Democracy for New Mexico

2008 Dem Presidential Candidate Debate Thursday on MSNBC

All eight Democratic candidates for president will debate on Thursday at an event, organized by the South Carolina Democratic Party, to be held at the historic Martin Luther King, Jr., Theater at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg. The debate is set to air on MSNBC cable on April 26th from 5:00 to 6:30 PM MDT, moderated by NBC News anchor Brian Williams. It will also be streamed live on MSNBC.com. Bill Richardson, John Edwards, Barack Obama, Dennis Kucinich, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Chris Dodd and Mike Gravel have all confirmed their participation. Click for MSNBC debate coverage.

According to Reuters, "The debate kicks off three days of political activity in South Carolina. On Friday, most candidates will attend a state party dinner and the annual fish fry hosted by Rep. Jim Clyburn, the state's most prominent black politician. On Saturday, some candidates will address the state party convention."

On the eve of the Democratic Party events, South Carolina lawmakers are urging candidates to release their comprehensive energy plans and make discussion of energy policies a top priorty.

South Carolina will hold the first Democratic primary contest in the South in January 2008, following Iowa, Nevada and New Hampshire.

An article by Adam Nagourney of the New York Times describes the crush of invitations to presidential candidate forums and debates being received by candidates of both parties, and efforts being made to coordinate a reasonable schedule:

After a private dinner of Democratic campaign managers at a Washington steakhouse last month with Howard Dean, the Democratic National Committee chairman, the party agreed that starting in July it would limit debates to one a month through the end of the year. Dean, blocking for his candidates, will choose the sponsors.

... "The DNC should stand firm and demand as many debates as possible," said Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico, who is seeking the Democratic nomination. "This is one way there is equity in this presidential process because they are several candidates with alarmingly more money and resources than everyone else."

Thomas Buckner: Candidate for State Party Treasurer

As reported in a previous post, Thomas Buckner is running for the office of Treasurer of the New Mexico Democratic Party. State Party officers will be elected by State Central Committee members at their meeting this Saturday, April 28th, in Las Cruces. Tom has forwarded additional information about his candidacy and asks for your vote if you serve on the SCC. Click for Buckner's message to Democrats (.doc) and a summary of his qualifications and experience (.doc). Mr. Buckner has strong support among the grassroots and is running on a platform that stresses integrity and a dedication to timely, accurate and open accounting for the State Democratic Party.

Success on Otero Mesa Effort!

From the NM Wilderness Alliance: On Thursday, April 19th, a coalition of ranchers, hunters, conservationists and water experts hosted the Otero Mesa Public Forum in Alamogordo. This event in large part was organized by the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance (NMWA). Almost 200 people from Alamogordo and surrounding communities attended the event to hear about Otero Mesa's fresh water aquifer, the area's wildlife and how oil and gas drilling could impact this special place. The purpose of the event was to bring the community together and demonstrate that southern New Mexicans care about their quality of life, and that a few days' worth of oil and gas will NOT take precedence over water, wildlife, and wilderness.

At one point during the forum, moderator, Rick Simpson (a hunting guide and Lincoln county commissioner) asked the audience "who supported a moratorium on drilling in Otero Mesa" so that a thorough study of the Salt Basin aquifer could occur. Everyone in the room expect for one person raised their hand!

The following day, the Alamogordo Daily News ran a front-page story covering the event. This story was then picked up by the Associated Press and ran in several other papers, including the Albuquerque Journal, Las Cruces Sun-News, and Santa Fe New Mexican. Click to read the full article.

Friday morning, April 20th, the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance brought four of the five speakers from the forum to meet with the Alamogordo Daily News and encourage the paper to editorialize in support of the moratorium. Rancher Tweeti Blancett, wildlife expert and high school teacher Steve West, energy and economics expert Bill Brown, and Craig Roepke with the Interstate Stream Commission all attended the editorial board visit. The outcome was that the next day, the Alamogordo Daily News editorialized in supporting our efforts to call for a moratorium on drilling in Otero Mesa! Click to read the editorial.

Subsequently, Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne, requesting that all leasing and drilling be put to a halt so the  U.S. Geological Survey, Sandia National Labs, and Interstate Stream Commission could conduct a thorough study of the Salt Basin aquifer. This is tremendous news. Please call Senator Bingaman and thank him for taking the lead on calling for a moratorium, but urge him to keep fighting to protect Otero Mesa.

It is because of your letters, calls and pressure to our elected officials that we are gaining real traction in our efforts to protect Otero Mesa. Many thanks! This past week was a real watershed moment in the campaign. Now we must begin to aggressively pressure Senator Domenici and Congressman Pearce. Senator Domenici’s staff has indicated that the Senator may be willing to support a moratorium on Otero Mesa. Please help us to make this a reality -- the time is NOW! Please call and fax your letters and comments today.

• Senator Bingaman: (202) 224-5521
• Senator Domenici: (202) 224-6621
• Congresswoman Wilson: (202) 225-6316
• Congressman Pearce: (202) 225-2365
• Congressman Udall: (202) 225-6190
• Send your Free Fax Here!

Make Your Voice Heard and Speak Out for Otero Mesa's Land, Water and Wildlife Today! Click to sign up for alerts from the NM Wild Action Center.

Iglesias Points to Rove, Special Counsel Responds

Once again, all roads lead to Rove (who also doesn't believe in global warming and hates it when Sheryl Crowe touches him). This L.A. Times article reports that the Office of the Special Counsel will be investigating Rove and other elements of the Bush administration's political operation in the White House:

... the Office of Special Counsel is preparing to jump into one of the most sensitive and potentially explosive issues in Washington, launching a broad investigation into key elements of the White House political operations that for more than six years have been headed by chief strategist Karl Rove.

The new investigation, which will examine the firing of at least one U.S. attorney, missing White House e-mails, and White House efforts to keep presidential appointees attuned to Republican political priorities, could create a substantial new problem for the Bush White House.

... The question of improper political influence over government decision-making is at the heart of the controversy over the firing of U.S. attorneys and the ongoing congressional investigation of the special e-mail system installed in the White House and other government offices by the Republican National Committee.

... [Scott J.] Bloch [head of the Office of the Special Counsel] said the new investigation grew from two narrower inquiries his staff had begun in recent weeks. One involved the fired U.S. attorney from New Mexico, David C. Iglesias. The other centered on a PowerPoint presentation that a Rove aide, J. Scott Jennings, made at the General Services Administration this year. [emphasis mine]

Responding to Alberto Gonzales' testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, David Iglesias has pointed a finger directly at Rove, accusing him of being behind the firings. From McClatchy Newspapers:

Gonzales' testimony Thursday left senators convinced he wasn't behind the plan or its execution and in fact knew far less than a department head should have about the details. Former and current members of Gonzales' staff who've been interviewed by congressional investigators also have said their roles were limited or nonexistent.  Absent another explanation, the signs point to the White House and, at least in some degree, to the president's political adviser, Karl Rove.

David Iglesias, the former New Mexico U.S. attorney and one of the eight fired last year, said investigating the White House's role is the logical next step - one that would follow existing clues about Rove's involvement.

"If I were Congress, I would say, `If the attorney general doesn't have answers, then who would?' There's enough evidence to indicate that Karl Rove was involved up to his eyeballs."

Iglesias said another clue that the White House may have been the driving force is the relative lack of Justice Department documentation for the firings in the 6,000 pages of documents turned over to Congress.

"If you want to justify getting rid of someone, you should have at least some paper trail," Iglesias said. "There's been a remarkable absence of that. I'm wondering if the paper trail is at the White House."

Yup, if Gonzales and his staffers don't know (or won't say) how the list was created, who does that leave as the culprit in selecting the U.S. attorneys that needed firing? You don't think Bush came up with it on his own, do you? Political decisions based on political considerations (virtually all decisions in the Bush administration) would naturally be made by the main political operative in the White House -- Karl Rove. No wonder The Decider doesn't want Rove to testify under oath. And no wonder Rove "lost" all those emails. Can it get any more obvious?

At last, it looks like a wide-ranging and cohesive investigation will look into the possible illegalities committed by political operative Rove and his inside-the-White-House campaign office. Let's hope Scott Bloch is true to his word on how deep and comprehensive his probe will be. Don't hold your breath, though. Bloch may be another Gonzales, ready to cover for his bosses, according to this.

Weigh in Before Wednesday Night on VideoVets Project

From MoveOn.org and VoteVets:
The administration tries to call anyone who criticizes their policy in Iraq 'anti-troop,' but these video interviews show that 'supporting the troops' does NOT mean supporting an endless war. The voices of these veterans and military families are missing from the debate in Washington. Together we can make sure they become a vital part of the national dialogue around ending the war.

You and tell us what you think. You have until Wednesday night to weigh in on which video you think is most compelling. Then, Academy Award winning director Oliver Stone will turn it into a TV ad-spreading this message even further.

Here are some powerful excerpts from the videos:

California Gold Star Mom: I used to lay in bed at about 11 o'clock at night and imagine somebody would be knocking on my door. And I would visualize how I would respond to that, and lay in bed, "Go away, don't come here for that." And so every minute you just expected to get the knock at the door—I just worried so much that somebody would come to my house and ultimately that's what happened.  I wrote this letter to Ken on the one year anniversary of his death..."I'm so proud that you chose to serve your country.  And in the same thought I am so unbearably offended that this Administration used your good will, your patriotism, and your values to send you to fight their illegal, immoral, war of choice."

Pennsylvania Iraq Veteran: It never seemed to me that we were fighting Al Quaeda, Bin Laden, or the people who were responsible for attacking us on 9/11.  The mission was so confusing, and it seemed as if everybody in the community disliked us. To keep American soldiers in Iraq for an indefinite period of time being attacked by an unidentifiable enemy is wrong, immoral, and irresponsible...I feel used and I feel misled by the Administration. I feel that my patriotism has been used and exploited, my willingness to fight for this country has been used and exploited. I'm very proud of my military service, but I'm very disappointed in the civilian leadership and the Administration for sending us needlessly into combat.

Indiana Iraq Veteran: When I was deployed to Iraq, we lacked crucial and necessary equipment and supplies...When I was in Iraq, I drove a pickup truck that you could buy off the lot anywhere at any Chevrolet dealership, and that was our means of transportation—that was the vehicle that we fought out of. We modified our pick-up truck to try to become a war fighting machine. We put a stand in the back of it so we could mount a machine gun in the back of the truck...It's important to end this war...we have our young men and women caught up in a religious and civil war, and we're doing more harm than good."

(Note: The views expressed in these interviews do not necessarily reflect the views of VoteVets or MoveOn.org Political Action, they are the views of interview subjects only.)

Who Will Take On Heather Wilson? Let the People Decide

Round and round we go and where we stop, nobody knows. At least not yet. But there's been lots of recent leaking, rumors and positioning going on about Dems who may be considering a run against Repub Rep. Heather Wilson in New Mexico's CD1 in 2008. Names bandied about have included former City Councilor and Albuquerque mayoral candidate Eric Griego, current City Councilor Martin Heinrich, Economic Development honcho Rick Homans, State Auditor Hector Balderas, Binagaman' staffer Terry Brunner, NM Rep. Jerry Ortiz y Pino, State Treasurer James B. Lewis and even former UNM President Louis Caldera. In recent days, we've had a visit from the DCCC to Albuquerque and reports of Calderas seeking out their counsel in D.C.

Homans quickly withdrew from consideration after initial reports of his possible candidacy, and he's since transferred from his job running the NM Economic Development Department to heading up the new Spaceport initiative. I guess the response to his candidacy was less than enthusiastic. I know it certainly was in the core Dem segments of the Party.

For Griego's latest statements on entering the race, check out New Mexico FBIHOP's with Eric. Today, Las Cruces blogger Heath Haussamen reports that Heinrich has formed an exploratory committee for the race and taken an unpaid leave of absence from his job as NM Natural Resources Trustee. Along with Balderas, Griego and Heinrich seem the most likely to follow through with a run that might well end up in an exciting Dem primary race full of ideas and energy.

Richardson Camp Weighing In?
Unfortunately, however, the Bill Richardson camp seems to be jumping the gun and leaking their support for Heinrich way ahead of the game. See today's post on Monahan quoting "top political sources." Nothing against Martin, who is very popular and well-respected among local Dems, but remember when it was MEMBERS OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY who selected candidates? That's why we have a pre-primary convention and the option of a primary to settle the question of who would be the best candidate to run on the Dem side. Haven't we had enough of candidates being crowned from above based on who knows what criteria? One of the most common (and angry) complaints I hear these days is that power brokers and insiders are usurping the power of rank and file Dems, of the Party itself. Let the people decide!

Practice Makes Perfect
Some believe primaries can sap the strength (and fundraising) of the ultimate candidate in these kinds of races, but everyone I talk to thinks it would be a positive development in this race. We need the strongest, scrappiest, most articulate and honest candidate to take on Wilson, and a primary contest would permit the cream of the crop rise to the top. What's in a candidate's resume and position statements is important, but I think most of all we need someone this time who can think on their feet, and be passionate and genuine in their communications. We need a candidate with the presence of mind to confront Wilson on her weaknesses, while clearly and persuasively delineating how they would solve the problems she cannot or will not solve.

How do candidates gain these skills? By debating in public on the merits, by stumping in the primaries before those who will decide who runs. What we don't need is another candidate who avoids debates until the last minute and then fumbles because they've had no real-world practice.

We need someone proud to be a real Democrat who won't run from controversy or confrontation, and who can stand up to the usual barrage of dirty campaign tactics used by the Repubs. We need someone who can generate strong grassroots support, deal intelligently with media pressure and avoid greenhorn mistakes. How can we know which one would be the best at this unless we have a process where candidates have to first show their stuff in a primary arena? Believe me, if it's perceived that Dem bigwigs are choosing our candidate from on high, it may well hurt our chances, not help them. The grumbling has already begun over the phone lines, and nothing kills rank and file enthusiasm (and volunteer hours) quicker than a perception that our views can safely be bypassed or ignored. We need a process that drums up excitement, not resentment.

Who Best Matches the District?
Without recent and convincing local polling data, it's difficult to predict which issues will be on the minds of CD1 voters this time around, or which candidates have organic support in the district. We don't have that kind of data yet, which makes early insider cherry picking even more unwise and unwelcome. Most of all, I think voters are sick and tired of overly groomed, say-nothing, do-nothing, mealy-mouthed candidates, who take the "safe" road to nowhere recommended by Beltway consultants and powerful elected officials. We need a candidate in CD1 who can stand up to both Repub propaganda and insider Dem manipulation. We need a candidate who gets his or her strength from voters, not handicappers. We need an independent-minded leader, not someone beholden to those currently in office and their advisers.

Don't get me wrong -- I like Heinrich and believe he might well be our best candidate against Wilson. What I don't like is all the pressure being applied by those who apparently believe they know best and that Democratic Party members should be content to stay on the sidelines as a candidate is chosen.

As to Monahan's contention that "the odds have dipped dramatically" for other candidates "as the Guv's support of Heinrich will make fund-raising difficult for any other contender," I guess he's never heard of Act Blue or other ways of raising large sums via small donations for candidates who emerge from the grassroots. Money shouldn't be the problem -- getting sufficient numbers of voters to turn out will be the trick. Attempting to pre-empt the Party's process can only make this harder on those who'll be doing the doorknocking and outreach.

Let the People Decide
Let's support an open and grassroots Dem contest to decide who will next take on Heather -- one that will be chock full of passion, ideas and straight talk -- whether it takes the form of pre-primary competition or a full-fledged Dem primary in CD1. What we don't need is another candidate annointed by power brokers in the state and from inside the Beltway. I say let the people decide. What do you say?

UNM Native American Heritage Festival Starts Today

From UNM Today:
Join the University of New Mexico’s celebration of Native American culture and heritage at the 52nd annual Nizhoni Days April 23-29. All events are free and open to the pulbic. The festivities open on Monday, April 23 with an all day Native American Film Makers Showcase beginning at 10 AM and the Miss Indian UNM pageant at 6 PM in Student Union building ballroom C.

Other events include the Indigenous Nations Library Program lecture series featuring musician, activist and entrepreneur Tom Bee at Noon and 3 PM on Tuesday, April 24; “Weaving Worlds” by Bennie Klain, a film premiere in SUB ballroom C at 6:30 PM on Thursday, April 26; Native Xperience in SUB ballroom C at 6 PM on Friday, April 27; and the Sin Fronteras Film Festival. Capping off the weeks’ events is the Nizhoni Days Honoring our Alumni Pow Wow on Johnson Field, starting at Noon on Sunday, April 29.

“Nizhoni Days is a celebration of Native thought and presence on and off the UNM campus and of Native American culture both traditional and contemporary,” said Kellen Shelendewa, president of UNM’s Kiva Club. “Nizhoni, a Diné (Navajo) word meaning beautiful, exemplifies what the week represents.”

Sponsored and organized by the Kiva Club since the 1950s, Nizhoni Days demonstrate the wealth of Native American achievements in the arts, activism, politics, academics and culture.

For more information contact kiva@unm.edu or 277-7236

Today's Albuquerque Journal adds some detail for several of the events:

• The premiere of the film "Weaving Worlds" by Bennie Klain at 6 p.m. Thursday in SUB ballroom C. The film explores personal stories of Navajo weavers and their relationships with reservation traders;
     
• The Native Xperience Concert will begin at 6 p.m. Friday in SUB ballroom C. Besides musical performances, the night will feature the documentary "When Your Hands Are Tied";
     
• Sin Fronteras Film Festival beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday at City on the Hill Theatre, 3007 Central Ave. NE;

A28: Got Colored Cups? Live Near a Highway with a Chain Link Fence?

Santa Barbara City College

You can see more examples at After Downing Street. And you, too, can create an event and/or sign up for one at the April 28 IMPEACH website. Here's one event planned for Albuquerque on April 28:

We’ll use our bodies to spell out “Impeach” on the lawn, take pictures from the hotel next door, have a rally, reviewing impeachable offenses and march a copy of the contstitution to Heather Wilson’s office. David Hilliard, one of the founders of the Black Panther Party will talk about violations of the Constitution. Meet at Robinson Park, 8th Street and Central, 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

Looking for volunteers to help me lay out “IMPEACH” on the grass before the rally at 10:00 AM, volunteer to be a peace keeper to help guide the march safely to Heather’s place, to make signs, and to take photos for me to use for flyers for the next event. The goal for our “human mural” on the lawn is 200 people, so please sign up and tell your friends! Contact pauleichhorn@1hop2.com or 505-270-4414. Please sign up to participate here.

A28 describes their nationwide effort as follows:

Anybody can start an A28 action. It can be as small as writing it on the sidewalk in chalk or as large as organizing 2,000 people on a beach to make a human mural. Be creative! Some of the ways that people are talking about spelling it out include: signs, gigantic lasers, toy soldiers, stencils, LED throwies, freewayblogging, banner drops, light projections, t-shirts, rocks, skydivers, skywriters, peaches, christmas lights, flags and balloons. If you're ready to get an action going in your community, please .

Fragile: Earth Day 2007

Above image courtesy of the Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center, AS17-148-22727, from https://eol.jsc.nasa.gov.

"'If people can see Earth from up here, see it without those borders, see it without any differences in race or religion, they would have a completely different perspective. Because when you see it from that angle, you cannot think of your home or your country. All you can see is one Earth...."'

--Anousheh Ansari, Iranian-American space tourist who flew last year to the international space station.

Many are trading their inefficient incandescent light bulbs for energy saving fluorescent bulbs these days. Let's hope we can also trade this dim bulb for one that lights the way to change:

Finally, here's something Sting performed in honor of 9-11 right after it occurred, but I think it could apply to most things happening on the Earth right now, the lives being lived (and those ending) on the planet and maybe even the planet itself. How fragile we are ....

Richardson Names Reinstituted Ethics Reform Task Force

With the intent to call a Special Session on Ethics Reform later this year, Governor Bill Richardson has named a 23-member Ethics Reform Task Force to once again study and recommend legislation concerning such issues as limiting campaign contributions, creating an independent ethics commission, requiring improved campaign reporting and public funding of statewide elections. They'll also analyze why the NM Legislature balked at passing most of the major ethics and campaign reforms introduced this year.

Last year the Governor named an 17-member task force charged with similar tasks and used many of their recommendations to create a legislative package for the 2007 Legislative Session. Unfortunately, only a couple of elements of that package gained passage -- including public funding for Court of Appeals and Supreme Court judicial elections and limitations on gifts -- despite Richardson's call for a special session to consider the rest of the ethics bills, along with other legislation. All of the ethics package bills passed the NM House, but were held up on the Senate side, most of them by inaction in the Senate Rules Committee chaired by Sen. Linda Lopez.

In a press release issued on Friday, Gov. Richardson had this to say:

I am pleased that so many members of the first task force have agreed to continue their service, and grateful to the new members who give a fresh perspective to the work of the group,” said Governor Richardson. “The work of this group is critical, and I expect the task force to meet quickly and begin their work as soon as possible. Republicans and Democrats, business and government, non-profit and public, I believe this diverse group will help ensure the public’s best interests are well represented.

The members of the Governor’s Task Force on Ethics Reform are:

Co-Chairs

• Governor Garrey Carruthers, Dean, NMSU College of Business
• Suellyn Scarnecchia, Dean of the UNM School of Law

Members

1. Diane Denish, Lt. Governor State of New Mexico
2. Stewart Udall, Former U.S. Secretary of the Interior
3. Governor Charlie Dorame, Governor, Pueblo of Tesuque
4. James Lewis, NM State Treasurer
5. Stuart Bluestone, NM Chief Deputy Attorney General
6. Dede Feldman, NM State Senator (D-Albuquerque)
7. John Ryan, NM State Senator (R-Bernalillo, Albuquerque)
8. Ken Martinez, House Majority Leader, NM State Representative (D-Grants)
9. Jeff Steinborn, NM State Representative (D-Las Cruces)
10. Don Tripp, NM State Representative (R-Socorro)
11. Bill McCamley, Dona Ana County Commissioner
12. Jim Noel, Executive Director, Judicial Standards Commission
13. Doug Brown, Principal, Brown and Brown Ventures (former State Treasurer)
14. Leonard Sanchez, CPA, Moss Adams LLP
15. Norman Thayer, Attorney, Sutin Thayer and Browne
16. Tom Keesing, Realtor, Santa Fe Agency Real Estate
17. Geno Zamora, President, Zamora Strategic Advisors (former Democratic candidate, Attorney General)
18. Fred Nathan, Executive Director, Think New Mexico
19. Matt Brix, Policy Director, Center for Civic Policy (former Executive Director, Common Cause NM)
20. Claire Weiner, Public Member (who served on the Election Reform Task Force)
21. Maralyn Budke, Public Member

Editor's Note: Our posts on the handling of the ethics and campaign reform package in the 2007 NM Legislature can be found among the contents of our archive of posts on the topic, as well as in our 2007 Legislature archive.

(Updated) Surreal Iraq Policies Accompany Deadly Escalation

(Albuquerque Tribune)

Well it's one, two, three, what are we fightin' for? From McClatchy Newspapers:

WASHINGTON - Military planners have abandoned the idea that standing up Iraqi troops will enable American soldiers to start coming home soon and now believe that U.S. troops will have to defeat the insurgents and secure control of troubled provinces. Training Iraqi troops, which had been the cornerstone of the Bush administration's Iraq policy since 2005, has dropped in priority, officials in Baghdad and Washington said.

And then there's this:

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The United States military has begun sealing off Baghdad neighborhoods with concrete walls in a controversial new strategy intended to calm Baghdad's sectarian flashpoints, but residents fear the barriers could deepen divisions between Sunni and Shiite Muslims.  Seven so-called "gated communities" have been or are being built, according to military officials, and more may be coming under the wide-ranging Baghdad security crackdown launched nine weeks ago.

... residents say the barriers actually increase their feelings of isolation and make them feel like targets.

"Don't they realize that when the Baghdad neighborhoods become either Sunni or Shiite, they will become even more vulnerable?" said Yassir Ismail, a 34-year-old Sunni resident of Adhamiyah, one of the areas where the U.S. is putting up barriers. "Extremists from both sides - or mercenaries - will have no more qualms. . . . They will bomb each other to kingdom come."

UPDATE 4.23.07: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has put a stop to construction of the wall:

"I oppose the building of the wall and its construction will stop," al-Maliki said during a joint news conference with the secretary-general of the Arab League. "There are other methods to protect neighborhoods, but I should point out that the goal was not to separate, but to protect."

He did not elaborate but added "this wall reminds us of other walls that we reject, so I've ordered it to stop and to find other means of protection for the neighborhoods." He wasn't more specific but apparently was referring to the Berlin Wall during the Cold War and Israel's construction of a barrier in the West Bank to keep out suicide bombers.

****************

Meanwhile:

BAGHDAD, Iraq - At least 173 people died in Baghdad on Wednesday in a series of major explosions, making the day the capital's deadliest since the onset nine weeks ago of a much-touted U.S.-Iraqi security plan. The violence capped a dreadful seven days that began with a stunning suicide attack in the Iraqi parliament building in the heavily fortified Green Zone, which killed a lawmaker. At least 363 people died in Baghdad in the past week, including 118 whose bodies were found dumped in various parts of the city.

... Pentagon planners privately expressed concern. One official sighed at news of the bombings. "We don't have enough troops. It would take another 100,000" to properly protect Baghdad. Another said: "We are just trying the same things over and over again."

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." --Albert Einstein

From Iraq Coalition Casualty Count:

Total U.S. troop deaths: 3,317, including 70 so far this month
Total U.S. Wounded: 24,764

Is it any wonder that Sen. Harry Reid has this to say?

"... As long as we follow the President’s path in Iraq, the war is lost."

Guest Blog: Richardson's Experience Proves He's a Fit Candidate

This is a guest blog by Stephen Fox of Santa Fe that was originally published in The Daily Lobo: In a speech given in New Hampshire in late 2006, Gov. Bill Richardson said, "One thing the Bush administration has never understood is that diplomacy and military power are not alternatives to one another, but rather complementary sources of strength. Because diplomacy without power is weak, and power without diplomacy is blind."

This is the very core of Richardson's international platform, and the kind of insight he gained as a U.N. ambassador and energy secretary under President Bill Clinton. Richardson's trip to North Korea is already bringing important results.

His international résumé is a breath of fresh air, and since the U.S. needs to rebuild and rethink its international policies after six years of corporate, Halliburton-driven plutocracy, I believe Richardson must become president.

Our domestic economy is in the pits because of hundreds of billions of dollars going to Iraq and Afghanistan - mostly military expenditures - all to advance the Bush administration's corporate agenda. Other nations are capitalizing on our errors and distractions - like China, with its trillion-dollar balance of payments, as well as Russia, which has funded many developing nations in their colonial struggles, pointing to our oppressive presence in Iraq and telling African, South Asian and South American nations that they are perfectly willing to buy their natural resources instead of plundering them.

On March 28, Richardson said, "I would not leave any troops in Iraq ... If I were president today, I would withdraw by the end of this calendar year ... But I would also have a reconciliation conference of the three religious groups, forge a coalition government and divide the country into three entities."

The international backlash of a totally failed U.S. foreign policy has profound implications for a worsening domestic economy, and the situation is getting seriously worse by the day. This is why I support Richardson's presidential campaign.

Editor's Notes: This is a guest blog by Stephen Fox, who describes himself as follows: Stephen Fox is a Santa Fe Art dealer and the founder of New Millennium Fine Art.He is keen on New Mexico establishing a higher standard for nutrition not just for schools, but at all levels. He authored a bill to ban the neurotoxic artificial sweetener Aspartame, which was sponsored by Sen. Ortiz y Pino, but during the 2007 session, the bill was shot down by "insidious mendacious corporate lobbyists, the scourge of the legislative process," representing Coca Cola, and Ajinomoto of Japan, the world's largest manufacturer of both MSG and Aspartame.  He is working on establish a Nutrition Council for the United Nations by passage of a Resolution he wrote. The text and supporting medical documents can be found at Fox's website.

Guest blogs provide an opportunity for readers to express their personal opinions on relevant political matters and don't necessarily represent the views of DFNM. If you'd like to submit a post for consideration as a guest blog, contact me by clicking on the Email Me link at the upper left-hand corner of our main page.