Democracy for New Mexico

Belafonte to Speak at Popejoy

An Evening with Harry Belafonte: Thursday, April 19, 2007, at 7 PM, in Albuquerque's Popejoy Hall on the University of New Mexico campus. Tickets: $30, $25, $20 at UNM Ticket Offices, www.unmtickets.com, 925-5858, or Raley’s Supermarkets

Presented by The University of New Mexico, Office of the President in cooperation with Africana Studies and African-American Student Services. (This is not a musical performance.) Belafonte:

• First African-American producer in television
• Served President Kennedy as cultural advisor to the Peace Corps
• Served on the Board of Directors, Southern Christian Leadership Conference
• Chaired the New York State Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission
• Created the New York State Martin Luther King, Jr. Institute for Nonviolence
• Awarded the Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace Prize
• First recipient of the Nelson Mandela Courage Award
• UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
• Received the Danny Kaye Award from the U.S. Committee for UNICEF
• Hosted the World Summit for Children held at the United Nations

• Belafonte
• Direct link to Belafonte tix online

Saturday Music Hall: Variations Over Time

Guinnevere, Crosby and Nash, 1970

Guinnevere, Crosby and Nash, Concord CA, 2006

A friend mentioned he'd started listening to CSN(Y) again after not hearing them for many years, and how wonderful it was to be in that space again. As for me, I've had the pleasure of hearing and seeing them over the course of their long career (and my life), in various combinations, acoustic and electric, in venues large and small. At times, I've traveled to other states to do it. I've witnessed concerts by CSN, CSNY, Neil Young, Crosby and Nash, Graham Nash alone, David Crosby solo and David Crosby in CPR, a band he created in 1997 with exquisite guitar player Jeff Pevar, an incredibly talented rhythm section and the son he didn't meet for decades, James Raymond, on piano and keyboards.

At a time when noise, static, soundbites, arguments, name-calling and IED explosions dominate the airwaves and our senses, I thought a dose of harmony and acoustic guitars was in order, so I focused on several incarnations of David Crosby. Time is strange and powerful. Cycles complete, disappear, return in a slightly different form. Variations on a theme. We change. We age. We evolve. Yet the song remains essentially the same. Deja vu.

Lee Shore, CSN, Japan, 1991

CPR doing Deja Vu, 1998, Dutch television

From Crosby's website:

"A human being is part of a whole, called by us the "Universe," a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest -- a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty." --Albert Einstein

Today's Insight NM Radio Talk Lineup

Tune in to Insight New Mexico, Albuquerque's weekly progressive talk radio show, today from 3:00 to 4:00 PM on 1350 AM. Host Eric Griego and sidekick Suzanne Prescott will be talking with NM Rep. Al Park, D-NM (above left), Las Cruces political blogger Heath Haussamen (above right) and PRC Vice Chair Jason Marks (below left), as well as fielding audience calls. To ask an on-air question, call 338-4090. To learn more about the show or today's guests, visit the Insight New Mexico website and blog. You can also find info on past guests and progressive organizations, and download podcasts (mp3s) of previous interviews. The Saturday show is rebroadcast on Sunday from 7:00 to 8:00 AM.

Originally signed up to broadcast during the NM Legislative Session, Eric and Suzanne are seriously considering continuing the show beyond March 17, when the 60-day Session wraps up. The show's coverage would switch to local and county politics and government. If you want progressive talk radio to continue, be sure to tune in, call in, spread the word to your friends and consider becoming a sponsor. To learn more, email .

NM Medical Marijuana Bill Narrowly Defeated in House

In yet another legislative defeat of a compassionate, fair-minded, common sense bill, the NM House yesterday narrowly defeated Senate Bill 238, a measure already passed by the Senate 34-7, which would have allowed seriously ill and dying people access to the relief that can be provided by medical marijuana. The final tally was 33 for and 36 against, with 7 Republicans and 26 Democrats voting in support of the bill and 21 Republicans and 15 Democrats voting against it. Yes, believe it or not, it was Democrats once more who defeated legislation representing traditional, core, Democratic values.

Votes like this always make me wonder how different our state would be if unlimited campaign contributions and "gifts" were regulated using ethical priniciples. Trying to overcome the advantage of special interest lobbyists for the pharmaceutical industry and "law enforcement community" is always difficult, especially in a poor state like this one. People's pain and suffering be damned -- we're gonna follow the advice of those with axes to grind and turf to protect. Or maybe people are protecting illegal marijuana merchants, who knows?  Something is causing people to take illogical positions on what should be a clear-cut issue of compassion.

A Santa Fe New Mexican article reports:

Opponents disputed that marijuana was an effective medicine. "Medically it just really has no value. For us to approve a drug like this tells our children and tells the rest of the people in this state that we, somehow as leaders, give tacit approval to the use of this drug," said Rep. John Heaton, D-Carlsbad and a pharmacist. "That is absolutely wrong for us to do."

He described marijuana as "the No. 1 gateway drug to abusing other drugs in our society."

It always amazes me when pharmacists make pronouncements as if they are credentialed medical and drug abuse researchers, but then again they get so many nice notepads, pens and who knows what else from pharmaceutical company reps that they get confused about their role in medicine. I wonder if Rep. Heaton realizes that alcohol is actually the number one gateway drug, or that the highest growth rates in addictions these days come from illegal use of already available prescription drugs. Of course I wouldn't doubt that Heaton is among the wrong-headed puritans who want to keep adequate supplies of much needed prescription painkillers out of the hands of sufferers because some kid might get a hold of some and get high. Such are the medieval attitudes of many in the fight against pain relief being provided by anything that could be abused anywhere on the planet at some point in time. Let's punish the law abiding citizens because lawbreakers, as always, are part of the human population.

The proposal would have allowed the use of marijuana for pain or other symptoms of debilitating illnesses such as cancer, glaucoma, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, HIV-AIDS and certain spinal-cord injuries.

No, we can't have that. Instead, people suffering from such serious maladies will have to content themselves with "legal" substances that don't work as well. Or, of course, they can grow their own or have a friend purchase an "illegal" supply of marijuana, found anywhere in America as easily as one can locate a junk food outlet. The main thing is that people like Heaton can portray themselves as "tough on crime" and "tough on drugs," thus providing them with a couple useful campaign slogans that always seem to go over well in an era of soundbites and knee jerks.

To their credit, 7 Republicans voted for the bill, proving themselves more enlightened and informed that 15 members of the Democratic Party.  You remember the Democratic Party, don't you? At one time it was known for its dedication to forward thinking, just and open-minded legislating. Now, however, the Dem Speaker of the House, Ben Lujan, voted to kill the bill while House Republican Whip, Dan Foley of Roswell, voted for the bill, saying:

"If it offers one person ... the pain relief or the help they need, who are we in this body to say no?"

And Patty Jennings, the spouse of Sen. Tim Jennings (D-Roswell), had this to say:

"This is a matter of compassion. It's a very personal matter." She is battling cancer and taking morphine, which she said is much more powerful and dangerous than marijuana would be. "People who are not there don't always understand that we're asking ... to have all the options available to us."

According to MedicalMarijuanaProCon.org, 11 states have enacted laws that legalized medical marijuana, including Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. In polling in the U.S., about 70-80 percent typically support the legalization of medical marijuana. I guess someone should tell our "representatives."

Here's a partial vote tally from today's Albuquerque Journal although, for some reason, they don't have it online:

Republicans Voting YES on Medical Marijuana Bill
Dan Foley, Roswell
Justine Fox-Young, Albuquerque
Keith Gardner, Roswell
Kathy McCoy, Cedar Crest
Brian Moore, Clayton
W. D. "Dub" Williams, Glencoe
Eric Youngberg, Corrales

Democrats Voting NO on Medical Marijuana Bill
Andrew Barreras, Tome
Ernest Chavez, Albuquerque
Mary Helen Garcia, Las Cruces
Thomas Garcia, Las Cruces
John Heaton, Carlsbad
Manuel Herrera, Bayard
Dona Irwin, Deming
Rhonda King, Stanley
Ben Lujan, Santa Fe
Patricia Lundstrom, Gallup
James Roger Madalena, Jemez Pueblo
Andy Nunez, Hatch
Debbie Rodella, Ohkay Owingeh
Nick Salazar, Ohkay Owingeh
Richard Vigil, Ribera

Democrats Not Voting
George Hanosh, Grants

Urgent Action Needed for Otero Mesa

From the NM Wilderness Alliance: Please make a few phone calls. Otero Mesa is critically important for its unique desert grasslands and wildlife, but it also contains the largest untapped source of water in New Mexico--a potentially extremely important resource for southern NM communities.  The fate of Otero Mesa hinges on a proposed hydrologic study of this aquifer. We need to better understand it, and the risk posed by oil and gas development. There are two options to get this critical study funded:

• Governor Richardson has already secured $1 million for the study. We can ask him to completely fund the required $2.2 million.
• The legislature is currently hammering out the final details of the budget. We can ask them to fund the remaining $1.2 million.

Because we can't be certain which will be most effective, we are asking folks to do both:

• Please contact the Governor's office (476-2200), and ask him to fully fund the $2.2 million for the Salt Basin hydrologic study through his capital outlay.
• Please contact the following committee chairs responsible for the final budget and ask them to include $1.2 million in House Bill 2 to complete funding for the Salt Basin hydrologic study. Although these may not be your legislators, they are the ones with the power to add an item to the budget.
  • Kiki Savedra: 986-4316 
  • Lucky Varela: 986-4318 
  • Tim Jennings: 986-4362 
  • John Arthur Smith: 986-4363

Thanks Everyone!
Nathan Newcomer, Otero Mesa Campaign Organizer

Statement by Senator John Grubesic on Action to Stop Debate of NM Impeachment Resolution

This is a statement just released by Senator John Grubesic (D-Santa Fe), who was one of the sponsors of SJR 5, the impeachment resolution that was killed without debate this afternoon. He's one of the patriots in our NM Democratic caucus and in today's America, along with co-sponsor Gerald Ortiz y Pino, all the other Democratic Senators who voted for the resolution as it was passed through three committees and all the ordinary citizens who worked so hard on this effort. I hope future generations will know that there were many who dedicated themselves to stopping the madness of the Bush era, whether we are ultimately successful or not. Not everyone clung to business as usual, in the worst possible sense.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SENATOR JOHN T.L. GRUBESIC
MARCH 8, 2007

This country was founded by rebels.  This country was forged in violence, ferocity, dissent and uproar.  This country is vanishing before our eyes, not because we are blind, but because we are willing participants in its destruction.  Today on the Senate floor you witnessed an excellent example.  The Impeachment Resolution died quietly with no debate whatsoever.  The dignity of the New Mexico State Senate was maintained as we followed carefully designed rules of procedure to ensure that nothing disrupted the workings of this austere body.  We did a great job of making it appear that government was working.

However, we have to ask, which government and on whose behalf?  The action taken by the Senate was not the action taken by a body that protects the freedoms of a sovereign people.  The action was a carefully orchestrated option designed to protect the integrity of an institution and perpetuate the well oiled workings of government.  A government that has evidently forgotten that we serve at the pleasure of those we govern.

It is clear, that from the highest levels of government in our country down to our State, very few of us want to deal with the unpleasant political mess that impeachment could become.  Our actions today showed where our priorities are, we forgot that the Constitution was not designed to serve government, but to protect the people.  There should have been a debate, argument, uproar.  Instead, we quietly gutted the sovereign power of the people with polite political procedure.

When future generations look back on our time, the shock will not be because of the violent, impolite nature of the fight that preceded the destruction of Constitutional government, but by the meekness with which we watched it die.

To read our post on the Senate vote today, click here.

To read all our previous posts on this issue, visit our impeachment archive.

(Updated) NM Impeachment Resolution Killed Before Debate on Senate Floor; 9 Democrats Vote With Republicans to Prevent Debate

Earlier today: I just got a phone call reporting this and I don't yet know what the vote was. However, SJR 5, New Mexico's impeachment resolution, was killed when it failed to get the votes necessary to move to the Senate Floor for debate. So it didn't even get a discussion by the Senate, the very least that could be expected from a legislative body dominated by Democrats. I don't know exactly who voted against debating the resolution or who was absent, but I'll report that when I get it. I did hear that 5 or 6 8 NINE Democratic Senators voted against debating the measure.

According to Steve Terrell, "the vote was 26-13 to uphold Senate Majority Leader Ben Altamirano’s ruling yesterday. Altamirano ruled on a voice vote not to accept the committee report of the Senate Judiciary Committee." We had previously been informed that the original maneuver to keep it off the floor was a Republican effort, but now we learn it was one of our TOP DEMOCRATIC LEADERS who kept it from a debate -- Ben Altamirano. I guess Ben and his pals didn't like to see all those citizen lobbyists up there, practicing democracy like Americans. And those phone calls and emails were so, well, irritating. So much easier to go to lavish dinner parties with lobbyists.

UPDATE 3:55 PM: I just got the names of the eight NINE Democrats who voted not to accept the Do Pass of the Senate Judiciary Committee, thus preventing the resolution from being debated on the Senate Floor:

Ben Altamirano, Silver City, who is the Senate Pro-Tempore, the Senate's top leader

Pete Campos, Las Vegas

Carlos Cisneros, Questa

Phil Griego, San Jose

Tim Jennings, Roswell

John Pinto, Tohatchi

John Arthur Smith, Deming

James Taylor, Albuquerque

David Ulibarri, Grants

I hope they hear from plenty of their constituents and Democrats everywhere. If Democrats won't even allow something this timely and critical to our nation's future to be DEBATED, why do they call themselves Democrats? What this shows me is that these 9 men have only disrespect for all the hundreds and hundreds of our citizens who traveled to Santa Fe on their own dimes, spent hours in the Roundhouse, made phone calls, sent emails, shot video and audio, spoke personally to legislators, spread the word and worked so hard on this effort. They knew they had the votes to ensure the measure failed on the Senate Floor but they chose to kill it early, using an anti-democratic technical maneuver to make sure no debate took place. To me, what they did is the complete antithesis of representative democracy and an affront to the power of the people.

I can understand some of these Dems from conservative districts voting against the bill on the Senate Floor. What I can't forgive is the nine of them voting to stop the people's voices from being represented there. They silenced those who disagreed with them. Is there a worse example of anti-democratic behavior?

For those reading this on a direct link, be sure to go here to a later post and read what one of the resolution's co-sponsors, Sen. John Grubesic, has to say in response to what happened today.

Visit the impeachment archive to see all our previous posts on this issue.

Today's Mix: Iglesias, U.S. Attorney Firings

More tidbits on the burgeoning scandal surrounding the firing of eight U.S. Attorneys.

--Repubs Trash Iglesias: Once viewed by many in right wing circles as THE up and comer of Repub politics in the state, especially given his Hispanic, evangelical Christian background, David Iglesias is now being trashed by certain Repub bloggers and other mouthpieces of the Repub machine as a liar, cheater, egotist, ingrate, incompetent and even -- gasp -- a pawn of George Soros. I kid you not. I won't provide links because I don't want to drive traffic to the sources of these insults, but they're not hard to find.

--Domenici Caught in Another Lie: Domenici hired Lee Blalack, the former lawyer of both Duke Cunningham and Bill Frist, on February 28 -- the day that David Iglesias went public with his allegations. Despite having already secured expensive legal representation, Pete told the media he didn't know what Iglesias was talking about.
 
--Rovian "Vote Fraud" Strategy Figures in Cases: Karl Rove's apparent 2004 strategy to claim massive voter fraud on the part of Democrats figures prominently in the smearing of at least two U.S. Attorneys -- Washington's John McKay and New Mexico's David Iglesias. Both generated complaints from Republicans to the U.S. Justice Department because the attorneys found evidence inadequate to bring federal indictments (and headlines) for alleged illegal voter registration and other related voter fraud. According to TPMmuckraker's posts here and here, complaints were made about McKay's failure to pursue allegations of voter fraud by Democrats in Washington's 2004 gubernatorial election.

Here in New Mexico, the first grumblings about Iglesias began back in 2004 when the NM Republican Party's coordinated campaign to claim thousands of potential Democratic voters were fraudulent lost steam because Iglesias didn't think the evidence was sufficient to bring charges. I guess that's not allowed when Repubs want indictments for purely political reasons.

What I wanna know is: why would Iglesias -- a straight-arrow, Republican, evangelical Christian, former JAG attorney mentored by Domenici and befriended by Heather Wilson -- want to stop or stall indictments that would bring both his Party and himself significant political benefits unless there were serious problems with the evidence? Unable to accept such realitiess, too many on the right are suddenly pegging Iglesias as part of a vast left wing conspiracy against them. Desperation breeds delusional thinking. We've seen a lot of that lately, from Bush on down.

--Griffin Featured in BBC Voting Rights Expose: Investigative reporter Greg Palast gives us Bush’s New US Attorney a Criminal? The article details how "Timothy Griffin, Karl Rove’s assistant, the President’s pick as US Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas ... according to BBC Television, was the hidden hand behind a scheme to wipe out the voting rights of 70,000 citizens prior to the 2004 election. Key voters on Griffin’s hit list: Black soldiers and homeless men and women. You really need to read the entire article.

--Video Collection: We've featured various video and audio clips of Tuesday's Senate and House committee hearings with the fired attorneys, but Politics TV has put it all together with a collection of clips assembled from both hearings.

--Legal Basis for Ethics Complaints: Slate provides a clear analysis of the legal basis for bringing ethics claims against Rep. Heather Wilson and Sen. Pete Domenci

--Wison Campaign Donors: Duke Cunningham, Brent Wilkes, and Mitchell Wade (another co-conspirator in the Cunningham case) are all Heather Wilson donors:

• Brent Wilkes $1,000 
• ADCS PAC (Mitchell Wade) $2,000 
• Randy "Duke" Cunningham/Friends of Randy Cunningham $5,000

TODAY: Senate Public Affairs Hearing on Domestic Partner Bill

From Equality New Mexico:
House Bill 603, the Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibiities Act, will be heard in the NM Senate Public Affairs Committee TODAY, March 8, at 3:00 PM, in Room 321 at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe. The hearing is definitely on. This will be a close vote, so we need as many people in the room as possible to show the Senators our support. We are second on the agenda, so please arrive by 3:00 PM.  (This bill previously passed the NM House by a margin of 33-24.)

(Updated) URGENT: Republicans Mount Counterattack, Stall Impeachment Resolution in Procedural Maneuver

UPDATE 2:20 PM: I just got a call reporting that the impeachment resolution is now being debated on the Senate Floor.

UPDATE 11:30 AM: Terry Riley informed me that he has it on good authority that the blocking maneuver by Republicans will be dismissed when NM Senate Democrats vote to accept a Do Pass by the Senate Judiciary Committee, the last committee to approve the resolution, sometime this morning. The impeachment resolution is then expected to be debated on the Senate Floor, probably sometime today or tomorrow. The effectiveness of the blocking mechanism tried by the Repubs will be ended when enough Democratic Senators are gathered to vote to accept the Do Pass.

Editor's Note: I just got this in my email and I'm not really sure what's going on at this point. Things are confusing to say the least, but I'll keep passing along the info as I receive it. The NM Legislature website lists the Do Pass of the Senate Judiciary Committee as not adopted. Meanwhile, Marvin Moss, Chair of the Bernalillo County Democratic Party, has been contacted and he has stated that a meeting of all the County officers and Ward Chairs, constituting a meeting of the Executive Committee, would need to be called to vote on a statement of support for SJR 5, as Leland Lehrman is recommending. He also said that no proxy voting would be allowed per State Party rules and that with the officers busy with setting up the coming County Party meetings, volunteers would have to organize the effort and do the work themselves.

From Leland Lehrman of Mother Media:
Floor Vote Called Prior to Debate for Thursday March 7th During Floor Session. All Citizens to the Roundhouse 9:30 AM On. Check Senate Print Media Gallery for Updates.

With shock I received word today from resolution sponsor Senator Ortiz y Pino's secretary Sharon Shaffer that the Republicans had used a procedural maneuver to stall the Impeachment Resolution and prevent a full debate on the floor. Immediately double-checking with Majority Leader Michael Sanchez's secretary Sharmaine, I realized that the impeachment resolution had been dealt a serious if not fatal blow.

During the ordinarily mundane reading of committee reports, wherein the Senate is informed of the decisions of the various Committees, the Republicans decided to block "adoption" of the Judiciary Committee report. They were successful in a voice vote largely because the Democrats, caught completely off guard, were not on hand in number to oppose the motion.

Majority Leader Michael Sanchez successfully held the roll call vote until the Democrats could be present in number, and when I spoke with him late in the day, he told me that the roll call vote would happen some time Thursday.

Therefore, it is now urgently important to call in high volume and with utmost respect to the swing vote Senators listed below under action items via the Capitol Switchboard at 986-4300. Let them know through their secretaries that the Republicans have chosen to use an unfair procedural method to require a vote on the resolution before it even gets a chance to be openly debated. Explain that there will be a Senate Floor roll call vote on the adoption of the Judiciary Committee Report with the Impeachment Resolution SJR 5 in it, and ask them to be on the floor alert to vote in favor.

This vote may be more difficult to win than the vote for final passage, because it must be taken without opportunity for debate on the merits of the resolution.

Some believe that Senator Sanchez has everything under control and will successfully move adoption when he gets the opportunity. According to experienced sources, there is a remote possibility that there will be a "Call of the Senate" wherein the State Police are assigned to track down every Senator and all are required to be on hand.

Regardless, this moment of truth will be a historic occasion and it is essential that maximum public scrutiny of the decision be brought to bear in order that the gravity of the decision be made clear by the citizenry. Be there. Along with the action items below, I have created two worksheets for serious citizens with the phone numbers of relevant Democratic Party Central Committee Members and County Chairs on it. Download and call away. Visit Mother Media for the rest of this message.

Editor's Note: For a collection of our past posts on this issue, visit our impeachment post archive.