Democracy for New Mexico

NM Secretary of State Candidates On 'In Focus' Tonight

From KNME-TV: Bring your world IN FOCUS. This week join Democrat Mary Herrera and Republican Vickie Perea as they discuss their plans for the New Mexico Secretary of State seat.

KNME-TV (PBS) Channel 5 ABQ
Friday, September 22, 2006
7:30 PM:  In Focus

Watch the Video: Madrid - Wilson Debate

Patricia Madrid in her native landscape

If you missed the recent debate between Dem challenger Patricia Madrid and Republican incumbent Rep. Heather Wilson at Congregation Albert, here's your chance to watch the video on Madrid's campaign website. In its entirety. Near the end of the debate the audience provides the live laughter when Wilson has the nerve to say, "I think you end up being judged by the company you keep." Yeah, we know, Heather -- and friends don't let friends vote for anyone who keeps company with the likes of George W. Bush, Dennis Hastert, Dick Cheney, Tom DeLay and the lobbyists for big pharma and big oil.

Heather Wilson admiring the non-native company she keeps

Even Survey USA Shows Madrid-Wilson Race Neck and Neck

Local KOB-TV News just announced the results of a recent poll by Survey USA (SUSA) that shows Republican incumbent Rep. Heather Wilson at 51%, Dem challenger Patricia Madrid at 46% and Undecided at 3% in the congressional race in NM-01. Since the poll has a reported margin of error of 4.5%, this means the results have Wilson only a hair ahead of Madrid. Still, numbers like these might normally make me a little nervous. Not this time.

SUSA has a generally poor reputation because its methodology isn't viewed as scientifically sound by many serious analysts. It uses what's known as "computer response automated calls." Auto-dialers make calls until an arbitrary number have been answered. This method isn't perceived as statistically reliable by a number of observers. Its samples are also known to often contain too many Republicans. It's a pattern. In fact, SUSA's reputation is shaky enough that the Associated Press, the National Journal and other top-of-the-line news outlets won’t even report SurveyUSA poll results.

In addition, all the other polls in this race have been consistent in showing the race as a tie. The results of polling by Constituent Dynamics, Research & Polling and Lake Research Partners all show a virtual dead heat between Madrid and Wilson. This one is very probably what's known as an outlier -- a poll that falls outside the margin of credibility.

The good news is that, even with all of these problems, Madrid is shown at only 5 points back and just about within the margin of error -- a strong position for a challenger at this stage of the race. We can (and will) win this thing!

Of course the only poll that really counts is the one that happens on November 7th. Are you registered to vote? Turnout will make the difference in this neck and neck race. If we get a strong turnout by Dems and Independents, Madrid will win. You know what to do.

NM Land Commissioner Forum: Baca vs. Lyons

Dem challenger Jim Baca has some excellent photos of last night's debate with Repub incumbent Land Commissioner Pat Lyons on his blog, Only in New Mexico. More than 100 people showed up for the League of Women Voters' candidate forum at the First Unitarian Church in Albuquerque and a chance to compare the views of Lyons, who has received a ton of campaign money, almost all of it from gas and oil interests, and long-time environmentalist Jim Baca, who served previously as Land Commissioner as well as Mayor of Albuquerque.

Select candidate quotes from Steve Terrell's article in the Santa Fe New Mexican:

"I was the first New Mexico land commissioner elected without the blessing of the oil and gas industry," Baca said, referring to his terms in the 1980s. "And if I'm elected again, it'll be the same. I haven't received a dime from them while my opponent has received hundreds of thousands of dollars.''  -- Jim Baca

"You can't let the oil and gas industry have their way on everything. I wouldn't drill on Otero Mesa. The best thing we can do is move away from oil and gas." -- Jim Baca

State land at Otero Mesa "isn't as pristine as everyone thinks. It's the constitutional duty of the land commissioner to try to produce gas out of there. If not, you're taking away from the school children of New Mexico. We can do a real clean gas drill on Otero Mesa." -- Pat Lyons

Choice quotes from an article in today's Albuquerque Tribune:

"We just have to protect these water supplies and landscapes and croplands so that we can sustain ourselves. I think it's going to take some visionary leadership not just in the Land Office, but everywhere to figure out how our quality of life is going to remain where it should be." -- Jim Baca

"As a commissioner of public lands, your constitutional duty is to try to maximize revenue for education in a sustainable way. It's your constitutional duty to try to produce some gas out there. If not, you're taking away from children's education in New Mexico." -- Pat Lyons

"I think there are areas like Otero Mesa that are worth saving. I think we owe it to future generations to protect places like that." -- Jim Baca

Baca wants a constitutional amendment to create a board overseeing the land commissioner's decisions.

"We're the only state that really doesn't have something like that," he said. "I think the time has come for that. We need to make sure that ethical, fair market exchanges are being made."

Lyons disagreed, saying such a board would sacrifice the land commissioner's independence.

I wonder how Lyons thinks he can be "independent" when he's taking massive blobs of money from oil and gas interests. Probably the same way Heather Wilson stays "independent" while following in lockstep with the Bush administration and taking massive blobs of money from big pharma and energy corporations! You can check out the facts on Lyons at LyonsWatch.com

Baca needs our help to win this incredibly important race, so head on over to his campaign website and volunteer or donate a few bucks to the cause. The future of New Mexico's beautiful environment is at stake. Let's elect someone who will work to protect the special places we can't do without, while raising funds on the rest to support our education system. We need balance, not someone who caters almost exclusively to his corporate cronies.

Join the League of Conservation Voters Canvass and Meet Patricia Madrid

From the :
The League of Conservation Voters is having a community canvass and volunteer day Saturday, September 23.

Patricia Madrid will be speaking to and meeting with our volunteers at 10:00 AM. We will then have some snacks, and then get to work to win this election! We will be going door-to-door, making phone calls, and working in the office. This race will change the direction of the country, please help us get the work done to win this!

The office is located on the corner of Gold and 4th street, Simms Office Building, (505)244-1077. Contact Marshall for more information. 

Don't wake up November 8th, 2006 wishing you had done more!

More on Heather Wilson Undermining Moderate Repubs on Warrantless Surveillance

Following up on our earlier post on Heather Wilson's attempt to stop efforts to hold BushCo accountable on warrantless surveillance, here's the response of Jonathan Singer at MyDD to Wilson's fade and what it means for her NM-01 race against Dem challenger Patricia Madrid:

Trying to further bolster her national security credentials, Rep. Wilson has worked with House Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner to pen legislation stripping Congress of much of its oversight powers in regards to domestic surveillance. But this gambit appears to have failed as even Republicans on the panel see the move as unwise.

... Wilson's aborted legislation has fallen prey to the same pitfalls that have thus far blocked President Bush's attempt to unilaterally gut the Geneva Convention. Wilson, like her allies in the administration, believed that she could steamroll her opponents by offering legislation so heinous that they could not sign on to it. According to this plan, when Democrats eventually voted against the legislation, she could portray them, and by association Patricia Madrid, as soft on terror. But when a small handful of Republicans came to their senses and joined with a united group of Democrats, Wilson's legislation, like that supported by the White House, met its demise.

Now, Rep. Wilson must run on a record that includes legislation that even members of her own party say "both threatens the stability of intelligence gathering and increases the likelihood of civil liberties abuse." I can imagine that line making for a fairly potent negative direct-mail piece come late October...

Also, a post today on the DCCC Stakeholder site had this to say. I especially like the headline:

NM-01: Wilson Folding??? Posted by jesselee
I don't think I could possibly be less shocked by anything in the world. When I woke up this morning and the sun was coming up, I was far, far more shocked than I am right now.

Wilson offers to rewrite anti-terror surveillance bill more to Bush's liking [AP] ... The proposal by New Mexico Republican Heather Wilson has been rewritten to allow wiretapping without warrants on Americans when the president believes a terrorist attack is "imminent."

I assume that's "imminent" in the sense that a nuclear attack from Iraq was "imminent."

Famed Comedian Paul Rodriguez to Perform at Benefit for Patricia Madrid

Mayor Martin Chavez Presents... Paul Rodriguez Live!

Legendary comedian Paul Rodriguez is coming to Albuquerque for a benefit in honor of Attorney General Patricia Madrid – and you're invited! The show will take place at the ABQ Convention Center's KIVA Auditorium (2nd & Marquette NE) on Wednesday, September 27th, 2006, 7:30 - 9:30 PM

Tickets are available only by calling Tickemaster at 505-883-7800. General admission tickets are $35 or $65. Your $1,000 donation includes an intimate pre-show celebrity bash, an after show party and the very best seats in the house! Your $300 donation includes a preferred seating and admission to the special after party.

If you cannot attend and would still like to make a contribution toward this event, click here.

Heather Wilson Caves to Bush on Warrantless Surveillance

According to the Associated Press, Heather Wilson has agreed to rewrite her bill on warrantless surveillance to match the demands of the Bush administration. I'm not making this up. Locked in a neck and neck race in NM-01 against Democratic challenger Patricia Madrid, the incumbent Republican Rep. Wilson's latest action to kowtow to Bush's dictates pretty much destroys any vestiges of validity to her repeated claims that she's "independent" of the administration and "moderate" in her approach. Excerpt from today's AP article:

Wilson offers to rewrite anti-terror surveillance bill more to Bush's liking

CAPITOL HILL The House Intelligence Committee today takes up a warrantless wiretapping bill that could ease a rift between the White House and Republican leaders on one side and some Republican lawmakers.

The proposal by New Mexico Republican Heather Wilson has been rewritten to allow wiretapping without warrants on Americans when the president believes a terrorist attack is "imminent."

As reported in an article published by The Hill, headlined, "Revolt over Wilson bill rocks panel," a number of moderate Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee are upset that Wilson has agreed to weaken their efforts to make the administration more accountable to civil and human rights standards by changing her bill to placate Bush and preserve a warrantless surveillance program with few oversight requirements. Excerpt:

Unrest among GOP members of the House Judiciary Committee threatens to overthrow a bill co-sponsored by Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) aimed at altering policies governing federal intelligence-gathering programs.

Citing concerns over civil liberties and program stability, GOP committee members last week forced Sensenbrenner to cancel a markup of the bill that would allow President Bush’s warrantless surveillance program to continue with limited congressional oversight.

Republican members say they have enough votes to replace what they see as an unsavory bill, introduced by Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.) and co-sponsored by Sensenbrenner, with a more palatable one during a scheduled markup this morning. [emphasis mine]

Several GOP and Democratic committee members are concerned that Wilson’s bill would separate oversight of Bush’s Terrorist Surveillance Program (TSP) from congressional oversight under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who is spearheading GOP committee movement against Wilson’s bill, said the measure fails to create a solid system for TSP and would instead establish a passive, ad hoc response to terrorist attacks, rather than a steady program with legislative oversight under FISA. Flake said this approach both threatens the stability of intelligence gathering and increases the likelihood of civil liberties abuse.

You really should read the entire article to get a sense of the battles going on between Bush enablers like Wilson and Rep. John Sensenbrenner and more moderate Repubs like Rep. Jeff Flake. I'll have more on this later as the story develops ....

Tonight: Another Chance to Hear Madrid - Wilson Debate

Tune in tonight at 6 PM on public radio KUNM, 89.9 FM for a rebroadcast of Sunday's debate at Congregation Albert between Dem challenger Patricia Madrid and Repub incumbent Rep. Heather Wilson (NM-01). You can also  Visit KUNM's website at 6 PM tonight to listen to the debate online, or hear it streamed at the Allegro website.

Considering how much Wilson tends to, shall we say, bend the truth in her debate remarks, it's helpful to have a scorecard. Check out these PDF charts that compare what Wilson says she stands for and what the record actually shows:

Wilson's Rhetoric vs. Her Record on Iraq

Wilson's Rhetoric vs. Her Record on Medicare

Wilson's Rhetoric vs. Her Record on Ethics

Wilson may talk like a moderate independent, but she walks like a Bush rubber stamp.

Two More Dem Events This Week

From Terri Holland , Executive Director, Democratic Party of Bernalillo County:

Support Our Democratic Candidates at the Following Events:

Hosts:  Rebecca Vigil-Giron and Armando and Dora Gutierrez, Joe and Daisy Kupfer and Patricia L. Chavez and Ray and Deb Baray Invite You to Attend a

Wine Tasting Reception and Fundraiser
in HONOR of Governor Bill Richardson
on Tuesday, Sept. 19th
@ Casa Rodena Winery, from 7:00-9:00 PM!
733 Chavez Road, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM
Turquoise Sponsors--$1,000.00
Silver Sponsors--$500.00
Individual Sponsors--$50.00

Personal and/or Business Checks Accepted and made payable to: "Richardson for Governor, Rita Jones, Treasurer." PLEASE RSVP: (505) 480-7164
******************************
Women Impacting Public Policy
Candidate Debate on Business Issues
Friday, September 22nd, 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM
Confirmed Candidates include:
For Lt Governor: Lt. Governor Diane Denish & NM Senator Sue Wilson Beffort
For Secretary of State: Mary Hererra & Vickie Perea

Location: Embassy Suites, 1000 Woodward Place, Albuquerque, NM
Registration is online at . 
Cost is $30/per person. Scroll down the page to the NM event.