Democracy for New Mexico

Fop of Year is Now Time's Person of Year

I can't even comment on this without spitting. Apparently we are now entirely in the new regime where facts and reality are irrelevant:

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- U.S. President George W. Bush's bold, uncompromising leadership and his clear-cut election victory made him Time magazine's Person of the Year for 2004, its managing editor said Sunday.

Time chose Bush "for sticking to his guns (literally and figuratively), for reshaping the rules of politics to fit his 10-gallon-hat leadership style and for persuading a majority of voters this time around that he deserved to be in the White House for another four years," Jim Kelly wrote in the magazine.

Read all about it.

Personally, I think they should have used this picture for the cover:

Richardson Slams Door on Recount Compromise

According to an article in this morning's Albuquerque Journal, Governor Bill Richardson has slammed the door on any compromise with the Green and Libertarian candidiates that would allow a partial recount in New Mexico's presidential election.

Richardson is quoted in the article as saying,

"I'm not accepting the compromise," Richardson said. "It's time to move on. Let them have a full recount, if they can come up with the money."

Ain't he sweet.

An appeal by the Green and Libertarian parties of the $1.4M advance payment requirement is before the NM Supreme Court. Although no hearing has yet been set, the court issued an order on Friday ordering the canvassing board to respond in writing to the lawsuit by Noon on Wednesday, December 22.

At a meeting of the Democratic Party of Bernalillo this past week, attendees got the Party line from Party officials about Richardson's decision on the recount -- he's doing the right thing by protecting New Mexican taxpayers from footing a million dollar bill for the recount! And there's no use fighting the decision because, well, you know why.

From the reactions of what seemed to be a majority of the crowd at that Party meeting, the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party isn't happy, to say the least, about the responses of the DNC, Kerry and Richardson to the voting problems being uncovered and documented almost daily in several states. If the Democratic Party won't stand up for fair elections and against voter suppression, who will? 

I think this issue is one that could have helped build a good working relationship between the mainstream Democratic Party and the grassroots activists, volunteers and small donors who gave uncountable hours of volunteer time and between $30 and $50 millon in donations to the cause during the presidential race. Instead, the dismissive positions taken by Richardson and others will only serve to push people away from supporting the Party and guarantee that people will reserve alot of their faith, money and sweat for helping progressive groups increase their clout and leverage. What other choice to do we have?

Picture of the Day

Something to help us remember why we are in this together, working so hard. What a fop.* I think the phrase "All Hat, No Cattle" was coined in his honor. Oilstore cowboy. Emphasis on the boy.

(Gracias to Digby at Hullaballo.)

*fop \FOP\, noun:
A man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance; a dandy.
Fop comes from Middle English fop, foppe, a fool.
[syn: dandy, dude, gallant, sheik, beau, swell, fashion plate, clotheshorse]
(From Dictionary.com)

Albuquerque Count Our Vote Rally at Noon TODAY

There's planning going on to have an Albuquerque version of the Count Our Vote rally that's happening at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe at Noon Sunday 12/19. In Albuquerque, the protest would be at the Federal courthouse downtown at Noon. For more information call Casey Reed, who's involved in the NM recount effort, at 505-344-8492.

UPDATE: The Albuquerque protest is on. Bring your signs and yourself to Lomas and Fourth Street downtown at the Courthouse at Noon.

Adios Moyers

Last night Bill Moyers said goodbye to his PBS show "NOW" with a focus on the debilitating effects big media is having on our democracy. You can catch a rerun of his last show on Sunday morning at 8:00 AM in New Mexico, or read the transcript and other materials at the NOW website. Next season, NOW will be reduced to a half-hour program hosted by David Brancaccio.

Recently, Moyers won the Global Environment Citizen Award from the Ceter for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School. In his acceptance speech he gave a hair-raising assessment of where we stand today:

"One of the biggest changes in politics in my lifetime is that the delusional is no longer marginal. It has come in from the fringe, to sit in the seat of power in the Oval Office and in Congress. For the first time in our history, ideology and theology hold a monopoly of power in Washington. Theology asserts propositions that cannot be proven true; ideologues hold stoutly to a world view despite being contradicted by what is generally accepted as reality. When ideology and theology couple, their offspring are not always bad but they are always blind. And there is the danger: voters and politicians alike, oblivious to the facts."

If you're feeling sufficiently balanced and centered, give a read to his entire speech, entitled "Battlefield Earth."

Green Green

Passed along from Green sources by Eric Elison:

As of this writing, the Supreme court has not responded to our petition for a hearing.

In the meantime, the Green Party of Santa Fe would like to invite you all to our holiday party, Saturday evening, beginning at 4:30 PM, Dec 18, at the Commons, 2300 W. Alameda. It's pot luck, so if you have a favorite dish, please bring it along. If you want to stay over, please let us know as soon as possible, so we can make arrangements.

We really appreciate the enthusiastic response to the recount, and this is one way we say 'thank you'. Hope to see you there. For more info, call Rick Lass, 982-2478, 920-0540

************************************************************

Count Our Votes!

JOIN THE RALLY

At the State Capitol, Santa Fe, East Entrance

Sunday, December 19th, At Noon

SUPPORT THE RECOUNT IN NM

IF THE UKRAINIANS CAN DO IT

SO CAN WE

Find out how you can help support the NM recount
Find out what other States are doing
START ORGANIZING
Get educated,
be part of the process
FIND OUT WHAT YOU CAN DO

Speakers:
Paul Christie, PACE
Rick Lass: Green Party Santa Fe

Sponsored by: The Green Parties of Taos & Santa Fe, Veterans for Peace Santa Fe Chapter #55, and VerifiedVotingNM

Contact 505-776-2836 for more information.

Urge Your Rep to Support NM Medical Marijuana Bill

From Reena Szczepanski, Director, Drug Policy Alliance New Mexico:

In just a few short weeks, the rap of a gavel inside the Roundhouse in Santa Fe will bring us another chance to do what's been impossible so far -- passing a medical marijuana law here in New Mexico. I'd like to share with you our progress so far, and fill you in on how you can help.

Republican Sen. Steve Komadina, the only physician in the legislature, will be sponsoring a bill to provide sick and dying patients in New Mexico with access to medical marijuana. I'll bet you didn't know that 250 people received medical marijuana in New Mexico through the Lynn Pierson Therapeutic Research Program from 1979 to 1986. The study was run through the University of New Mexico and was actually approved by the FDA, NIDA, NCI, and the DEA! It found that both smoked marijuana and oral d-9-THC were effective for treating nausea. We were one of the first states to sponsor a program like this, and now it's time to honor that history by providing access to this medicine again.

Please join dozens of your fellow New Mexicans in urging your state lawmakers to join the Alliance in our fight for medical marijuana. Send a free fax today asking them to co-sponsor and vote for the Komadina bill, which will come up for consideration in mid-January.

Also, here's a special opportunity to help us with our year-end fundraising campaign. It's called the Bake Sail, and it gives you the chance to become a volunteer fundraiser and win a Mediterranean cruise. You can make a donation using my Bake Sail page, or set up your own and become a volunteer fundraiser today: Click for My page or Your own page.

Cobb Calls for Compromise in NM Recount

According to an article in today's Albuquerque Journal, the Green Party's David Cobb is negotiating for a compromise involving his suit to compel an immediate recount. He's proposing a partial recount of a 10 percent sample of the vote, with a full recount to follow if significant problems are discovered.

Quote:

"We know that there were extraordinary voting anomalies on precincts that used the new technology," Cobb said at a Santa Fe diner. Of particular concern, Cobb said, are voting machines that do not produce a paper trail; the so-called undervote, when some people vote for local offices but do not vote in the presidential race; and the reliability of optical scanning machines that count paper ballots.

Cobb and Badnarik did not meet the Thursday deadline for the $1.4 million deposit the NM Canvassing Board required for a full recount. Therefore, only a NM Supreme Court decision or a compromise with the Canvassing Board can make a recount possible. As of 5:00 PM on Thursday, the court had not acted on the matter nor scheduled a hearing. Justices Edward L. Chavez and Petra Maes have recused themselves on this case.

Quote from Cobb:

"Everything we have done has been an attempt to establish a cooperative relationship with elections administrators in this state," he said. "This is about auditing the machinery and the technology, and we really have been thwarted at every turn by the governor's office." (emphasis added)

Kitka

We're going to see the women's vocal group Kitka tonight at Popejoy Hall. They specialize in Eastern European women's vocal traditions going back to pre-Christian eras. They're famous for their harmonies and we think hearing them will help salve the pain caused by a  lack of harmonies in today's political landcape. Well, at least that's a good excuse for posting about them here on DFNM!

They'll be accompanied tonight by a violinist, a player of dumbek, tupan and frame drums and another who plays tambura, bouzouki and tupan. They'll be performing Wintersongs, which their website explains "showcases material ranging from rousing Slavic folk carols and lush, meditative Eastern Orthodox sacred choral works, to pre-Christian incantations for the longest nights of the year and Hebrew folk songs for Chanukah. Highlights include Tec Peleite Zernju Zogtu, an ancient Latgalian (Eastern Latvian) Winter Solstice song invoking the god of the heavens and the goddess of the Sun; Koledni Pesni, a medley of Bulgarian folk carols recalling the nativity sung in the traditional antiphonal village style; and Byla Cesta, a poignant 19th-century Moravian carol. Other pieces include the sublime 12th-century Georgian hymn to the Virgin Shen Khar Venakhi; and a collection of joyful Shchedrivki, songs sung for the traditional Ukrainian New Year festival of Malanka."

I think the time is definitely right for some Ukrainian New Year music in celebration of their burgeoning democracy movement and all those orange hats and headbands. Another political connection for Kitka music!

Check out and be sure to listen to some clips. Amazing.

UPDATE: AQB DeanCorps Caroling Monday Evening

Dean Singers Update from Nance Crow:

In order to best serve the folks we'll sing to, change is in order for our DeanCorps event on Monday, December 20th:

5:15-5:30: Meet at Albuquerque Rescue Mission Parking Lot, Third and Iron SW. Streets go in both directions in downtown now. Iron is one block south of Coal Ave. We'll pick what we sing and I'll pass out bags of Hershey's Kisses to hand out. They feed as many as 500 in shifts of 80 people!

Please wear festive gear if you can: Santa Hats and Reindeer Antlers work as do seasonal colored sweaters and scarves. If you have any Dean or DFA pins or shirts, you're encouraged to wear those too.

6:00: Go to Dismas House, (a halfway house for guys and gals re-integrating from 'corrections'), 701 Candelaria NW.

6:45: Go to Barrett House, (shelter for homeless women and children), 905 13th St. NW

Choose one:
When we're done we can:

a) go eat somewhere
b) return to Nance Crow's for posole and vegetarian tamales
c) go home and frantically attack holiday to do list

Invite your friends and please email or call me if you are planning to participate:

Bill Sullivan and Nance Crow
324 Hermosa SE
Albuquerque, NM 87108
(505) 265-8113
NLCorvus@att.net

Note: Original post about this event can be found here.