Democracy for New Mexico

Cheney Rio Rancho Schedule Update

Edward Sullivan of MoveOn PAC NM sent along this last minute update:

We've received an update on Cheney's Rio Rancho schedule for Saturday. The Republican rally-goers start arriving at 2:00, and need to be SEATED by 3:30. If we start making some noise around 2:30, we should be able to attract the attention of the TV cameras before they head into the event. Better to arrive at 2:30 then bake in the sun for an hour more than we need to.

The Albuquerque Journal has been covering the story of how the local Republican Party required people either to be documented Bush/Cheney donors or voters, or to sign a document attesting to their endorsement of Bush/Cheney in order to get tickets to the event. You may recall that a College Republicans group attended the recent Kerry/Edwards rally at the Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque and started a ruckus by chanting "flip-flopper" while banging together rubber sandals. In contrast to Republican fears of audiences not 100 percent supportive of their ticket, Kerry encouraged the lads to stay and learn something about the real "values" supported by Democrats.

Another Kerry/Edwards Visit to New Mexico

Gov. Richardson has announced that Kerry/Edwards will be traveling by Amtrack train across New Mexico on August 6-7th. They will pass through Las Vegas, Lamy, Albuquerque and Gallup with anticipated rallies at each stop.

Have a great time if you're going to the Rio Rancho Cheney protest or the Grand Opening of the Kerry/Edwards Coordinated Campaign office in Albuquerque today! And no arrests please.

Protest Cheney Visit

ACT Alert Update: Dick Cheney is Coming To Albuquerque Saturday

We’re joining with other progressive organizations to tell Dick Cheney and his local Republican allies how we feel. This is our chance to make a statement against the policies of the last four years.

Call us at 830-9250 if you’re interested in helping us prepare for this event. There are people to call and signs to make. Our goal is to show that ACT is still here and we are making sure our voices are heard. And call us if you’re interested in coming to the event!!!

When: Saturday, July 31st, 12:30pm

Where: We will meet at our Albuquerque HQ at 5600 Menaul (between San Mateo and San Pedro). Then carpool up to our staging area at Stapleton Elementary school, 4477 9th Ave. NW, Rio Rancho.
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Note: MoveOn, Sierra Club, Stop the War Machine and the League of Conservation Voters are also participating.

MoveOn says:

Whatever your message is for Cheney, be sure to spell it out on a big piece of poster board and join the crowd of other progressive voters that will be protesting his campaign stop in Rio Rancho tomorrow, Saturday, July 31, starting at 1:30.

Parking for the protest will be at Stapleton Elementary School in Rio Rancho. Stapleton is about .75 mile from Rio Rancho Mid High -- the location of Cheney's event. After heading west on Northern Blvd. in Rio Rancho, turn left on Rockaway and make an immediate right on 9th -- Stapleton's parking lot is on your right.

Vans and cars will be there to shuttle people to the protest locations. Water will be available. Arrive at the staging area between 1 and 1:30. If you are coming from Albuquerque, it will take you at least 30 minutes to get to Stapleton.
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And you can always attend the Kerry/Edwards Coordinated Campaign Office Grand Opening afterwards. Saturday, July 31st from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM at 3301 Central NE, Albuquerque, NM. Call (505) 256-2570 for information.

Kerry, Kerry, Kerry

Kerry's big day at the convention is here at last. This could be the most important speech of his career and I sure hope he feels as energized as the Rev. Sharpton was last night. He got the delegates rockin' and rollin'! Of course it was the Edwards family's big night and they seemed to succeed with their own brand of charisma and optimism. I loved those vertical Edwards signs. (Photo of Albuquerque rally by Sharon Farmer, John Kerry for President, Inc.)

The Kerry/Edwards New Mexico Victory 2004 Coordinated Campaign Office (what a mouthful) in Albuquerque is having its grand opening this coming Saturday. Here's what the campaign sent out:

OPEN HOUSE!!! OPEN HOUSE!!!
KERRY/EDWARDS PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
New Mexico Victory 2004 Coordinated Campaign
3301 Central NE
Saturday, July 31st, 2004
From 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The grand opening of the Coordinated Campaign Hq is open to all New Mexicans who are supporting or are thinking about supporting the 2004 national Democratic presidential ticket of Senators Kerry and Edwards. Come by the office for refreshments, to pick up campaign buttons, placards, and lapel stickers etc., and most importantly spend an afternoon talking about our candidates just after the exciting Democratic National Convention in Boston. And, you'll have an opportunity to meet and interact with all of the new
campaign staff that are here in Albuquerque to serve you over the next three months.

There will be ample parking on the east side of the building in the large dirt parking lot. There will be volunteers there to guide you in. For more information, please call (505) 256-2570.

Tonight, there are hundreds of parties across the nation to view the Kerry acceptance speech, including many here in New Mexico. Our own John McAndrew, who runs the Rapid Response Network NM, is hosting a big one up in Santa Fe along with folks from DFNM - Santa Fe and others:

For Democracy, For New Mexico, For Kerry
WHEN: July 29 @ 5:00 PM
WHERE: Hotel St Francis, at Don Gaspar and Water Streets, downtown
210 Don Gaspar Avenue
Santa Fe, NM 87501
HOST: John McAndrew

INFO: We welcome anyone eager to help Kerry win in November. We also want to give him a Congress that will work with him. We are from a variety of campaigns and organizations, and we are united in our efforts to keep fundamentalism and corporations from undermining our democracy and our values. Let's combine our efforts to best affect the change we want this November. If you are able, please come prepared to donate to the campaign financially as well. We will be watching Kerry's acceptance speech on an uplink from Kerry's web site, if all goes well.

To sign up for this party or another near you, go to this page and enter your zip code:

https://www.johnkerry.com/events/

Also, The League of Convervation Voters is inviting folks to their Convention watching party:
Day: Thurs July 29
Time: 7 pm (Kerry scheduled to speak at 8:30)
Location: 108 Arno SE, just S of Central accross from the old Albuquerque High (now lofts).

Also, if you'd like to go protest Dick Cheney while he's in Rio Rancho, meet at Stapleton Elementry School.:
Day: Sat July 31, Time: 2 pm
Location: 4477 9th Ave. NE, Rio Rancho (and then we'll walk up the street to the place he'll be).

Contact: Olivia Stockman, NM State Volunteer Coordinator
LCV Environmental Victory Project
400 Gold St. SW, Suite 980
Albuquerque, NM 87102
(505) 244-1077 (o), (505) 450-3403 (c)
https://www.envirovictory.org/

Dean, Dean, Dean

I heard a pundit say that although Kerry's getting nominated this year, it's been Dean's convention. He has been everywhere it seems, speaking from the podium and at a myriad of progressive gatherings, visiting state delegations and being interviewed by anyone who counts, or think they do.

Now some Dean supporters have put together an online Letter from America to Howard Dean that you can sign, thanking him for all he's done to invigorate Dem politics this year. Here's the link:

https://www.letterfromamerica.org/

There's also a Thank You Howard bat up at the main DFA site.

Did everyone see Howard get a nice long standing ovation last night before his speech at the convention? If not, you can view video of it here:

https://www.c-span.org/2004vote/convention.asp?Cat=Special_Topic&Code=DEMS&Rot_Cat_CD=DEMS

along with the rest of yesterday's speakers.

Tonight's DNC program includes Jesse Jackson, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Al Sharpton, Sen. Bob Graham, Gov. Ed Rendell (Pa.), Gov. Bill Richardson, Gov. Jennifer Granholm (Mich.), and Retired General John Shalikashvili, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Then John Edwards' daughter Cate and wife Elizabeth introduce the VP candidate, followed by the presidential nomination roll call.

You can get text or video versions of most convention speeches at this Washington Post page:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/shoulders/dnc_fullschedule.html?referrer=email

Anyone else wild about Barack Obama after last night's speech? Wow!

DNC Convention Links

You can view coverage of the entire day or selected speeches at CSPAN:

https://www.c-span.org/

Here are links for text versions of some of yesterday's speeches:

Al Gore
https://www.boston.com/news/politics/conventions/articles/2004/07/26/text_of_gores_speech_at_dnc?mode=PF

Jimmy Carter
https://www.boston.com/news/politics/conventions/articles/2004/07/26/the_text_of_former_president_carters_speech?mode=PF

Hillary Clinton
https://www.boston.com/news/politics/conventions/articles/2004/07/26/text_of_sen_hillary_rodham_clintons_speech?mode=PF

Bill Clinton
https://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A16929-2004Jul26?language=printer

Click here to get today's convention schedule:

https://www.dems2004.org/site/pp.asp?c=luI2LaPYG&b=130845

So what do you think of the Convention so far? Don't forget, Howard Dean speaks tonight in prime time. And it's just been reported that Kerry/Edwards will be returning to New Mexico after the convention:

KERRY'S POST-CONVENTION TOUR TO INCLUDE NM STOP

(Associated Press) ALBUQUERQUE (AP) - The Democratic National Convention hasn't even started, but the party's presumptive presidential nominee and his running mate are planning a visit to New Mexico as part of a coast-to-coast post-convention tour.

Massachusetts Senator John Kerry and running mate John Edwards of North Carolina plan a two-week tour through 21 states, including New Mexico. They will be traveling via bus, train and boat.

The campaign announced Friday that the tour would begin July 30, and in the first days stop in Florida, Michigan, New York, and Ohio. Later the tour will pass through New Mexico, Arizona, California, and other states. The campaign hasn't released the cities that Kerry and Edwards will visit in those states.

Campaign Management Training in Albuquerque

Latinos for America, Democracy for America, and the New Mexico League of Conservation Voters Environmental Victory Project are pleased to announce a “¡Juntos Sí Podemos!” (“Together We Can!”) Campaign Management Training in Albuquerque, on Saturday, August 14. This one day seminar is a fantastic opportunity to learn how to manage a local campaign, increase your skills as a volunteer leader, connect with candidates who need your help, and develop action plans for the 2004 campaign.

You can register for this training at:

https://www.latinosforamerica.com/?q=trainingreg

The training will be held at:

AirDance ArtSpace
3030 Isleta Blvd, S.W.
Albuquerque, NM 87105

This campaign training is staffed by top campaign professionals leading sessions on key topics in organizer training, media production and management, data mining, constituency outreach and fundraising. These presentations are supported by small group sessions for in-depth work in each of the featured areas.

Thanks to the thousands of donations from national DFA supporters and the hard work of the local host committees, Democracy for America is able to reduce the regular price of “¡Juntos Sí Podemos!” trainings from $150 to $45.

Each trainee will leave with a training packet, as well as a certificate signed by Gov. Dean, on behalf of Democracy for America.

We need to do more than just win back the White House in November. To take back our country, we need to develop a new generation of leaders and activists with the campaign skills and tools necessary to fight for democracy in every election cycle.

Join Latinos for America, Democracy for America and the New Mexico League of Conservation Voters Environmental Victory Project at this exciting Campaign Management Training.

If we're to defeat the formidable Bush machine, we all need to get the skills necessary to win. Understanding the nuts and bolts of political organization will make you a more effective activist.

Please distribute this information to any friends/family that might be interested.

Yours,
Matthew Alvarez McMillan
Finance Director, Latinos for America
Fmr. Finance Director, Miles Nelson for Congress
https://www.latinosforamerica.com

Dean to Speak at Democratic Convention

Just a heads up today. The following announcement was sent out from DFA about Howard Dean speaking at the Democratic Convention in Boston next week. Afterwards he'll talk to supporters live on the DFA site.

Dear Supporter,

On Tuesday night next week, Governor Dean will speak in primetime to the Democratic National Convention in Boston. And immediately after his speech he will be talking to you.

The Governor is scheduled to speak on Tuesday night. Immediately after his remarks to a packed house at the Fleet Center and Americans watching at home, he will speak directly to Democracy for America supporters.

After you watch the speech, head straight for your computer and democracyforamerica.com.

You will be able to listen live on our web site as the Governor makes special remarks to supporters and takes questions from Dean Dozen candidates and grassroots leaders on a nationwide conference call.

Start planning now to watch Governor Dean at the Democratic National Convention -- invite friends, family and neighbors over to join you. You can plan your event using Organize for America, our grassroots event planner:

https://organize.democracyforamerica.com/

And be sure to check the blog regularly for the latest from the ground in Boston. We will have updated news, photos and reports about Governor Dean and Democracy for America at the convention:

Next week will kick off the home stretch of this election. Be sure to tune in on Tuesday and join us online as we celebrate.

Thank you for all that you do.

Tom McMahon
Executive Director
Democracy for America

Barb

Alternet's Special Election Coverage for NM

The news site Alternet has started a special section on New Mexico in it's election coverage. Here's the link:

https://www.alternet.org/election04nm/

One of the articles, "New Mexico Trending Blue" by Don Hazen, says that recent political dynamics and voter mobilization efforts give a positive outlook for Democrats in New Mexico in 2004. Check this out:

A Zogby Interactive Poll released on July 14, which tracks the New Mexico numbers for the presidential race every two weeks, had Kerry leading Bush 49% to 42%, with Nader at 3% and undecided at 6%. A July 9th American Research Group poll had almost identical numbers, with 49% of likely voters for Kerry if the presidential election were being held today, and 42% for Bush. A total of 3% of likely voters say they would vote for Ralph Nader and 6% of likely voters said they were undecided.

If this trend continues, and it is hard to see it shifting, it suggests that Democrats, who have targeted the Southwest as an area of opportunity, should worry less about New Mexico – where they are well organized and have a number of electoral advantages over the GOP – and worry more about neighboring states in contention like Nevada, where the political dynamics are less favorable.

Sounds like a good place to check in regularly for election year news focused on our state. If you donate at least $30 to Alternet, you can get a DVD of Robert Greenwald's powerful new "Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism." To learn more about this expose of the biases of Fox News (or is that Faux News?), go here:

https://www.outfoxed.org/

MoveOn.org is doing a petition based on this movie to demand that the FCC prevent Fox News from using the deceptive and misleading trademark 'Fair and Balanced.'" It's also running an ad in the New York Times criticizing Fox which you can see at the Outfoxed link. You can sign the petition here:

Barb

Welcome!

Welcome to the new website for Democracy for New Mexico!

DFNM shares the goals and values of Democracy for America, Howard Dean's national organization that developed out of Dean for America. State groups that share the vision of DFA are not legally affiliated with the national group. They are independent, grassroots organizations shaped by their members.

This site was designed to provide a clearinghouse for information, organizations, events, news and views of interest to DFNM members around the state and others interested in progressive, grassroots action. We believe it's important that those who share DFA's goals and vision have a central site that fosters communication and action throughout the state. As such, it's a first attempt by a rank website amateur (me) to get the ball rolling. Comments and suggestions are appreciated!

So far there are two groups in New Mexico that are involved with DFNM -- in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. As time goes on we expect that groups will form in other areas of the state, and we look forward to a growing DFNM membership and the development of powerful grassroots organizations locally and statewide.

DFA MeetUps are held the first Wednesday of the month and many DFNM members attend regularly. I'm the co-host of the DFA MeetUp held at Page One Bookstore in Albuquerque. To learn more or to get on the email list to be kept informed about DFA MeetUps, go to the link on the left-hand side of this site. Email me at the link on the right-hand side of this site to receive occasional information about the activities of DFNM and other progressive news.

Get involved, and encourage your friends to check us out as well. DFNM and this website are only as effective as we all make them!

Barbara Wold

July 15, 2004 at 01:53 PM in DFNM Organization | Permalink | Comments (12)