow. Tupac, of course, will release his own video.