Democracy for New Mexico

Senate Dem Statements On Torture & Detainment Bill

Several Senate Dems have given their floor statements on Bush's horrendous torture and detainment bill. Here are excerpts from a few of them:

" ... the trials conducted under this legislation will send a very different signal to the world, one that I fear will put our own troops and personnel in jeopardy both now and in future conflicts. To take just a few examples, this legislation would permit an individual to be convicted on the basis of coerced testimony and hearsay, would not allow full judicial review of the conviction, and yet would allow someone convicted under these rules to be put to death. That is simply unacceptable. We would not stand for another country to try our citizens under those rules, and we should not stand for our own government to do so, either." --Sen. Russ Feingold (full statement here)

"Mr. President, the Administration and Republican leadership would have the American people believe that the War on Terror requires a choice between protecting America from terrorism and upholding the basic tenets upon which our country was founded -- but not both. This canard has been showcased in every recent election cycle.

"I fully reject that reasoning. We can, and we must, balance our responsibilities to bring terrorists to justice, while at the same time protecting what it means to be America. To choose the rule of law over the passion of the moment takes courage. But it is the right thing to do if we are to uphold the values of equal justice and due process that are codified in our Constitution." --Sen. Chris Dodd (full statement here)

"We must start treating our moral authority as a precious national asset that does not limit our power but magnifies our influence. That seems obvious, but this Administration still doesn't get it. Right now - today -- they are trying to rush a bill through Congress that will fundamentally undermine our moral authority, put our troops at greater risk, and make our country less safe.

"Let me be clear about something--something that it seems few people are willing to say. This bill permits torture. It gives the President the discretion to interpret the meaning and application of the Geneva Conventions. No matter how much well-intended United States Senators would like to believe otherwise, it gives an Administration that lobbied for torture just what it wanted." --Sen. John Kerry (full statement here)

Wilson & Pearce Vote for Bush's Malignant Torture Bill

Yesterday, both of New Mexico's Republican representatives voted to approve the U.S. House version of Bush's incredibly flawed and legally incoherent torture and detainment bill. Both Heather Wilson (NM-01) and Steve Pearce (NM-02) voted aye. Click to see the roll call vote. The bill deprives detainees of one of Western civilization's most basic and vital legal rights -- habeas corpus, allows the CIA to continue interrogations based on what the President decides is or is not torture and, perhaps most importantly, changes the War Crimes Act to retroactively protect the interrogators and administration leaders who have been perpetrating what amount to war crimes as set out in the Geneva Conventions and military law.

What I term the Right-Wing Republican We're Tough on Terrorists Rush Job Cover Bush's Criminal Ass Election Year Act will be heard in the Senate today and is expected to pass without much further ado. Calls for a Dem filibuster of the bill have apparently fallen on deaf ears. Fear apparently permeates the Dem Senate caucus with but a few exceptions.

Reportedly, the "leaders" of both parties have agreed to "limit debate," thus ensuring quick passage without the need for what were once known as bedrock Senate traditions -- thoughtful deliberations and penetrating analysis and discussion. After all, the Senate used to be known as the slow-moving, intellectually focused, deliberative body in our government. In the Bush era, these characteristics have been viewed as impediments to the "resolve" of The Decider and his unitary presidency pushers. For the most part, Dems have stood on the sidelines, mute and afraid to contest anything lest they be labeled "weak on defense" or called other negative names by Rove and his operatives.

Who cares if the bill represents what may well be one of the darkest hours of American government? Our cowardly Senators need to get back to their districts ASAP so they can raise more large donations from special interests and get reelected so they can continue serving their lobbyist masters. None of them want to be labeled "soft on terrorism" now do they? Even if it means voting for a muddled and purposely complicated bill most of them have failed to even read, despite it's being filled with last minute changes and additions of what used to be called fine print.

Rep. Steve Pearce (NM-02) has always supported the Bush agenda in lockstep, but Rep. Heather Wilson (NM-01) has been touting herself as "independent" from the Bush machine as her race with Dem challenger Patricia Madrid tightens. Her vote for this travesty of American jurisprudence puts her squarely in the Bush-Cheney-Rummy camp, period. 

Shamefully, 34 Dems also voted for this right-wing election year ploy and only 7 Republicans voted nay. Predictably, Dennis Hastert used the occasion to lash out madly against Dems who dared to vote against what many legal experts believe is an unconstitution bill by accusing them of "coddling terrorists." Gee, where have we heard that term before from the Repubs? It used to be that they accused Dems of "coddling," let's see, Communists, criminals, children, druggies, Cadillac-driving welfare mothers, Willie Horton and "America haters." Seems they can never come up with a new line of thought. Creativity isn't their strong suit. And neither is respect for the rule of law, the Constitution, checks and balances, the Bill of Rights, international law, military law or human rights. But hey, at least they're not into "coddling terrorists."

Citizen Action NM Welcomes New Executive Director

From Citizen Action New Mexico:
David B. McCoy will take the reins as the new executive director for Citizen Action New Mexico, a non-profit public interest group based in Albuquerque that has provided information to the public on activities at Sandia National Laboratories, including the impacts of nuclear weapons and the nuclear industry on human health and the environment, social and economic development, international peace treaties, nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament and policy-making.

David has worked on numerous environmental issues over the years, including the shut-down of high-level and low-level radioactive waste incinerators at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The incinerators had been running on “interim status” without permits for 15 years and created a potential health risk to nearby communities. David’s work at INL culminated in an EPA Inspector General review of permitting practices at the INL.

David has also worked with the Environmental Defense Institute to inform citizens in Idaho about the health and safety issues associated with the INL’s Advanced Test Reactor in manufacturing Plutonium 238.

David will continue to provide information to the public in advocating for clean up of the Mixed Waste Landfill, a toxic waste dump containing Cold War waste from  nuclear weapons research and development at Sandia National Laboratories. David will also be providing the public with information on Sandia’s main mission - nuclear weapons design, engineering and production - and the links between Sandia and the Los Alamos National Laboratory’s plans to manufacture more nuclear bombs in New Mexico.

David can be reached at Citizen Action at (505) 262-1862 or dave@radfreenm.org. Please note the new address for Citizen Action New Mexico: P.O. BOX 4276, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87196-4276.

Sue Dayton, executive director for Citizen Action for the past 8 years, will remain involved with the organization as a volunteer member of the Citizen Action steering committee. She can be reached at (505) 331-1203 or sdayton@swcp.com.

Citizen Action is a project of the New Mexico Community Foundation and a member of the New Mexicans for Sustainable Energy and Effective Stewardship (NMSEES).

BREAKING: Otero Mesa Court Decision

From the NM Wilderness Alliance:
Today, September 27, Judge Bruce Black ruled on the Otero Mesa lawsuit and rejected most of our claims. While this is very disappointing news, our coalition of conservationists, hunters, ranchers, business and religious leaders plan on appealing the decision.

While the judge rejected most of our claims the court clearly recognized the importance of Otero Mesa and that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has not adequetly analyzed the impacts of oil and gas drilling. The BLM cannot move forward issuing new leases in Otero Mesa without doing a NEPA analysis for each new lease.

That being said, We need your support now more than ever to put pressure on Senator Bingaman to stop oil and gas drilling from moving forward on Otero Mesa.

We will be holding a national call in day to Senator Bingaman's office on Friday, September 29, calling on him to introduce legislation that would prevent oil and gas drilling from occuring in America's largest and wildest grassland.

National Call in Day to Senator Bingaman's Office
Friday, September 29, 2006
Toll-Free from New Mexico: (800) 443-8658
Outside of New Mexico: (202) 224-5521

Please Stay Tuned for more Updates on Otero Mesa

Madrid to Rally UNM Students Thursday at Noon

Attorney General Patricia Madrid, the Dem challenger in the NM-01 congressional race, wil speak at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque on Thursday:

Who:  Attorney General Patricia Madrid

What:  Addressing students at the University of New Mexico to mobilize them for the upcoming election

Where:  University of New Mexico Duck Pond
(Click for campus map, PDF)

When:  Noon, Thursday, September 28th

Michael Weinstein to Discuss 'With God On Our Side' at Page One

(Click on image for larger version.)

“With God on Our Side is the story of one man’s willingness to stand up for the Constitution of the United States. Arrayed against Mikey Weinstein are those who would transform the United States military, our most revered institution, into a force of evangelical crusaders, intolerant of the diversity of our society and willfully subversive of our national security interests. It is an important call to arms for all who love our country and the principles for which it stands.” —Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, author of The Politics of Truth

“U.S. Air Force Academy graduate Mikey Weinstein’s struggle to keep his beloved school—and the U.S. military—a secular institution has meaning for all of us. Wherever you are on America’s religious and political spectrums, you’ll find With God on Our Side a challenging and provocative read.” —Ray Suarez, author of The Holy Vote: The Politics of Faith in America, and senior correspondent, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer

“No one I know is more willing than Mikey Weinstein to take on such a tough, unpopular issue that goes to the very heart of one of our nation’s most important and long cherished principles. Read this book to understand why we should all share Mikey’s concern.” —Robert T. Herres, General, USAF (Retired), former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

The book's inside flap has this to say:

"One of the most elite educational institutions in the world, the Air Force Academy has, from its inception, attracted the best and the brightest, producing leaders not only in the military but throughout American society.

"In recent years, however, the Academy has also been producing a cadre of zealous evangelical Christians intent on creating a fundamentalist power base at the highest levels of our country.

"With God on Our Side is shocking exposé of life inside the United States Air Force Academy and the systematic program of indoctrination sanctioned, coordinated, and carried out by fundamentalist Christians within the U.S. military.

"It is also the story of Michael L. Weinstein, a proud Academy graduate and the father of two graduates and a current cadet, who single-handedly brought to light the evangelicals’ utter disregard of the constitutional principle of separation of church and state that is so essential to the nation’s military mission. Weinstein’s war would pit him and his small band of fellow graduates, cadets, and concerned citizens against a program of Christian fundamentalist indoctrination that could transform our fighting men and women into “right-thinking” warriors more befitting a theocracy. In the process, he would come face to face with religious bigotry and at its most extreme and fight an unrelenting battle to save his beloved Academy, the ideals it stood for, and the very future of the country.

"An important book at a critical time in our nation’s history, With God on Our Side is the story of one man’s courageous struggle to thwart a creeping evangelism permeating America’s military and to prevent a taxpayer-funded theocracy in which only the true believers have power."

Click to read more about Weinstein. The goals and activities of the organization he founded to confront the military on its religious intolerance are discussed at the website of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.

Tonight & Saturday: Two Benefits for Mary Herrera's Campaign for NM Secretary of State

From the Democratic County of Bernalillo County:

Mary Herrera would like to personally invite you
to come and mix & mingle:
Wednesday, September 27, 2006, 5:00 – 7:00 PM
Doubletree Hotel Foyer, 201 Marquette NW – ABQ
Suggested Donation: $15.00, Hors D’Oeuvres served

Sponsored by Dan Serrano, Joe Chavez, Michael Gallegos, Great Western Hotels, American Property Management Corp. For more information call: 828-9009 or 980-7730

Fundraiser for Mary Herrera for Secretary of State
Hosted by Agnes Maldonado and Theresa Trujeque
Saturday, September 30, 2006, 3:30 to 6:00 PM
2304 Ada NE, Donation: $25.00
RSVP to Agnes at 463-0776 or Theresa at 328-4000

For other information and events, visit:  https://www.maryherrera.com

Video: How to Vote in NM in November Election

This is a guest blog by Michelle Meaders:
I just discovered that there is a video on the Bernalillo County Clerk's website showing how to use the new paper ballot machines. To see the video, look at the bottom of the right-hand column on the County Clerk's web page and click on the title: How to Vote for the Nov. Election: video

We will be using paper ballots for both Early and Election Day voting this year. They have been used for Absentee ballots for years, but Absentee voters don't get to try again if their ballot is mis-marked (or if they don't do everything right in getting their ballot and packaging it to return it). You can find out if your absentee ballot was counted, but by then it's too late to do anything about it. There is a new law this year that lets absentee voters take their ballot to their polling place on election day, if they forget to return it in time.

Certain disabled voters will instead use the Automark, a special machine that generates a filled-out paper ballot which is counted like the others.  You can read about that here.

I spoke with staff at the County Clerk's office and learned other useful information on voting:

• If you take your absentee ballot to the polls, it goes in with the other absentee ballots and doesn't get opened and counted at your polling place.
• If you lose your absentee ballot and/or want to vote in person at the polls after all, you must use a Provisional Ballot at the polls. Provisional Ballots are also counted later, so you don't get the advantage of being able to re-vote if you make a mistake, like you do in person.
• If you make a mistake in marking your ballot (such as voting for more than one candidate in a race) and don't have a chance to replace it, the rest of your ballot is hand-tabulated, so the rest of your votes aren't lost. This covers Absentee, Provisional, and possible tabulating machine problems or power failures at the polls.
• I was concerned about some people not being able to read the print on the ballot, or not being very good readers, or not having a steady hand to mark the lines on the ballot. They told me anyone can ask to use the AutoMark machines, where the ballot is read to you through headphones with a volume control.  However, they said a genuinely handicapped person can bump a not-so-handicapped one from the line. 

More on Rove's Visit to ABQ This Saturday

According to this morning's Albuquerque Journal, Karl Rove, the Repubs' chief of dirty tricks, nasty politics and weasling strategies, will be hosting a private luncheon in Albuquerque on Saturday to benefit the State Republican Party, not rallying the base at Heather Wilson's campaign office. According to Repub spin, this means Karl really isn't here supporting Wilson, who's in a neck and neck race in NM-01 against Dem challenger Patricia Madrid. No, according to the spinmeisters, Karl will be here only to support the Repubs' get out the vote effort. Why can't these right wingers ever just tell the truth? In fact, this is the second Albuquerque visit for Rove this year to raise funds that will most help Wilson.

Rumor has it that the luncheon will have a top ticket price of $5000. Republican events usually do. No word on what the lowest price will be. The Journal reports that no other details of the event have been released by the Republican Party of NM. In addition to having trouble telling the truth, right-wing Repubs also seem to be incredibly wary about mingling with ordinary people so they like to keep the locations and times of their appearances secret. And tightly controlled. Very similar to how they run the government, isn't it? Baffle 'em with BS and keep the spin out front.

For a disturbing rundown on the record of sleazy and personally destructive campaign ploys orchestrated by Karl Rove, check out Everygreen Politics. Tip o' the hat to local blog New Mexico FBIHOP, which has been on top of this race from early on.

Free Screenings: Iraq for Sale

From Terry Riley:
Please go to the following web site to sign up to see a free screening of the new Robert Greenwald movie - Iraq for Sale:

https://iraqforsale.org/screenings.php

This movie documents the shameful waste of the money that the Bush Administration threw at the American corporations who took advantage of the occupation of Iraq. This is an important movie to see. The movie is being shown at the American GI Forum on Friday October 6th at 7 PM. The web site incorrectly lists it as Sunday October 8th. Please make sure that you note that the screening is FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6th. It's co-hosted by Veterans for Peace, Military Families Speak Out, Democracy for New Mexico and American GI Forum.

There is plenty of parking and seating.  You can get other information from the web site, as well as sign up for other screenings of the movie in New Mexico or schedule a screening of your own.