Democracy for New Mexico

Frightening: Heather Wilson's Labor Record

Blog post contributed by Suzanne Prescott:
In September, as we celebrate and honor the achievement of workers, it's only fitting to look at where Heather Wilson (R NM-01) stands on labor  issues. A look at her record should frighten a large proportion of New Mexicans. Go HERE for the Table which compares Wilson's voting record on labor issues with Tom Udall's (New Mexico's 3rd congressional district.)

A comparison of Wilson to all the members of Congress isn't good either and that's in a Congress which overall has been unkind to American workers. Udall ranks a respectable 69 out of 431 and Wilson ranks 246. These numbers are taken from Progressive Punch

How much less could Wilson represent the interests of the people of New Mexico? The Table shows that Udall is better on all eight measures --- close-to-home measures which matter to voters. Wilson was on the side of workers only 6% of the time. Take a look at Wilson's voting record on 'Pension Protections' or 'Occupational Safety & Health' - It looks like Bush and Wilson are trying to destroy retirement if we live that long. Workers here hope to see their hard work payoff for themselves and their families in a healthy and rewarding lifestyle.

And if I read Barbara Ehrenreich correctly, Wilson's direction takes American workers back toward indentured servitude not toward the American dream. Wilson's direction seems clear; there will be no raise in the minimum wage, no pension protections, increasing infringements on occupational health and safety and further erosion of worker's rights.

If I didn't have the pension I earned now, I'd be in the same position faced by millions of Americans - not enough money to survive on, a potential burden on relatives and friends, & facing a myriad of health issues with no solution in sight. There may not be a solution later on but there is a solution now.  Don't forget where Wilson stands on labor issues when you vote. Show this page to others in your family and let them see the direction Wilson is taking us.

Resources:

Check out Wilson's record here. Check out Udall's record here.

Visit those sites to see how each score was derived and to learn more about the scoring methods used. Verify the information for yourself.

For more on the shift from real social security to 'risk-based retirement visit AARP and Privatization of Risk.

Join League of Conservation Voters Campaign Kickoff Saturday

From the League of Conservation Voters:
Its time to win this election!!! Earlier this year, LCV placed Heather Wilson on our infamous "Dirty Dozen" list of the 12 worst national elected officials on environmental issues. Wilson's terrible environmental record includes her staunch support of the Bush/Wilson Energy Bill. She voted to hand out millions of dollars in subsidies to oil corporations, while watching the price of gas rise dramatically in New Mexico and nationwide. It's time for a change.

Patricia Madrid is a strong conservation candidate, suing the Bush White House to keep New Mexico's air and water clean, and protect sacred wild lands in New Mexico from oil drilling. Madrid will fight big oil and other special interests in Washington D.C. and to undo the many bad policies of the Bush Administration.

We are telling voters to dump Heather and choose Madrid this election year. In order to do this, LCV will knock on 60,000 doors in the First Congressional District before Election Day. We have already knocked on 8,000 doors, but we need your help to do the rest!

It is with great excitement that LCV-New Mexico is having our campaign kickoff event: our first volunteer canvass!!!

Please join us at LCV's New Mexico office on September 9th, Saturday, at 10:00 AM for a brief training, and then we hit the streets, to do the important work of knocking on doors, talking to voters, and making sure the course of the country changes! We need you to make this happen!

Canvassing is fun and effective. In fact, it's how we win elections, through face-to-face conversation with voters!

Please join us for this event:

When: September 9th, Saturday 10:00 AM
Where: LCV Office, 400 Gold Street,
Southwest corner of Gold and 4th street
What: Community canvass, door-to-door voter contact
Why: Because this is our race to win, and with lots of volunteers, we can, and will change the course of this nation!!! Please click here to sign up and canvass with us!!!

Sincerely,
Maggie Toulouse
SW Campaign Manager and Patricia Madrid Supporter
League of Conservation Voters

Heavy Media Coverage of NM-01 Race

Local and national news media and blog coverage is heating up in the NM-01 congressional race between Iraq War supporter and Republican incumbent Heather Wilson and Democratic challenger AG Patricia Madrid. Besides the recent op-ed in the Albuquerque Tribune I covered in my last post, an article the other day in USA Today and a front page post yesterday on Daily Kos focus on various aspects of this neck and neck race.

Check out the coverage of these on NM FBIHOP, a local blog that's doing a great job following this important race. Two of their recent posts discuss the USA Today article and Wilson's whining about marching in the NM State Fair Parade, as covered by Kos, this morning's Albuquerque Journal and the DCCC.

Stick a fork in Republican Rep. Heather Wilson of Albuquerque: She's done

Heather the Enabler with Bush

Believe it or not, I didn't come up with the lines that form my headline. It was the Albuquerque Tribune's deputy editorial page editor, Larry Spohn, who wrote about the NM-01 race between Republican incumbent Heather Wilson and Democratic challenger Patricia Madrid in an op-ed published yesterday entitled "Fooling no one: Wilson's election is far from certainty, thanks to Bush, Iraq." You really should read the entire piece, but here's some excerpts to whet your appetite:

... I believe that at the end of the day, the American people - including District 1 voters in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County - will do the right thing. They will use the ultimate power of their votes to hold their politicians, including incumbent Wilson, fully accountable for the worst presidency in American history.

Wilson has enabled that presidency. The American people are paying a horrific price for Wilson and a Republican Congress that have failed miserably in their Constitutional duty to all the people - to check and balance raw presidential power and stand up to a secretive, dishonest president who chooses routinely, I'd say, to break the law.

Patricia Madrid: Part of the solution

More from the op-ed:

Despite Wilson's early efforts to smear Madrid with the state treasurer scandal in Santa Fe, it's going to be all about her Washington, D.C., sellout to big businesses, such as the oil and drug industries. And about her complicity in an administration that has waged a horrific, unjust war; turned its back on middle America; run up the national debt with abandon; compromised our economy and our environment; and used fear, deception, distortion and paper patriotism to govern.

... I believe Americans today finally get it, as is evidenced by Bush's free-fall in the polls and the stunning upsets that have befallen Bush-policy incumbents - notably another pretender, Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut.

They speak to Lincoln's gold nugget: "You can fool some of the people all the time and all of the people some of the time; but, you can't fool all the people all of the time."

Like Bush, Wilson has been fooling a lot of the people much of the time. But this November she faces Abe's pendulum - voters who are not fooled anymore. They'll hold her accountable for not holding herself, her party, her Congress and her president accountable. On this, Madrid's no fool.

If you'd like to help this scenario come true, go volunteer some time or donate some money to the Madrid campaign. It's now or never. There are only 67 days until the November 7th election and absentee (mail in) voting begins October 10th. Be a part of the solution and help us take back the U.S. House.

Celebrate Jim Baca's Birthday

Click for flyer (PDF). Click on above image for larger version.

New Poll: AG Candidate Gary King Whomping Repub Opponent

Gary King (L), Democratic candidate for Attorney General

From the :
As the general election campaign heats up, a recent statewide survey of 400 likely voters in New Mexico conducted by Lake Research Partners on August 16-20, 2006 shows Gary King leading Jim Bibb by a two-to-one margin. A head-to-head ballot shows King leading Bibb, 49 percent to 25 percent, with 26 percent of the electorate undecided. King’s lead is even greater among voters who have consistently voted in all of the past four general elections (51 percent to 22 percent).

King shows excellent momentum from the Democratic primary, holding the support of over two thirds of all Democrats (69 percent) compared to just 6 percent for Bibb. King also takes a significant bite out of Bibb’s base, winning well over one quarter Republicans (28 percent). And while half of all likely independent voters are still undecided, King outpaces Bibb by more than a three-to-one margin among independents (38 percent to 12 percent).

Be sure to visit the for videos, endorsements, a blog and much more.

New ATLA Ads Target Heather Wilson's Ties With Oil and Big Pharma

Heather Wilson and Big Pharma:
$68,000+ from drug companies

The Association of Trial Lawyers of America has released two new ads that are critical of incumbent Republican Rep. Heather Wilson, who's running against Dem challenger Patricia Madrid in NM-01. ATLA explains:

The ads urge constituents to contact Representative Heather Wilson, who has voted to put corporate profits of the oil, gas and pharmaceutical industries before the safety and well-being of the public, and tell her to do the right thing when taking future votes.

“Representative Wilson has been doing the bidding of the big oil and drug companies and putting profits of corporate contributors before the health and well-being of her constituents, just as she has repeatedly voted to limit the ability of every day Americans to hold these powerful corporations accountable in our courts,” said ATLA CEO Jon Haber.

Click to hear an mp3 of their radio ad about Wilson and her financial ties with the oil industry. More than $415,000 in campaign donations from the oil and gas industry and counting.

Jeff Armijo Withdraws as Auditor Candidate

As you probably know by now, Jeff Armijo, the Democratic candidate for State Auditor, withdrew from the race yesterday after meeting with Governor Richardson to discuss how allegations of sexual misconduct against Armijo might affect his candidacy and the Party.

I personally think it's unfair to tar and feather anyone based purely on dark allegations for which they haven't been arrested, indicted or proven guilty in a court of law. But as we know, that's often the way the political cookie crumbles. Of course I don't know if Jeff is guilty of the allegations or not, but I do know that he ran a very energetic and grassroots-based campaign and gained many friends and supporters on the way. We'll see if he ever gets his day in court so justice can be served either way. I hope the accusations are bogus. If they aren't, he should be prosecuted like anyone else.

In the meantime, the Democratic State Central Committee is set to meet on September 9th at Smith-Brasher Hall on the campus of what used to be called TVI to vote on a replacement candidate. The names of State Rep. Hector Balderas, ABQ City Councilor Ken Sanchez, outgoing Bernalillo County Assessor Mark Carrillo and DPBC Vice-Chair Daniel Ivey-Soto are among those being mentioned as possibilities, but at this point it's all just talk.

Here are the statements released about Armijo's withdrawal:

From the Democratic Party of NM website:
ALBUQUERQUE – Following a meeting with New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson Tuesday afternoon, Jeff Armijo, Democratic candidate for New Mexico State Auditor, released this statement:

“Governor Richardson has convinced me that I must leave the race for State Auditor. A debate on the issues could not take place if I remain in the race.  I started this campaign with the notion to contribute to all the Democratic candidates.  I feel if I stay in, I may detract from their efforts this fall.

“My focus will now turn to facing the accusations against me.  As I have done all my life, I will maintain my honor and dignity throughout this process.  I would remind everyone that I am presumed innocent until proven guilty.  I have full faith in the judicial process.

“Although a number of people have urged me to stay in the race, I believe leaving is the best decision for my family. I would ask that my privacy be respected during this difficult time.”

SANTA FE – Governor Bill Richardson released the following statement today following Jeff Armijo’s decision to withdraw from the race for State Auditor:

“I appreciate Jeff Armijo’s action,” Governor Bill Richardson said. “He has acted in the best interest of his family and the Democratic Party.”

As a result of Armijo’s decision to withdraw from the race, the New Mexico Democratic Party’s State Central Committee must meet to choose a replacement candidate.

“I support a competitive process in which the State Central Committee chooses the best candidate to represent the Democratic Party on the ballot,” Governor Richardson said.

ALBUQUERQUE -- Today, Jeff Armijo, the Democratic candidate for State Auditor announced his decision to withdraw his candidacy for the position of state auditor and confront allegations made against him.  Jeff Armijo put the Democratic Party first and his decision helps ensure that the Democratic message – one that calls for a new direction in Washington and celebrates New Mexico Democrat’s record of moving our state forward – will be heard.

Chairman of the Democratic Party of New Mexico John Wertheim issued the following statement in reaction to Armijo’s decision:

"We recognize that this is a difficult time for Mr. Armijo and his family and we appreciate him acting in what he feels is the best interest of the Democratic Party”

“The Democratic Party of New Mexico is fortunate to have a deep bench of competent, capable Democrats who can campaign for, win and effectively manage the office of the state auditor.  Our State Central Committee, the body empowered with filling vacancies on the statewide general election ballot, will convene on September 9th to decide on the best qualified candidate to join our ticket.  Ours will be a fair and open nomination process."

Eric Griego: Democrats Search for Their Soul: Lessons from Lieberman

We're pleased to feature a guest post by Eric Griego, former Albuquerque city councilman and progressive candidate for mayor:

Que lastima .  What a shame.  Three-term United States Senator and one-time Vice Presidential candidate Joe Lieberman made history again this month.  In 2000, he became the first Jewish-American at the top of the American political ticket.  Last week, he became one the few senators in modern U.S. politics to lose his seat in a primary.  In Connecticut, like much of Democratic America, the natives were restless. 

Lieberman's opponent, antiwar millionaire Ned Lamont, ran as an outsider and tapped into growing discontent not just with the war in Iraq but the myriad other failed Bush policies.  Lieberman, his opponent asserted effectively, was as cozy with W as corporate lobbyists with keys to the White House.

The upstart Lamont, once snubbed by the Democratic establishment for taking on an incumbent in a primary, is now cuddling with the who’s who of the Democratic Party, including Hillary Clinton, John Kerry and our own governor. This, after former President Bill Clinton and a list other “centrist” Democrats campaigned tirelessly for Lieberman.

Progressives in the Democratic Party see the Lamont win as a major victory not just for their wing of the party, but for the “heart and soul” of Democratic voters. They believe Lamont is much more in line with rank-and-file Democratic voters. The center of the Democratic Party, it seems, just shifted.

The struggle within the national Democratic Party is echoed here at home. Democratic State Party Chairman John Wertheim was challenged at this year’s state Democratic convention by a group of agitated progressive delegates. Wertheim easily survived the challenge, but the discontent within the base of the Democratic Party has not gone away.

The Democratic Party has historically championed working men and women, fought for the environment and supported a foreign policy that engages rather than alienates the international community. From the New Deal to the Civil Rights Act to the Clean Air Act, Democrats have been the party of the people. However, recently Democrats from Congress to City Council have sided with corporate America, become environmental relativists and supported the preemptive wars of the Bush Administration.

Many Democrats are fatigued with the morphing of the two parties into one mega-centrist party whose members fight to keep their political office rather than make needed political change. They want their party back.

With several up-and-coming Democrats being wooed to the center, it is getting more difficult to see any real difference between the parties, especially on state and local issues. Several DINOs (that’s Democrats In Name Only) have held seats in the state legislatures and Congress for years. Some, like Lieberman, even hold leadership positions.

New Mexico House Majority Leader Kenny Martinez, a strong bet for both speaker and governor in the future, clarified it for me at a recent awards dinner. “It’s not so much moving to the center; it is speaking in terms of values that resonate with voters.”

The lesson of Lieberman’s loss should not be lost for the many up-and-coming aspiring politicos looking to lead the state in the future. Among the group—thirty- and forty-something up-and-comers at all levels of government in our fair state—conversations often center around how the next generation will take the reins of New Mexico. Will it be through go-along-to-get-along politics? Will it be by having a noncontroversial voting record to build broad financial and political base? Will it be by fighting for real reform even if it means taking on some of the powerful members of the Democratic Party? Or will it be by tapping into the alienation and discontent felt by the kind of voters who supported Lamont?

Democratic leaders from the growing list of presidential contenders to candidates for City Council have to do a gut check. What is it that we stand for as Democrats? Are we still the party of the working class? If so, why couldn’t we get an increase in the minimum wage in our Democratically controlled State Legislature? Are we still the party of conservation? Then why is it that developers run most New Mexican cities? Are we the party of diplomacy and internationalism? If so, why did so many Democrats line up like lemmings behind the failed Bush war policies?

One big sign that the waters may be changing is the national movement to hold Wal-Mart accountable for its dismal labor practices. A parade of presidential hopefuls, including our own governor, have or will join the national tour to put pressure on Wal-Mart to change its policies of not providing adequate health care and paying its workers substandard wages.

As the political “center” keeps drifting right, Democrats here at home and in Washington will have to decide if they will keep chasing that elusive “middle” or stand up for the core values of the Democratic Party. As they make that decision, they should remember Joe Lieberman. More importantly, they should remember Ned Lamont.

This commentary is cross-posted at the Alibi.

If you'd like to submit a guest post for consideration, contact me by clicking on the Email Me link on the upper left-hand corner of our main page.

As Madrid Slams Wilson on Iraq Intelligence ...

This is a guest post from Avelino Maestas of Live From Silver City, a blog that's providing excellent coverage of the political scene and more in the Gila region. It's cross-posted at his blog, and adds some compelling points to our recent discussions about the NM-01 Madrid-Wilson race.

This is a little outside the region, but there are two issues regarding the Madrid-Wilson race that I wanted to mention.

The first has been talked about in several places, including up north at Democracy for New Mexico and FBIHOP. The nuts and bolts of it: Wilson is below 50% in a poll released by Madrid earlier this week. Furthermore, she only leads Madrid by two points, 46-44, and we’ve seen nothing from the GOP to refute those numbers. We can go to Josh Marshall on why this is significant:

Of late, we’ve been seeing lots of (D) partisan polls. And that’s, as I said, because the Dems are the ones who have an interest in showing how close a lot of these races are.

The point I didn’t mention is this: the normal response when one candidate puts out a poll favorable to him or herself is for the other side to go into the field and (if they can) and get a better number to release. And back in July they did just that. According to Roll Call, the NRCC dropped $450,000 to conduct polls in 28 competitive districts. The article was dated July 31st. And the polls were conducted “over a two-week period this month.” In other words, the polling was almost certainly done at least a month ago.

So far as I can tell, I’ve seen few if any of those polls. And it’s not hard to figure out why.

Madrid’s latest ad is so powerful because it not only ties Wilson to Bush and his unpopular venture in Iraq, it faults her for rubber-stamping the administration’s intelligence that led to the 2003 invasion.

That leads to my second point: this tidbit from Laura Rozen (guest-blogging over at the Washington Monthly) about a new House Intelligence Committee report (PDF) on Iran:

It’s a sloppy report, as the NYT, Sick, Yglesias and others point out. But its purpose wasn’t just to take a quick swipe at marshalling the facts in its favor. It’s a campaign document, a “brochure”, as the NYT put it. What kind of joke of a committee is the House Intel committee that it has lent itself to that? Is anyone in Congress doing any serious work on the Iran issue? Or by the way, on the Iraq issue?

And which of New Mexico’s representatives to the House sits on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence? You get one guess.