Democracy for New Mexico

The Human Face of Climate Change: 9/29 in Santa Fe & ABQ

From Oxfam America: You're invited to The Human Face of Climate Change, divided into two very special events. On Monday, Sept. 29, Oxfam America welcomes to Santa Fe and Albuquerque two women who truly represent the human face of climate change. These women will inspire you, as they’ve inspired many, to join the fight against climate change.

Mrs. Woré Gana Seck from Dakar, Senegal, and Sharon Hanshaw, of Biloxi, MS, will be with us to discuss the impacts of global warming on their regions and outline the policies needed to build communitywide resilience to climate change, reduce gender inequality, and help overcome poverty.

The first Human Face of Climate Change event will be a luncheon at Santa Fe Community College:

Monday, Sept. 29, 2008, Noon–1:30 PM
6401 Richards Avenue, Santa Fe, NM 87508
A $10 donation per adult and $5 donation per student are requested. Sponsors for the event are Oxfam America and the League of Women Voters of New Mexico.

The second event will be at the University of New Mexico:

Monday, Sept. 29, 2008, 5:30–7:30 PM
Kudo Lecture Room 122, Northrop Hall, University of New Mexico (map). The event is free and open to the public and sponsored by Oxfam America, 1Sky New Mexico, the League of Women Voters New Mexico, New Mexico Youth Organized, and the UNM Departments of Earth and Planetary Sciences and Africana Studies.

Bios:

Mrs. Woré Gana Seck is the director of Green Senegal and president of CONGAD, a consortium of 160 national and international nongovernmental organizations. Seck will speak on the increasing impact of climate change on the lives of families in rural West Africa. Her organizations focus on creating resilient and sustainable rural communities in Senegal.

Sharon Hanshaw, executive director of Coastal Women for Change, is the national ambassador for the Sisters on the Planet initiative. Hanshaw's organization has been integral in the rebuilding process following Hurricane Katrina. Her current work centers on creating a broad infrastructure that will help communities in the Gulf Coast better prepare for and respond to climate disasters.

For more information, please email jfrench@oxfamamerica.org.

Sign Oxfam's petition to the presidential candidates urging them to deal with global warming and the related issues of pollution, poverty and more.

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Obama Gets Strong Endorsements from NM Tribes

Everybody's coming on board. Today, the Obama campaign announced that the All Indian Pueblo Council (AIPC), Mescalero Apache Tribe and Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley endorsed Barack Obama for President.

“The numerous issues facing Indian tribes require the attention of a President who genuinely respects sovereignty and self determination,” said Governor Michael J. Chavarria, Chair of the 8 Northern Pueblos. “The northern pueblos have moved to endorse the presidential candidacy of Senator Barack Obama. Our endorsement is given knowing that Indian issues will have prominence in an Obama Administration.”

“Native America needs leadership that will regard tribal sovereignty as important and Barack Obama is that leadership. His record shows his commitment to education, health, and advancing the wage earning power of families who struggle,” said Navajo Nation Vice President Ben Shelly. “We need Barack Obama in the White House, to work with Congress, and make improvements that will put us closer to self-sufficiency while strengthening our tribal sovereignty.”

“For eight years, we have lived with Federal policies that erode our culture and language and, therefore, attack our very identity as Native people,” said President Shirley. “It is time for change: a real change! It is time for the United States of America to truly honor its obligations to its Native peoples. Senator Obama understands the uniqueness of Native nations and Native peoples – that is why I support Barack Obama to be the next president of the United States.”

“The All Indian Pueblo Council is honored to endorse Senator Barack Obama for president,” said AIPC Chairman Joe A. Garcia from the Pueblo of Ohkay Owingeh. “We are confident that a nation to nation relationship will be forged under the auspices of respect for sovereignty and a greater opportunity for our communities to prosper and grow.”

Said Governor Chandler Sanchez: “Senator Obama understands tribal issues. He has shown tribal leaders not only in New Mexico but across the nation a willingness to change and improve the direction of tribal policy.”

“I am honored to have the support of New Mexico’s Indian Tribes,” said Senator Obama. “Their commitment to public service is something that every American should be proud of. Indian tribes in our country face a special set of challenges – from issues of sovereignty to access to affordable healthcare. I look forward to working with all of our Tribal Leaders to ensure that we meet these challenges in an Obama-Biden administration.”

On Thursday, during his trip to Española and Albuquerque, Senator Obama met with more than 100 leaders of the Native American community at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.The endorsements represent an overwhelming majority of New Mexico’s Native American population. The AIPC consists of 19 pueblos across New Mexico. The Navajo Nation is the largest North American Indian Tribe, comprised of approximately 300,000 members located around Southeastern Utah, Northeastern Arizona and Northwestern New Mexico.

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GOP's Bernalillo County Chair Claims Hispanics Won't Vote for Obama Because of Race

At times, the veneer wears off in elections like this one. Sometimes ugly truths are revealed in a soundbite or a sentence or two. This is one of those times.

A reporter for the BBC is touring America, talking with people from all walks of life and reporting from the road. Yesterday, while Barack Obama was speaking to a huge rally in Espanola, Jon Kelly was at the New Mexico State Fair in Albuquerque, enjoying the music and food and talking with Hispanics to get their take on the election. One of those he spoke with is the Chairman of the Republican Party of Bernalillo County, Fernando C de Baca. The Chairman came right out and , apparently without blinking an eye or showing even a hint of shame:

"The truth is that Hispanics came here as conquerors," he said. "African-Americans came here as slaves.

"Hispanics consider themselves above blacks. They won't vote for a black president."

In the first place, it's odd that a Republican would presume to speak for all Hispanics. Historically, a significant majority of the Latino vote has gone to Democratic presidential candidates.

While George Bush was a bit more successful than most GOP presidential candidates at mustering support from Hispanics, he still got only about 38-44% of their vote in 2004, depending on who you believe. An NDN poll released this week showed Obama trouncing McCain among Hispanic voters by 30-40 points or so in Western states. In New Mexico, Obama leads McCain 56 percent to 23 percent among Hispanics, according to the poll.

Secondly, it's pretty much impossible for anybody to explain how and why "Hispanics" vote because there are numerous ethnicities and other kinds of diversity within the Latino community in America -- just like there are within the "Anglo" or other cultural or racial groups. There is no monolithic Hispanic demographic whose members think and vote exactly alike, en masse. Duh.

Like too many Republicans these days, however, Chairman C de Baca apparently sees no such shades of grey or other complexities. Broad brush all the way. Even worse, he expresses an attitude that's reminiscent of a pre-civil right movement America, with racial language and stereotyping to match. It's a sad day when a county party leader takes it upon himself to speak out publicly on behalf of all Hispanics in such a crass and disrepectful manner. What year is it again? (I just had to "echo chamber" this one, h/t to .)

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(Updated) NM-01: NM FBIHOP Interviews Heinrich Live Today at 4:00 PM on Blog Talk Radio

Update: You can now listen to the recorded version of today's 15-minute interview with Martin Heinrich:

I thought the interview went really well, with good questions from Matt about the important issues of today. And Martin's thoughtful answers demonstrated what he's always been known for -- clear thinking, common sense, wide-ranging knowledge and a dedication to meeting the future head on. Well done. Isn't this precisely the kind of Congressman we need as we move into a challenging, yet exciting future?
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I'm going to be listening to Matt at NM FBIHOP doing a live interview with NM-01 Congressional candidate Martin Heinrich on his Blog Talk Radio podcast this afternoon at 4:00 PM Mountain time. You should too. They'll be talking about "the real issues: the economy and how it is hurting CD1, the war in Iraq (remember that?) energy policy and other non "lipstick on a pig" issues that actually will matter to New Mexicans in four months."

NM-Sen: New Udall Ad Says Pearce Parrots Big Oil Talking Points

As many of you know, our place is home to several birds, including Sunny the sun conure and Bosco the peach-faced lovebird -- both of whom hail from the parrot family. So, naturally, we love Tom Udall's new ad featuring a talkative green parrot, even though he or she is parroting Steve Pearce who's parroting Big Oil's talking points about energy and Tom Udall. We know in our hearts that the parrot doesn't believe what it's saying -- it's just parroting the words and drawing attention to Pearce's doubletalk. Our parrots would never parrot Pearce or Big Oil, unless they were doing it for a higher purpose -- like acting in a TV ad to get more support for Rep. Udall. They're big fans.

Our favorite part of the ad comes at the end, when Tom papers the bottom of the parrot's cage with Pearce's negative ads. Bravo! We'll have to follow suit the next time we clean our parrot cages. It'll give Bosco and Sunny something satisfying to aim at. Even bird brains can see through Pearce's parroting. Seriously, check out the Fact Sheet and you'll see why.

Oh, I almost forgot. This is fun too. Go to www.pollybigoil.com/ where you can enter a message to your friends and have it parroted by the Big Oil Polly. I think it would be fun to have Polly spread the word that the latest SurveyUSA poll has Udall up over Pearce 56-41%. Aye, matey.

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NM-03: Women for Ben Ray Luján Coalition Formed

Luján speaking at Española Plaza at yesterday's Obama rally

Go Ben Ray. Not only did Barack Obama refer to Luján as an "up and comer" yesterday at the rally in Espanola, but New Mexico women are stepping up their support for Ben because of his strong positions on women's issues. He's on a roll.

Ben Ray Luján held a roundtable this past Wednesday on women's issues and announced the formation of "Women for Ben," a group for female supporters of the campaign. Luján held the roundtable discussion at the Mission Cafe, a women-owned business in Santa Fe. The group discussed a variety women's issues and the importance of women in the upcoming election.

"I'm proud and honored to have the support of a strong group of women," said Ben Ray Luján, a Public Regulation Commissioner and the Democratic nominee for Congress in the 3rd District. "We need to work hard to address the issues facing the women of New Mexico and America, including pay equity and the rising costs of health care and child care. This roundtable was the beginning of a discussion about the work I can do in Congress to stand up for women."

The conversation focused on equal pay, health care, education and support for women-owned businesses. During the discussion, attendees told personal stories about difficulty receiving health care, the obstacles children face in school and the rising costs of everyday items. Several attendees talked about being single mothers and the struggles they face trying to raise families while working or going to school. They stressed that the economic crisis has hurt single mothers who have to pay rising health care and child care costs.

Many prominent women from across New Mexico attended the roundtable, including Martha Burk, Paula Garcia, Minnie Gallegos, Jane Frost, Connie Maki and LaDonna Harris.

Luján addresses crowd of 9500+ at Española Plaza yesterday

Women Urge Women to Support Luján
Martha Burk, a prominent voice on women's issues and the Director of the Corporate Accountability Project for the National Council of Women's Organizations, talked about the struggles women and all Americans face in the current economic environment. She also encouraged women to turnout the vote for Ben Ray Luján.

"Women are the majority of the electorate," said Burk. "They register in higher numbers, they vote in higher numbers and they turnout in higher numbers. It's our job to turnout the vote for Ben Ray Luján."

"I'm very proud to be here today," said LaDonna Harris, a leader on Native American issues and the founder of Americans for Indian Opportunity. "Having spent all my life in human rights, I strongly support Ben Ray Luján because he understands the importance of protecting the disadvantaged, which is an important issue to me and other women."

Ben Ray Luján listened to each woman speak and tell their stories. He stated his strong support for pay equity and a higher minimum wage since today's low minimum wage disproportionately affects women.

Luján also discussed national issues. Many of the women in attendance stressed the need to end the Iraq War and use the money we spend there to address the problems facing our country, such as health care and education.

"We need to change our priorities and get our country back on track," said Luján. "By ending the Iraq War, eliminating corporate tax breaks and putting our families first, we can take on the issues that affect the women of our country."

Join Women for Luján
At the roundtable, Luján announced his Women for Ben coalition. The coalition features several prominent leaders, including Lt. Governor Diane Denish; Paula Garcia, the County Chair of the Mora Democratic Party; Emily Kane of the International Firefighters Association; Connie Maki, the Vice-Chair of the 3rd Congressional District Democratic Party; Jane Frost, a respected rancher in Portales; City Councilor Danielle Duran of Española, LaDonna Harris and Martha Burk. The coalition will help advise Luján on women's issues and get out the women's vote for him. Click to join Women for Ben or one of the other coalitions supporting Luján's candidacy.

Upcoming Campaign Events
Ben has scheduled five more Standing Up for New Mexico townhalls, which you can learn about . And you can catch him and the other candidates in the NM-03 Congressional race at a League of Women Voters Debate on September 23 at Fuller Hall, Los Alamos, from 7 to 9 PM.

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Slideshow: Obama in Española, New Mexico 9/18/08

Click arrow to start the slide show. Once it's going you can click on the square in the bottom right corner to view the show full screen. Hit ESC key to go back to smaller version. Photos by M.E. Broderick.

Also see my .

The Obama blog has another excellent slide show that includes Barack's meeting with tribal leaders at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, his stop at The Range Cafe in Bernalillo and his appearance in Española, as well as a video of Obama's entire speech there.

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Crowd of 9500+ Welcomes Obama to Española NM

NM-03 candidate Ben Ray Lujan speaks to the crowd in English and Spanish about the victories to come -- if we stand together and work for it

This is only PART of the crowd

Obama in front of a quintessential New Mexico backdrop, Plaza de Espanola

The place was packed. The town was packed. The streets were packed. The plaza in Española, NM was packed with more than 9500 enthusiastic, sun-drenched people from Northern New Mexico and beyond, many of whom waited in line for hours to get a chance to be a part of Barack Obama's Change We Need Rally. At its longest, the line waiting to get in reportedly stretched about two miles -- and I believe it. When the plaza was full, more people crammed into the spaces outside the barriers, periodically yelling and cheering for Obama from the peripheries. They got the shade of the TV satellite trucks. It's always a trade-off.

Mariachis entertain the crowd

As we were driving around scoping things out and trying to find the press entrance, we passed a line that filled the sidewalk, snaked around corners, filled an entire sidestreet and and tailed off into the distance. People didn't seem to care about the wait, the sun, the crazy-quilt parking or the semi-chaos that was evident all over Española -- population 9688 according to the 2000 census. Yes, that's right -- the town's population almost doubled with the influx of Obama fans, former Hillary fans and folks coming just to take a listen to the candidate who's now 7-8 points ahead of McCain in New Mexico in the latest polling.

The crowd was festive, friendly and pumped -- you could feel it all over. The town was bustling with vendors hawking Obama everything and folks renting out parking spaces in their yards or outside their businesses, making nice profits on the deals. Nobody was complaining. Lots of neighbors greeting neighbors, talking family, talking politics, talking how great it was that Obama was visiting the gateway to the Hispanic North and paying his respects to the very voters who just might put him over the top in the presidential election. Hispanics, Anglos, Native Americans, Sikhs, gays, straights, browns, whites, blacks, young, old and everything in between. Most of all, Democrats. La Gente -- the people who truly believe in of the people, by the people, for the people.

Gov. Bill Richardson revs the crowd

I caught snatches of conversations about the Kennedys and their visits to Northern New Mexico long ago, and how presidential candidates had rarely bothered after that. It was clear that memories were welling up throughout the crowd, of politics and presidents and Democratic victories past, when things were different and progress was being made on equality and pay and expanded opportunities. When things seemed like they were getting better, not worse.

And then the hopeful wondering -- could we get Obama elected and could he help us get to that place once again? That place of moving forward, not back. That place of unity and community, not hate, not fear. When it felt good to be an American, a New Mexican, a worker getting a fair shake, a family whose kids just might do better with hard work and determination and a fair deal. When people were looking ahead, not back.

Obama steps before the crowd

If the crowd that showed up in Española is any indication, people are starting to believe once again -- and are ready to put the pedal to the metal to get there, to help Barack get there. To help us all start moving in that direction once more, after eight very long years without nourishment, without movement, without progress, without hope.

I'll be writing more about Obama's latest visit to New Mexico, but I wanted to get something up now so you can get at least a glimpse of what the day was like -- from my perspective anyway -- before I give in and hit the couch. Also check out and What's the Word for coverage, as Matt and Peter were also (as always) right smack in the middle of things today.

Oh, and then there were the forlorn Republicans. Their campaign office, such as it is, was nearby the plaza. As you can see in this photo, they had plenty of time on their hands -- and no takers. I guess people don't really want to "Play It Safe" -- whatever the GOP means by that ....

You can see more photos from Española in our Flickr set, and more videos that we'll continue to load at our YouTube channel.

All photos and video by M.E. Broderick. Click on photos for larger versions.

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NM SD15: Poll Shows Eichenberg 45%, Snyder 34%

Gotta love it. If this poll is anywhere near accurate, we have an excellent chance to pick up another State Senate seat in Albuquerque. I'm headed up to Espanola to Barack Obama's rally so I don't have time to write more now, but I wanted to help get the news out. Tim Eichenberg's campaign just released the following statement:

Recent results on a poll show that Tim Eichenberg holds a 45%-34% lead over Diane Snyder with 20% of voters undecided. The results reported come from a survey of 402 likely voters in New Mexico State Senate District 15. Respondents were interviewed on September 2, 3rd, 4th and 7th. The survey has an overall margin of error of 4.9 percentage points.

"From what I hear on the doors, voters are looking for a change," says Tim Eichenberg, state senate candidate, "it's time to be sure that our interests, not special interests come first. We need legislators who, regardless of party, will strive to make government competent and ethical, who put finding solutions ahead of party and self-interest."

Tim grew up in Albuquerque, and has lived in Senate District 15 for 22 years with his family. He serves on the Flood Control Board, where he led a successful fight to cut residential property taxes. He is the former Director of the State Property Tax Division and County Treasurer.

Tim is challenging two term incumbent Diane Snyder for the District 15 State Senate seat in the NE Heights, Albuquerque.

More can be found about Tim Eichenberg at his website www.eichenbergfornewmexico.com.

Reminder: Re-Election Fundraiser Reception for Rep. Mimi Stewart Tonight

Tonight's the night for the reception with Rep. Mimi Stewart in support of Mimi’s re-election campaign:

Thursday ◆ September 18 ◆ 2008
5:30–7:00 PM
At The Home of Margie Lockwood & Richard Romero
907 Silver SW • Albuquerque

More details in my previous post.