Democracy for New Mexico

McCain (The American) Chooses NM for First TV Ad: What Middle Class Tax Relief?

Repub prez nominee John McCain launched his first TV ad of the general election cycle right here in New Mexico (above). The GOP must be nervous about all the incredible Dem energy being generated in NM by the lively contests in all three Congressional Districts -- and Tom Udall's positives in his race to take Pete Domenici's Senate seat. With strong candidates for Congress AND the Senate, Dems have a really good chance of turning New Mexico Blue, Blue, Blue in November -- especially if the Dem prez candidate can trounce McCain and give the downticket contenders a ride on his or her coat tails.

An American President Americans Have Been Waiting For?
Even though New Mexico's TV market is one of the cheapest in the nation, McCain's melodramatically staged ad doesn't seem to provide much bang for the buck. Everybody knows by now that McCain is a war vet and that he was courageous when captured by the Viet Cong. I also presume that everybody knows McCain is an AMERICAN, a word that crops up repeatedly in the ad. I guess the emphasis is meant to contrast McCain with that Dem candidate with the "foreign sounding" name -- Barack Obama.

Weak and transparent, isn't it? The ad's deep-throated narrator intones, "John McCain: The American president Americans have been waiting for." As opposed to that funny-named mixed breed sorta kinda Muslim guy running on the Dem ticket. You know. Obviously, those old standbys -- jingoism and fear, Republican style -- will be omnipresent in the GOP spin this cycle. What else do they have to run on? The truth about their policies hurts.

Middle Class Tax Relief?
What will McCain actually do for America besides have a narrator insist that "she is worth protecting"?  The ad whips in a line about "middle class tax relief," but offers not a scintilla of info on what that means. It does an abysmal job of explaining how McCain's sloganeering will translate into policies that are good for working families. It asks New Mexicans to look for someone that can “walk the walk,” but McCain clearly isn't walking the walk when it comes to providing tax relief for middle class Americans.

Despite his previous opposition, McCain has been trumpeting the wisdom of Bush's massive cuts for the rich for months now, with nary a word about any help for the middle and working class folks. Suddenly he's worried about the economic fortunes of ordinary Americans? I guess McCain is now ready to say and do almost anything to try and get elected president, even if it doesn't quite fit his carefully crafted rep as a "straight talker."

Here’s what McCain’s tax relief plan actually offers, according to an indepth analysis by the Center for American Progress Action Fund:

• Provides only 9 percent of its benefits to the bottom 80 percent of taxpayers
• Provides 58 percent of its benefits to the top 1 percent
• Would require, if paid for, massive cuts in benefits for middle-class taxpayers

As a presidential candidate McCain not only embraces the Bush tax cuts but also proposes massive additional tax cuts that are even more tilted against the middle class.

According to another careful analysis by the CAP Action Fund, the centerpiece of McCain's economic plan consists of more tax cuts for large corporations, including almost $4 billion in cuts for the top five oil companies. This, despite the fact oil companies have been raking in record profits thanks to the high price of crude oil and the weak dollar.

Just Another Bushie
Although McCain continually wraps himself in the flag -- and exploits his past service to the nation to gain political leverage -- his policies clearly show he's more loyal to multinational corporations and the wealthy elite than he is to the majority of Americans. His economic policies favor the haves, not the have nots who've gotten such a bum deal over the past eight years. His economic proposals aren't designed to serve the traditional American values of offering opportunity and a level playing field to all, no matter how much patriotic verbiage is inserted into his ads.

Like Bush, it's evident that McCain serves the interests of the wealthy elites -- not those of the common man or woman in America. Look beyond the flag waving to the policies he's promoting and you'll see that all McCain is offering is more of the same cynical policies that got us into this economic quagmire to begin with. Just what America and Americans don't need.

National Tracking Polls: Obama Taking Off

Gallup Daily Tracking

Rasmussen Daily Tracking (Click on images for larger versions.)

Microcosm: What It's All About

In the Bronx

Two Senators Come Forward to Declare Win for Obama

Following on the heels of Gov. Bill Richardson's endorsement of Barack Obama, are other Dem leaders coalescing around the candidacy of Obama and opening a dialogue to encourage Clinton to admit defeat and withdraw from the race? At least two have come forward since yesterday, as reported by Taegan Goddard:

Yesterday, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT:
"I think it's very difficult to imagine how anyone can believe that Barack Obama can't be the nominee of the party. I think that's a foregone conclusion, in my view, at this juncture given where things are."

Today, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT):
"There is no way that Senator Clinton is going to win enough delegates to get the nomination. She ought to withdraw and she ought to be backing Senator Obama. Now, obviously that's a decision that only she can make frankly I feel that she would have a tremendous career in the Senate."

More good news for Obama's campaign -- he's now up by eight points in Gallup's daily national polling.

Meanwhile, DNC Chair Howard Dean is talking to the media about ending the contest by July 1st at the latest, after the June primaries. From the AP

Dean's supporters say he's working behind the scenes to resolve some of the issues. He's been consulting with party stalwarts about how to wrap up the nomination quickly after the voting ends in June, including former Vice President Al Gore, former presidential candidate John Edwards, former Sen. George Mitchell, former president Jimmy Carter, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, civil rights activist Jesse Jackson and former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo.

"There'll be some nasty fights if it goes to convention, and people will walk out,'' Dean said. "But I've also been talking to a fairly significant number of, by and large, nonaligned people about how we might resolve this.''

Dean wouldn't talk in detail about what the plan is, but it likely involves encouraging superdelegates to pick a candidate shortly after the voting ends. He said he will not encourage any delegate to vote one way or another.

Dean today on the CBS Early Show (with video):

"Well, I think the superdelegates have already been weighing in. I think that there's 800 of them and 450 of them have already said who they're for. I'd like the other 350 to say who they're at some point between now and the first of July so we don't have to take this into the convention."

Hillary "Misspoke"

CBS News

Why does she say things like this when it's so easy for people to check and get the facts? Maybe because she's said similar things in the past about her trip to Bosnia without getting called on it strongly by the media. If any number of other politicians were caught in the act like this, the video would be playing 24/7 on every cable news outlet.

The melodramatic version:

Missing the Point on Richardson's Endorsement of Obama

It's been interesting to read the commentary about Gov. Bill Richardson's endorsement of Barack Obama for President last Friday. I think much of it misses the point. Analysis has focused on two questions -- whether the endorsement will sway Hispanic (or other) voters and whether it was made by Richardson to try and secure a future post in Washington. Speculation on both counts appears to be rather meaningless at this point in terms of the race at hand.

The bottom line is that unless Clinton gets overwhelming victories in all of the 10 states with upcoming primaries, she can't come close to Obama in terms of the popular vote, states won or pledged delegates captured. Even if she won all of the contests by a margin of 60-40, a definite pie-in-the-sky scenario, she'd still likely be behind in all three categories. As anyone who's studied the numbers knows, the only way Clinton can snatch the nomination away from Obama would be to a) destroy him personally or completely undermine the integrity of his campaign or b) strong arm enough superdelegates to overcome his healthy delegate lead and/or convince them Obama can't win in November.

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

In his endorsement speech, Richardson made a point to decry the negativity that's cropped up in the race as Hillary's chances for victory have weakened. It seems clear he's signaling to other superdelegates and so-called "party elders" that if this race -- that's unwinnable for Hillary unless she concentrates on gutter politics -- is allowed to continue there will be damage done to our eventual nominee with every passing news cycle.

Remember, Richardson made his endorsement soon after it became clear that neither Michigan nor Florida would be having a "re-do" of their discredited primaries. Any seating of the now barred delegates from those two states will reflect a fair and rather even distribution of delegate numbers between the Clinton and Obama camps, not any significant gain by Clinton. The handwriting is on the wall and Richardson made a strong pitch for the Party to begin rallying around the inevitable winner. There's no up side to allowing the Clinton campaign to damage our nominee despite having virtually no chance of victory based on conventional measurements.

The Numbers
Obama has won 30 contests to Clinton's 14, and has 1418 delegates to her 1251, a margin of 167 according to his campaign's math. And reports that only about 500 pledged delegates are still up for grabs, while quoting the independent website RealClearPolitics.com that puts the superdelegate count at 248 for Clinton and 213 for Obama as of Sunday. Obama has nearly a 750,000 lead in the popular vote. On Sunday on Fox News Richardson said, "The Democrats (should) come together and look at who's ahead when it comes to delegates, when it comes to the popular vote, the number of states." Bingo.

As the Baltimore Sun :

Democratic strategist Steve Murphy said the Clinton campaign is "like a lawyer with a losing case. You file every motion imaginable and hope to hit pay dirt ... The Obama candidacy would have to collapse for her to win," said Murphy, a Democratic consultant not aligned with either campaign. "Their real strategy is to buy as much time as possible in the hope that that will happen."

Tell It Like It Is
There are not many Dems who have the chutzpah or clout to confront Hillary and the former President with the facts, and be heard. I firmly believe that if Hillary were any other candidate in a similar situation, she would have been "encouraged" to get out of the race weeks ago.

As it is, even those within the Clinton campaign's inner circle who have accepted the realities in this race are reportedly fearful of speaking their truth to the former President and First Lady. But Richardson, with his close relationships to Bill and Hillary and his experience within the Clinton administration, has both the standing and the nerve to urge the power duo to face the music. Richardson has the prominence on the national stage necessary to attract big media attention to the dilemma and underline the dangers of continuing down this path so that fellow superdelegates and opinion makers get the message.

Richardson may well gain some voters for Obama, and he may well be angling for a future job in Washington, but neither factor will change the shape of the race one iota. I think the real meaning of his endorsement has to do with convincing the Party that we need to begin closing down the nomination process so we can concentrate on confronting McCain and gaining strength for the general election.

Despite the fact that Clinton's chief strategist, Mark Penn, has claimed that Richardson's endorsement is meaningless -- too little too late -- I notice that the Clinton camp's number one media mouthpiece, James Carville, wasted no time in coming forth to demean Richardson. His "Judas" remark shows just how worried the Clintons are about Richardson calling attention to the fact that the sun is finally beginning to set on their dreams for a restoration.

Richardson https://www.usnews.com/articles/news/campaign-responded this way to Carville's slur:

"I'm not going to get in the gutter like that. And you know, that's typical of many of the people around Senator Clinton. They think they have a sense of entitlement to the presidency." Richardson was energy secretary and United Nations ambassador for President Bill Clinton, and the Clintons seem more than a little angered at his endorsement of Clinton's rival.

The strong blow back from the Clinton campaign and their allies demonstrates how much persuasive power Richardson still has with other power players in the Party. At least I hope so, for the good of the Party and the nominee who's pretty much sealed the deal.

Spring Sunday Bird Blogging

Sunny loves sunshine and Springtime bouquets

Sunny the sun conure doesn't celebrate Easter. He dislikes all the egg eating that goes along with the holiday. Can you blame him? He does, however, get off on the arrival of Spring. The increasing hours of light elicit an energy surge within him, as they do for all living things, and he gets very playful and stays up late working on a variety of projects within his "nest."

Sunny feels a oneness with all of life's colors and hues

This Spring, he's especially lively because he's so excited about Obama's presidential run. The only downside is that birds can't vote, which Sunny finds highly discriminatory. Still, he believes he can make himself useful by helping to spread the word about a candidate who's all about encouraging the flock to come together for the common good.

Sunny is so enthusiastic about Obama he can't stay still for the camera

(All photos by M.E. Broderick. Click on images for larger versions.)

Video: Richardson Endorses Obama

Bravo. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson endorsed Barack Obama for President today with a strong speech at an electric campaign rally in Portland, Oregon. Read all about it. Join Gov. Richardson in supporting Obama by donating right now to Barack's campaign.

Video of Obama thanking Richardson at the event:

So when are John Edwards and Al Gore coming aboard?

Gov. Richardson's endorsement at this moment in time seems to be more about convincing other superdelegates, the media and the Clinton team that there's no point in Hillary continuing on, than about influencing voters in the remaining primaries. I think Richardson is acting to drive home the point that Obama's nomination is inevitable now, and that further battling beween the two candidates can only serve to help McCain. I think the Dem ranks are closing around Obama, at last.

Also see my previous post on Gov. Richardson's endorsement.

Gov. Bill Richardson Endorses Obama

Note: Also see my later post with videos of Gov. Richardson's endorsement speech at a raucous campaign rally in Portland, OR, and Barack Obama's thank you.

According to an AP report, Gov. Bill Richardson will appear with Barack Obama today at a campaign event at 12:30 PM PST in Portland, Oregon to formally endorse him for president. Here's the message that was emailed to supporters at 1:10 AM explaining the Governor's decision:

During the last year, I have shared with you my vision and hopes for this nation as we look to repair the damage of the last seven years. And you have shared your support, your ideas and your encouragement to my campaign. We have been through a lot together and that is why I wanted to tell you that, after careful and thoughtful deliberation, I have made a decision to endorse Barack Obama for President.

We are blessed to have two great American leaders and great Democrats running for President. My affection and admiration for Hillary Clinton and President Bill Clinton will never waver. It is time, however, for Democrats to stop fighting amongst ourselves and to prepare for the tough fight we will face against John McCain in the fall. The 1990's were a decade of peace and prosperity because of the competent and enlightened leadership of the Clinton administration, but it is now time for a new generation of leadership to lead America forward. Barack Obama will be a historic and a great President, who can bring us the change we so desperately need by bringing us together as a nation here at home and with our allies abroad.

Earlier this week, Senator Barack Obama gave an historic speech. that addressed the issue of race with the eloquence, sincerity, and optimism we have come to expect of him. He inspired us by reminding us of the awesome potential residing in our own responsibility. He asked us to rise above our racially divided past, and to seize the opportunity to carry forward the work of many patriots of all races, who struggled and died to bring us together.

As a Hispanic, I was particularly touched by his words. I have been troubled by the demonization of immigrants--specifically Hispanics-- by too many in this country. Hate crimes against Hispanics are rising as a direct result and now, in tough economic times, people look for scapegoats and I fear that people will continue to exploit our racial differences--and place blame on others not like them . We all know the real culprit -- the disastrous economic policies of the Bush Administration!

Senator Obama has started a discussion in this country long overdue and rejects the politics of pitting race against race. He understands clearly that only by bringing people together, only by bridging our differences can we all succeed together as Americans.

His words are those of a courageous, thoughtful and inspiring leader, who understands that a house divided against itself cannot stand. And, after nearly eight years of George W. Bush, we desperately need such a leader.

To reverse the disastrous policies of the last seven years, rebuild our economy, address the housing and mortgage crisis, bring our troops home from Iraq and restore America's international standing, we need a President who can bring us together as a nation so we can confront our urgent challenges at home and abroad.

During the past year, I got to know Senator Obama as we campaigned against each other for the Presidency, and I felt a kinship with him because we both grew up between words, in a sense, living both abroad and here in America. In part because of these experiences, Barack and I share a deep sense of our nation's special responsibilities in the world.

So, once again, thank you for all you have done for me and my campaign. I wanted to make sure you understood my reasons for my endorsement of Senator Obama. I know that you, no matter what your choice, will do so with the best interests of this nation, in your heart.

Sincerely,

Bill Richardson

An AP story ,

"I believe he is the kind of once-in-a-lifetime leader that can bring our nation together and restore America's moral leadership in the world," Richardson said in a statement obtained by the AP. "As a presidential candidate, I know full well Sen. Obama's unique moral ability to inspire the American people to confront our urgent challenges at home and abroad in a spirit of bipartisanship and reconciliation."

... Richardson praised Hillary Clinton as a "distinguished leader with vast experience." But the governor said Obama "will be a historic and great president, who can bring us the change we so desperately need by bringing us together as a nation here at home and with our allies abroad."

... "There is no doubt in my mind that Barack Obama has the judgment and courage we need in a commander in chief when our nation's security is on the line. He showed this judgment by opposing the Iraq war from the start, and he has show it during this campaign by standing up for a new era in American leadership internationally," Richardson said.

Obama said he was "deeply honored" to have Richardson's support.

"Whether it's fighting to end the Iraq war or stop the genocide in Darfur or prevent nuclear weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists, Gov. Richardson has been a powerful voice on issues of global security, peace and justice, earning five Nobel Peace Prize nominations," Obama said in a statement.

Two Excellent Analyses of the Obama Speech on Race

Glenn Greenwald and Commentary on Greenwald's piece.

The man crying to the left of Michelle is Marty Nesbitt, the Obama's best friend and the woman to Michelle's right is Valerie Jarrett.

Another one: