Democracy for New Mexico

Showdown at the Senate Judiciary Corral

The always smarmy, arrogant and dishonest Alberto Gonzales, Attorney General to the Neocons, got an especially satisfying ass whuppin' yesterday at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. You can listen to it in three parts here: 1 2 3. At one point Chairperson Patrick Leahy got so incensed at Berto's nonchalance about sending a Canadian citizen to be tortured in Syria for a year (before being released uncharged) that I thought he was going to explode. You can see a clip at Crooks and Liars, along with the text of an exchange between Sen. Russ Feingold and Gonzales on Bush's warrantless surveillance program.

As the Democratic-dominated 110th Congress moves into high gear, there is much to applaud, like the 100-hour passage of six bills in the House, and much to complain about, like the reluctance of too many Dems to support taking real action to stop Bush's escalation in lieu of the more popular nonbinding resolution introduced by Levin, Biden and Hagel. But no-one can argue that winning all those Congressional races hasn't done much for the cause if any attention is paid at all to what's begun to happen at the Committee hearings.

It was so incredibly heartening to witness Gonzales being backed into a tighter and tighter corner by Leahy and the rest of the Dem members of Justice. And to hear them imply strongly that if Gonzales kept obfuscating or delaying, they'd be happy to call hearings every week or issue subpoenas when necessary to get at the truth. THIS is what winning back the majority in both Houses means, regardless of what anyone feels about this Dem or that. We finally have a way to get at these dangerous liars and force them to assume -- very pubicly -- at least some accountability for their horrendous, unAmerican actions. Whole lotta squirmin' going' on. And it's only just begun.

I thought Senators Leahy, Feingold, Feinstein, Kennedy, Schumer, Durbin, Cardin, Whitehouse and Kohl all did a terrific job of focusing like lasers on the secretive and often unconstitutional actions of Gonzales and BushCo and on their continuing coverup sins. Nowhere to run, Mr. Alberto. From now until the next presidential election.

The press release issued by Leahy about the hearing is also a doozy. Read it here. Excerpts:

In the 32 years since I first came to the Senate – during the era of Watergate and Vietnam – I have never seen a time when our Constitution and fundamental rights as Americans were more threatened by their own government.  Just this last weekend, the President and Vice President indicated that they intended to override the will of the American people, as expressed in the most recent national elections, and ignore actions of Congress in order to escalate the war in Iraq.  This Administration has circumvented express congressional prohibitions on creating databanks of information on law-abiding Americans over the last five years.

... The President has issued signing statement after signing statement declaring the law to be not what Congress passed and he has signed, but what he finds convenient.  And, regrettably, the Administration has all too often refused to answer the legitimate oversight questions of the duly-elected representatives of the American people.  Unfortunately, this Justice Department has been complicit in advancing these government policies which threaten our basic liberties and overstep the bounds of our Constitution.

... We have a democratic government in which Congress is entitled to know and review government actions.  The President and Vice President of the United States should not be operating a secret and separate regime in which their official acts and policies cannot be known by the people’s elected representatives.

... And, after the Administration and the Republican-led Congress eviscerated the Great Writ of habeas corpus -- not just for detainees but for millions of permanent residents living in the United States -- this Department of Justice filed a legal brief expressly supporting that result, raising the specter that millions living in the United States today can now be subjected to indefinite government detention.

... I am also deeply concerned that the Department of Justice is retreating from its core mission to hold those who would violate our criminal laws accountable.  Last week, the President told us that he plans to spend $1.2 billion more, on top of the billions already sent to Iraq for reconstruction.  Despite mounting evidence of widespread corruption, contracting fraud and billions unaccounted for, the Department of Justice has not brought a single criminal case against a corporate contractor in Iraq.

Maybe, just maybe, Bush and his cronies will finally be exposed as what they really are beneath all the flag waving, pontificating and false bravado. I want to witness their being thoroughly discredited, their self-serving approach to American policy finally being exposed and nailed down as misguided, dangerous and craven to the nth degree. When all is said and done, I think this bunch will make Nixon et al. look like clean-cut Good Samaritans in comparison.

The real question is whether the BushCo bullies will purposefully try to take us all down with them, in so many parts of the world, as their imperial plots collapse in ruination and their fake patriot masks are ripped from their faces to show the ghoulish visages that lurk beneath.

Next Up on Insight NM Radio: Saturday 1.20.07

Insight New Mexico, the new radio talk show about local politics hosted by Eric Griego and produced by Suzanne Prescott, continues this Saturday from 3:00 to 4:00 PM on Progressive Talk Radio, 1350AM. See our previous post for more info on this excellent new weekly progressive forum and call-in show. Also be sure to check out the show's website and blog at .

The January 20 show lineup Includes:

Mimi Stewart - serves in the New Mexico House of Representative from District 21. In the past Mimi has been Chair of the Government & Urban Affairs Committee and active on the following House Committees: Judiciary, Water & Natural Resources, Courts Corrections & Justice, and Legislative Education Study. Mimi can be reached at: mstewart@osogrande.com

Kate Nash - is an Albuquerque Tribune political columnist familiar to readers throughout to New Mexico and a special favorite of political junkies, traversing the hectic and often tumultuous landscape of New Mexico politics. Contact Kate at
https://www.abqtrib.com/staff/kate-nash/contact/

Joe Monahan - Joe's blog could just be the most widely read blog by political insiders in New Mexico. Joe's wide network of contacts, friends and confidantes bring local and timely news to his blog, New Mexico Politics with Joe Monahan. What insider information captured reader interest this week? Tune in to find out. Kate Nash reports that Monahan describes his blog as "the front page, the entertainment page, the sports page and the editorial page all rolled into one. "New Mexico Politics with Joe Monahan: https://joemonahansnewmexico.blogspot.com/

A Surprise Special Guest - Eric will feature a guest from one of Albuquerque's most active advocacy groups.

If we want this show to succeed and become a permanent part of the radio landscape here in Albuquerque, we need to tune in, call in and urge our friends and colleagues to do the same. If you'd like to learn about how you can become a supporter or sponsor of the show, contact Suzanne Prescott at .

Benefit Set for APS Board Candidate Pauline Nunez

From supporters of Pauline Nunez:
Please join: Senator Cisco McSorley, Senator Jerry Ortiz Y Pino, Commissioner Deanna Archuleta, Councilor Martin Heinrich, Councilor Ike Benton, Richard Romero, Eric Griego, Drew Setter, Mike Puelle

For a fundraiser to help elect Pauline Nunez to the Albuquerque School Board in District 4 (downtown and UNM area):
Sunday, January 21, Noon - 2 PM
Michelle and Eric's Place
1421 Marble NW (SW of 12th and Mountain)
Suggested contribution $50

Come support and independent voice for our kids who supports innovation, safety and parental involvement.

APS Mill Levy and Board Election Set for 2.06.07

The Albuquerque Public Schools will hold a two-mill levy election to pay for school maintenance and repairs on February 6, 2007. Info is available at the APS website. The APS Board will also elect members in Districts 1, 2 and 4 that day:

District 1: Southwest
Incumbent: Miguel Acosta, who is not seeking re-election
Candidates: Richard Ray Sanchez; Cecilia M. C. De Baca; and Dolores A. Griego

District 2: West/Northwest
Incumbent: Robert D. Lucero
Candidates: Robert D. Lucero; Cynthia L. Jones

District 4: Downtown, Albuquerque High, Highland High neighborhoods
Incumbent: Leonard DeLayo, not seeking re-election
Candidates: John Brannan Edward; Vanessa Alarid; Albuquerque attorney Marty Esquivel; businesswoman Pauline Nunez and Charles MacQuigg, a retired shop teacher

To determine your district and find your election day polling place, visit the website of the Bernalillo County Clerk and enter your address. A complete list of election day polling places is available here.

Early Absentee In-Person Voting for the election has begun at four convenient locations:

County Clerk’s Office
6th Floor, Room 6011
One Civic Plaza

APS City Centre
6400 Uptown Blvd NE

Plaza Ladera
5300 Sequoia NW Suite G

Paradise Hills Community Center
5901 Paradise Blvd NW
Note: Early Voting is in the West Annex building

The locations will be open between the hours of 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM through February 2, 200. Voters can also request an Absentee Ballot by calling 468-1291.

The APS/CNM Election will be held on Tuesday, February 6, 2007 with consolidated polling locations open from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Call 468-1291 for more information.

TAKE ACTION: Sen. Kennedy Says State Pressure Critical in Stopping Bush Escalation Plan

Editor's Note: I participated in the conference call described below and encourage you to join the 50-state effort to get state legislatures to oppose Bush's escalation of troops. Here's an online tool that makes it easy to contact your state legislators and lobby them to introduce, debate and pass a resolution to urge Congress to prevent Bush's Iraq escalation plans. Sen. Ted Kennedy, among others, is convinced that action from the ground up is necessary if we want to stop Bush in his tracks on this. Let's get a resolution passed in New Mexico! Here's the proposed resolution and more resources.

From Progressive States Network:
Missoula, MT – In a conference call with state legislators from across the country, U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy said that pressure from state governments would be key in preventing President Bush’s escalation plans from seeing the light of day.

Senator Kennedy drew a parallel between the minimum wage – which was increased by voters in six states last fall and in statehouses across the country last year – and the Iraq war in noting the ability of states to put opposition to the escalation on Congress’s front burner.

Kennedy is sponsoring legislation in the U.S. Senate to require that the Bush Administration seek Congressional authority for any escalation. The conference call was organized by the Progressive States Network and co-sponsored by Women Legislators’ Lobby, MoveOn, and Americans Against Escalation in Iraq.

Steve Doherty, co-chair of the Progressive States Network and former minority leader of the Montana Senate, explained the crucial role that state legislators – elected leaders who remain near their constituents year round – have served as a crucial moral voice in recent history.

“Some folks will say that foreign policy is not a responsibility of the states, but I saw during my own time in the legislature the difference we made – speaking out on Irish terrorism, supporting our troops, standing for fair trade. Elected leaders are supposed to stand up for their constituents – America needs us now more than ever,” said Steve Doherty.

Prior to the call, resolutions opposing the escalation were being drafted and introduced in nearly ten states. Today, the Progressive States Network and its allies are working to get more resolutions introduced and to provide the legislators introducing them with the grassroots support they need to pass the resolutions.

“Since we have announced this campaign, the level of interest from legislators, from the grassroots, and from Congress has just been overwhelming. The resolutions are sprouting up all over the country. It’s a sign of just how deeply flawed this escalation policy really is – that it is creating these types of grassroots alliances to fight it,” said David Sirota, co-chair of the Progressive States Network and bestselling author of Hostile Takeover.

Opposition from legislatures is one facet in a much larger campaign to prevent President Bush’s reckless escalation policy. For more information on the Progressive States campaign, President Bush’s proposed escalation, a recording of the conference call, or model state resolution language, please visit www.progressivestates.org/iraq.

The Progressive States Network was founded in 2005 to drive public policy debates and change the political landscape in the United States by focusing on attainable and progressive state level actions. It accomplishes this mission by uniting policy makers with experts and grassroots organizations to provide the combination of efforts needed to advance good policy. It’s board of directors includes representatives of MoveOn, AFSCME, SEIU, AFL-CIO, Center for American Progress, ACORN, and Media Matters for America.

Join Rep. Udall to Celebrate Valle Vidal Victory in Taos

From Coalition for the Valle Vidal:
Congressman Tom Udall will visit Taos on Friday, January 26 to thank northern New Mexicans for helping protect our Valle Vidal. Please join Rep. Udall for an evening of celebrating one of New Mexico’s greatest conservation victories.  Snacks and music provided!

The celebration will be at the Anglada’s Building at 736 Kit Carson Road in Taos from 6:00 – 7:30 P.M. See you there!

Jim O'Donnell, Outreach Coordinator
Coalition for the Valle Vidal
www.vallevidal.org
PO Box 238
Taos, NM 87571
505-758-3874

Edwards Campaign: Congress Has Power to Stop Escalation

I rarely post these kinds of messages from campaigns, but John Edwards has been speaking out so strongly against Bush's Iraq escalation that I thought their request merited your attention. Quote:

"If you're in Congress and you know this war is going in the wrong direction, it is no longer enough to study your options and keep your own counsel. Silence is betrayal. Speak out, and stop this escalation now. You have the power to prohibit the president from spending any money to escalate the war — use it."  --John Edwards, speech at New York's Riverside Church on MLK Day (Visit the John Edwards 08 website to see the whole speech.)

From John Edwards 08:
It's an honor to send my first note to you as John Edwards' new Campaign Manager. I'll take more time to introduce myself soon, but right now I'm writing you with an urgent call to action. This weekend, President Bush claimed on national TV that Congress does not have the power to stop his proposed escalation of the war in Iraq.*

That's bull. I served in Congress for 26 years, and I can assure you that Congress does have the power to stop this escalation -- and it has used that power many times before, including in Vietnam, Lebanon, Nicaragua and Colombia.

The test for today's Congress is simple: will they step up to the plate and use their power to stop the president from escalating the war? I can tell you one thing -- they're only going to do that if they hear from you. That's why we're going to run a full-page ad in Roll Call -- the newspaper all of Congress reads -- with John Edwards' petition against the escalation, listing the tens of thousands of us who have signed it. The petition demands that this Congress use its power of the purse to stop this president from escalating the war in Iraq -- and that's what we're going to put in the ad.

Can you pitch in $25 or more to help get this critical ad in front of Congress A.S.A.P. and support our grassroots campaign?

As I write this, both houses of Congress are considering how to respond to Bush's plan. Some are calling for symbolic statements that do nothing to stop the escalation. If you hear a member of Congress say "non-binding resolution," then you're really hearing them say "pass the buck."

Others -- like John Edwards -- are calling on Congress to stand up and take responsibility by using its power to prevent this war from getting any worse. And some members of Congress are waiting for -- well, we don't know what they're waiting for. It's time to speak up. And it's up to us to let Congress know where the American people stand.

Your contribution -- of any amount you can afford -- will help us rush this ad into production and get it on the desk of every member of Congress and their staff before they make this historic decision. And your contribution will help keep this grassroots campaign for change going strong in these critical early months.

Please chip in to help stop this escalation today.

It's an honor for me to work alongside so many dedicated folks like you who aren't willing to wait to make this country a better place. Together, I know we'll accomplish great things.

David Bonior, Campaign Manager
John Edwards for President

P.S. - If you haven't yet signed the petition calling on Congress to block the escalation, click here. And please forward this email to your friends and family, and ask them to join you in speaking out.

Sources:
*"Bush: Congress Can't Stop Surge," U.S. News and World Report Political Bulletin, January 15, 2007 (link)

Elevator 9 Trial Postponed

From Bud and the Elevator 9:
The Elevator 9 Trial has been POSTPONED. There will also be NO PROTEST against the war at the courthouse scheduled for January 25th so please pass this on. We as of yet do not have a new trial date scheduled. To quote from the court document "hearing is vacated and that the matter will be
rescheduled at the Court's convenience." We appreciate all the help and sympathy and concern over
our impending trial that we have received from many, many people - THANK YOU!!! - and we ask that you be with us again when we receive our new court date.  --Pace e Bene! Bud Ryan

Editor's Note: See our original post on this for more information.

Progressives to Introduce End the War Bill in U.S. House

There are a number of stop the war or stop the escalation resolutions -- some binding, some not -- floating around Capitol Hill this week. There's also an effort being organized by Progressive States Network and others to get state legislatures to approve a resolution urging Congress to reject Bush's escalation plans. The Nation has more on this.

One of the strongest bills will be introduced by Reps. Lynn Woolsey and Barbara Lee, co-chairs of the 64-member Progressive Caucus in the U.S House. The proposed bill has reportedly been co-sponsored by 13 others including Reps. Barney Frank, John Conyers, Jim McGovern, Dennis Kucinich, Diane Watson, Maurice Hinchey, Jerry Nadler and Raul Grijalva.

According to a Jonathan Tasina article on Huffington Post:

1. The bill fully funds a 6-month withdrawal of US forces and military contractors (from the date of enactment of the bill) from Iraq.

2. It repeals the authorization for the use of force. This is key, in my humble opinion, because it takes away any remaining authority to wage war in Iraq and, hopefully, reestablishes the Congress' power to wage war.

3. It prohibits the building of any permanent military bases in Iraq, which has clearly been the Pentagon's plan.

4. It provides economic and political aid to the Iraqi people and their government. Whenever I've written and spoken about this issue, I've been clear that, while the U.S. cannot play any military role in Iraq, we are morally obligated to help rebuild a country out government destroyed.

5. The bill fully funds the VA Health Care system for all military veterans.

6. As I understand it, the bill draws on language from other bills aimed at an exit from war to peace and puts it into a package they hope to rally lawmakers and grassroots behind.

You can read about other resolutions in my previous posts here and here. And this New York Times article summarizes the ongoing efforts in both the House and Senate to get a bipartisan resolution against Bush's escalation. A UPI article discusses Sen. Levin's recent call for a new war authorization and troop caps, as well as Sen. Kennedy's bill to cut off funds for more troops.

NM Senator Carlos Cisneros to Introduce Health Security Act

From the Health Security for New Mexicans Campaign:
Senator Carlos Cisneros (Taos) will sponsor the Health Security Act this legislative session. Growing public support combined with the deterioration of our health care system has led the Campaign to conclude that it is time to pass the Health Security Act — the only proposed New Mexico solution that has received substantial public input over the years.

The choice for New Mexico is

• to continue to invest more and more taxpayer dollars in our failing private insurance system, or
• to move in a new direction with the Health Security Act.

The Health Security Act will enable the state to set up its own health plan — like a cooperative — with freedom of choice of provider and a comprehensive benefit package. As soon as the legislation is introduced, we will let you know the bill number.

Increasing County and City Support
Since July of 2006, numerous county commissions and city/village councils have passed resolutions in support of the Health Security Act. This is a very new and exciting development in Campaign history. And more resolutions are expected in the weeks to come!

Here is the latest list.

Counties: Bernalillo, Cibola, Doña Ana, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna, Sandoval, Taos, Valencia

Cities: Albuquerque, Belen, Carlsbad, Deming, Grants, Hatch, La Mesilla, Las Cruces, Las Vegas, Pecos, Rio Rancho, Silver City, Taos

How You Can Help
Contact Dana (northern New Mexico) or Cathilia (southern New Mexico) if you want to set up a meeting with your local county commission or city/village.

Dana: 269-3779; e-mail: dsmillen@msn.com
Cathilia: 635-0996; e-mail: cathilia@gmail.com

Let us know if you are willing to be a phone contact person, which means you are able to get 5 other people in your community to contact their local representative when the time is right at the legislature.

More News to Come
We are planning a lobby day at the legislature. Details will be available shortly.