Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson stopped in Audubon Monday and got a free haircut from Audubon Mayor Sam "The Barber" Kaufman.
Richardson talked about that hair cut at his next stop in Atlantic. "I wanted to pay him. I even had my…bunch of dollar bills. His hair cut was — I looked up — it was $9.75, but if he shampooed you it was $5.95," Richardson said, as the crowd chuckled. "Now, he didn’t shampoo it…No, I haven’t paid $400."
Richardson, of course, was referencing the hair cut expenses listed on the springtime campaign disclosures of rival John Edwards.
About 50 people met with Richardson in Atlantic, and Richardson walked into the room holding a can of Diet Coke — acknowleding Atlantic as the "Coca-Cola Capitol of Iowa" since the city’s home to the Atlantic Bottling Company.
Richardson also waded into the debate over whether candidates should accept campaign contributions from lobbyists. Barack Obama does not take donations from federal lobbyists, while Hillary Clinton over the weekend said she would continue to accept donations from lobbyists because those lobbyists represent "real Americans."
"They key is…public financing. That’s the key instead of silly pledges," Richardson said.
Richardson plans to outline his health care reform proposal this afternoon during a campaign event in Council Bluffs.
Ric Hanson from KJAN in Atlantic contributed to this report.