Bill Richardson's endorsement of Barack Obama was an example, beyond all in recent memory, of political courage and character.
Richardson will go down in the history of Democratic politics, and in the memories of those who respect openness and a striving after truth, for its adherence to inner principles over superficial gains.
The stories about his decision to go with Obama over Hillary Clinton make clear that Richardson suffered through painful anguish as he made up his mind, and that he struggled in ways that recall artistic portrayals of good battling evil.
After all, the Clintons - especially Bill Clinton when he was president in the '90s - were political patrons of Richardson.
All of which makes some residents of Brooklyn ask: What about those Congressmembers (Yvette Clarke and Edolphus Towns) whose instincts (toward social/political/cultural change) should be putting them with the majority of voters in their districts, who voted for Obama.
In fact, Clarke and Towns are still staying with Clinton and leaving the impression that they are more concerned about the material gains associated backing Clinton (and with the fear of the material punishments associated with a decision to leave her).
It very likely will be that their constituents would respect a display of against-the-wind class and courage of the kind that Richardson has displayed.
Many would like to think that Clarke and Towns are looking at this latest endorsement (by Richardson) and asking themselves whether they should, or could, do the same.
One suspects that Clarke, from her progressive stands so far, might be more inclined than Towns to experience the inner doubts and even anguish that might lead her to do so.
But both have been relatively quiet about all this.
Like Richardson, Clarke and Towns are superdelegates and will have the power, at the time of the Democratic National Convention this summer, to push their candidate over the winning line, even if it is against the will of the majority of those Democrats who previously cast votes in primaries.
If Clarke and Towns were to do that, we suspect that the anger that has been below the surface in their communities might rise and cause a bit of turmoil.
[The above photo was taken by Alex Brandon of AP.]
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