Democracy for New Mexico

Obama and Richardson in Las Cruces

These photos (click on images for larger versions) show Barack Obama appearing with Gov. Bill Richardson yesterday at a Memorial Day gathering of about 200 veterans and their families at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces and talking about veterans' issues. Gov. Richardson introduced Obama before a backdrop of the Organ Mountains. In his introduction of Obama, Gov. Richardson said, "He's a man of principle and impeccable character. He's a patriot who loves this country with all of his heart. He's an extraordinary leader, a once-in-a-generation leader."

Obama gave a short speech honoring veterans and describing ways he would work to vastly improve veterans' benefits. After his remarks, Obama took questions from the crowd. Obama and Richardson later made a surprise stop at the Las Cruces Veterans Memorial Park to lay two large wreaths honoring local veterans.

Thanks to Ellen Wedum, who's running for for State Rep in District 59, for passing along these photos taken by NM Rep. Nathan Cote of HD 53, himself a Navy veteran. In an article about Obama's visit in the Las Cruces Sun-News, Rep. Cote was quoted as saying Obama was knowledgeable about veterans issues. "I think it was extraordinary for Las Cruces and the vets of Las Cruces," he said of Obama's visit. The Sun-News also has a nice collection of photos and videos of Obama's visit.

And here's another photo of Obama, this time with the New Mexico flag, taken by Obama supporter Rep. Al Park (D-HD26) of Albuquerque:

Above is a video of Obama's remarks in Las Cruces provided by his campaign. Click for the text version of his speech. The Obama website also has photos of the wreath laying at Veterans Memorial Park. And be sure to check out the coverage of the Las Cruces events in today's New Mexico Independent.

More photos of the day's events at Yahoo News.

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Update on 2008 Primary Voting from Bernalillo County

UPDATE: To find your polling place anywhere in the state you can use the Secretary of State's VoterView page. Click here.
**********You can get all the latest information on voting in Bernalillo County in the June 3rd primary election in this update (doc) from the office of Maggie Toulouse Oliver, the Bernalillo County Clerk. Some excerpts:

Election Day Information - Polling Places and Sample Ballots: Election Day polling places and sample ballots are available online – electronically – through our “Where do I vote?” webpage. This page can be accessed through www.bernco.gov/clerk or clicking here.

Absentee Ballots as of May 25, 2008

• Democratic Absentee Ballots:  7,260 Ballots Mailed/3,208 Ballots Returned
• Republican Absentee Ballots:  8,019 Ballot Mailed/3,874 Ballots Returned

Early Voting Numbers as of May 25, 2008 (Click for early voting locations open thru 5/31/08)

• Democratic Early Voters:  3,723
• Republican Early Voters:  3,114
• Total Early Voters:  6,837

Need More Poll Workers
We are currently training  about 2,500 poll workers for Election Day on June 3, 2008. As is always the case, we need more poll workers! If you know of anyone who is willing to serve, please encourage them to contact our office at (505) 468-1291 or apply here.

We are over-recruiting for this election as we always have last minute cancellations. Poll workers will be required to attend a 2-hour training (pay $25 for the training) and be able to work from 6 AM until probably 8:30 – 9:00 PM on Election Day (pay is $100 for Election Day). Remember, qualifications for a poll worker are:

• You must be a registered voter in Bernalillo County
• You cannot be a candidate or related to any candidate on the ballot
• You cannot be a law enforcement officer
• You must be mentally and physically able to perform the assigned tasks
• You must be able to attend one 2 hour training course prior to the election (our office will notify you of available times)

Other Help Needed
More folks are also needed for the Absentee Precinct Board (especially Republicans) and as Challengers, Watchers and Observers for Absentee, Early and Election Day voting. See the update for more information.

Deadline for Requesting Absentee Ballot: The last day to mail absentee ballots to voters who have an accepted application is May 30, 2008. Applications will be processed through May 29, 2008. All applications need to be received in the County Clerk’s office by May 29, 2008. 

Deadline for Returning Absentee Ballot: The County Clerk must receive all ballots by 7:00 PM on June 3rd, 2008. A voter, caregiver to that voter or member of that voter’s immediate family may mail their ballot to the office of the County Clerk or it can be delivered (sealed within the proper envelope) in person to the Clerk’s office at any time prior to 7:00 PM on June 3rd, 2008. A voter, caregiver to that voter or member of that voter’s immediate family may also deliver their ballot (sealed within the proper envelope) in person to their assigned polling place on June 3rd, 2008.

Other Counties
For information about voting in the June 3rd primary in other counties, contact your County Clerk.

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NM-Sen: Meet Tom Udall at Official Opening of Campaign HQ This Thursday

From Tom Udall for U.S. Senate:
You're invited to join us in welcoming Congressman Tom Udall as we celebrate the formal opening of the Tom Udall for Senate Campaign Headquarters in Albuquerque! There will be light refreshments and information about how you can get involved in helping to elect Congressman Udall to serve as New Mexico's next US Senator!

• When? Thursday, May 29th, 5 PM until 7 PM
• Where? 3311 Candelaria Rd NE, Suite B (Just West of Carlisle), Albuquerque
• Click for FLYER and pass it on

RSVP by contacting Andrew Marshall at 505.884.3055 or by email at amarshall@tomudall.com.

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Action Alert: Dem Party Protest of Bush's Tuesday Visit to NM

From the DPNM: The Democratic Party of New Mexico will be demonstrating against George W. Bush's visit to Albuquerque to fundraise for Darren White:

• What: Demonstration against George W. Bush's war and his plan to veto the GI Bill! We don't support his war and we don't support anyone who uses him to raise money!
• When: Tuesday May 27th, 2008 from 11AM-12 Noon
• Where: Hartnett Park, Los Ranchos De Albuquerque: 6718 Rio Grande Blvd NE (MAP)

Come down and show Darren White and George Bush what Americans really think of the War! Don't forget to bring your SIGNS! More info.

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Guest Blog: NM Governor Richardson Best USA Secretary of State/Ideal Democratic Dream Team

This is a guest blog by Stephen Fox of Santa Fe. You can also access this piece here.

My "dream team" would have Hillary as VP, Edwards as Attorney General, Richardson as Secretary of State, Dr. Dean as Secretary of Health or as FDA Commissioner, repairing damage done to USA international by Bush Neocons and eight years of corporate kleptocracy! We absolutely must demand such a dream team just to stay viable as a nation.... All above are proven, intelligent, practical, and vital leaders.

Concerning the Bushes/Neocons criticizing Obama's wanting to speak with the President of Iran as "appeasement," an absurd and hypocritical stance, please read this piece by Robert Parry. Also see Gov. Bill Richardson's article on Creating a U.S. Foreign Policy for a New Century from Harvard International Review. Another vital article by Bill Richardson appeared in Foreign Affairs.

Everyone recognizes the endangered perception of the USA in every international context. We are inviting ongoing trouble by allowing the most powerful USA corporations to entirely manipulate many branches of government like the Department of State, even if you don’t ascribe to a Hegelian or a Marxian view of economic and political history.

The FDA also is massively malfunctioning, and the next President must appoint a consumer protection advocate as FDA Commissioner, instead of the tools of Big Pharma who have occupied that position for most of the past twenty years, during both Republican and Democrat presidencies.

What could be of graver international concern for health than powerful corporations, both food manufacturers and drug manufacturers, adding to the destruction of health in hundreds of nations? Big Pharma corporations and Kellogg, Brown and Root, Halliburton, and Blackwater have manipulated to their satisfaction the functioning of the United States Department of State, to do their bidding in contracts, programs, and throughout the State Department and the Pentagon. (Some might say it is the other way around with the Pentagon, which always get what it wants from the US Congress).

This has the cumulative effect of alienating all of the Islamic nations with their 1.2 billion inhabitants, and further besmirches the USA entrepreneurially in South America and in Africa. I am reminded of the policies of the USA expanding in the second half of the 19th Century by destroying millions of Native Americans, with a genocidal intent inherent in that policy of “Manifest Destiny.” I see massive similarities between the way LBJ floundered in Vietnam and the dealings of the Bush administration in Iraq, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. As a nation, we err terribly by tolerating and continuing such destruction.

The next President must move to repair this obviously dangerous malaise by appointing an international healer as US Secretary of State. I see no better person than New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson for this job, not even Richard Holbrooke. More important as qualifications were Richardson’s elevation of the international political dialogue amongst the candidates, his early strident support for unequivocally ending the Iraq War, on top of his history as Secretary of Energy and as UN Ambassador.

He would be a better Secretary of State than Condi, Colin, Madeleine, and Warren Christopher all rolled together. Even the corporations will recognize by the decline of their profits, in a strictly Hegelian sense, that they need a Secretary of State who might sow the seeds of international dialogue and conflict resolution, close Guantanamo, reduce the US military presence and its ancillary costs by 40%, reshape a 21st Century Peace Corps, and rapidly return America to a new level of international sanity.

After eight years of Halliburton running the State Department, military contractors running the Pentagon, energy corporations running the Department of industry and writing the legislation, and Big Pharma running the Food and Drug Administration: what choice is there?

In his commencement address to the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Richardson challenged graduates to combine their new skills with passion, reason and courage, to work in the public interest. Richardson outlined America's past experience and current need for courageous leadership, and laid out initial steps for renewing America's relationship with the world by returning to its traditional support for human rights, the rule of law, and international law. He called on the United States to lead an international effort to protect people trapped in situations like Myanmar and Darfur, when their governments fail to protect their own people. Excerpt:

"When in Philadelphia, it's customary to quote Ben Franklin. And he was right when he said, "An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest." (Of course, Ben probably didn't have to pay the interest on student loans.) But your investment has been more than just money and years. Whether you wanted to or not, you've invested part of yourself in this place. And it has returned the investment.

"America needs to be impeccable in our own human rights behavior -- and that should begin with immediately closing Guantanamo prison and all secret detention facilities, and providing all prisoners everywhere with access to legal counsel. If the US expects others to take us seriously, we need to take ourselves seriously by honoring our own values and all international treaties, including the Geneva Conventions. Once we have re-established ourselves as a nation that honors human dignity, we can begin once again to promote it worldwide. We must join and support enthusiastically the International Criminal Court, so that leaders who engage in or allow crimes against humanity know they will be held accountable. We should reward countries that respect the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, and negotiate, constructively but firmly, with those who do not.

"America must also renew its commitment to the rule of law and to multilateral cooperation. We must put aside the failed unilateralism of the Bush administration and re-engage our leadership role in institutions like the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the Organization of American States.

"As a diplomat and a public servant, I look at past presidents who had the courage to buck their party line and go against the conventional wisdom to make great gains for our country. It took courage for Truman to reinvest into post-war Europe-including Germany -- with the Marshall Plan. It took courage for the anti-communist Nixon to open China. It took courage for Carter to do what he did at Camp David. It took courage for Reagan to meet with Gorbachev at Reykjavik.

"It will take courage to renew America's relationship with the world .... a good place for us to start would be to lead an international effort to protect people trapped in situations like Myanmar and Darfur, where their governments fail to protect their own people. The 'responsibility to protect' is a principle that has been unanimously endorsed by 150 heads of state at the 2005 UN World Summit. Such a norm would first demand action to prevent crimes against humanity. But should prevention fail, then the right to protect requires economic, political, diplomatic, legal, security and -- in the last resort -- a multi-lateral, UN sanctioned military intervention to stop an atrocity from occurring.

"The US has a special role to play in stopping genocide, especially in Africa where the two most horrendous recent human rights abuses have taken place, in Rwanda and now Darfur. History teaches that if the US does not take the lead on ending these abuses, no one else will. We just need to courage to do the right thing. We need to work with our international partners and the United Nations to devise practical mechanisms that will enable the world community to respond quickly, legally, multilaterally and effectively to stop genocide and other great human rights abuses. The norm of national sovereignty is important, and should be preserved, but it is moot when governments fail to protect their own citizens from great suffering."

This is a guest blog by Stephen Fox, an art dealer from Santa Fe and the founder of New Millennium Fine Art in Santa Fe since 1980. Active in international politics, he is working towards banning Aspartame and the establishment of a New Mexico Nutrition Council, with powers to question and even challenge the FDA. He was a "snowball-in-hell" candidate for the US Senate in 1978 and is presently the Managing Editor of the Santa Fe Sun News, a very alternative twice monthly newspaper based in Land of Enchantment's capitol.

Guest blogs provide an opportunity for our readers to express themselves on topics of interest to the political discourse here, and may or may not express the views of the DFNM blog. If you'd like to submit a post for consideration as a guest blog, contact me by clicking on the Email Me link on the upper left-hand corner of the page.

NM-01, NM-03 Journal Polls: Heinrich, Lujan Ahead But Undecideds High

Results from the Albuquerque Journal's telephone polling of Democrats in the First and Third Congressional Districts by Research and Polling Inc. were released in this morning's paper. Martin Heinrich and Ben R. Lujan, Jr. were the winners in the NM-01 and NM-02 Dem primary race polls for U.S. House seats, respectively, but there were high percentages of undecided voters in each contest. This, despite there being only nine days until the June 3rd primary election, and early voting already underway.

The paper quotes David Wasserman, the Cook Political Report editor who covers House races, on the high percentage of undecideds: "I would definitely expect for voters to realize in the final weeks of the campaign that there is an election going on."

Surprising, at least to me, was the second place finish in NM-01 by former NM Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron. Vigil-Giron got into the race late, had to gather additional signatures to get on the ballot and has run what can only be called a poorly funded, low-key campaign. In the reporting period that ended May 14, Vigil-Giron said she'd raised only $18,000 to date and had spent only about $15,000. Heinrich has raised a total of $733,000 in donations and spent almost $525,000, according to his report. Heinrich would seem to have a strong edge over Vigil-Giron going into the primary as he can spent significantly more on TV ads, mailers and GOTV efforts in the final days of the primary.

In a polling universe where 29% are undecided after months of primary race events, maybe it isn't surprising after all that name recognition appears to be a big factor. Despite campaigning longer than Vigil-Giron and airing one TV ad to none by Vigil-Giron, Lujan Grisham garnered only 10% of the votes in the sample. She has to be disappointed.

In NM-03, the race appears tight between frontrunner Lujan and second place finisher Don Wiviott. Given that a third of voters sampled were still undecided, this race could still go either way. Although Wiviott has more money at his disposal, Lujan seems to have enough to stay up on TV with his ads and to conduct an effective campaign in the final days. Shendo finished a distant fourth, despite the media blitz that followed his allegations about Lujan's "life style." Part of the polling in this race was done after Shendo's accusations received widespread attention in the media and blogs, but they appeared to have little or no affect on the results, according to Brian Sanderoff, president of Research and Polling Inc.

Polling results NM-01 Congressional Dem Primary: Telephone interviews were conducted on May 20-22 with 402 registered Democrats in the 1st District who have a record of primary voting. The margin of error is plus or minus 5 points.

34%  Martin Heinrich
23%  Rebecca Vigil-Giron
10%  Michelle Lujan Grisham
04%  Robert Pidcock
29%  UNDECIDED

Polling results NM-03 Congressional Dem Primary: Telephone interviews were conducted May 20-22 with 500 registered Democrats in the 2nd District who said they were likely to vote. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.5 points.

29%  Ben R. Lujan, Jr.
23%  Don Wiviott
07%  Harry Montoya
05%  Benny Shendo, Jr.
02%  Jon Adams
01%  Rudy Martin
33%  UNDECIDED

Once more, the Albuquerque Journal continued its irritating ane unexplained practice of neglecting to release complete data on the polling -- no info on the questions asked and provision of only hit and miss data on the demographic cross-tabs for either race.

According to the Albuquerque Journal article on the NM-01 race:

Any clue to how the undecideds will vote might be found in the breakdown of the Democrats polled who are Hispanics or who have a high school diploma or didn't complete high school. Those groups were the most likely to be undecided, and those groups also tipped more in Vigil-Giron's favor than for any other candidate.

Heinrich found his strongest support among Anglos and the most educated Democrats, and he topped the field among those polled from 18 to 34 years old, 35 to 49, 50 to 64 and 65 and over. He also led among males and females polled.

Vigil-Giron was strongest among Hispanics, high school graduates and had solid support from those between 35 and 49 years old.

Lujan Grisham made her best showing among the elderly, while Pidcock found himself in the 3- to 5-percentage point range among every category of those polled.

According to the Albuquerque Journal article on the NM-03 race:

Hispanic Dems: 38% Lujan; 18% Wiviott. Anglo Dems: Wiviott 34%; Lujan 22%

"The ethnicity of a candidate is oftentimes a major predictor of how people will vote and this race is no exception," Sanderoff said.

The highest percentages of voters who said they were still undecided were in Rio Rancho in Sandoval County and the district's east side, which includes Clovis and Portales.

Lujan outpolled Wiviott among men and women across the board. Thirty-one percent of men said they favored Lujan and 24 percent of men preferred Wiviott. Among women, Lujan had 28 percent support, while 22 percent favored Wiviott.

The Journal will release Research and Polling Inc.'s polling on the Repub primaries in NM-01 and NM-03 next Sunday. The paper did not poll the Dem NM-02 Congressional primary race.

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Journal Dem Prez Primary Poll in NM-01, NM-03: Obama Leads

The Albuquerque Journal today released results from a survey by Research and Polling Inc. on the Dem presidential primary race in New Mexico's First and Third Congressional Districts. Matching the February 5th Dem caucus results, Barack Obama is ahead in both Districts. He's widened his lead over Hillary Clinton in both the Albuquerque metro area and Northern New Mexico since the state's Dem caucus:

Results in NM-01: Telephone poll conducted May 20-22 surveying 402 likely Democratic primary election voters. The margin of error was plus or minus 5 points.

44%  Obama
38%  Clinton
14%  UNDECIDED
04%  Neither

Obama beat Clinton in NM-01 in the February 5th primary balloting in New Mexico by about 2.6%.

Results in NM-03: Telephone poll of 500 likely Democratic voters conducted May 20-22. The margin of error was plus or minus 4.5 points.

43%  Obama
37%  Clinton
14%  UNDECIDED
06%  Neither

Obama beat Clinton by about 3.6% in the 3rd District in the February 5th Dem caucus in New Mexico, mostly by running up margins in Santa Fe, Taos and Los Alamos.

The Journal did not poll New Mexico's Second Congressional District in this survey.

According to the Journal's reporting on the May 20-22 poll in NM-01:

• Among Hispanics surveyed, Clinton had a 10 point lead over Obama— 48 percent to 38 percent. "Hillary Clinton is still the preferred candidate among Hispanics," Sanderoff said. "However, Obama's share of the Hispanic (vote) is significant."
     
• Among all poll respondents between the ages of 18 and 34, Obama had a 13 point advantage— 51 percent to 38 percent— while Clinton led Obama among voters ages 65 and older, 43 percent to 34 percent.
     
• Among those whose education doesn't exceed a high school diploma, Clinton had a 22 point lead— 52 percent to 30 percent. The opposite was true among college graduates, who favored Obama by 21 points. The margin was even higher for Obama among Democrats with postgraduate work or degrees.
     
• Among men, Obama had a 12 point advantage over Clinton— 46 percent to 34 percent. Among women, the two were practically even.

According to the Journal's reporting on the May 20-22 polling in NM-03:

• Among college graduates, Obama held a 17 point advantage over Clinton— 49 percent to 32 percent. The two candidates were practically tied among those whose education didn't exceed a high school diploma, though Clinton had at least a small edge among Democrats with some college time.
     
• While support from Hispanic voters elsewhere in the country has been a major advantage for Clinton, she had a 6 point margin over Obama among Hispanics in the 3rd District— 44 percent to 38 percent. "Hillary Clinton is still the preferred candidate among Hispanics. However, Obama's share of the Hispanic (vote) is significant," Sanderoff said.
     
• Clinton had the support of 42 percent of the women surveyed, compared with 36 percent for Obama. Among men, Obama had a 21 point advantage— 52 percent to 31 percent.
     
• On the 3rd District's conservative east side, which includes Portales, Clovis and Clayton, Clinton had a 26 point lead— 46 percent to 20 percent. In the north-central area, which includes Santa Fe, Obama had a 7 point advantage.
     
• In the reverse of what's often been the case nationally, Clinton edged Obama among younger voters— 44 percent of those age 18-34 backed her, compared with 40 percent for Obama. Obama had the support of more voters ages 35-64.

Clinton edged Obama by 1,709 votes statewide to win New Mexico's Super Tuesday Democratic presidential caucus in February, mostly by winning downstate in rural areas of the Second District and on the rural east side of the state generally.

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... Younger Than That Now

Happy 67th Birthday, Bob
... he not busy being born is busy dying ...

Reminder: Dem Party Picnic in ABQ Tomorrow

The Democratic Party of Bernalillo County
would like to invite you to a
Democratic Picnic
Saturday May 24, 2008, 12-4PM
at the
Spanish Village, EXPO NM
(300 San Pedro Dr. NE, Abq, NM)
FREE FOOD, FUN & MUSIC!
Music will be provided by
Supreme Court Justice Charlie Daniels & Judge William Parnall

NM-01: New Heinrich Ad Says Bush Leaves NM Families in the Dust

I really like the new ad from the Martin Heinrich for Congress campaign in NM-01, which takes on the Bush agenda's horrific affects on the economy and New Mexico's families. It's right on time given George Bush's upcoming visit to New Mexico next Tuesday to host a private, big-dollar fundraiser for Bush protege Darren White, the presumed GOP candidate in NM-01. The failed president is expected to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for White and the New Mexico Repub Party at a private reception in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque (last we heard).

We can't let that go unanswered, can we? We don't need another Bush clone in office to represent George's disastrous policies -- while dissing the needs of New Mexicans. You can donate now to Heinrich's campaign to start offsetting the dollars Bush will raise for White on his visit to New Mexico. Also, stay tuned for a new effort by several local blogs (including this one) that will launch on Tuesday to counter Bush's fundraising here. I hear that Heinrich's campaign will also have some additional activities coming up on Tuesday. Keep an eye out.

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