Democracy for New Mexico

First Take: Clinton Rally Wows Dems at Packed Albuquerque Madrid Rally

Patricia Madrid greets the huge crowd

Bill Clinton after intro by Madrid

Ex-President Bill Clinton with most of the statewide Dem ticket

It's late but I wanted to get at least a few images up from this evening's powerful GOTV rally with Bill Clinton, Patricia Madrid, Bill Richardson, Diane Denish, Jeff Bingaman, Tom Udall, Marty Chavez, Jim Baca, Gary King, James Lewis, Mary Herrera, Hector Balderas and more at a Sunport hangar in Albuquerque. More to come. Four more days! All photos by Mary Ellen, who did a great job capturing the scene. (Click on photos for larger images.)

UPDATE: I was going to write more about this but decided that Johnny Mango over at DCF said everything I wanted to say and did so eloquently. Must read.

Voters Want New Direction in Iraq

From today's Center for American Progress Report:
Because Of Iraq... When Americans go to the polls on November 7, they will not be voting because Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) botched a joke about President Bush on Monday, notwithstanding the national media's 48-hour fixation on Kerry's remarks. Nor will they be voting because President Bush, also on Monday, claimed that if critics of his Iraq policy are victorious, "the terrorists win and America loses." (That comment was mostly ignored.) According to the final pre-election New York Times/CBS poll, Americans will be voting because they desperately want a new direction in Iraq. The Times reports, "Americans cited Iraq as the most important issue affecting their vote, and majorities of Republicans and Democrats said they wanted a change in the government’s approach to the war."

Just 29 percent of Americans approve of the way President Bush is managing Iraq strategy, "matching the lowest mark of his presidency," and nearly 70 percent "said Mr. Bush did not have a plan to end the war." (Veterans advocacy group VoteVets.org has released a powerful ad underscoring this point, titled "Because of Iraq..." Watch it.)

Denish to Debate Rival on KUNM Thursday Morning

From the Diane Denish for Lt. Governor Campaign: Tune in to the KUNM call-in show to hear Lt. Gov. Diane Denish debate Republican State Sen. Sue Wilson Beffort tomorrow morning, Thursday, November 2nd, at 8 AM on 89.9 FM in Albuquerque.

Details on Bill Clinton Rally for Madrid This Thursday

Latest info on the Albuquerque Bill Clinton GOTV rally for Patricia Madrid and all Dems:

Thursday, November 2, 9:00 PM
Where: Seven Bar Aviation, 2505 Clark Carr Road, Gate F-5
Click for map. This event is open to the public.
No signs allowed. Click for flyer.

UPDATE: Satellite Parking and Shuttles Set for Clinton-Madrid Rally: Due to the limited parking near Thursday night’s rally with former President Bill Clinton and Attorney General Patricia Madrid, FREE satellite parking and shuttle bus service will be available.

The public is asked to park at Airport Parking, 1501 Aircraft Ave. (near the intersection of Sunport and I-25 South). Parking opens at 8 PM; shuttles will begin running at 8:30 PM. Shuttles will run again after the rally ends. Additional information is available from Madrid for Congress, 242-6000.

New Madrid Ad: The Real Issue

With the election only days away and Repub opportunities for victory dwindling by the hour, the Rove Repubs are pullling out all the stops to create fake controversies and take the focus away from what's really at stake. They want to direct voters' attention to non-issues, trivial missteps and juvenile talking points because they don't want people entering the voting booth with a clear-eyed view of the genuine policy differences between the candidates.

They don't want people considering the horrendous impact of the misguided policies, inaction and downright failures of Bush and the Republican-run House and Senate. Instead, they want us thinking about passages in novels, operatives in duck outfits, verbal faux pas and issues framed by the right-wing media echo chamber. We can't let them get away with it anymore.

Go vote. Go help the Madrid campaign. Talk to your friends, neighbors and colleagues and ask them to do the same. The very future of our nation and even our planet is at stake.

Latest Zogby-Reuters Poll: Madrid 9 Points Over Wilson

Dem challenger Patricia Madrid is leading the Repub incumbent Rep. Heather Wilson by nine points In the latest Zogby-Reuters poll, taken between Oct. 24 and Oct. 29 in 15 of the most competitive House districts across the country. The surveys of at least 500 likely voters had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points:

Dem challenger Patricia Madrid 53%
NM-01 Repub incumbent Rep. Heather Wilson 44%

The new polling tracks with the previous Zogby-Reuters survey in New Mexico's CD-1, which took place on September 25 thru October 2, 2006 and showed Madrid ten points over Wilson, at 50% - 40%. At that time many observers thought Madrid's lead was probably smaller than that, but showed a clear trend toward the Dem. With the new polling, this trend has definitely been confirmed.

BREAKING: Bill Clinton to Stump for Madrid Thursday in Albuquerque

UPDATE 11.1.06: Click for lastest info on this event.

Great News: I just learned that the Big Dawg himself, Bill Clinton, will be appearing at an Albuquerque rally for the Patricia Madrid campaign this coming Thursday evening, November 2. Stay tuned here for details, and please DO NOT call the campaign office as they have no more info at this time.

Last Minute Dustup: Kerry KOs Rove Repubs

Unable and unwilling to debate genuine issues in honest terms, the Rovian Repubs are now smearing Kerry for a joke he made during a speech at a junior college. Must watch: Here's video of Kerry calling a spade a spade and hitting back. Excerpts:

"If anyone thinks a veteran would criticize the more than 140,000 heroes serving in Iraq and not the president who got us stuck there, they're crazy. This is the classic G.O.P. playbook. I'm sick and tired of these despicable Republican attacks that always seem to come from those who never can be found to serve in war, but love to attack those who did.

I'm not going to be lectured by a stuffed suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium, or doughy Rush Limbaugh, who no doubt today will take a break from belittling Michael J. Fox's Parkinson's disease to start lying about me just as they have lied about Iraq . It disgusts me that these Republican hacks, who have never worn the uniform of our country lie and distort so blatantly and carelessly about those who have.

The people who owe our troops an apology are George W. Bush and Dick Cheney who misled America into war and have given us a Katrina foreign policy that has betrayed our ideals, killed and maimed our soldiers, and widened the terrorist threat instead of defeating it. These Republicans are afraid to debate veterans who live and breathe the concerns of our troops, not the empty slogans of an Administration that sent our brave troops to war without body armor.

Bottom line, these Republicans want to debate straw men because they're afraid to debate real men. And this time it won't work because we're going to stay in their face with the truth and deny them even a sliver of light for their distortions. No Democrat will be bullied by an administration that has a cut and run policy in Afghanistan and a stand still and lose strategy in Iraq ."

From the New York Times - Think about this and how desperate to retain power Bush and Rove and Cheney and the rest must be right now:

President Bush said Monday that a Democratic triumph in the races for the House and Senate would amount to a victory for terrorists.

Here's what Kerry said to set off the rightwingnut echo chamber:

The senator, who was campaigning for the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Phil Angelides, opened with several one-liners, joking at one point that President Bush had lived in Texas but now “lives in a state of denial.”

Then, Mr. Kerry said: “You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.”

How low will they go? How hard are you willing to work between now and election day to show them their dishonest smears won't work?

Cruising to Victory: Dem Rally in the Valley!

Click image for larger version. Click for flyer (PDF). Pass it on!

Gov. Richardson, Jim Baca Announce Package to Protect Access to Public Lands

Gov. Bill Richardson, Jim Baca, Sen. Jeff Bingaman at recent GOTV rally. Photo from Baca's blog Only in New Mexico, where you can see more

Land Commissioner Candidate Jim Baca yesterday joined Governor Bill Richardson to announce a series of proposals designed to protect access to New Mexico’s abundant and magnificent public lands for hunting, fishing, and recreation. The Governor outlined a comprehensive package of initiatives including several legislative proposals he plans to introduce in the 2007 legislative session.

“As State Land Commissioner and as Natural Resources Trustee, I have always fought to ensure access to public lands for hunting and fishing,” said Jim Baca. “The Governor shares my love of the land and the belief that New Mexicans have the right to use and enjoy these wonderful resources, and the package announced here today means continued access today and for generations to come.”

“Not only is it, in my opinion, the natural born right of our citizens to enjoy the magnificent public lands in our state, it’s also very good business. Hunting, fishing, and other outdoor recreation contribute over a billion dollars to the state’s economy each year,” said Governor Richardson. “Jim Baca and I support both the “Right to Hunt and Fish” policy on New Mexico’s public lands and the sound wildlife management and conservation principles administrated by our Department of Game and Fish. You can have both.”

The Governor announced a six-point plan:

·         One: Ensure access to our public lands.  The Governor’s package includes legislation that will require public access easements to be included in any deal to sell or trade public lands that could become landlocked.  In addition, it would create a review board for all sales or trades of public lands to ensure that access is maintained in the resulting deal.  This concept was introduced in a bill sponsored by Senator Carlos Cisneros last session but unfortunately it did not pass.

·         Two: Double the funding for state purchases of easements to provide access to public lands.  The state currently purchases public access easements on a modest level through a program that we are going to rename the “Open Gate- Hunting and Fishing Access Program”. There are some land owners who currently grant access through their property at no charge, and the hope is that other private land owners will follow their lead.  The Governor’s plan also includes hiring an “Access Specialist” within the Department of Game and Fish to run the Open Gate program and to support programs to get youth outdoors.

·         Three: Require the State Land Office to report annually on any public lands where access for hunting, fishing, or recreation has been lost.  The report should also include what land has been added to offset that loss of access.

·         Four: Issuing a number of new hunting and fishing authorizations.  The two new “Grand Slam” Hunt Authorizations for Habitat Enhancement and Conservation provide opportunities to hunt elk, deer, oryx, ibex, and pronghorn antelope. In addition, with the new Governor’s Wildlife Conservation Hunting and Fishing Authorizations, up to 12 big game and 12 game bird and trophy fish opportunities will be available annually. The funds generated will go to the Game Protection Fund and be used only for fish and wildlife conservation activities in New Mexico.

·         Five: The Department of Game & Fish will develop guidelines for oil & gas development on all state lands, including those owned by the State Land Office and the Game Commission. The department of Game and Fish will work with the Environment Department and  the Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department to implement the guidelines.

·         Six: Expand existing programs that teach our young people how to hunt and fish responsibly.   Hunting and fishing, as well as other outdoor recreation activities can are activities to be enjoyed for a lifetime. We should encourage our children to experience our wildlands from an early age both to teach them outdoor skills and to instill in them a working appreciation of the incredible natural land resources we have in this state. 

To support the Jim Baca for Land Commissioner campaign, visit his website. Baca is in an extremely tight race for Land Commissioner with Republican incumbent Patrick Lyons, who evidently believes our public lands should mostly be for the private use of corporate interests, and that it isn't important to preserve public access to our state-owned lands as one of our top priorities.