Democracy for New Mexico

Sound Off: Spirit of the North Valley

From Terry Riley:
What a day it was Saturday at the Spirit of the North Valley event! The sun was bright, the sky was New Mexico blue, and people were smiling and chatting with people that they didn't know and people they hadn't seen for a long time. A community get-together. We need more of this. I feel privileged to have been a part of it, my first time. I could have gone every year for the last eight years that I have lived in the north valley, I just didn't think, I was "busy".

I went because I am politically motivated, I was spreading the word about Democracy for New Mexico, Voter Verifiable Paper Ballots, Bernalillo County Democratic Party, AND Veterans for Peace.  Many politicians were there glad handing anybody who would listen, kids were running around, hamburgers and burritos were cooking, it was just a wonderful place to be.

In the middle of all of this happiness we at the Veterans for Peace booth were able to talk with a lot of people about the risks of Bush's next war and the need to stop his current wars. Nobody who spoke with us was of a different opinion. Many were unaware that Iran is now on the horizon but they all expressed concern that we have no business trying to take over the world.

An opinion that I have was reinforced strongly. We no longer have to teach people about the mess that we are in. We now have to teach people that they can change things and we have to give them opportunities to be part of making those changes. I think that the things that we have been working on at the State Democratic Party are the kind of things that can be handled locally and that they are affecting things nationally. We do need to become more vocal and we need more people involved. Now is a good time to become involved.

Thank you for listening, Terry Riley

Editor's Note: Sound Off is a regular feature here, providing an opportunity for readers to submit a commentary on any political topic and have it posted. If you'd like to submit a Sound Off, email me your post by clicking on the link on the upper left-hand side of the main page that says Email Me.

Lewis Fundraiser Set for Tuesday

From Lewis for State Treasurer:
Please join Mayor Martin Chavez, Bruce Perlman, Ph.D., Robert Ortega, Fred Mondragon and Vince Murphy at a fundraising event for James B. Lewis for NM State Treasurer.

You are invited to meet our next State Treasurer, James B. Lewis, at Yanni's Mediterranean Bar & Grill, 3109 Central Avenue NE, Albuquerque, on April 11, 2006, from 5:00 - 6:30 PM. The suggested donation for this event is $100.00. For further information please contact James B. Lewis for State Treasurer at 341-2525, or Shelley Mund, 514-3247.

Editor's Note: James Lewis is a Democrat running unopposed in the June primary election for state treasurer. HIs Republican opponent in November will be Demesia Padilla.

Sunday Sunshine Bird Blogging

It's a very warm and Spring-like Sunday in Albuquerque. No colorful blooms in our backyard yet, but we do have some store-bought live ones in our den (above), giving the place some dazzle on a lazy Sunday morning.

We took Sunny the sun conure out back for some sunshine this morning (above). You can see he likes to stare up at the sun and sky, this being his first Spring and all.

Sunny loves to sit on Mary Ellen's shoulder (above), whether he's inside or out. That way he can reach her hair for preening and pick on her glasses with ease. We're slowly getting him used to the outdoors so he can travel along with us when we head out for our first camping trip of the season, coming soon. You may recall that Bosco the peach-faced lovebird is a trooper in the camping department. Now we hope our new parrot arrival will be a worthy avian traveling companion for Bosco this year. Birds on the road! (Click on photos for larger images.)

RSVP for Democratic Party of NM Comedy Fundraiser

From the Democratic Party of NM:

Join Fellow Democrats for a night of fun at our
Comedy Fundraiser
Featured Comedian: Jack Willhite
Thursday April 27th 2006
Doors Open at 7:00 PM, Show Begins at 8:00 PM

Laffs Comedy Club
6001 San Mateo NE (at Osuna)
Albuquerque, NM

Tickets are $35 per person. Price includes admission, two drinks (beer, wine, or well) and gratuity

*you must be 21 or older to attend

*Tickets must be purchased in advance

For tickets contact Ana-Lisa at: 505-830-3650 or ana-lisa@nmdemocrats.org. Or click here to RSVP online.

Latest On National Day of Action for Fair Immigration Events in NM Sunday & Monday

You can find updated information at SWOPblogger on events being held on Sunday in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, and on Monday in Las Cruces in solidarity with the on immigration reform. Also, supporters are being urged to wear a white ribbon or other white item on Monday, and to refrain from purchasing anything that day to express support for those seeking fairness and justice for all immigrants.

For Albuquerque: Click for a flyer in English  and Spanish with more information on the Sunday rally at the National Hispanic Cultural Center at 4:00 PM.

For Santa Fe: Here's the flyer in English and in Spanish for the Sunday march that starts at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church at the corner of Guadalupe and Agua Fria at 1:00 PM.

More and More Like Nixon Every Day

It's heartening to see Scooter Libby's revelation that Bush and Cheney okayed his leak of top secret material getting serious attention on TV, in the print media and on blogs. Do we dare hope that this sordid situation receives continuing serious coverage over many news cycles? Question of the day on this issue from Digby:

If the president was willing to authorize leaking of national security information to reporters for political purposes, why should we believe he won't authorize warrantless wiretaps on Americans for political purposes?

Coincidentally, when the always smirking Attorney General Alberto Gonzales was testifying before the House Judiciary Committee yesterday, he hinted that Bush and the NSA might be conducting a truly domestic warrantless spying operation. Previously he has insisted that the current NSA surveillance program monitors only Al-Qaeda "suspects" talking with people in the U.S.  According to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle:

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales suggested for the first time Thursday that a president might have the legal authority to order wiretapping without a warrant on communications between Americans that occur exclusively within the United States.

"I'm not going to rule it out," Gonzales said when asked about that possibility at a House Judiciary Committee hearing.

Gonzales has implied previously that there are secret NSA spying programs in addition to the one Bush admitted was in place to intercept conversations between suspected terrorists abroad and individuals on domestic soil. See this Washington Post article from early March.

Are you old enough to remember Richard Nixon commenting in 1977 about his view of executive privilege by saying, "well, when the president does it, that means it is not illegal?" If so, you too must be experiencing a frightening case of deja vu. All over again. Watch Nixon explain away his law breaking. I wonder what excuses Bush will use when he is finally cornered. And he will be.

Irony: Nixon with Prescott Bush, Dubya's Grandpappy

Free: Protect Our Public Lands Rally

Be part of a historic day and help send a message to Washington that New Mexico's quality of life means much more than a few days' worth of oil and gas! Working to protect Otero Mesa, Valle Vidal and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Special guest speakers include: Earth First! founder Dave Foreman; poet Jimmy Santiago Baca; Gwich'in activists from the Canadian Arctic; Ed Zahniser, son of Howard Zahniser, the author of the Wilderness Act; music, film, and a special appearance by Theater Grotesco. Musical performance by: "Holy Water and Whiskey"

For more information, contact Nathan Newcomer at 843-8696 or nathan@nmwild.org or visit the NM Wilderness Alliance website.

Public Meeting Set on Fate of SNL Mixed Waste Landfill

From Citizen Action NM:
You are invited to attend a public meeting on Sandia National Laboratories’ (SNL) fate and transport model for the Mixed Waste Landfill hosted by the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Groundwater Protection and Advisory Board (GPAB).

The meeting will convene at 8:30 AM on Thursday, April 13th at the City/County building, Rm. 9081, 400 Marquette N.W., corner of 4th and Marquette. The meeting agenda is posted below. Please call 768-3100 for additional directions if needed.

The GPAB agreed to convene the meeting in response to a request from Citizen Action, and Albuquerque City Councilors Isaac Benton and Martin Heinrich. The GPAB will reexamine SNL’s plan for the Mixed Waste Landfill in light of the new information that PCE from the dump is predicted to reach the groundwater by the year 2010.

SNL representative Dick Fate, project manager for the dump, will present the model to members of the GPAB followed by comments from Paul Robinson, Research Director, Southwest Research and Information Center and technical consultant for Citizen Action.   

R.S.V.P. – please join us!

Sue Dayton, Director
Citizen Action New Mexico
(505) 262-1862

GROUND WATER PROTECTION POLICY & ACTION PLAN
Ground Water Protection Advisory Board

MEETING AGENDA, Thursday, April 13, 2006, Meeting #4-06
Location: Room 9081, City/County Building
Time: 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM

Welcome / Introductions / Call to Order: 8:30 – 8:35
Introduction of New Member

I. Approval of Agenda: 8:35 – 8:40

II.  Approval of Minutes: 8:40 – 8:50

III. New Mixed Waste Landfill Contaminant Transport Model: 8:50 – 9:20
Richard Fate, Sandia National Labs/DOE

IV. Citizen Action Presentation: 9:20 – 9:45
Sue Dayton & Paul Robinson, Citizen Action

V. SNL/DOE Summary and Response: 9:45 – 9:55                                        

VII. Questions and Discussion: 9:55 - 10:25                                           

VIII. Other Business / Announcements: 10:25 – 10:30
Recognition of Pauline Gubbells

Making My Day: A Hero and a Squealer

The Hero: I have to add a second video of the day. A guy named Harry Taylor (left) spelled out his dismay and shame about Bush and his anti-democratic policies right to his face today at a Bush speech in North Carolina. Crooks and Liars has the video and the transcript of Taylor's remarks and the president's misleading response. I don't know how he got into a Bush event, but I'm sure glad he managed to get past the screening. Chalk one up for the people. UPDATE: You can now post a message thanking Harry Taylor at a special website.

The Squealer: Add to this today's disclosure that Scooter Libby testified that Dick Cheney, with the direct approval of Bush, okayed the leaking of very high security intelligence on Iraq to bolster the administration's shamelessly dishonest push for war. Here's what an LA Times article has to say on the Libby story:

President Bush personally authorized leaking long-classified information to a reporter in the summer of 2003 to buttress administration claims, now discredited, that Saddam Hussein was attempting to acquire weapons of mass destruction for Iraq, according to a court filing by prosecutors in the case against former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.

... Court papers filed by special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald late Wednesday said that before Libby's indictment, he told a federal grand jury investigating the (Plame) leak that Cheney told him to pass on information about a secret National Intelligence Estimate to the press and that Bush had authorized the disclosure, according to the court papers.

Here's what our Senate Minority Leader, Harry Reid, said in response to the story:

"In light of today's shocking revelation, President Bush must fully disclose his participation in the selective leaking of classified information. The American people must know the truth."

The neo-con house of cards is toppling, a little more each day. Can't you feel the sea change coming? The tipping point we've all been waiting for? The crush of evidence starting to overwhelm Bush's ability to keep the truths and the facts from coming to light?

Video of the Day: Chris Matthews Hearts DeLay

As you probably know, Tom DeLay gave Chris Matthews the scoop on announcing his withdrawal from his House race. After all, "Tweety" has been very cooperative of late in echoing the Republican noise machine talking points. Here's some video courtesy of the Huffington Post that shows the two of them schmoozing before DeLay's appearance on Hardball the next day. Oh, those damn know-it-all women!

If you can stomach watching the on-air portion of the interview, go here. You'll note that Mr. Hardball is incredibly softball with the ex-pesticide applicator, and doesn't once mention the words "corruption" or "indictment." I wonder how someone as supposedly into Christianity as DeLay claims to be can create an incredibly organized system of corruption, continue to lie about it and keep a straight face. Quite a miracle.