Democracy for New Mexico

What Would Democrats Do?

Polling here and around the nation is demonstrating a strong trend toward Democrats winning elections, with chances improving every day for Democrats to take over the U.S. House and maybe even the Senate. What would this mean? What are Democrats planning to do if they succeed? Here's what's in the works, according to a Washington Post column by Harold Meyerson:

In the House, the Democrats have made clear that there's a first tier of legislation they mean to bring to a vote almost immediately after the new Congress convenes. It includes raising the minimum wage, repealing the Medicare legislation that forbids the government from negotiating with drug companies for lower prices, replenishing student loan programs, funding stem cell research and implementing those recommendations of the Sept. 11 commission that have thus far languished.

... Cognizant that they will owe their victory in part to the public's revulsion at the way Congress does (or avoids) business, the Democrats also plan to revise House rules to enable the opposition party to introduce amendments and to sit on conference committees, from which Republicans have routinely excluded them since Tom DeLay became majority leader. They also will ban members from accepting gifts and paid trips from lobbyists.

And doesn't this sound like a wonderful change?

By bringing such measures to a vote in the House, and conceivably in the Senate as well, the Democrats will be in the enviable position of doing both good and well: promoting long-overdue policy shifts that the public supports and putting their Republican colleagues in a pickle. Confronted with an up-or-down vote on raising the minimum wage or making medication for seniors more affordable, many Republicans will side with the Democrats. Should the Democrats win the Senate, Republicans will have to calculate the risks of filibustering such mom-and-apple-pie measures. These bills will also pose a conundrum for conservatives such as John McCain, whose presidential aspirations have not been clouded by having to vote on these issues.

How about the Iraq War?

The war in Iraq -- to which, if they win, they will owe their victory -- will surely prove the most nettlesome. If the Baker-Hamilton commission recommends a phased withdrawal, as some reports have speculated, the Democrats may be handed a relatively easy way out, whether or not the administration goes along with it. Should the administration persist in staying the course, Congress then could pass the kind of legislation it passed in the last years of the Vietnam War, stipulating the kinds of uses to which our military spending could -- and could not -- be put.

And on the environment and energy:

In the course of this year's campaign, Democrats have been pleasantly surprised by the support their proposals for greater energy independence have won in all regions and sectors of the country. They will surely boost funding for alternative energy projects, which they see as a way not just to reduce greenhouse gases but to generate jobs as well. Many congressional Democrats also want to mandate stricter fuel efficiency standards ...

These are just some of the positive developments we can expect if Dems win at least one House of Congress. By healthy margins, recent polling has shown that most Americans want change in Washington and they strongly support Democratic positions on many important fronts. Also, don't forget that core Dems will head most House and Senate committees if we take over, and provide opportunities for much-needed, serious probes into many of the corrupt, misbegotten or stealth actions permitted by the Republican rubber stamp Congress during Bush's presidency.

Can't you imagine all the cockroaches scattering as the light of day penetrates the darkness of one-party rule? Makes you want to go out and phone bank or canvass for a Dem candidate, doesn't it? We'd better. Here's what we're up against in terms of the surging Republican get out the vote (GOTV) effort.

Unofficial Transcript of TV News Story on Heather Wilson Removing CFYD File About Her Husband

In the last day or so, Albuquerque's KOAT-7 News apparently had YouTube remove a video of their 1995 1996 investigative TV news report on Republican Rep. Heather Wilson (NM-01) due to "copyright infringement." At least, that's what YouTube says on its site at the link where the clip had been present for some time. In the TV news story, Wilson is caught lying to the camera about removing a file on her husband, Jay Hone, from the central filing system of the NM Children, Youth and Families Department (see posts below from earlier today).

Given KOAT's action, I can't include an actual video of the story here for those who haven't seen it. But what I can do is provide an unofficial transcript of the video, which was emailed to me this evening from someone who watched the video closely. You can make your own judgments about whether or not the story has relevance in the current election cycle, and if the story should be reexamined by local print or TV news media in light of current events:

Unofficial Transcript:
KOAT 7 Target 7 TV Report on Secretary Wilson, in 1995 1996

(Scene of the KOAT 7 newsroom, with anchors Diane Anderson and Nelson Martinez)

“Children Youth and Families Secretary Heather Wilson hastily calls a news conference to discredit a Target 7 report she had not even seen. But it’s a story you’ll see in just a moment.

"Good evening, I’m Nelson Martinez. And I’m Diane Anderson. Where is a sensitive case file relating to Wilson’s husband?

"Our Target 7 team has learned that it was moved, on orders of the Cabinet Secretary herself. And one Law Enforcement official calls the incident, ‘highly inappropriate’.”

Anderson, “Target 7 investigative reporter Larry Barker has the exclusive story that prompted Secretary Wilson to go on the offensive.”

(cut to reporter Larry Barker)

Barker, “One of Governor Johnson’s (R-NM) first appointments was Heather Wilson, to head up Children, Youth and Families. And one of Heather Wilson’s first acts was to have a confidential case file, on her husband, removed from the Department’s Central Records.

"Believed to be in the file is a March 1993 Albuquerque Police incident report containing potentially embarrasing allegations against Wilson’s husband, Jay Hone. (shows picture of the police report).

"Now charges were never pressed, but the allegation was referred to State Authorities for investigation by Children Youth and Familes, where the agency had a routine file on Jay Hone. Secretary Wilson took office on January 1st last year (1995). Target 7 has learned that just 3 days later, the Secretary ordered her husband’s file removed from the Department’s Central Records room here in Albuqueque and delivered to the Deparment’s attorney, in her Santa Fe office.”

“The action was documented on this index card copy (shows the card), the original of which is now apparently missing.  Also missing is a letter, showing the file’s current location (shows similar letter with overlay quote “…wrongfully removed”). Children, Youth and Families administrators suggest that the letter may have been, quote, wrongfully removed. The Jay Hone file was taken from the Children Youth and Families Albuquerque office, which puts this incident under the jurisdiction of District Attorney, Bob Schwartz."

(Cut to video of Barker’s interview with Bob Schwartz):

Barker, “If she removed this file, relating to her husband from the file room or wherever they keep files, to the office of the Secretary – is that appropriate?"

Schwartz, “It is absolutely inappropriate. At minimum, the Secretary has an obvious conflict of interest. And being a Cabinet Secretary, what she should have done, is gone to a court, under seal, and at least asked a court to authorize this kind of removal. Because obviously she is a little too close.”

Barker’s report continues – cut to Barker interrupting Wilson in a conference room ...

Barker, “Secretary Wilson refused to discuss this matter with me, so we caught up with her at Children Youth and Families’ Albuquerque office.

Barker interviews Wilson ...

Barker, “And this is, purports to be the card, referencing your husband, right?"

Wilson, “Yes.”

Barker, “OK. And there is a notation here, that the record was removed, by your order, on this date.”

Wilson gives him a blank look.

Barker, “Does that have any meaning for you, or not?”

Wilson, “I will assume, for the purposes, that this is some kind of a copy of a record of this Department. Now where we locate files, in this Department, is none of your business.”

Barker, “Well did you order, this ... a record ... removed?"

Wilson, “No.”

Barker, “So this is totally inaccurate?"

Wilson, “Yes."

Barker, “But confidential sources claim Secretary Wilson did indeed move her husband’s case file. And that’s not the only thing she removed. Watch closely. That’s OUR investigative file (Wilson walks off with Barker’s manilla file folder). That’s right, Secretary Wilson made off with OUR Target 7 file. Now we recovered our documents moments later. Meanwhile DA Schwartz says he will demand the Jay Hone file, be returned."

Schwartz again, “These records do not belong to Secretary Wilson. These records belong to the Department and they are under the strict regulation of the law. If this file is in Secretary Wilson’s desk, then she shouldn’t be behind this desk any more, she should resign.”

Barker, signing off, “The Department confirms the Hone files does exist, but they won’t say ... where it is. Larry Barker, for Target 7.”

(cut back to the KOAT-7 studio)

Diane Anderson, “When Secretary Wilson learned that KOAT 7 planned to run the story tonight, she summoned reporters to her Santa Fe office this afternoon.”

Nelson Martinez, “There, for the first time, she publicly acknowledged having her husband’s file moved.”

Open Letter to KOAT-TV News and Larry Barker

As reported in an earlier post today, the Raw Story blog broke a story on Rep. Heather Wilson (NM-01) today that included scans of a police report about her husband, Jay Scone, that was filed with APD. As I said, I had done a post here on October 3, 2006 based on a video of a KOAT-TV news story by investigative reporter Larry Barker that I had found uploaded at YouTube. It details how Heather Wilson removed a file on her husband from the general file system of the NM Department of Children, Youth and Families three days after she took office as the agency's Secretary. Wilson lies on camera to Larry Barker, denying she took the file. Later, when she learned the story would be aired, she admitted she took the file.

It appears that the video was removed from YouTube around the time the Raw Story post went up. YouTube put up a statement saying it was removed due to "copyright infringement."

I'm asking KOAT-TV News: Why did you demand that the video be removed by YouTube, if it was in fact done by you?

I think the voters should have access to legitimate, broadcast news stories having to do with Heather Wilson's credibility. Why ask that the video be taken down now? And why has this story not been mentioned by you in this election cycle, especially given the tainted accusations being made by the Wilson campaign and the Republican Party of NM against Dem challenger Patricia Madrid?

Just in the last couple days I have received four color mailers from the State Republican Party that accuse Madrid of, among other things, stinking like used baby diapers. I'm not kidding, they've devolved that much. Isn't it the role of the media to provide as complete a picture as possible of the credibility of candidates? While local TV and print media have been more than willing to mention empty and very personally negative accusations made by Wilson and the Republicans about Madrid, this story of Wilson's dishonesty has been completely neglected. And now now it's apparently being kept from further public scrutiny under the guise of "copyright infringement." What gives?

Editor's Note: If readers out there would like to contact KOAT-TV about their actions, visit their website for contact info.

BREAKING: RAW STORY Finds Police Report on Heather Wilson's Husband

UPDATE: A post on this by FBIHOP is now on the front page of Daily Kos, along with a link to my original story on DFNM. (The permanent link to FBIHOP's post is here.)

The website RAW STORY today posted a story (now on it's front page) about Republican Rep. Heather Wilson (NM-01) entitled, "Congresswoman on Page Board Buried File on Husband's Child Abuse Alegation." The post includes scans of the Albuquerque Police report on Rep. Heather Wilson's husband, Jay Hone, that allegedly is contained in a file Wilson eventually admitted she removed from the general file system of the NM Department of Children, Youth and Families within days of assuming her new job as the agency's Secretary. Excerpt:

... RAW STORY has uncovered and confirmed the authenticity of the police incident report believed to be contained in the missing dossier. Filed as a case of child abuse in 1993, it contends that Wilson's husband Jay Hone, an Albuquerque attorney, touched a then-16 year old boy "in a manner that was not welcome."

I had previously posted about this incident, and included a link to a YouTube video I had found there that shows a report by KOAT-TV's investigative reporter, Larry Barker, on the missing file. I learned today, however, that the video had been removed by YouTube, allegedly due to copyright problems. Anyone else find it an odd coincidence that the YouTube video disappeared at the same time Raw Story released copies of the police report that prompted CYFD to open the file? It's my understanding the video had been on the site for months.

The video of the news report showed Barker speaking with Heather Wilson about the file. On camera, she denied taking it, despite Barker showing her a card that indicated she had done so. The news team reported that when they contacted Wilson to inform her they would be running the story, she suddenly admitted she had, indeed, removed the file and taken it to another location. So Heather Wilson lied on camera about taking a file containing what was alleged to be embarrassing information based on a police report about her husband.

As I also reported previously, Heather Wilson was a member of the congressional Page Board during the years 2001-2004. She has denied knowing anything at that time about Rep. Mark Foley's inappropriate behavior. She's also a member of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus, which also counted Mark Foley as a member.

She was also the top recipient of campaign contributions from Foley:

The top individual recipient of Foley’s money is Rep. Heather Wilson, who is in a tight race this year in New Mexico. She has received $8,000 from Foley. The #2 recipient is Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio), who is leaving Congress after admitting to taking bribes from lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his associates. Ney received $6,000 from Foley.

UPDATE-POSTPONED: Bernalillo County Commission to Vote on Minimum Wage Tuesday 10/24

10.24.06 UPDATE: This bill will be recorded at the October 24 meeting, but discussion and voting on the bill has been postponed until a future meeting of the County Commission.

From NM ACORN:
Join us Tuesday, October 24, at 5:00 PM when the Bernalillo County Commission will debate and vote on Commissioner Alan Armijo's proposed minimum wage ordinance. The legislation mirrors the City of Albuquerque's ordinance, which will provide a minimum wage of $6.75, without exemption, to all workers beginning January 1 and rise to $7.50 by 2009. The meeting will take place in the Albuquerque City/County Chambers in the basement of 1 Civic Plaza. Please come before 5:00 in order to sign up to testify.

Also, be sure to contact your county commissioner at 768-4000 before Tuesday to express your support. You can also contact your commissioner . You can visit this page to determine your district. For more information, contact Matthew Henderson at nmacorn@acorn.org.

Valley Festa Italiana to Benefit Denish Campaign

From the Democratic Party of Bernalillo County:
Valley Festa Italiana for Lt. Gov. Diane Denish
Join us to roll out the ravioli, grill salsicce and mangia cannoli
Sunday, October 22, 2006, 1–3 PM
Suggested donation $50, Private Home
Call 1-877-DENISH-06 for more info.

You're Invited: Labor 2006 Early Vote Celebration This Saturday

UPDATE: Attorney General Patricia Madrid, running as the Dem candidate for Congress in NM-01, will speak at the rally.

The Labor 2006 Early Vote Celebration will be held on Saturday, October 21 at Noon at the Barelas Community Center and Park, 801 Barelas Rd SW, in Albuquerque. Click for map.

NM Federation of Labor leaders; Linda Chavez-Thompson, Executive Vice President of the AFL-CIO; Laura Rico, Vice President of American Federation of Teachers; and John Gage, President, American Federation of Government Employees will speak. And you can join them in casting your early vote Saturday at a nearby polling place! (Early voting at alternate locations begins October 21st.) Free live music, mariachis, hot dogs, hamburgers and refreshments.

Hector Balderas: Dem Candidate for NM State Auditor

Hector Balderas, the Democratic candidate for State Auditor, now has a campaign website at https://www.hectorbalderas.com/. Above is a recent interview of Balderas by KRQE News 13's Dick Knipfing, where he describes his experience and how it matches the demands of the job.

Balderas has pledged to refuse campaign contributions from anyone who does business with the State Auditor's office:

From Hector Balderas for State Auditor:
ALBUQUERQUE–State Representative Hector Balderas (D-District 68) this week announced that he will refuse all political contributions to his campaign for State Auditor from any firm or individual who does business with the Auditor’s office.

“The integrity of the Auditor’s Office is more important that any financial contribution,” said Balderas. “I must ensure the public has faith in the work being done in the Auditor’s office. The first step toward this goal is to avoid any wrongdoing or even the slightest appearance of impropriety between my campaign and the entities that do work with the Auditor’s office.”

As State Auditor, Balderas will establish a Taxpayer Protection Initiative to improve government accountability by investigating fraud and illegal acts that affect government resources. Through this initiative, the State Auditor’s Office will assist in the prosecution of cases related to the improper use of public funds.

Currently, Balderas serves thirty-three Northern New Mexico communities in the New Mexico House of Representatives, which includes his membership on the House Ethics Committee. He has led the fight against price gouging, and advocated for ethics reform and the development and implementation of renewable energy.

Balderas challenges his opponent in the State Auditor’s race to also refuse such contributions.

Saturday Symposium Focuses on Resistence of Indigenous People to Oppression

Hauba Hanu: All the People, Humanity in Resistance Symposium: A one day symposium presented by the Tricentennial Truth Alliance (TTA) and the Southwest Indigenous Alliance (SWIA) will call attention to the resistance of oppression of Indigenous People. Invited guest speakers from North America will speak at the Peace and Justice Center, 202 Harvard Drive SE, Albuquerque, NM (505-268-9557), on Saturday, October 21, 2006, 9:30 AM - 3:00 PM. Speakers will address issues regarding Indigenous cultural history, the threat of historical revisionism, and our continuing resistance to oppression.

The program includes presentations from Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz; Professor, Activist, Author, Historian, residing in San Francisco (Cherokee); Simon J. Ortiz; Professor, Writer, Poet (Acoma Tribe); Ofelia Rivas; Activist and Founder of “Voices Against the Wall,” Tohono-O’odham; Petuuche Gilbert, Activist and Former Tribal Official, Acoma Tribe.

The TTA and SWIA bring awareness to the glorification of the conquistador and the brutal subjugation of the American Southwest. As Indigenous people we demand our view of history and will take charge of how our history will be remembered and thus how we remember ourselves. Today, we will hear from distinguished speakers who have been and continue to be the voice of the people’s power.

Program:

9:30 AM:  Refreshments/Sign Up

10:00 AM:  Opening Remarks & Welcome C. Maurus Chino, Activist, Artist, Founder, Southwest Indigenous Alliance, Co-Founder Tricentennial Truth Alliance

10:15 AM: Invocation                            

10:30 AM:  Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Professor, Activist, Author, Historian, residing in San Francisco (Cherokee Tribe)

11:00 AM:  Q & A

11:15 AM: Simon J. Ortiz, Professor, Writer, Poet (Acoma Tribe)

11:45 AM: Q & A

Noon:  Lunch/Book signing

1:00 PM:  Petuuche Gilbert, Activist and Former Tribal Official (Acoma Tribe)

1:20 PM:  Q & A

1:30 PM: Ofelia Rivas, Activist, Founder of Voices Against The Wall, residing in Tucson AZ (O’odahm, O’odham Territories of US/MX)

1:50 PM:  Q & A

2:00 PM:  Panel Discussion: “Revisionist Memory: How Memory Erasure Affects Our Self Image as Indigenous and Non-Indigenous People,” Gwendolyn Packard, Moderator (Iyankton Dakota Nation)                      

2:30 PM:  Q & A                                              

2:50 PM:  Closing Remarks, C. Maurus Chino

3:00 PM:  Book signing/Entertainment

Bush Overturns 200 Years of American Democratic Values and Principles With Stroke of Pen

Torture. Secret prisons. Hearsay evidence. No habeas petitions. Kangaroo courts. Star chambers. If you look real close you can almost see the erections. -- TBogg

October 17, 2006 is a day that will live in infamy as a dark stain on American democracy, a travesty against international human rights of the highest order. Yesterday, Bush signed the so-called Military Commissions Act that makes it legal to torture anyone we please, removes the centuries old right of habeas corpus from citizens and non-citizens alike and gives the American president absolute power to determine guilt or innocence, as well as hold or punish offenders, as only he or she sees fit.

Any U.S. President (or a designee) can now convene a panel of his or her choosing and have them agree to lock up anyone for any period of time -- American citizen or not -- on the basis of coerced testimony or any accusation of being associated in any way with "terrorism." That person will not be permitted the habeas corpus right to face his or her accuser or learn what evidence is being used to seize and "detain" them. Individuals can be tortured by water boarding or other brutal means to "encourage" them to confess or provide "facts" about themselves or others.

The American Civil Liberties Union called the Act "one of the worst civil liberties measures ever enacted in American history."

The courts, the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, the Geneva Conventions and traditional common law democratic rights are all now subservient to the rights of the President to call the shots without restraint or even explanation. We have now officially given the President the tyranical, despotic powers that we fought against during our revolutionary war of independence. We are back at square one, without any checks or balances on presidential power, without any  meaningful legal or judicial recourse if we are singled out, detained, tortured and punished according to evidence we're not party to. Our rights are now dependent on the whims of whoever holds the office of President. 

Crooks and Liars has video and text on the response of Keith Olbermann and Georgetown University constitutional law professor, Jonathan Turley, to the Act's signing. As Turley says,

"People have no idea how significant this is. Really a time of shame this is for the American system.—The strange thing is that we have become sort of constitutional couch potatoes. The Congress just gave the President despotic powers and you could hear the yawn across the country as people turned to Dancing With the Stars. It's otherworldly ... People clearly don't realize what a fundamental change it is about who we are as a country. What happened today changed us. And I'm not too sure we're gonna change back anytime soon."

Sen. Russ Feingold said of the new law,

"It allows the government to seize individuals on American soil and detain them indefinitely with no opportunity to challenge their detention in court. And the new law would permit an individual to be convicted on the basis of coerced testimony and even allow someone convicted under these rules to be put to death."

Robert Parry, who broke many of the Iran-Contra stories in the 1980s for the Associated Press and Newsweek, and whose latest book is Secrecy & Privilege: Rise of the Bush Dynasty from Watergate to Iraq has more on the horrendous legal implications of the Act.