Democracy for New Mexico

Dana Goldberg Comedy Event & Silent Auction Benefit

(Click on image for larger version.) Don't miss Dana Goldberg
Saturday, July 15, 7:30 PM
Silent Auction proceeds to go to
Equality New Mexico
and All Faiths Receiving Home

Silent Auction Begins at 6:30 - Doors open at 7:00
Special Guest the incomparable jazz vocalist
Cathryn McGill

UNM Continuing Education Auditorium
1634 University Blvd., NE
Tickets on sale NOW at www.danagoldberg.com and
First Community Bank
(Nob Hill Location Only)
Tickets $15 advance $20 at the door!

ABQ CodePINK's Saturdays in the Park Continue

(Click on image above for larger version.)

The Downtown Growers' Market every Saturday morning from 7:00 to 11:00 AM provides the perfect setting for us to prominade very pinkly. The market is in Albuquerque at Robinson Park on Central between 8th and 9th. It has wonderful produce, artisans, pastries, coffee and music. And, importantly, it has lovely shade. We can stroll and shop and then sit under the big trees -- and attract attention. We can collect signatures for The Voters' Pledge and The Declaration of Peace. Free parking is available in a lot just north of the park. Bring a folding chair and wear your pink.

Peace,
Rebecca Wilson
Albuquerque Coordinator
CODEPINK Women for Peace
Albuquerque, NM
505.463.7172
abqcodepink@mac.com
www.albuquerquecodepink.info

CODEPINK is a women-initiated grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end the war in Iraq, stop new wars, and redirect our resources into healthcare, education and other life-affirming activities. CODEPINK rejects the Bush administration's fear-based politics that justify violence, and instead calls for policies based on compassion, kindness and a commitment to international law. With an emphasis on joy and humor, CODEPINK women and men seek to activate, amplify and inspire a community of peacemakers through creative campaigns and a commitment to non-violence.

Federal Election Assistance Commission to Hold Public Meeting in Santa Fe

Press release from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission:

EAC to Hold Public Meeting in Santa Fe. Topics Include Voting System Certification, Ballot Design & Polling Place Signage

WHAT: Public Meeting - Commissioners will discuss the approval of an interim voting system certification process, effective ballot design and effective polling place signage.

WHO: EAC commissioners, election officials and usability design specialists.

WHERE: Hilton Santa Fe Historic Plaza - Mesa C., 100 Sandoval Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501, (505) 988-2811

WHEN: Thursday, July 13, 2006 (9:30 AM - 12:30 PM, MDT)

To learn more about the EAC, please visit www.eac.gov.

Contact: Bryan Whitener (202) 566-3100
bwhitener@eac.gov

Ned Lamont's New "Attack" Ad

His ad guy, Bill Hillsman, is the same person who did Paul Wellstone's early ads. No wonder inside the beltway Dem consultants won't lower themselves to hire him. He's creative and funny and we can't have that, can we? What would the voters think? Or the lobbyists? (PS: Isn't the guy doing the voiceover on this the SAME guy who does EVERY voiceover on every negative political ad? I thought so.)

New Talk Radio Programming Takes a Chance

Lee Logan is now on The New Talk FM, KAGM in Albuquerque at 106.3 and KBOM in Santa Fe at 94.7, from 3-6 PM, Monday through Friday. Every Monday from 4-4:30 PM there will be a "Focus at Four" on election fraud and related issues like electronic voting machine problems. Also check out Thursday's series on Unity '08 from 3:30-4 PM with the Founding Fathers. The revised afternoon scheduling for KAGM-KBOM represents a new direction for the Talk Radio station, which in the past has focused mostly on a right-wing point of view. Lee Logan is trying to redefine and broaden the format and needs us to show our support by tuning in regularly. We need to convince management to stick with the new afternoon format. Pass it on, and tune in yourself.

Who Cares About Gay Marriage?

This is a must read if you want to gain a clear picture of why GLBT people and their supporters are pushing so hard for gay civil marriage rights. How would you like it if your life partner were rushed to the hospital and you were told you couldn't be in on the information or decisionmaking, or visit them in the ER? People usually believe that legal documents like a durable power of attorney, a healthcare proxy or a domestic partnership registration allow GLBT partners to obtain many of the legal rights provided by civil marriage, but it's not really true. There's no guarantee across all states or even in states that supposedly recognize the documents.

Healthcare workers and others can refuse to acknowledge these documents on a whim, and there's no readily available legal remedy. Especially in states that have passed legal prohibitions against any and all forms of gay marriage or partnership, there is no legal recourse in such situations.

How much longer can a culture that purports to be a democracy that guarantees equal rights under the law for all continue to allow right-wing religious doctrine to trash the civil rights of GLBT citizens? I don't give a shit what religions say about gay relationships. What I care about is seeing to it that civil law treats everyone with equality and fairness, regardless of what this religious leader or another proclaims. If we allow this to continue, what next? Should we stop allowing vendors to sell contraceptives because the Catholic Church calls them sinful? Should we require all citizens to attend a religious service and all stores to close on Sundays (or Sabbath)? Either we have separation of church and state or we're rapidly devolving into a theocracy.

Another thing that irks me about the "sanctity of marriage" crowd is that they don't seem to have a problem with straight people availing themselves of this "sacrament" before a justice of the peace, sans religious content. If "marriage" is solely a holy, religion-controlled event, how is it that all marriages aren't required to be performed within a house of worship? How would allowing gay partners to enter into a civil contractual agreement before a judge destroy the sanctity of church weddings? Short answer: it wouldn't.

Unfortunately, the GLBT struggle for equal rights hit another obstacle recently, with the New York Supreme Court's decision stating their state constitution doesn't require the recognition of gay marriage. DNC Chair Howard Dean, renewing his push for GLBT equality after that horrible gaff while being interviewed on the 700 Club, had this to say:

"As Democrats, we believe that every American has a right to equal protection under the law and to live in dignity," he said, according to the Associated Press. "And we must respect the right of every family to live in dignity with equal rights, responsibilities and protections under the law. Today's decision by the New York Court of Appeals, which relies on outdated and bigoted notions about families, is deeply disappointing, but it does not end the effort to achieve this goal.

The fight continues, as much within our Party as without.

Bird and Bee Blogging

Sunny our sun conure parrot loves to visit our backyard garden, especially now, with eight straight days of monsoon rains nourishing the plants into overdrive. Maybe he thinks his colorful plummage is a good match for the flowering paintbox of the garden.

Our sunflowers have positively exploded in response to the moisture, their golden heads bobbing in the the breeze. We have a large array of them along one wall where one of our wild bird feeders was located for a few years. They were a surprise, as we hadn't planted any sunflower seeds there. The sunflower bounty came from the many seeds that had fallen over time at that spot as the wild birds spread them unknowingly, instinctively. Strangely, the sunflower seeds we did plant, along another wall, didn't sprout. Maybe because that area is home to a second season of many-hued hollyhocks crowding out competitors.

As you can see above, the bees are quite smitten with the sunflowers as well -- a moveable feast of powdery pollen, free for the taking. On this Sunday in monsoon season, our bird and the bees shared the golden glory. And we got to feast our eyes on the fusion.

(Click on photos for larger versions.)

Saturday Music Hall: People Have the Power

This is a rendition of Patti Smith's tune People Have the Power performed by many musicians who participated in the nationwide Vote for Change tour in support of Kerry in the last days of the 2004 presidential campaign. The players and singers include Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, REM, the Dixie Chicks, Bonnie Raitt, Dave Matthews, John Mellencamp, Pearl Jam, John Fogerty, Steve Earle, James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Baby Face and others.

Call me corny, but I get chills every time I hear this song, regardless of who's doing it. To me it expresses the core of Democratic values -- or at least what we once believed the Democrats stood for and defended at any cost. People have the power. Not the corporations. Not the "free" traders. Not the bankers. Not the media conglomerates. Not the pollsters. Not the cronies of corrupt politicians. Not the wealthy elites. Not the lobbyists. Not the developers or Wall Street or the investor class. PEOPLE have the power.

The Republican Party is about private property, individual power and wealth, government out of the way. But the Democratic Party, when it was at its peak of political strength and moral power, was all about representing the common good, the common person, the working stiff, the underdog. For a fair shake, for nurturing the middle class, for economic and social mobility. For down home democracy. To win again I strongly believe we must return to this focus, to this populism, to this struggle for equal rights under the law, justice for every citizen and a level playing field for all. To reassert the people's priorities and reconfigure a government that follows the rule of law.

When I watched this video it brought back all the excitement, zeal, passion, hopes, dreams, comaraderie, unity and hard work that characterized the run-up to the November 04 election. There were literally mobs of people from all walks of life and every economic, social, racial and gender sector volunteering for the Kerry campaign and other get out the vote efforts here and everywhere. The internet was awash in activism and energy, the crowds at Kerry events were humongous and we KNEW we were going to win.

Kerry and The Boss in Madison right before election day

And damn it, we DID WIN. We know that now for a fact. Exit polls results are just one source of evidence. Exit polls don't lie. Exit polls have been used all over the world to check the honesty of elections. Exits polls across the nation clearly demonstrated that Kerry was the winner in 2004. And yet when the official results were posted there were suspicious shifts in the vote count to Bush. Every shift that occurred, occurred to benefit Bush. Could this possibly be a coincidence? Other data and respected studies say no. Resoundingly.

So we also know for a fact that winning wasn't enough, not when Bush and his Rovian criminals were so successfully stealing votes and stopping Dems from voting in many key states using a myriad of methods. This bunch will stop at nothing --NOTHING -- to win. By now, this stealth campaign against democracy has been well documented by serious analyses by experts of many disciplines, of many poltical stripes. The lastest, of course, was the four month study performed by Rolling Stone and reported in detail by Robert Kennedy, Jr., no less. You'd think by now that the mainstream media would be inundated with coverage and that Democrats in positions to make a difference would be focusing like a laser on making sure it doesn't happen again. For a third time. But you'd be wrong.

Election fraud is still largely viewed, illogically, as some kind of tin foil hat hobby of conspiracy theorists, as a sideshow without merit, as the last resort of sore losers. Could anything be further from the truth? The data piles up in an irrefutable argument that proves that our votes were destroyed, ignored, prevented and distorted where they were needed most -- in the states that made the difference between a second term for The Lying Decider and a fresh start with one of our own. 

Where does that leave us? Still stuck in the middle of a critical, difficult and frustrating push toward a tipping point in our Party and in our nation. When I get down about our prospects, I listen to songs like People Have the Power; I recall my memories of what it feels like when our people are motivated to collective action; I remember that to abandon the fight is to abandon a sustainable future for all of us, and for the planet itself. Then I pick up my tools, stoke my energy and get back to work. And I'll keep doing that until we win the victory we actually won twice before. If we don't, who will?

How about you? After all, as Howard Dean chanted many times, YOU'VE GOT THE POWER. Come on, I know you believe it in your heart. We've got the power If we use it. If we don't give up. If we cultivate patience. If we use our creativity, and work together, and keep it up. And keep believing that PEOPLE HAVE THE POWER, even if everything we see and hear and read on any given day tells us otherwise...

Lamont Stands His Ground Vs. "There You Go Again" Lieberman

(AP photo)

I watched yesterday's debate between Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman and netroots favorite Ned Lamont before I headed over to our monthly Meetup. I was very impressed with Lamont's surprisingly sharp and steady performance and his refreshing sincerity and passion. I thought Lieberman, on the other hand, came off as arrogant, patronizing, pompous, carefully programmed and obviously dismayed that he had to submit to a debate with a "nobody." The citizen candidate "nobody" did pretty damn well against a career politician who's been primped and polished for decades by Beltway consultants and insider strategists working hard to create a slick brand of ready-for-prime-time politico.

On several occasions Lieberman sank to the level of parroting Ronald Reagan's trite old 80s debate line of "there you go again." And then there was his twisted play on Lloyd Benson's debate line with Dan Quayle: "I know George Bush ... I’m not George Bush." Really. It was that bad.

Joementum peppered Lamont repeatedly with attack rhetoric, looking to ruffle the political newcomer's cool. He failed. Lieberman actually had the nerve to criticize Lamont for having six different positions on the Iraq war. Lieberman must be the only Dem on the planet who hasn't gotten the message on Lamont's view of what needs to be done -- a no nonsense match with the redeploy now of Murtha, Kerry and Feingold. No mystery there except in Joe's mind.

What irked me most was Joe's tendency to interrupt Ned when he was talking during his prescribed time. I guess the longtime Senator, used to the perks of seniority and the insulation of entourages, believes he's above complying with something as mundane as the rules of debate.

My favorite Lamont lines? He mentioned twice that there are 63 lobbyists for every member of Congress. His implication? The common good would be best served if the voters elect a Senator who isn't beholden to decades of big dollar donations from those with business before the Congress. Clear the decks!   

It was particularly galling to hear Lieberman inform the debate audience they should keep him in office because only he has the power and seniority to bring home all that bacon bound up in sleazy Bushian earmarks. Left unsaid: how he gets that cash by kissing up to BushCo on so many vital neocon issues. Not an illegal quid pro quo, but a nasty quid pro quo all the same, especially for someone who calls himself a Democrat (even if he plans to run as an independent if Lamont wins).

I loved Lamont's responses to Joe's claims that Ned is a "closet Republican" because he "voted with Republicans" when he was a selectman a decade ago. Ned pointed out that the votes in question were on such highly partisan issues as potholes in the road, and that local reporters had thoroughly discredited the distorted claims being made by Lieberman. Joe looked plain silly. Again. I guess his debate preppers thought it a great idea for the ultimate Republican-lite politician to accuse his grassroots/netroots opponent of being a secret Republican. I wonder how much Joe paid for that sage advice.

You can watch the entire video on CSPAN's website. Scroll down to find the clip. PoliticsTV has video of the entire debate plus clips that break it down into shorter segments. The provides a text transcript.  Lamont's website and blog has video clips, links to press coverage and more about the debate.

NM Forum to Focus on Right to Vote Counting Accuracy

From Verified Voting NM and United Voters NM:
“Your Right To Have Your Vote Counted Accurately” is the theme of an upcoming  public forum sponsored by a coalition of election reform activists in New Mexico. The event will feature commentary by leading national advocates also concerned with strengthening accuracy in vote counting, auditing and recounting.

The forum will be held Sunday July 9, 2-4 PM, at the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Santa Fe, Barcelona at Galisteo. It is open to the public and co-sponsored by the Congregation’s Forum and by Verified Voting NM and United Voters of New Mexico. Click for flyer.

The event coincides with the opening in Santa Fe of the summer conference of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), who generally are the chief election officials in their jurisdictions. “The tremendous amount of money – up to $50,000 apiece – being raised by the NASS from the voting machine manufacturers seems to put our electoral system at risk,” said Terry Riley of United Voters of New Mexico. 

“This event highlights the oncoming November election and the critical problems caused by untrustworthy voting machines and administrative actions that deter voters from casting their ballots,” said Pat Leahan, member of the VVNM steering committee.

Topics to be discussed are: The U.S. November Election – Train Wreck in the Making?; Problems Ahead for New Mexico’s Conversion to All Paper Ballots; and the Role of Secretaries of State in Ensuring Verifiable and Verified Elections.

Among the scheduled speakers are: Warren Stewart, director of legislative issues and policy of VoteTrustUSA and Heleni Thayre of Unitarian-Universalists for Verified Voting, Boston.   

VerifiedVotingNM  and  UnitedVotersNM
329 Sena St., Santa Fe NM 87505,  988-3718
PO Box 218, Corrales NM 87048,  898-1237 
A coalition of organizations and individuals concerned with strengthening accuracy in vote counting, auditing and recounting

For more info contact: Robert Stearns, 988-3718 or Terry Riley, 899-6275