NM-01: Heinrich-White TV Debate Tonight, Dem Party Issues Challenge

Tonight at 7:00 PM on KOB-TV4, Dem Martin Heinrich and Repub Darren White and Heinrich will debate live. There's still time for you to submit a question at the KOB website. In light of today's debate, the Democratic Party of New Mexico issued a statement calling on Darren White to sever his connection with the group Freedom's Watch, which functions in this election cycle like Swift Boat Veterans Verision 2.0:

The Democratic Party of New Mexico wants voters to remember Darren White's connections to the Bush Administration and shady organizations like Freedom's Watch that routinely work above the law. Last Friday, Brian S. Colón, Chairman of the Democratic Party of New Mexico, filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against the New Mexico Republican Party, Freedom's Watch and Candidate for Congress, Sheriff Darren White. [Associated Press, 10/20/2008] Federal election laws prohibit Freedom's Watch from coordinating its efforts with campaigns, state parties, or any political candidate.

The Democratic Party of New Mexico believes that the attack ads coming from Freedom's Watch and the New Mexico Republican Party share more than just similarities. Both of these ads share the same photographs of Martin Heinrich and were produced by the firm Stevens, Reed, Curcio and Potholm, the same firm that produced the 2004 Swift Boat Veterans for Truth commercials.

"The actions of the New Mexico Republican Party and Darren White are illegal and reckless," said Josh Geise, Executive Director of the Democratic Party of New Mexico. "Does Sherriff Darren White think he is above the law? We call on Darren White to demand that Freedom's Watch stop airing their ads and cease this illegal activity on behalf of his campaign."

This is not the first time Freedom's Watch has been implicated in this type of scandal. In April 2008, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee charged that, in a special election for Congress in Louisiana, Freedom's Watch was running a television advertisement with a script that came from the National Republican Congressional Committee, which is illegal. Freedom's Watch is run and supported by several former officials of the Bush Administration.

For a copy of the complaint, email Conchita Cruz at conchita@nmdemocrats.org.

More NM-01 Debates
Heinrich and White will debate again at 7:00 PM on Thursday, October 23, in a live televised debate on KNME-TV5 hosted by New Mexico First and broadcast from the Albuquerque Convention Center.

On Sunday, October 26, the NM-01 Congressional candidates will tangle at 10:45 AM non-televised debate at Congregation Albert, 3800 Louisiana Blvd.NE. More info on that in my previous post. At 4:00 PM that same Sunday afternoon, KOAT-TV7 will host their final TV debate.

Photo credit: Crop of a photo by nmfbihop.

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