Democracy for New Mexico

Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund Radio Ad: Pearce & Wilson Protect Polluters

The direct hits just keep coming for the candidates vying for the Repub nomination in the U.S. Senate race in New Mexico. The latest revelations call out Reps. Steve Pearce and Heather Wilson for their nasty habit of taking campaign contributions from corporate interests that harm the environment -- and reciprocating by doing the polluters' dirty work in Washington.

The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund launched a new radio ad today denouncing Pearce and Wilson as “a flip of the coin” when it comes to protecting producers of a potential carcinogen contaminating New Mexico water supplies from liability -- while accepting tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from those companies. You can listen to the ad here. It will run for a week, starting today, on KKSS-FM 97.3, KKOB-FM 93.3, KMGA-FM 99.5, KBQI-FM 107.9, KRST-FM 92.3 and KPEK-FM 100.3.

“Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce are two bad for New Mexicans concerned about their water quality safety,” said Ed Yoon, Defenders Action Fund’s New Mexico Campaign Manager. “Shame on them for protecting toxic chemical producers rather than their constituents, who are at risk from MTBE-contaminated water.”

According to data provided by Defenders, New Mexico has hundreds of sites where the groundwater is contaminated with the toxic chemical called Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether, better known abbreviated as MTBE, which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies as a “potential carcinogen.”[1]  It is often released into groundwater and surface water through underground storage tanks and pipelines, spills or emissions.

Reps. Pearce and Wilson, however, voted to give the producers of this toxic chemical immunity from legal action for contaminating New Mexico’s water systems, including drinking water from tap sources.

Further infomation documents that in 2005, Wilson and Pearce supported an effort to protect producers of MTBE from lawsuits that stemmed from contaminated drinking water sources. At that time, the nation had 1,861 water systems in 29 states with traces of MTBE and several communities were suing the manufacturers to help pay for the cleanups. The legal shield to protect MTBE manufacturers was championed by the former disgraced House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX), whose state is home to several manufacturers of MTBE.

A chart provided by Defenders based on FEC campaign reports shows that Rep. Wilson received $61,500 and Rep. Pearce received $44,500 from the lobbyists representing the makers of MTBE. Even more scandalous, both Wilson and Pearce took campaign money directly before – and directly after – voting to protect the makers of MTBE.[2]

Contributions from Producers of MTBE

Rep.Heather Wilson 2004-06	Producers of MTBE	Rep. Steve Pearce 2004-06
$27,500	Valero Energy	$17,000
$15,000	Exxon Mobil	$16,500
$13,000	Chevron Texaco	$7,000
$4,000	BP	$4,000
$2,000	Lyondell Chemical
$61,500	TOTAL	$44,500

“New Mexico deserves better than politicians like Pearce and Wilson that would rather protect their chemical industry campaign contributors than preventing health risks to ordinary families due to toxic chemicals,” Yoon continued. “Our campaign will continue to highlight their terribly long record of serving special interests over people’s interests.”

For more information, please go to www.2Bad4NM.org.

[1] www.epa.gov
[2] Center for Responsive Politics; www.fec.gov

Also see the TV ad by the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund that's been running on local TV recently about the dismal environmental records of Pearce and Wilson.

Technorati Tags:Heather Wilson, Steve Pearce, New Mexico, NM-Sen, Republicans, Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, MTBE, Two Bad for New Mexico

A Message to Our Grandchildren: Stewart and Lee Udall

Stewart Udall flanked by son Tom Udall and wife Jill at polling place in 2006

Recently a friend emailed me an essay (included below) by Stewart and Lee Udall. They are the parents of Rep. Tom Udall, who's running for U.S. Senate in New Mexico. Written as a letter to the Udall grandchildren, the essay was also published in the High Country News. It struck me that the piece is a must read for all of us, regardless of our age, ancestry or any other factor. If we live on the Earth, and intend that others who come after us will be able to do so, we need to keep the thoughts and goals described in the letter foremost in our minds, hearts and souls.

The message seems especially timely today, with former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev having offered similar advice yesterday in Santa Fe about the urgency of the need for individuals and nations to work together on the emergencies we face:

Only through countries working together can the world solve its military conflicts, epidemics, fights for resources, poverty and the global environmental crisis — those problems are just too big, Gorbachev said. "We need planetary glasnost, global glasnost," he said, noting his call for openness in government in the 1980s. "We still can do a great deal" to save the planet, he added.

... "Right now priorities in the world are distorted, they're skewed," he said, adding that it's time for "real, radical change" in the way countries work together through organizations like NATO and the United Nations.

A Message to our Grandchildren, High Country News
ESSAY - by Stewart and Lee Udall, March 31, 2008

Among other accomplishments in a life of public service, Arizona native Stewart Udall was perhaps the most influential secretary of Interior ever. He served in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations from 1961 to 1969, and played a part in some of the nation's landmark environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act, the Wilderness Act and the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act. He now lives in Santa Fe, N.M., where he and his wife, Lee, penned this letter to their grandchildren.

My dear ones, your generation will face a series of environmental challenges that will dwarf anything any previous generation has confronted. I'm hoping to add some insights of my own based on things I learned as a policymaker in the 1950s and '60s, when I observed and participated in some monumental achievements and profound misjudgments.

As a freshman congressman in 1955, I regrettably voted with my unanimous colleagues for the Interstate Highway Program. All of us acted on the shortsighted assumption that cheap oil was super-abundant and would always be available. This illusion began to unravel in the 1970s, and it haunts Americans today.

Oil lies at the epicenter of a critical energy crisis. Petroleum is a finite resource and is the most precious, versatile resource on the planet. Cheap oil played a crucial role in the development of American power and prosperity, and sustains the military machine that dominates the world today. Oil is now nearing a historic transition that will alter the civilization Americans have come to take for granted.

As world oil production reaches its apex and begins its inevitable decline, it will have a radical impact on everyday American life. It will take bold political leadership and awareness on the part of individual citizens to craft a full-scale, creative response. I watched with admiration in 1974 as my friend, President Gerald Ford, persuaded Congress to adopt a 55 mph speed limit to reduce our reliance on imported oil. He also got a law passed which mandated production of more fuel-efficient automobiles.

I am convinced that the American people will tighten their belts if a president forges a national strategy to stretch the life of our oil reserves and to adjust to a long-range plan of energy conservation.

Energy efficiency must be the rallying cry. Higher oil prices are already serving as a wake-up call. Despite an utter lack of leadership from the White House, a few progressive states and cities are building light-rail systems to serve urban residents and commuter trains to connect their communities.

I urge you to be stalwart supporters of any projects that promote fuel efficiency and conservation for all citizens.

You also must contend with the carbon dioxide problem. Once it is released into the atmosphere, this gas has a long life (approximately 100 years), spreads over the entire globe, and acts as a blanket that warms all parts of the earth.

The United States and China are responsible for producing over 40 percent of the CO2 that is altering the earth's atmosphere. Consequently, these two nations have a moral responsibility to be in the forefront of any global campaign to develop new technologies to cut the emissions of this damaging pollutant.

I have recently proposed that these two countries join together in a 50/50 research venture, and assemble teams of engineers and scientists to work together to develop technologies to capture carbon as it emerges from coal power plants. These teams would perfect technologies to isolate the carbon and transport it through pipelines to storage sites in the deep ocean or in depleted oil and natural gas fields. The success of such international cooperation would set an example that could spur development of new supplies of renewable energy.

All climates would benefit from advances produced by such an enterprise: Today, China has the most polluted air in the world and suffers the most premature deaths from gross air pollution. These same teams of scientists could also devise technologies to capture the deadly pollutants that shorten the lives of millions of people in all parts of the world.

Even though scientists can solve many technological problems, a word of caution is in order. I learned during my government service that even the most gifted researchers couldn't perform technical miracles. The skilled engineers at the Interior Department built the first direct current line to transmit huge blocks of electricity from hydroelectric dams on the Columbia River to Los Angeles by simply flipping a switch. But the same engineers couldn't develop a cheap technique to desalinate seawater.

One further example will dramatize my point. In the summer of 1969, after our astronauts completed their round trip to the moon (a brilliant but narrow feat), most Americans were overwhelmed by the promises that became the mantra of that exciting moment. The slogan, "This proves we can do whatever we want to do," influenced the mindset of Americans and generated a vision of a future with no restraints or limits. President Richard Nixon, quickly rebuked for his wild rhetoric by the Rev. Billy Graham, characterized the accomplishment as "the greatest week since the creation of the earth." A gusher of extravagant prophecies followed, predicting that a new planet of superabundant resources had magically come into existence followed. Though scientists regarded such predictions as Alice in Wonderland speculation, they were generally ignored; dissent was not welcome during this moment of triumph.

Meanwhile, Americans' vision of the future was warped; they believed, falsely, that technologists could perform miracles that would solve any future energy problems. Ignored was the nation's ever-increasing dependence on oil produced by other countries. Worse yet, this new vision offered assurances that our own oil wells would never run dry, and it has persuaded many of the current leaders of our nation that global warming is a myth.

Having said that, technology may yet help solve some of our current problems. Some of the world's best architects and designers are already working on changes in the design of buildings and cities, which, they believe, will reduce requirements for electricity by as much as 50 percent by 2050.

Such advances won't be enough, however. Americans must finally cast aside our notion that we can continue the wasteful consumption patterns of our past. We must promote a consciousness attuned to a frugal, highly efficient mode of living. In closing, I leave you with these thoughts, and hope you will hold to these ideals throughout your lives:

Foster a consciousness that puts a premium on the common good and the protection of the environment. Give your unstinting support to all lasting, fruitful technological innovations. Be steadfast enemies of waste. The lifetime crusade of your days must be to develop a new energy ethic to sustain life on earth.

In the 1960s, when the carbon problem and the exhaustion of the world's petroleum were still beyond our gaze, I advocated a new ethic to guide our nation's stewardship of its resources. I realize now this approach was too narrow, too nationalistic. To sustain life on our small planet, we will need a wider, all-encompassing planetary resource ethic based on values implemented by mutual cooperation. This ethic must be rooted in the most intrinsic values of all: Caring, sharing, and mutual efforts that reach beyond all obstacles and boundaries.

Go well, do well, my children. Cherish sunsets, wild creatures and wild places. Have a love affair with the wonder and beauty of the earth.

Carry our love in your hearts, Stewart and Lee Udall, 2008

Technorati Tags: Tom Udall Stewart Udall NM-Sen Albuquerque New Mexico Mikhail Gorbachev Tom Udall Stewart Udall NM-Sen Albuquerque New Mexico Mikhail Gorbachev

NM-Sen: Udall Raises $1.3 Million in First Quarter

Gotta love this news. Rep. Tom Udall's campaign is set to report outstanding fundraising numbers for the first quarter of 2008 to the FEC. In an email to supporters today, the Udall for U.S. Senate campaign had this to say:

Thanks to your overwhelmingly generous support, we're going to be reporting to the Federal Election Commission that we have raised $1.3 million in the first quarter of this year.

Yes, you read that right. Even Tom did a double-take when I told him last night.

Together, we raised $1.3 million in just three months. Your gifts mean that we now have a great start on the resources we'll need to tell all of New Mexico about Tom's record of fighting for New Mexico as a prosecutor, Attorney General and Congressman. And because of your help, we'll be able to share with people Tom's plans for going to the Senate, fighting for the middle class, and ending the financial squeeze that too many New Mexicans are feeling across the state.

This race is far from over and we still have a lot to do. It is going to get very, very tough in the coming weeks and months, but I just wanted to make sure that you heard the news from us first, since you made it all possible.

Remember that the Udall campaign raised about $1 milion in the last quarter of 2007 -- more than Heather Wilson and Tom Pearce put together. You might say that our future Senator from New Mexico is off to an auspicious start, although it's evident that winning this race will be an expensive and difficult proposition. It's consistently rated as one of the top one or two Senate contests in the nation -- and we know that the GOP and its "527" groups will be pouring money and effort into the state as never before. Talk abounds that this may end up being a $10 million race.

Let's celebrate the campaign's achievement, and then get back to work. To donate or sign up to lend a hand, visit Udall's campaign website.

Technorati Tags:Tom Udall, NM-Sen, New Mexico, Democrats, campaign fundraising

NM-Sen: Udall Widens Lead over Repubs in Latest Polling

More excellent news for Dems and the Udall campaign. The latest phone polling by Rasmussen shows that Rep. Tom Udall has widened his lead to double digits over both GOP primary candidates in the race for U.S. Senate in New Mexico:

Udall now leads Republicans Steve Pearce 54% to 40% and Heather Wilson 56% to 36%.

Pearce	40%	Wilson	36%
Udall	54%	Udall	56%
Other	2%	Other	4%
Not sure	5%	Not sure	3%

Among voters not affiliated with either major political party, Udall has a twelve-point advantage over Pearce. Udall leads Wilson 52% to 33% in that category.

Last month, Udall had an eight-point lead over Pearce and a seven-point lead over Wilson.

Udall also has incredibly strong favorability ratings in the poll, not surprising given that he's one of the most popular and respected figures in New Mexico politics:

In New Mexico, Udall is now viewed favorably by 62% and unfavorably by just 29%. Wilson’s numbers are 43% favorable, 52% unfavorable. Pearce is viewed favorably by 49% and unfavorably by 40%.

Click for the poll's survey questions, which also show results from a question about Gov. Bill Richardson's approval rating. The crosstabs are only available to subscribers. The April 8, 2008 phone survey of 500 likely voters has a margin of error of +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

Technorati Tags:Tom Udall, Steve Pearce, Heather Wilson, Rasmussen, New Mexico, NM-Sen, polling

Repubs Getting Nasty in NM US Senate Primary: Club for Growth Takes on Heather Wilson

The ultra-right-wing lobbying group, Club for Growth, is coming out early and hard against Repub Rep. Heather Wilson in her primary battle against Rep. Steve Pearce. They just released the video above hitting Wilson on her alleged "liberal" voting record on spending. If Heather Wilson is considered a liberal, we're all in trouble!

The hard right Pearce has long been a favorite of the Club for Growth. This is, after all, the Congressman who opposed expanding S-CHIP health coverage for children with every fibre of his being. I'm sure he'd at least be tempted to throw his mother off the train if he thought it would provide him some tax relief. Pearce and other pets of the Club for Growth think government spending should be limited to waging unending wars and building border fences. Well, and generous pork to their corporate friends. Children, seniors, the less fortunate? They can all take a hike in Pearce's insular world of the selfishly well heeled.

Check out the Club for Growth's stated policy goals:

• Making the Bush tax cuts permanent
• Death tax repeal
• Cutting and limiting government spending
• Social Security reform with personal retirement accounts
• Expanding free trade
• Legal reform to end abusive lawsuits
• Replacing the current tax code
• School choice
• Regulatory reform and deregulation

Now consider the world you see around you and absorb the fact that the Club for Growth and Steve Pearce entirely approve of what's happening to the economy and working people due to the self-serving agenda of the Repub right wing. In fact, they want more, more, more of the same. Their cronies win, win, win when that happens.

It can only help Dems that the Repub primary race for the U.S. Senate is getting so nasty so early. Neither one of the Repub candidates can hold a candle to the Dem candidate Tom Udall on wise economic policy, ending the war, forward-looking energy and environmental proposals or just about anything else. Their primary goal? Protecting the assets of their cronies. Just what America needs.

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Two Bad for New Mexico: Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund Kicks Off Campaign Critical of Wilson and Pearce with TV Ad

The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund has designated New Mexico's U.S. Senate race as its number one priority in the 2008 election cycle. Starting early to garner attention before political ads start airing nonstop this year, the Action Fund's first ad began running today on broadcast TV in the Albuquerque media market and will continue for a week. Check it out above.

The ad highlights the dismal environmental and energy voting records in Congress of both Republican candidates in the Senate primary race -- Rep. Heather Wilson (below, with Bush) and Rep. Steve Pearce (right) -- and ties their votes to large campaign contributions from oil and gas interests. Documentation on the claims is provided at the new website Two Bad for New Mexico, where you can also make a donation and sign up for updates on ways you can get active in the effort.

In a conference call with local media this morning, the Action Fund's President, Rodger Schlickeisen, and others from the group provided background info on the group and its the decision to make the NM race the Action Fund's top priority. The Fund first became directly involved in electoral politics in 2006, when it targeted and was instrumental in the defeat of supposedly unbeatable 14-year incumbent Rep. Richard Pombo (CA-11), an enemy of the environment who chaired the House Resources Committee. The Action Fund spent $1.8 million in that effort. The group will conduct a similarly robust effort here.

“Pearce and Wilson have spent their time in Congress bowing to the wishes of special interests, instead of protecting the interests of New Mexico’s citizens and the American Southwest,” said Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund. “They sit on key committees charged with protecting our air, land and water, yet both have atrocious conservation records that have earned them a well-deserved spot on our target list.”

“The 2008 elections are a wonderful opportunity for New Mexico voters to elect a pro-environment senator who will protect the interests of New Mexico’s citizens, instead of those of the special interests,” continued Schlickeisen. “In the process, they can also rid the New Mexico delegation of two of the environment’s worst enemies, Pearce and Wilson, who time and again have used their privileged positions to thwart legislation that would make America greener, safer and more prosperous.

Rep. Tom Udall: Part of the Solution

“The environmental challenges we face are great indeed and we need serious leaders to embrace them. Pearce and Wilson are part of the problem in Washington; Tom Udall is part of the solution. He is a true conservation champion and we are proud to do our part to help elect him to the Senate.”

More Action on the Way
The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund will be periodically running additional ads from now until the election on both broadcast and cable TV in New Mexico, and will be tied into an integrated campaign supporting Rep. Tom Udall's candidacy and working to defeat Wilson and Pearce. The effort will also include radio ads, direct mail and door-to-door canvassing.

Voting Records Tell the Tale
You can find detailed information on the voting records of Wilson, Pearce and Udall in the group's Wildlife Conservation Report Card, which examines votes on key measures related to clean energy and other environmental issues. The poor voting records of Pearce and Wilson are the polar opposites of Rep. Udall's outstanding record of consistently putting the public interest before private interests.

The Action Fund formally endorsed Udall for Senate in February. Udall has a score of 100% on the Defenders Action Fund Conservation Scorecard this year and a long record of support for clean, renewable energy and other efforts to combat the harmful effects of global warming.

In contrast, Wilson has a lifetime score of only 14% on key environmental votes. Pearce's record is arguably the worst in Congress -- rated at a rock bottom 0% by Defenders on environmental legislation. One example: Pearce was among only 35 other House members to vote against a recent bill directing the FTC to investigate possible price gouging by oil companies.

President Rodger Schlickeisen indicated that the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund may also get involved supporting pro-environment candidates in New Mexico's three open races for U.S. House seats, depending on who wins in the primaries. We'll keep you posted.

To see our previous coverage of the 2008 U.S. Senate race in New Mexico, visit our archive.

To get involved in Tom Udall's campaign, visit his website.

NM-Sen: Udall Walks a Day in an Albuquerque Doctor's Shoes

Walk a Day in My Shoes: Tom Udall/Elizabeth Burpee

To read more about Rep. Udall's day with Dr. Elizabeth Burpee, as well as view more photos and video from their day together that's been posted at the SEIU Walk a Day in My Shoes website, click here.

The DSCC News Center has coverage on an AP story about Rep. Tom Udall, Dem candidate for U.S. Senate in New Mexico, spending a day in the life of an Albuquerque doctor on April 4th. Rep. Udall's experience was part of a program called "Walk a Day in My Shoes," sponsored by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU):

Udall joined Dr. Elizabeth Burpee, a resident internist at UNM Hospital and union member, on her rounds at the Family Clinic and to several hospital departments Friday afternoon to learn more about the plight of low-income patients and the difficulties of treating them.

During the afternoon at the hospital and clinic, Udall got an earful about emergency room overcrowding, overworked residents, low-income patients being discharged who are unable to afford their medications or hospital equipment and other problems.

Udall is the fifth Senate candidate in the country to participate in the program this election season. His Republican opponents in the Senate race—Reps. Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce—also were invited to participate in the program, but have not responded, said Marcus Mrowka, an SEIU spokesman.

Udall also talked with other health care providers:

Among the hospital workers Udall talked with was Dr. Cynthia Arndell, who discussed the barriers to providing low-income patients with quality health care, like the dehumanization of health care, a lack of a holistic approach to patient care, too many physicians writing too many prescriptions and the inappropriate use of services, like patients using the emergency room for non-emergency procedures.

... Arndell said Congress could provide financial incentives, such as lower cost loans, to medical students who go into primary care, find ways to retain physicians who are in primary care and look at how medical students and residents are trained.

Dr. Tom Shiffler, an internal medicine resident at the clinic, said he felt like he had post-traumatic stress syndrome from working with low-income patients, but being unable to adequately help them.

"I felt like I had a decent amount of medical knowledge, but absolutely no tools or no idea how to deal with a patient like this," he said.

Rep. Udall's response?

Asked about his day spent with Burpee, Udall said he got a better sense of what it's like for residents who formerly had to work unlimited hours a week, but now are limited to 80 hours a week.

"I think we're really pushing the envelope at 80 hours, especially following her around and getting a sense of what she's doing in her 80 hours. It's very intensive," he said. "It's exhausting work."

Click to learn more about SEIU's Walk a Day in My Shoes program and see who else has participated so far as a candidate.

To see our previous coverage of the 2008 U.S. Senate race in New Mexico, visit our archive.

Friday: Reception at Sophia's Place to Benefit Udall for Senate

Please Join Alex and Sara Crecca
for a Young Professionals reception
in support of
Congressman Tom Udall, Candidate for US Senate

Friday, April 4th ~ 5:30 PM
At
Sophia's Place
6313 4th Street NW, Albuquerque, NM 87107

Requested Contributions $50 or $100
Hors d'oeuvres prepared by Dennis Apodaca,
Executive Chef and Owner
Flyer and Contribution Form

Directions: From I-25 North, exit Montano and turn left. Remain on Montano until 4th Street. At 4th Street, turn right. Sophia's Place will be just past Sadie's. Please RSVP to Tiffany Deinzer at 505.884.3055or by email: tdeinzer@tomudall.com.

Please make checks payable to Udall for Us All and bring with you to the event. Credit Card contributions can be made using the attached contribution form. Contributions to Udall for Us All are not tax deductible for Federal income tax purposes, and are limited to $2300 per individual ($4600 per couple) per election. Federal multi-candidate PACs may contribute $5000 per election. Paid for and authorized by Udall for Us All, Inc.

To see our previous coverage of the 2008 U.S. Senate race in New Mexico, visit our archive.

National Politicos Converging on New Mexico

Hillary Clinton will be jetting in and out of Albuquerque on Sunday for a big-ticket fundraiser organized by former Ambassador to Spain, Ed Romero:

At Clinton's fundraiser, invitees will pay $2,300 to be "sponsors," while "friends" pay $1,000 for the catered event of Spanish tapas, wine and sherry. Romero declined to say how much Clinton hopes to raise.

The guest list will include Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez, former state Democratic Party chairman John Wertheim and former Ambassador Joe Wilson and his wife, Valerie Plame, who says she was outed as a CIA operative after her husband criticized the Bush administration's handling of prewar intelligence on Iraq.

Payback for Gov. Bill Richardson's endorsement of Barack Obama? I wouldn't be surprised. What I am surprised about is that the hosts are seeking funds for Clinton's lagging prez campaign at a time when local cash donations are in high demand here. With all three U.S. House seats and Domenici's U.S. Senate seat up for grabs, Dem candidates in New Mexico are scrambling hard for contributions, especially after so many resources went to support Gov. Richardson's prez run. Reports are abundant that the Clinton campaign is running out of cash and delaying payments to vendors, as pressure builds from many quarters for her to withdraw from an increasingly unwinnable race and Obama continues to snag endorsements from prominent superdelegates.

GOP Tamaya Huddle
Meanwhile, out at Santa Ana Pueblo's Hyatt Regency Tamaya near Bernalillo we've got a big meeting going on this week of the GOP State Party Chairs from all over the nation, led by Republican National Committee Chair Mike Duncan (right). Duncan has made it clear that the Repubs will be targeting New Mexico with everything they've got in the 2008 election cycle:

"New Mexico is a battleground target state for us," Republican National Committee chairman Mike Duncan told The Associated Press. "We recognize it's going to be an important state for us."

Darren White: GOP Beltway Fave
Besides touting the prez campaign of John McCain, the RNC is also taking sides early and rallying around the Congressional candidacy of Darren White in NM-01 -- to the detriment of the Party's other primary candidate, State Sen. Joe Carraro.

It's unusual for the national or state party to openly take sides in a contested primary race, but Duncan said party rules allow that when requested by a state's RNC members. New Mexico's three RNC members, who include state chairman Allen Weh, submitted a letter to the national party asking it to treat White as the presumptive nominee. The letter was sent after White received 85 percent of the vote of delegates at the party's preprimary nominating convention in mid-March.

Of course the RNC will be pushing hard for Darren White -- he was the Bush campaign's chair in Bernalillo County in 2004. Repub bigwigs know that Darren's loyalty will always be given first and foremost to the Beltway rightwing establishment. If elected (heaven forbid), he'll be a dependable supporter of the insider Repub agenda whether it benefits New Mexicans or not. White has always answered to the demands of the GOP extremists in DC. What's worse is that he seems to sincerely believe in the policies that have brought us a quagmire in Iraq, an economic tsunami at home, a compromised Constitution, a broken health care system and a dearth of good-paying jobs.

NM-Sen: Rep. Tom Udall Finishes 2nd in ActBlue Fundraising This Cycle

Rep. Tom Udall (r) at NM Dem Preprimary Convention last month

Congrats to Rep. Tom Udall and all who donated via ActBlue. As reported in CQ Politics:

Part political committee, part fundraiser, part social networking site, the pro-Democrat fundraising Web site ActBlue announced today that it collected $24 million from 199,000 donors for candidates so far this election cycle — more than 10 times what the political action committee raised at the same point in the 2006 election. 

... Daniel Seals leads the way this cycle, raising $245,000 on ActBlue for his rematch against Rep. Mark Steven Kirk , R-Ill. He is followed by Senate candidates Tom Udall of New Mexico and Texan Rick Noriega, who raised $195,000 and $171,000 respectively. Donna Edwards, who upset fellow Democrat Rep. Albert R. Wynn in a Maryland primary, raised $151,000 via ActBlue.

Udall has raised a total of $333,722 at ActBlue.

And here's the rundown on donations raised at ActBlue on behalf of the Dem Congressional candidates in New Mexico, led by NM-01 candidate Martin Heinrich at $159,601. Hooray Martin and all who gave! I'm not sure, though, whether these totals include everything given at the site through midnight yesterday, the deadline for donations to count towards the candidates' first quarter FEC report.

Regardless, Dem fundraising is on track to break records this cycle, up and down the ticket, all over the country. Official campaign fundraising reports for the first quarter are due to the FEC by April 15, but I'm sure many of the campaigns will be releasing their totals before that date. Keep an eye out.