Democracy for New Mexico

Sunday Bird Blogging: Gay Pride Edition

All our birds love to celebrate Gay Pride with us. After all, they like to strut and parade and they represent all the colors of the rainbow! And they certainly support this year's theme of "Pride, Not Prejudice" for the 30th annual Albuquerque Pridefest. Sunny, our sun conure parrot, was especially jazzed over Pridefest, as you can see above and below. It was the first Gay Pride of his young life, and sometimes he was dancing so fast he became a rainbow-colored blur:

He kept running back and forth among our Pride souvenirs and flapping his wings for freedom and equality for ALL:

Mary Ellen and I volunteered to table at the parade's end gathering at Expo NM on behalf of Democrats. We staffed the Bill Richardson - Diane Denish table for a few hours, passing out info and registering voters. There were also tables representing CD1 Congressional candidate, Patricia Madrid, and the Democratic Party of Bernalillo County.

Patricia Madrid table at 2006 Albuquerque Pride.

We had to miss Governor Richardson's cutting of the ribbon that opened the 30th annual Gay Pride Parade up Central and Lt. Governor Diane Denish's ride in one of the lead cars -- which just happened to be a restored little red Corvette provided by one of Albuquerque's car clubs. We hope the Albuquerque Pride website will eventually have photos of these and other parade participants.

We did manage to take a few photos at the event during our tabling. Here's the link to the short and sweet photo album. My first Gay Pride in Albuquerque was in 1980, when the parade was much smaller and event participants fewer in comparison to the estimated 10,000+ who attended this year's Albuquerque events. By all accounts, the Friday and Saturday events were packed, and both the human and pet parades were fabulous (not to mention the crowd watching). A big shoutout to all who help to put it all together! (Click on images for larger versions.)

Saturday Music Hall

Eric Clapton (with his original Gibson from his Yardbirds era) and Dr. John (Mac Rebennack), who used to call himself the "Night Tripper." Remember? They're doing St. James Infirmary.

Breaking: AG Madrid Indicts Those Who Testified Against Vigil

Heath Haussamen has the details.

YearlyKos CSPAN Right Now

This morning, the YearlyKos panel discussion on the CIA leak investigation is being aired live by CSPAN2 on TV and online. Click here for the webcast. They will be airing various elements of the Kos convention today and tomorrow. I will update below.

UPDATE: Here's a video of Barbara Boxer speaking at the conference and a special interview with Wesley Clark in Las Vegas, both provided by Politics TV.

You can watch Markos' keynote speech at Fora TV if you beta register at the site.

Meanwhile, The Young Turks have their own interview with Clark and will be webcasting interviews into the evening:

4:15pm MT -- Former Ambassador Joe Wilson
4:30pm MT -- Larry Johnson, Former CIA Analyst
4:50pm MT -- Adam Green, Moveon.org
5:00pm MT -- Judd Legum, Thinkprogress.org
5:15pm MT -- Joe Trippi, Former Campaign Manager for Howard Dean
5:30pm MT -- Dan Froomkin, Washington Post
6:00pm MT -- Melanie Sloan, Executive Director of CREW
6:30pm MT -- Paul Reickoff, Executive Director and founder of IAVA
And tomorrow -- we will be sitting down w/ Howard Dean

Udall Caves on Net Neutrality

Remember the big battle that's been going on to preserve net neutrality? New Mexico's progressive CD3 Congressman, Tom Udall, has gone over to the dark side and voted to approve the awful COPE bill that would destroy net neutrality. What can explain this? I'd love to hear from Rep. Udall himself. In the meantime, note that Udall voted in concert with Rep. Steve Pearce, the hard-right Congressman from Southern NM. Strangely enough, CD1's rep, Heather Wilson, voted against the bill and thus for protecting a level playing field on the internet.

I hate to say it, but Udall's siding with many of the same telecom and cable companies that readily turned over our phone records to the NSA prompts me to wonder how much money Tom gets from these interests. If you'd like to let Rep. Udall know how you feel about his vote, click here.

Read what the Save the Internet coalition has to say about the House approval of the COPE bill. Here's an excerpt of a statement by Free Press cofounder Robert W. McChesney on behalf of the coalition:

Passage of major telecom legislation without enforceable Net Neutrality is a low point in the history of US policymaking. The telephone-cable Internet duopoly providers deluged Congress with an army of lobbyists, countless millions spent on misleading PR spin and outright lies, and a single-minded determination to put their bottom line ahead of the democratic principles of an open, neutral Internet.

If we lose Net Neutrality, we lose the most promising method for regular people to access and provide diverse and independent news, information and entertainment. We will see the Internet become like cable TV: a handful of massive companies will decide what you can see and how much it will cost. Gone will be the entrepreneurship and innovation that has made the Internet the most important cultural and economic engine of our times.

Check out the company Udall had on his vote in support of COPE, which essentially putts big corporations in charge of how we access websites.

To get a feel for how bad the COPE bill is, read this account by Rep. Louise Slaughter, one of the progressive shining stars in the House. Then explain to me why Udall would support it, despite the defeat of an amendment by Rep. Markey (D-MA) that would have injected some sanity into the bill and preserved an open internet for all. Rep. Udall voted in support of the Markey amendment that would have established net neutrality in the COPE bill, yet voted for the bill anyway, without the needed amendment.

Every single amendment by Dems trying to interject fairness or to put teeth into vague requirements for the telecoms was defeated. As finalized, this bill allows telecoms and cable providers to discriminate against content providers including independent news organizations, blogs, nonprofits or any other entity that cannot or will not pay big fees for access.

I guess Rep. Udall isn't concerned that the bill would allow corporate internet users to cough up big bucks to carve out a high speed pipeline of their own while leaving ordinary bloggers, nonprofit organizations and many others with slower and clumsier access. If you call yourself a progressive, as Udall does, how can you possibly support this bill?

I think I know. No doubt Rep. Udall will defend his vote by saying the bill will provide much needed broadband access for poor and rural areas. After all, the forces pushing for this massive giveaway of the public internet pipelines have widely distributed dishonest and distorted information about the bill. What it really does, however, is trade away the public's right to equal access and service for pie in the sky promises of expanded service. If you trust the giving our internet freedom of expression over to the likes of Comcast, AT&T, Time-Warner and Qwest, you'll love this extremely flawed bill.

Essentially, the bill privatizes the internet, and cedes control of how it works to the big players. The little guy will be left to struggle with slow, erratic, and difficult access problems while traffic is speedily transmitted for those who pay big fees. The bill's provisions about expanding access to the internet are without teeth and constitute mere promises by the big corps, not tough, enforceable requirements for transparency and accountability.

There are some good provisions in the bill, but they are far outweighed by the selling off of the internet's power and speed to special interests that give millions of dollars as "campaign contributions" to lawmakers. MyDD covers what happened in the House in illuminating detail.

More than 700 groups across the political spectrum, 5,000 bloggers and 750,000 individual Americans have joined the fight against COPE, including these:

Free Press -- Coalition Coordinator
Professor Lawrence Lessig -- Stanford
Gun Owners of America
Craig Newmark -- Craigslist.com Founder
Professor Glenn Reynolds -- aka Blogger Instapundit
MoveOn.org Civic Action
Consumers Union
American Library Association
Parents Television Council
Consumer Federation of America
Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ, Inc.
Common Cause
Christian Coalition of America
American Civil Liberties Union
National Association of State PIRGs (U.S. PIRG)
SEIU
Afro-Netizen
The Agonist
AcornActive Media Foundation
Association of Research Libraries
Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility
Consumer Action
Feminist Majority
Independent Press Association
Working Assets
Media Matters
Progressive Democrats of America
US Pirg
Environmental Defense Institute
The National Coalition Against Censorship

Our only hope for defeating this bill moves next to the Senate. Thanks Rep. Udall. You've made our day.

Pondering Zarqawi

Is anyone else wondering why the U.S. military didn't attempt to capture Zarqawi instead of dropping two 500 pound bombs on his location?  You'd think it would have been worthwhile to surround the house where he was staying and take him alive, given how much valuable information he might be able to provide. Or even to attack the building in a more careful way, to preserve valuable intelligence papers and such that might be inside with him.

Is anyone else appalled at how the U.S. military is crowing in front of large photos Zaraqawi's corpse, with a closeup of his head, and releasing video of the bombs dropping? Aren't we the ones who are horrified about beheadings and other brutal, bloody shows? Why are we acting the same way?

Does anyone else believe that Zarqawi's death won't mean much in terms of quelling what is already a civil war?

Could it be that Zarqawi was given up by his own because someone thought he'd be more valuable as a martyr than as the guy in the video who couldn't operate his weapon?

What's your reaction when you read the critical CNN (see Crooks and Liars for video) and Fox News interviews with Michael Berg whose son Nicholas was beheaded, allegedly by Zarqawi?

Was Zarqawi's power and control exaggerated by BushCo so they could build up another mythic figure, given we haven't caught bin Laden? Was Zarqawi mostly a legend in his own eyes? Consider the information provided by Mary Anne Weaver in her indepth article in the Atlantic Monthly. Also read this April 10, 2006 Washington Post article, which reports on how our military sought to exaggerate Zarqawi's importance using a broadbased propaganda campaign. Excerpt:

The U.S. military is conducting a propaganda campaign to magnify the role of the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, according to internal military documents and officers familiar with the program. The effort has raised his profile in a way that some military intelligence officials believe may have overstated his importance and helped the Bush administration tie the war to the organization responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

For the past two years, U.S. military leaders have been using Iraqi media and other outlets in Baghdad to publicize Zarqawi's role in the insurgency. The documents explicitly list the "U.S. Home Audience" as one of the targets of a broader propaganda campaign.

You can also get more background on Zarqawi compiled by Juan Cole.

A Penny For Your Bush Photo!

(Click on image for larger version.)To contact Albuquerque Code Pink email: abqcodepink@mac.com

Join the Campaign for a Better New Mexico

From the Southwest Organizing Project: Since 1980 SouthWest Organizing Project has worked to empower ourselves and our communities to realize racial and gender equality and social and economic justice. As a membership organization made up of families, we’ve accomplished a lot by building leadership and power in low income and working communities so we can have a say in the decisions that affect our lives. 

In the late 80’s and early 90’s SWOP registered over 30,000 voters in the first nonpartisan effort of its kind in the state. “Take Back New Mexico” was at the time the most successful voter registration and education initiative in the history of the state of New Mexico. The Take Back campaign brought a new sense of strength and pride to communities who had been pushed out of politics.

Take Back New Mexico also forced politicians to take working communities and communities of color seriously if they wanted to be elected.

Over the years, we’ve continued to build power and leadership from the grassroots to hold politicians accountable to communities most affected by the decisions and policies of our elected representatives. 

Today SWOP is embarking on the Campaign for a Better New Mexico, a nonpartisan, nonprofit effort to encourage working families to get out and vote and pressure our elected officials to get in step with the needs, values and interests of working communities. 

The Campaign for a Better New Mexico is for people like you who are concerned with the future of New Mexico’s communities - people who want to put politics back into the hands of people. SWOP has served New Mexico’s neighborhoods for more than 25 years, standing side by side with people trying to make their community a better place to live, work and play.

SWOP is a member organization made up of every day, working families who want more say in the decisions that affect our lives. We’re your friends, family and neighbors. Join us. With your participation, a better New Mexico is possible.

Three Easy Ways to Support Campaign Better New Mexico

Join the Campaign for a Better New Mexico and begin making our state an even better place to live, work and raise a family. We know from talking to our friends and families we need:

• A New Minimum Wage
• Assured, Quality Health Care for All Our Families
• Clean Elections so we can take big money out of politics
• And a Modern Immigration Policy

You can start making a difference today.

Here are 3 easy ways you can support the Campaign for a Better New Mexico:

Sign our online petition to join, pledge to vote on November 7^th and tell elected officials they must understand the needs, interests and values of working families.

Donate today - Small amounts can make a big difference.

Volunteer - We need volunteers every weekday from 5 to 8  PM and weekends from 11 AM - 2 PM or 2 - 4 PM to knock on doors and make phone calls. Call SWOP at 505 247 8832 or email us to start making a difference today.

Editor's Note: Democracy for New Mexico supports the Campaign for a Better New Mexico and displays the project's badge and link on our website. If you'd like to do the same, click here.

Watch YearlyKos Convention on CSPAN, Air America

The video above was created by 15-year-old Ava, who blogs on Peace Takes Courage, in honor of YearlyKos. Inspiring.

Listed below the fold is the latest on CSPAN's plans for live TV and internet coverage on Friday and Saturday of portions of the first YearlyKos convention that takes place June 8-11 in Las Vegas NV. The convention schedule is loaded with talent from all corners of the netroots, politics, media, academia and more. It was created entirely by volunteers who are a part of the Daily Kos online community.

You can also watch live gavel to gavel webcasts of the entire 3-day conference at the Air America website by signing up for their premium membership or paying $10 to cover their costs.

Governor Bill Richardson will be participating in a panel discussion at the conference on Friday from 9:30 to 10:45 AM: "A Sustainable Energy-Energize America along with Jérôme Guillet, Mark Sumner, Adam Siegel, George Karayannis.

Additional coverage of YearlyKos will be provided by Link TV which is an outstanding channel that features news from around the world, as well as news that is near to home from a unique perspective. Link TV will be covering many aspects of YearlyKos for use in a variety of programs. Link TV can be seen on Channel 375 on DIRECTV® satellite TV service or on Channel 9410 on Echostar Communications Corporation's DISH® Network satellite TV service.

The Young Turks will also be broadcasting live from YearlyKos, as will Politics TV, where you'll also be able to be part of the YearlyKos action.

Not yet released: which CSPAN channel will broadcast each segment. ALL TIMES BELOW ARE EASTERN TIME. SUBTRACT TWO HOURS FOR MOUNTAIN TIME.

FRIDAY JUNE 9, 2006

11AM-12:15 PM ET
Progressive Players - leaders of the new progressive movement, including
Tom Matzzie of MoveOn
Arshad Hassan of Democracy for America
Gloria Trotten of Progressive Majority
Nathan Newman of Progress States Network

12:30PM - 1:45 PM
CIA Leak Investigation
Amb. Joe Wilson
Dan Froomkin - WashingtonPost.com
Murray Waas - National Journal
Larry Johnson - former CIA analyst and counterterrorism expert at the State Department
Marcy Wheeler - Blogger Emptywheel
Christy Hardin Smith - attorney, former prosecutor & blogger at Firedoglake
Jane Hamsher - producer (Natural Born Killers), author & blogger at Firedoglake

2:15PM - 4:15PM  Lunch Keynote
Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Boxer with Q&A
2:20 Greeting by MC
2:25 Sponsor comments
2:30 Leader Pelosi
2:50 Q&A with audience
3::35 Sen. Boxer
3:55 Q&A with audience
4:15 end

4:30PM - 5:45 PM: MetaKos - the top bloggers of DailyKos
Markos - Contributing Editor, Daily Kos
Hunter - Contributing Editor, Daily Kos
Armando -Contributing Editor, Daily Kos
SusanG Contributing Editor, Daily Kos
Chris Bowers - MyDD (title being confirmed)

SATURDAY JUNE 10, 2006

12PM - 1PM: Communicating the Progressive Vision
John Javna - Author and Columnist, 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Fight the Right
George Lakoff - University of California, Berkeley, Linguistics
Jeffrey Feldman - Frameshop, Editor-in-Chief/Founder
Justin Krebs - Founder, Drinking Liberally and The Tank
Jim Derych - Author, Confessions of a Former Dittohead

1:10 - 2:10 Blogosphere Experts - an introduction to major bloggers, looking at issues such as What is the position of the blogosphere in the insider / outsider political dialetic?

Chris Bowers - MyDD
Peter Daou - Salon
Matt Stoller - BOPnews.com
Matt DeBergalis   -- ActBlue
Tim Tagaris - swingstateproject.com

2:20-3:20: Political Journalism
Matt Bai - New York Times
Jay Rosen - NYU
Duncan Black - Atrios - Eschaton
Christy Smith - Firedoglake

The YearlyKos Convention will be held at the Riviera hotel in Las Vegas from June 8-11, 2006. This is the first convention of its kind-bringing together progressive bloggers, netroots members and leading elected officials. The YearlyKos Convention is organized to bring together the netroots to build progressive infrastructure and effect positive change.

Updated NM Primary Election Results

UPDATE: I've updated the totals on the Democratic competitive races according to the unofficial results up on the Secretary of State's website. Unofficial winners are in red. Very sadly, statewide voter turnout is expected to be about 15% of all registered voters, with about a 14% turnout in Bernalillo County. Abysmal. The latest results are:
********************

Just got back from the Dem gathering at the Albuquerque Hilton and here's what I know at this hour:

ATTORNEY GENERAL: Gary King, Geno Zamora, Lem Martinez in that order. King claimed victory with a speech and the others joined him on stage in what amounted to their concessions. He was ahead by more than 10 percentage points.

UPDATE:
Geno Zamora  31.9%
Lem Martinez  21.9%
Gary King  46.2%

SECRETARY OF STATE: Last I heard, Mary Herrera was ahead with Stephanie Gonzales about 9 points down, followed by Shirley Hooper and Letitia Montoya in that order. This could change.

UPDATE:
Mary Herrera  39.6%
Stephanie Gonzales  28.9%
Shirley Hooper  19.5%
Letitia Montoya  12.1%

LAND COMMISSIONER: Jim Baca led by about 3,000 votes over Ray Powell. Baca had been trailing until the results from Northern NM precincts rolled in.

UPDATE:
Ray Powell  49.1%
Jim Baca 50.9%

STATE AUDITOR: It appears that Jeff Armijo won, with a large lead developing versus Thomas Buckner.

UPDATE:
Jeff Armijo  62.0%
Tom Buckner  38.0%

STATE REP. DISTRICT 16: Big win for progressive favorite Moe Maestas looks like a winner at this stage of the game in the 4-way race with Dominic Aragon, Pat Baca, Jr. and Dan Serrano.

UPDATE:
Pat Baca Jr.  27.0%
Moe Maestas  34.1%
Dominic Aragon  18.6%
Dan Serrano  20.2%

Other races per Bernalillo County Clerk's website:

BERNALILLO COUNTY COMMISSIONER (DIST. 1)
Loretta A. Naranjo  47.28%
Alan B. Armijo  52.72%

BERNALILLO COUNTY ASSESSOR
Moises Gonzales  36.93%
Karen Montoya  41.31%
Dolores Maestas  21.76%

The results being reported on the NM Secretary of State's website were coming in slowly, but by the time you read this they may be more complete. And here's the link to results at the .