Democracy for New Mexico

Saturday Music Hall: Shine On You Crazy Diamond

Syd Barrett, the troubled and highly influential co-founder of Pink Floyd, passed away on July 7th at age 60 from complications related to diabetes. The video above presents a live performance at the BBC in 1967, when Syd was still with the band. They perform the Barrett composition, "Astronomy Domine," which was quite the adventurous bit of creative psychedelia at the time. Pink Floyd gained its early fame mostly due to Barrett's exploratory take on rock and his experiments with dramatic visual effects and multimedia "happenings" that made thier mid-to-late-60s performances at London's UFO Club, Marquee Club and others a must-see for hipsters and fellow musicians alike.

Early Pink Floyd with Syd Barrett up front on right.

Despite leaving the band in 1968 due to mental problems worsened by heavy LSD use, and trouble coping with the pressures and pleasures of fame, Syd left his mark on the band's style for decades to come. David Gilmour replaced him on lead guitar and vocals. Their 1975 album, "Wish You Were Here" was expressive of the band's continuing emotional and musical ties with Barrett, especially on the album's title song and "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," written for Syd. Strangely enough, Barrett unexpectedly showed up at one of the recording sessions for the album after years of being incommunicado. The other band members could barely recognize him.

He then vanished from the scene once more, spending most of the rest of his life living quitely in his mother's suburban home, with several short, voluntary stays in mental institutions. He painted, he gardened, he wrote more music, but he did so privately. Here's a good article on Syd's musical legacy, and a site with many photos of him from childhood on.

I was an early Pink Floyd afficionado, and must have listened to albums like "Piper at the Gates of Dawn," "Atomic Heart Mother," "Meddle," "Ummagumma," "Meddle" and the first release of "Dark Side of the Moon" thousands of times in various states of consciousness.

I only got to see them live once, during their initial Dark Side of the Moon tour in 1973. The concert was at the old International Amphitheater in Chicago, long after Syd had left the band. The echoes of that powerfully elaborate performance still reside in my memory bank in all their many layered glory. It was that good. The band used very advanced (for the time) 360 degree sound in the huge old cavern of a venue, and of course the light show was spectacular and dramatic, just right for an audience tripping the light fantastic. Now one of the band's founders has left on a different kind of trip....

January 6, 1946 - July 7, 2006, R.I.P.

No Way Out

AP photo of bombing in Lebanon

Does anyone else feel like a horribly critical line has been crossed with the recent Israeli-Palestinian-Lebanese conflicts crashing onto the world stage? I thought so. Round and round it goes and where it stops, nobody knows. Are we already at a point of no return?

As with many things Middle Eastern over the past 6 years, I blame the Bush administration and its neocon nightmare makers for a large part of the chaos, miscalculation and brutality that's exploding there. Bush and his cronies have quite a track record of making bad situations worse. Since Ariel Sharon was incapacitated by a stroke, BushCo has completely abandoned diplomacy and paid little attention to the growing tensions in the area. Now that his Iraq occupation has effectively pinned down our military forces and sparked innumerable new fires of reaction and revenge, Bush stands back and watches. He does nothing. He sends no-one to the region. He refuses even to pretend to be an honest broker bent on peacemaking. He seems, instead, to actually relish the increasing violence as another front in his militaristic "war on terror."

Unlike past presidents, he's refusing to pressure the Israelis to show some restraint in their responses or use diplomacy to pressure and persuade the parties to step back from the abyss. Given his attitude, you have to wonder if this is playing out exactly as the neocons planned all along. Anything is possible with this bunch.

Onward to Syria and Iran? I wouldn't be surprised if Rove et al. see that possibility as a useful way to scare people and force them back into the arms of The Decider War President as the '06 election nears. Added bonus? High oil prices benefit George's oil biz friends, especially those who operate domestically, including in his home state of Texas, and offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, where expanded drilling will soon be allowed.

As usual, billmon is well worth a read on this situation. Bottom line: just as in Iraq, there seems to be no good way out of the violence, economic dangers and deaths boiling up in Gaza, Israel and Lebanon, at least with Bush in power and Republicans running the entire Congress. If nothing changes, the consequences will impact us all, in a myriad of ways. The price of oil may well continue to skyrocket, the world's financial markets may well continue to deteriorate and the chaotic death and destruction may well spread to the entire region. America and Americans will be viewed by more and more people around the globe as part of the problem, not part of the solution. Terrorism will increase, especially here. The future of our nation, the world community and the planet itself will be in even more jeopardy than it is now.

Thanks George. Thanks Rummy. Thanks Cheney. Thanks Rice. Thanks neocons. You fed the fires and now you can watch them all burn and spread.

What a high price to pay for all those Christian right voters who supported BushCo in '04 because their reverends convinced them that gay marriage and a woman's right to choose are ruining America's morals. Well, I'm sure many of them are actually pleased as punch about the developments in the Middle East. YaaaaaaHoooooooo! The end days are a comin' ! Armageddon's on the way! The Rapture's up next! Victory!

Today's Plame-Wilson Suit Press Conference

Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson at press conference.
Reuters photo.

Updating our previous post, here's video and a transcript of the press conference held this morning at the National Press Club in Washington by Valerie Plame, Amb. Joe Wilson and their attorney, courtesy of Raw Story. They explain their filing of a civil suit against Dick Cheney, Karl Rove and Scooter Libby. Can you imagine how much pressure and how many nasty attempts at discrediting them they'll face as this lawsuit progresses? Who knows what the evil three will do in retaliation. To me, the Wilson's are some of the bravest patriots we have, in the truest sense of the word. Joe Wilson put it bluntly:

We are under no illusions about how tough this fight will be but we believe the time has come to hold those who use their official positions to exact personal revenge responsible for their actions.

First RFK Whistleblower Lawsuit Filed Against Electronic Voting Machine Maker

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has filed the first of two lawsuits claiming fraud against electronic voting machine companies on behalf of whistleblowers within the companies. Read all about it on BradBlog. Excerpt:

Speaking of the level of fraud to be revealed by the suits, which must be sealed by law for 60 days as the Attorney General decides if they will join the complaint, [attorney] Papantonio told Malloy: "When you hear the details, when you hear the caliber of the fraud… you… it'll make Americans feel like they're living in a damned banana republic, a third world country. I have never heard such outrageous facts."

"And you know what?" he continued, "We've had our investigators look at it. We verified everything. And when you hear it, you're gonna say, 'Not in America.' …Bad news is: Yeah, it is in America."

Voting Rights Act Extended After Bigoted Debate

Go watch Rep. Maxine Waters speak on behalf of renewing the Voting Rights Act (or read the text version there). She sure packed a wallop in her 2 minutes on the House floor. Then continue on with FireDogLake's description of what's really went down in the U.S. House of Representatives as so-called conservative Southern Republicans tried to water down this historic legislation. Shameful at any time in our history. Almost unthinkable in the early days of the 21st century.

Fortunately the extension of the Act passed yesterday afternoon and all four base-pleasing amendments to gut the bill failed, although it will be useful to see which Repubs voted for them.**

One of the essentially racist amendments that had been proposed by rightwingnuts would have discontinued the practice of providing voter information and ballots in other languages in districts where large numbers of certain ethnicities reside, like Hispanics, Native Americans or Vietnamese. It's sometimes hard for me to believe we are back fighting the fights we thought were resolved in the 50s and 60s. Against the same kinds of thieves, liars and bigots. I guess such battles never do really end. Preserving democracy requires vigilance. The scoundrels are always trying to push things back to a previous time when they felt comfortably insulated from minorities of all sorts.

The really oily thing is that the rightwingos KNEW these foul amendments would never pass. They just wanted to "discuss" them to impress the bigots in their base. They might as well have painted their foreheads with red letters saying "My Appeal Is To Bigots Everywhere." They are that blantant in their baiting. I'll never understand how reasonable people can be Republicans in this era. I guess denial and blinders are powerful things.
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**UPDATE at 2:53 PM: Here are the names of the Reps who voted against extending the Voting Rights Act. All of the them are Republicans: Richard Baker (R-LA), J. Gresham Barrett (R-SC), Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD), Joe Barton (R-TX), Jo Bonner (R-AL), Dan Burton (R-IN), John Campbell (R-CA), Mike Conaway (R-TX), Nathan Deal (R-GA), John Doolittle (R-CA), John Duncan (R-TN), Terry Everett (R-AL), Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Trent Franks (R-AZ), Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Phil Gingrey (R-GA), Joel Hefley (R-CO), Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), Wally Herger (R-CA), Sam Johnson (R-TX), Steve King (R-IA), John Linder (R-GA), Patrick McHenry (R-NC), Gary Miller (R-CA), Charles Norwood (R-GA), Ron Paul (R-TX), Tom Price (R-GA), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Ed Royce (R-CA), John Shadegg (R-AZ), Thomas Tancredo (R-CO), William Thornberry (R-TX), and Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA)

New AP-Ipsos Poll: Americans Want Dems in Power

According to a report in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the results of an Associated Press - Ipsos poll taken earlier this week reveal that Americans, by a margin of almost 3-1, have a poor opinion of a Republican-dominated Congress and want Democrats to regain power there. Also:

Further complicating the GOP outlook to turn things around is a solid percentage of liberals, moderates and even conservatives who say they'll vote Democratic. The party out of power also holds the edge among persuadable voters, a prospect that doesn't bode well for the Republicans.

... But a Democratic takeover of either the House or Senate would be disastrous for the president, leaving both his agenda for the last two years in office and the chairmanship of investigative committees in the hands of the opposition party. To seize control of Congress, the Democrats must displace 15 Republicans from House seats and six Republicans from the Senate.

... Overall, only 27 percent approved of the way Congress is doing its job. Lawmakers get favorable marks from 36 percent of conservatives, 28 percent of moderates and 17 percent of liberals

Meanwhile, Bush's approval rating remains unchanged since last month, hovering at 36 percent. What does all this mean? Locally, it means AG Patricia Madrid has an excellent shot of unseating Rep. Heather Wilson IF we work at it. Nationally, it means that Democrats retaking one or both Houses of Congress is a growing possibility IF we work at it. Are you inspired to get off your butt yet?

PS: Don't miss the meaningless quote by NM Repub gubernatorial candidate John Dendahl in the article. How the hell did a quote from him get in there? Rove must be working overtime.

Breaking: Wilson & Plame File Civil Lawsuit vs. Cheney, Rove, Libby

Holy cow. Ambassador Joseph Wilson and Valerie Plame Wilson filed a civil lawsuit today against Dick Cheney, Karl Rove and Scooter Libby. They'll be holding a press conference about the suit at the Press Club in Washington tomorrow at 10 AM. Click for their press release and for a copy of the complaint. Both are from a new website set up by the Wilsons, where donations are being accepted to cover legal expenses. The complaint is being filed for "First and Fifth Amendment Violations, Civil Rights Conspiracy, Failure to Prevent Civil Rights Violations, Public Disclosure of Private Facts, Civil Conspiracy." Will the White House perpetrators finally get their due? We can only hope.

What's interesting is that although Bush may well pardon Scooter Libby before he goes to trial in his criminal case, as his father did with his Iran-Contra buddies, he can't pardon anyone in a civil suit. Pop goes the weasle?

PRC Lecture Series to Focus on Renewable Energies, Clean Technologies and the Regulatory Environment

From Jason Marks, NM Public Regulation Commission:
Santa Fe—New Mexico Public Regulation Commission Chairman Ben R. Lujan and Vice Chairman Jason Marks are hosting a series of lectures, which will concentrate on renewable energies and clean technologies. The first lecture will focus on large-scale solar thermal power plants and New Mexico’s regulatory environment.

“Renewable energies are our future. These clean, renewable energy technologies have the potential to positively affect our state’s economy, while protecting and preserving our environment,” said Chairman Lujan.

Dr. Arnold Leitner CEO and President of SkyFuel, LLC will discuss technologies related to large-scale solar thermal power, which are based on Compact Linear Fresnel Reflectors or CLFR’s. CLFR’s are a solar technology developed by Australia’s Solar Heat and Power and have excellent operational and environmental potential. Dr. Ben Luce coordinator and spokesperson for Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy (CCAE) and a member of New Mexico Solar Energy Association will also provide a brief overview of Concentrating Solar Power technologies and energy storage.

The inaugural lecture will be held at 2-4 PM, Monday, July 17, 2006 at Apodoca Hall on the 2nd floor of the PERA building, 1120 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe. For more information please contact the PRC at 505-827-4533. The public is encouraged to attend.

Heather Wilson: Afraid to Admit She's a Real Republican

That's right. Republican incumbent Rep. Heather Wilson, who's running against Dem challenger Patricia Madrid in NM-CD1, has purchased $200,000 worth of TV time for an ad that suggests she's not really a staunch Republican or a supporter of Bush and Company -- she's "independent."

I bet you didn't realize that Heather is "independent" and working for you -- maybe because she votes with Bush 90 percent of the time, especially on critical issues like the Iraq War, the flawed Medicare prescription drug plan, the energy bill written by oil lobbyists and tax cuts for our wealthiest citizens. She claims she acts on her own but her rubberstamping of almost everything the Bush-Rove-Cheney bunch proposes reveals the truth about her. She also takes money from the likes of Tom DeLay, Duke Cunningham and Abramoff crony David Safavian -- all one-time right-wing Republican powerhouses who have been discredited in corruption scandals. Even so, her ad claims she's "honest":

Wilson says "the best part of the job is gettin' to help people." Well some people anyway. Just not those suffering from the fiscal irresponsibility of the Bush administration. Just not those suffering from high gas prices or the growing consequences of global warming. Just not those who are dying in Iraq because Bush lied and then bungled the war's aftermath with incompetent strategies and corrupt practices.

She's shown more emotion over Janet Jackson's Superbowl halftime performance than she has for any issue that affects the well being of New Mexicans. Just listen to her quaky-voice, teary-eyed testimony (mp3) about the Jackson incident at a conservative showcase Congressional hearing. If she only exhibited that degree of passion about real problems being experienced by ordinary people due to Bush administration policies, we might take her claims more seriously.

I can see why Wilson wouldn't want to run as a real Republican these days. With approval ratings in the dumps for both the president and Republican members of Congress, it might seem like a useful strategy to pretend you're not really connected to those who've made such a mess of things with your help. But it's dishonest to do that when you've been an integral part of the team.

It's plain that Heather Wilson is running scared. Never before has she put up TV ads SIX WEEKS before an election. The word is that the Wilson campaign commissioned a poll last month to see how she was faring with NM voters. Apparently the results were surprisingly poor, because this ad campaign was launched in the direct aftermath.

Yes, she's running scared for a reason. More and more New Mexicans are onto her bait and switch game. You can't fly into Albuquerque with Bush and Rove in tow, have them raise $375,000 for your campaign from big donors, and then expect people to believe you're "independent" of the Bush debacle, can you? As Bush himself said, "I'm close to Heather." Close indeed.

Want to help get rid of another Bush rubberstamp and elect someone who really WILL represent ordinary New Mexicans? Visit Patricia Madrid's campaign website and sign up to volunteer or donate some bucks. We can win this election and have a good chance at regaining control of the U.S. House of Representatives IF we all work together with Madrid.

Long Time Gone

I had much to say and post yesterday, but TypePad wouldn't let me. The software used to run this website was completely down all day. People could visit the site, but couldn't make any comments. I couldn't get to the application pages used to make posts and other changes on the site. TypePad is back in working order today, but there still appear to be some glitches and everything is working very slowly right now. We'll see if TypePad manages to stay up today and recapture its usual quickness. Now, what was I going to say yesterday....