Democracy for New Mexico

NM-Sen: New SUSA Poll Shows Pearce (Barely) Winning Primary, Udall Winning Senate Seat vs. Either Opponent

Results are in from a new SurveyUSA Poll conducted for KOB-TV in Albuquerque. With 18 days left in the U.S. Senate primary race, the polling shows:

GOP Primary
Steve Pearce 49%
Heather Wilson 46%

With a margin of error of 4.8% for the poll (rather high), Pearce and Wilson are in a statistical tie for the GOP nomination. Compared to an identical SurveyUSA poll released six months ago, Pearce is up 12 points while Wilson is down 10 points. Among conservatives, Pearce leads by 14; among moderates, Wilson leads by 17. Among men, Pearce, leads by 11; among women, Wilson leads by 5 -- a 16 point gender gap.

Among voters age 18 to 49, Pearce leads by 9; among voters 50+, Pearce and Wilson tie. Among whites, Pearce and Wilson tie; among Hispanics, Pearce leads by 16. Wilson leads by 25 points in Bernalillo County, where Albuquerque is located; Pearce leads by 22 points in the rest of the state. SurveyUSA estimates that 40% of Republican voters will come from Bernalillo County. The larger the turnout from that county, the better Wilson does.

General Election
Udall 60%, Pearce 36%
Udall 61%, Wilson 35%

In a hypothetical General Election for U.S. Senator from New Mexico 25 weeks to the vote, Democrat Tom Udall defeats either Republican Pearce or Republican Wilson by a nearly identical margin. Udall leads among both men and women, young and old, white and Hispanic, regardless of opponent. 1 in 4 Republicans cross over and vote Democrat; 1 in 10 Democrats cross over to vote Republican.

Another point to consider is that undecided voters in the general election polling were in the 3-4 percent range, showing that a large majority of those polled already know the candidates and have made up their minds early. It should be a difficult task for either Pearce of Wilson to significantly dig into Udall's large lead.

Filtering: 2,200 New Mexico adults were interviewed by SurveyUSA 05/12/08 through 05/14/08. Of them, 1,827 were registered to vote. Of them, 439 were determined by SurveyUSA to be likely to vote in the Republican Primary. These likely Primary voters were included in the Primary Poll portion of the questionnaire. General Election hypothetical match-ups were asked of all registered voters.

Dig In
has a nice summary of data about New Mexico and this Senate seat past and present. They now show this Senate race as Leaning Democratic.

Technorati Tags:Tom Udall, Steve Pearce, Heather Wilson, NM-Sen, SurveyUSA, polling, primaries, U.S. Senate, New Mexico

Saturday: KNME to Live Stream Wilson-Pearce Debate

According to the KNME blog, the PBS station's website will provide a live stream of the next big debate between GOP Senate candidates Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce to be held in Roswell this coming Saturday, May 17, 2008 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. You can watch live online here or at Ustream on Saturday.

KNME-TV will also be simulcasting the final debate between Steve Pearce and Heather Wilson on May 30th. They're one of a handful of media outlets participating in the New Mexico Broadcaster's Association debate at the Sandia Resort & Casino. The debate will be live from 7-8:00 PM, and they plan to follow up with live reaction and analysis from their studio with host Gene Grant and the rest of the LINE panelists. They'll also be live streaming that debate, on knme.org.

Technorati Tags:Steve Pearce, Heather Wilson, NM-Sen, Roswell, New Mexico, KNME, Republicans, debates

NM-Sen: Domenici Avoids the Heat; GOP Starts Negative Push Polling

I'm not sure how much retiring NM Sen. Pete Domenici's endorsement would mean in the Repub primary battle between Steve Pearce and Heather Wilson, but he's taking the easy way out and refusing to back either candidate publicly. Instead, he's said he'll work hard for whoever gets the GOP's primary nod on June 3rd.

I guess Domenici may have had enough of controversy and heat given all the negative attention he got for attempting to pressure former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias to speed up Dem indictments. Maybe he's content to bask in public neutrality and enjoy the many thanks-for-the-memories tributes he'll be getting if he stays out of the fray until the general election.

By refusing to go on the record for the primary, he won't get caught between the dueling forces of "common sense conservatism" and to-the-right-of-Atila-the-Hun extremism that have been rocking the NM Repub Party for many moons -- and is represented by the Wilson vs. Pearce battle. After all, Domenici himself went from being viewed early on as a moderate Republican to just another Bush clone as his Senate career evolved in later years. Despite being Wilson's long-time mentor, maybe he's now moved into the Club for Growth sector of the GOP that's inhabited by extreme right wingers like Pearce. Stranger things have happened within a Repub Party that's been decimated by plunging public support, weak candidates and falling campaign donations.

"Common Sense Issues" Push Polling Begins
In the meantime, the GOP Swift Boat brigade is already getting active in New Mexico with negative push-polling against Tom Udall, the nominee who's running unopposed in the Dem Senate primary. A Udall campaign email reports:

We've just received some disturbing news from one of our staff - the GOP "Swift Boat" attacks on Tom Udall have begun here in New Mexico. She got an automated "push-poll" phone call from an organization misleadingly calling itself "Common Sense Issues" this weekend. This group has been caught push-polling for Mike Huckabee in Iowa and the firm they used to make those calls has been fined in multiple states for violating the law. Now they're here slinging mud at Tom Udall.

A Newsweek story reports on the connections between the nonprofit "Common Sense Issues" -- whose executive director is Patrick Davis, a former national Republican Party staffer -- and Huckabee's campaign, as well as complaints from Huckabee's rivals about their operations:

Common Sense Issues is a tax-exempt group registered in Delaware whose organizers have acknowledged the use of controversial telephone polling tactics to promote Huckabee's presidential bid—and allegedly to trash the campaigns of the former Arkansas governor's rivals. The nonprofit also helped set up and run Trusthuckabee.com, a Web site that was involved in front-line efforts to recruit and mobilize Huckabee supporters to turn out for the Iowa caucuses.

Rival candidates have criticized Common Sense Issues's tactics, questioning whether the group's ties to the Huckabee campaign are really arms-length—as required by federal law. The Huckabee campaign has distanced itself from Common Sense Issues, renouncing its support and joining his rivals in calling for investigations into the nonprofit's activities.

Pollster.com reported in January that, according to the New York Times, "Common Sense Issues" was responsible for "a million calls to households in South Carolina telling voters, according to one of the calls, that [John] McCain has "voted to use unborn babies in medical research." The word is they're also active in Colorado, push-polling against the Senate campaign of Dem Mark Udall.

The Udall campaign is asking for donations to help fund a response to the push-polling. You know what to do.

Technorati Tags:Tom Udall, Common Sense Issues, push polling, New Mexico, NM-Sen, Mike Huckabee, Pete Domenici, Heather Wilson, Steve Pearce

NM-Sen: Non-News News (Plus Sign Up to Support New GI Bill)

It's no surprise that Steve Pearce and Heather Wilson are running negative campaigns against one another, including deceptively nasty TV ads, in their battle for the GOP nomination for departing Sen. Domenici's U.S. Senate seat.

It's no surprise that environmental groups are targeting Pearce and Wilson for their dismal voting records on the environment and energy issues.

It's no surprise that The Club for Growth, an extreme right-wing group, is backing Pearce over Wilson.

It's no surprise that now that Sen. Domenici is retiring, the tribute dinners and TV shows have begun, full of lavish praise and nostalgia, but lacking any serious reporting or criticism about his incredibly narrow-minded, right-wing voting record, especially during his last couple of terms. We'll just forget about Pete's lock-step support for all things Bush and concentrate on how much loot he brought the state during his 36 years in Washington. Then the GOP will start complaining once again about pork in the federal budget. Hey, it's their pork that's the problem, not ours.

I could insert videos of all the ads here, but you get the picture. I could insert material about the tributes to Domenici, but I'm sure you can imagine what's being said. Bottom line -- we know the chances are good that:

• Domenici will have even more buildings and programs named in his honor.
• Pearce and Wilson will deplete the already waning funds for GOP candidates during their nasty primary fight.
• Either one will be beaten badly by Dem Tom Udall come November as a Democratic juggernaut, led by Obama, sweeps the nation on election day (IF we help make it happen)
• At last we'll have a Senator ready and willing to address the genuine pressing issues of the 21st century with fresh thinking and an emphasis on finding ways to live in a sustainable manner on our planet.
• There will be no more calls to our U.S. Attorney to politicize the office and its actions.

Activist or Just Another Blog Reader?
The most important things we can do right now to help Rep. Tom Udall win the open Senate seat in New Mexico are to support his campaign with affordable donations and volunteer hours, or to do the same with the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund's efforts here. Devote less time to following the ins and outs of the TV ad wars and horse race data and more time to making things happen:

• Tom Udall for Senate
• Defenders Two Bad 4 New Mexico

Udall Posts First Action Diary on Daily Kos
On Thursday, Rep. Tom Udall made his first foray onto national blog Daily Kos with a diary asking folks to join him in supporting the new GI Bill, also known as the Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Act. The legislation would provide benefits similar to those made available by the original GI Bill of 1944, which helped vets returning from WW II.

Sign Up as a Co-Sponsor of the new GI Bill
Visit the Kos diary to learn more and sign up as a co-sponsor of the bill.

Technorati Tags:Tom Udall, Steve Pearce, Heather Wilson, NM-Sen, Pete Domenici, Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, U.S. Senate, New Mexico, political activism

NM-Sen: Defenders Launches Second TV Ad Blasting Pearce & Wilson

The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund launched its second TV ad today blasting Republican Reps. Steve Pearce and Heather Wilson as being two bad for New Mexico due to their unethical behavior and anti-conservation voting records.

Rep. Wilson is criticized in the ad for pressuring U.S. Attorney David Iglesias to put politics before the law, and voting to give oil companies billions of dollars in tax breaks.  As reported in the newspaper Roll Call last week, Rep. Pearce is criticized for ignoring clear conflicts of interest while selling his oil company for millions of dollars above its apparent value, and for voting against prosecuting price gouging at the gas pump.

"New Mexican families deserve better representation in the U.S. Senate than either Steve Pearce or Heather Wilson," said Defenders Action Fund President Rodger Schlickeisen. "Steve Pearce and Heather Wilson have behaved with shockingly questionable ethics and voted against the interests of a sound energy policy. New Mexican families deserve an honest, sensible voice in Washington that looks out for their interests, and that is Tom Udall."

The ad will be broadcast statewide, and follows Defenders Action Fund's previous TV ad criticizing Pearce and Wilson as being "two bad for New Mexico" for putting the interests of big oil companies before those of ordinary New Mexican families.

Technorati Tags:Steve Pearce, Heather Wilson, Tom Udall, New Mexico, Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, political ads, NM-Sen

Defenders Action Fund Launches Canvass Operation to Elect Tom Udall

Two sides of the same bad coin

Don't just sit there hoping good candidates will win. Do something about it. Like joining the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund canvassing efforts here in New Mexico:

Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund launched its canvass operation on May 1st in Albuquerque as part of its comprehensive campaign to help elect Tom Udall to the U.S. Senate. The campaign started with 15 canvassers going out daily to talk to swing voters about Reps. Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce’s out-of-touch values and record of misplaced priorities, and to persuade these voters to support Rep. Tom Udall for the U.S. Senate, who has been a true champion for ordinary New Mexican families.

The canvass operation will swell up in size during the general election, and the campaign estimates that its combined staff and volunteer canvass efforts will result in a quarter million doors knocked on by the election in November.

“Our campaign is looking forward to taking our message directly to the voters about why Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce are two bad for New Mexico,” said Ed Yoon, the group’s state campaign manager. “Wilson and Pearce voted to give oil companies billions of dollars in tax breaks while we pay more than $3.50 per gallon, and their corrupt behaviors have earned them the distinguished shame of being called ‘two of the 22 most corrupt members of Congress’.”[1]

“We will encourage voters to support Tom Udall, who has consistently championed the values and priorities of ordinary New Mexicans concerned about improving the quality of life for themselves, their families and their communities.”

Read more about this effort here. A volunteer canvass will take place every Saturday from today until November. Defenders will provide all the materials, lunch, snacks and water you need. To sign up for canvassing, call or e-mail Brian McGann at: (505) 248-0118 x 3; or email BMcGann@DefendersActionFund.org. You can also learn more or sign up as a volunteer at 2Bad4NM.org.

[1] Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Beyond DeLay

Technorati Tags:Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Tom Udall, Heather Wilson, Steve Pearce, Two Bad 4 New Mexico, NM-Sen, U.S. Senate

NM-Sen: New Ethical Questions Raised About Steve Pearce

The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund just released the following statement, responding to a story in Roll Call (subscription only) that raises serious questions about the ethics of Rep. Steve Pearce. Pearce (NM-02) is running against Rep. Heather Wilson (NM-01) for the Repub nomination for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Pete Domenici.

Albuquerque, N.M – New details of a business transaction between Rep. Steve Pearce (R-N.M.) and Key Energy Services have today been exposed by the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call, shining a light on some questionable ethical behavior on the Congressman’s part and raising some serious questions Pearce needs to answer as he campaigns for Senate.

The article reveals that in 2003 Pearce was entrusted to chair a House natural gas task force, which on August 18, heard the testimony of a Key Energy Services executive. Just six weeks later, Key Energy Services bought Pearce’s oil company, Lea Fishing Tools Inc., for more than twice the amount Pearce had valued it on his financial disclosure forms.

“Pearce has been caught in a glaring and inexcusable conflict of interest”, said Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund. “There is no way a member of Congress should have been chairing a congressional task force and taking testimony from officials of a corporation that was in the process of buying his company.”

Rep. Pearce sits on the House Natural Resources Committee which has huge regulatory authority over the oil and gas industry.  Key Energy Services had begun the purchase of Pearce’s company in January 2003 and, therefore, knew they were buying a company from a member of Congress who sat on that committee. Pearce ultimately sold his company for $12 million but only $5.2 million was ever disclosed.

“The entire point of financial disclosure forms is to shine a light on exactly these kinds of potential conflicts of interest,” continued Schlickeisen. “Whatever loopholes in House ethics rules Pearce may have exploited, it is clearly in the public interest that he disclose the full details of this transaction and we call on him to do so.”

“These are significant ethical questions that the people of New Mexico deserve answers to if Pearce is to ask for their vote,” added Schlickeisen.  “We’ve seen too much corruption on Capitol Hill in recent years; the people of New Mexico want and deserve something different.”

Questions about Pearce's ethics in relation to the purchase of Lea Fishing Tools by Key Energy were raised last September by the nonpartisan group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). See my previous post. CREW ranked Pearce as one of the top 22 most corrupt members of Congress.

Technorati Tags:Steve Pearce, Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Roll Call, Key Energy Services, ethics, Republicans

NM-Sen: Wilson & Pearce Debate in Los Alamos

Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce faced off on Friday in Los Alamos as the two current members of Congress from New Mexico continued their often nasty battle to be the GOP nominee for U.S. Senate here. KRQE News 13 live-streamed the debate on its website and you can now view an archived video of the entire event here.

In her opening statement, Heather calls herself a "common sense conservative," citing the usual no taxes and for-the-family lines. She then rushes right into how she believes the family is the "fibre" of our nation. Well, except for GLBT families. She stresses in one of her first sentences how she's for marriage being reserved for "one man and one woman." You know the routine. How that's more "common sense" than Pearce's approach, I have no idea.

The two GOP candidates appear to be clones on most major issues. During the debate a major point of contention was who would be better at eternally increasing the nuclear weapons budget for Los Alamos National Labs while, at the same time, being against every other state's so-called "pork."

Wilson also deemed herself a "tough boot" for winning her past races in NM-01, perhaps to try and compensate for her strangely shaky voice during the debate, compared with Pearce's soft-talking but steadfast he-man routine.

On health care they both offered the weak, business as usual "market-based" prescriptions, although Pearce threw in the nugget that he believes health care savings accounts can cut the use of health care if you pile up some money in your account. Then, you'll be more likely to want to save it by taking an aspirin and nixing a trip to the emergency room. I'm not kidding.

I could go on, but why not view the video yourself (if you like to watch paint dry) or, better yet, read the Los Alamos blog The Bomb Town News Observer for an engaging first-hand account.

Technorati Tags:Steve Pearce, Heather Wilson, Republicans, Los Alamos, U.S. Senate, primaries, NM-Sen, nuclear weapons, LANL, debates

Action Alert & Campaign Updates: Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund

From Ed Yoon, Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund:
Starting today, I greatly look forward to communicating with you about our campaign periodically to share with you exciting updates and new and ongoing action opportunities. As we grow in staff numbers, we will be expanding our campaign activities beyond the Albuquerque area, so please be patient and stay tuned if you would like to be part of our campaign efforts but do not see any activity nearby where you live. We will also look forward to getting ideas from you about campaign activities that you would like to see us organize. I thank you in advance for your support of our campaign’s work.  Together, we will win in November.

1. SATURDAY, MAY 3RD: VOLUNTEER CANVASS AND LUNCH: Our volunteer canvass starts on Saturday, May 3rd and recurs every Saturday thereafter.  We will provide free sandwiches and snacks and water bottles to make sure you’re fed and energized, and we will have all the materials ready for you, so you just have to RSVP and show up!  You will also get to meet some of our new staff members.

Please join us at our temporary campaign office located at: Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, 824 Gold Ave SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102

Please RSVP so that we know how many walk packets and food to prepare.  You can call or e-mail Brian McGann to RSVP at: (505) 248-0118 x 3; or BMcGann@DefendersActionFund.org. Starting June 1st when we move into our new spacious office, we will expand our volunteer canvass days and hours to any available Mondays through Saturdays.

2. CAMPAIGN UPDATES

Have you seen our “2 Bad for New Mexico” TV and radio ads? Some of you may have seen our recent TV ad or heard our radio ad on broadcast calling Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce for what they are: “Two Bad for New Mexico”.  If you haven’t, you can visit our campaign website www.2bad4nm.org to view and hear the ads.

Our campaign team is growing! Our campaign has recently hired a highly experienced Field Director, several Field Organizers, and an experienced Media Coordinator to start very soon in May and June as part of our first wave of staff expansion, with more on the way.

Canvassing starting May 1st through Election Day to help elect Tom Udall to the U.S. Senate. The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund is starting our full-time canvass to persuade swing voters to support Tom Udall every Monday-Saturday from May 1st through Election Day.  We will also eventually endorse and work to help elect the pro-conservation candidate for President starting in the summer.

3. MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: Our campaign has recently been featured on several media outlets:

• Santa Fe New Mexican: April 9, 2008: Wildlife Group Targets NM Senate Race
• Associated Press, Las Cruces Sun News, KOAT-ABC7 TV and KVIA-ABC7 TV: April 10, 2008: Environmental group targets NM Republican Senate candidates
• Albuquerque Journal: April 10, 2008: Jeff Jones’ Reporter’s Notebook
• Environment & Energy News: April 15, 2008: Defenders of Wildlife Fires First Shot in NM Senate Race
• Blogs: Democracy for New Mexico, New Mexico FBIHOP, Steve Terrell's Web Log, and Daily Kos.

Thank you for your support, and together, let’s win this darn thing!

Ed Yoon
New Mexico Campaign Manager
Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund
www.2Bad4NM.org

See some of our previous posts on Defenders of Wildlife's activities in New Mexico here, here, and here.

Technorati Tags:Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Tom Udall, NM-Sen, U.S. Senate, political action

Sierra Club Endorses Tom Udall for Senate on Earth Day 2008

The early support from environmental groups for Rep. Tom Udall's U.S. Senate run is strong indeed. The Sierra Club has now joined the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, the League of Conservation Voters and the Conservation Voters New Mexico in officially endorsing Udall. Rep. Udall's campaign released the following statement today about the latest endorsement:

As Congressman Tom Udall accepted the Sierra Club's endorsement for his United States Senate campaign this Earth Day, he reflected on their legislative accomplishments and pledged to continue fighting for our nation's long-term energy security.

"The Sierra Club has been a leader in New Mexico and around the nation to sensibly promote, restore and maintain our ecosystem and natural resources," said Udall. "This Earth Day, I can reflect on the many things we have accomplished together and look forward to continuing the fight for conservation and energy independence in the Senate."

During Udall's near-decade of service in the House of Representatives, and with the crucial support of the Sierra Club, Udall has championed policies to federally protect cherished places in New Mexico like the Valle Vidal, Ojito Wilderness Area and the Valles Caldera. Together they built coalitions of environmentalists, ranchers, sportsmen and local governments all committed to conserving these treasured landscapes that buoy the surrounding rural economies and boast a wide range of activities for New Mexicans and visitors to enjoy.

"Thanks to our work together, thousands of New Mexicans can enjoy these unparalleled lands for hiking, hunting, and outdoor activities for future generations to come," Udall noted.

The congressman also earned the 1.3-million-member strong Sierra Club's endorsement for Senate because for his extensive efforts to move America towards a new, more stable, energy future.

Said Udall, "On Earth Day and everyday we have a solemn responsibility to protect our planet. As a United States Senator, I will continue the fight to end our fossil fuel addiction, develop alternative sources of energy, secure our energy independence and reduce green house gas emissions in the Senate. For me, and so many New Mexicans, these are more than buzzwords, they are the economic future of our state and the moral imperative of this country."

Three Common-Sense Energy Proposals
Among many, Udall described three common-sense proposals he says will not only help redefine the way we look at energy, but do so in a way that creates jobs.

The first is his plan to establish a federal Renewable Electricity Standard (RES), under which big electric utilities would be required to chip in by providing 15 percent of their electricity from wind, solar and other renewable energy sources by 2020.

"Not only will this help us meet our growing demand for electricity – it will create thousands of jobs, lower energy prices, a nation less dependent on foreign oil and significant reductions of greenhouse gas emissions," Udall said. "This plan would also revitalize rural America by helping farmers and rural land owners by creating a new revenue stream for their future."

With the backing of the Sierra Club, Udall fought for the inclusion of an RES, which passed the House twice despite long odds last year, in the Energy bill last year. But as he said, "It died at the hands of a slim minority in the Senate."

The congressman also plans to keep extending renewable energy and efficiency tax credits to promote stable growth in the industry.

"Not only would these tax credits translate into a reduction in residential and commercial energy costs, but they generate new domestic green collar jobs, and boost the economy," said Udall. "Renewable energy sources are proven economic engines for our country."

Finally, Udall also promised to continue his work to ensure the government does its share to reduce its carbon footprint by encouraging "Green Building," on the federal and commercial level.

"The plan I have successfully championed requires improved Federal and commercial building energy efficiency, with green building standards for new federal buildings and a zero net energy initiative to develop technologies, practices and policies to reach the goal of having all commercial buildings use no net energy by 2050. We've accomplished much in this area, but we can and must do more.

He said that the government should extend and expand tax credits for individuals, builders and businesses that use energy-saving technologies and applauded the efforts already underway in New Mexico.

"As we celebrate this Earth Day, I encourage you to enjoy the unparalleled beauty of New Mexico's open spaces and to do your part in conserving energy and natural resources so that, together, we can work to stop the ravages that global warming will have on our entire planet," concluded Udall.

Udall's father Stewart was Interior Secretary under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, and his uncle Morris spent three decades in the Congress working on these issues.

Tom Udall served as a member of the House Natural Resources Committee for eight years. He currently sits on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment.

Photo Credit: Steve Terrell.

True Blue New Mexico supports Tom Udall for U.S. Senate. You can sign up to support Udall's campaign here. To see our previous coverage of the 2008 U.S. Senate race in New Mexico, visit our archive.

Technorati Tags:Tom Udall, U.S. Senate, Democrats, New Mexico, Sierra Club, Earth Day, renewable electricity standard, Valle Vidal, Ojito Wilderness Area, Valles Caldera