Democracy for New Mexico

Patricia Madrid's New Ad: Hard-Working New Mexicans More Important Than Oil Companies

Yes, Heather Wilson has taken $400,000 and counting from big oil companies, and her voting record shows it. That's the thing about too many Bush-era Republicans -- serving ordinary Americans isn't priority number one. They get so much money from oil companies, multinational corporations and wealthy right-wing interests that they forget who they're supposed to be representing. Plus, with the right-wing Republican leadership operating with maximum power and control -- and bought off by special interests and monied tax evaders -- most Republicans aren't strong enough to buck the trend. Heather Wilson follows the leaders, and the Republican leaders are people like Karl Rove, the now discredited Tom DeLay, Dennis Hastert, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney and Bush himself.

In contrast, Madrid is a home-grown candidate of the people, born and raised right here. She's a member of a family with deep roots in the unique cultural mix that is New Mexico. I believe her first priority is and always will be to represent hard-working New Mexicans, for these are her neighbors, her family members, her friends, her co-workers, her culture.

What are the issues that concern Patricia Madrid? The environment. Global warming. Alternative energy sources. Health care for all. Real education improvements. A raise in the minimum wage. Fair trade agreements that put American workers on a level playing field. Preserving and strengthening Social Security. Cutting Big Pharma down to size so Medicare operates efficiently. Ending the Iraq War and reestablishing our diplomatic network and credibility in the world.

Wilson sometimes pays lip service to these issues, but votes overwhelmingly with her Party's most radically conservative members and against the interests of the common good, the common person. On the other hand, Madrid's long track record of public service in New Mexico demonstrates clearly that she'll be looking out for OUR interests, not only those of the richest members of the investor class. Like all core Democrats, she believes government can do amazing things if elected officials put the real needs of all our people first.

The Rovian, Swift-Boating Republican spin machine can try to convince people that it's Heather Wilson who's on the side of the people, that she's a kind and honest problem solver rather than an apologist for the Bush failures and fiascos, but we know better. We've seen what the Bush machine has done to America, to Americans and to our standing in the world. Don't let them fool you into thinking that Wilson isn't a full-fledged cog in that destructive machine. It's agreeable cogs like her that allow the right-wing machine to run America into the ground, domestically and abroad, day in and day out.

What is the central Democratic value? I think it's fairness and justice for all. An even break. A leg up for those who have run into problems. A seat at the table for all our citizens. An openminded, progressive approach to solving problems so we can create a better future for all, not just for a handful of winners already at the top of the financial heap.

Think of it. If we help get Madrid elected now, we'll be that much farther along the road to our goal of taking back the government so it serves the people again and not the other way around. Can you imagine how different things would be for us today if that were the case? Imagine, and then pledge to help Patricia Madrid take back this House seat for all New Mexicans, so the pressing issues of the day that affect us all can once again get the attention they deserve. Click here to contribute a few bucks or some hours of your time to help Madrid beat Heather. The clock is ticking.

We need the real thing, not a rep like Heather Wilson who pretends to care about all the people, but votes in tandem with those who think it's every man (or woman) for themselves. Enough already. We need a change.

So Who's Supporting Lieberman?

Not Hillary Clinton (who rushed a $5000 check to Lamon). Not Chuck Schumer. Not Chris Dodd. Not Harry Reid. Not Rahm Emanuel. Not Barbara Boxer (who will stump for Lamont). Not Tom Udall. Not Russ Feingold. Not Ted Kennedy. Not the rest of the Dems running for office in CT. Not the DNC or DSCC. John Edwards was the first national figure to call and congratulate Lamont after his win. Wes Clark has started a petition drive on his PAC website to urge Lieberman to withdraw and had this to say:

"You see, despite what Joe Lieberman believes, invading Iraq and diverting our attention away from Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden is not being strong on national security. Blind allegiance to George W. Bush and his failed "stay the course" strategy is not being strong on national security. And no, Senator Lieberman, no matter how you demonize your opponents, there is no "antisecurity wing" of the Democratic Party."

I'm glad to see that Gov. Bill Richardson isssued this statement today:

“Joe Lieberman is a good friend of mine, a true public servant who has served his constituents and the Democratic Party well. However, after a hard-fought race Connecticut's Democratic voters chose Ned Lamont as their candidate for US Senate. I look forward to supporting Ned as he fights to help Democrats take back the Senate, and I call on Joe Lieberman to respect the will of the voters and step aside.”

According to a CNN article, Richardson is the first prominent national Dem to urge Lieberman to step aside and abandon his "independent" bid. The netroots salutes you, Governor!

However, Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar says he IS supporting Joementum because Ken "isn't into political parties." Right. I hope Democrats remember that when Salazar runs for reelection up there. What the hell does political party matter when all you have to do these days to consider yourself "successful" in Congress is kiss the asses of the big corporate donors and vote as instructed by their lobbyists? Lowly party members, activists and ordinary voters? Mere pests. I hope the Dems never give Salazar a cent again out of party coffers.

If you've read the comments on recent posts, you know that callers to Sen. Bingaman's office got only his stock answer of "the Senator hasn't taken a position on that yet," which is the same answer people get when asking about his support for net neturality or other issues of import to, you know, the Democratic rank and file. I wonder if that's the answer his people give big donors when they call.

On the other hand, many right-wing Repubs are supporting Lieberman. They think his "independent" run is a gift from the beyond after being alarmed when polling showed that Lamont won primarily because people are fed up with Bush and his dangerous policies. The spin is flying fast and furious that the defeat of Lieberman means that Dems are "weak" on dealing with the terrorism threat . This approach obviously worked for several election cycles, but how many times can you beat a dead horse?  Most Americans have, after all, noticed that almost everything Bush touches in the area of foreign affairs turns into a chaotic, deadly, stubborn mess. As Howard Dean said of the Repub responses,

“It’s right-wing propaganda. “They are beginning to look ridiculous: A majority of Americans now believe that going to Iraq was the wrong thing to do. I think this shows how far out of touch the Republicans are. What you are seeing is the beginning of the end of the Republicans, because a lot of this was a referendum on George Bush’s policies. George Bush is going to take a big hit and a lot of people are going down with him, including Ken Mehlman.”

George Stephanopolis of ABC News reported that "according to a close Lieberman adviser" the Big Snout himself, Karl Rove, "has reached out to the Lieberman camp with a message straight from the Oval Office: "The boss wants to help. Whatever we can do, we will do." Another Lieberman staffer denies it, but it sounds just right to me.

We've even got White House press secretary, Tony Snow, riffing on how the "extreme left" is running amok:

"I know a lot of people have tried to make this a referendum on the president and I would flip it," White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said today. "I think instead it's a defining moment for the Democratic Party, whose national leaders now have made it clear that if you disagree with the extreme left in their party they're going to come after you."

Since when do presidential press secretaries discuss party politics at White House press briefings? I guess anything goes ever since Rove -- a purely political partisan operative -- was situated in the West Wing, cheek to jowl with all the real government employees. Policy is politics, and politics is policy with this bunch. There is nothing BUT politics behind most of their strategies. We're all paying for that in ways too numerous to count. And now Lieberman's selfish revenge drama plays right into their spin machine. Shame on him and all who continue to support him.

Finally, since we all need some gallows humor these days, click to watch Jon Stewart eviscerate Lieberman on the Daily show the night after the election. Wow.

The Facts: Bill Richardson Campaign Did NOT Donate to Lieberman Campaign

On Monday, Matt Stoller at MyDD claimed that Governor Bill Richardson's now defunct PAC, Moving America Forward, made a recent donation to Joe Lieberman's campaign. Apparently, Stoller didn't have time to check his facts before making the statement. After communicating with the campaign today, it's clear that Matt's statement was incorrect and he has since made a brief correction to his post.

In more detail, the facts are these. The entity that made the donation looks to be Move America Forward, which is a Republican PAC with a name very similar to Richardson's PAC. Richardson's Moving America Forward PAC was closed down completely in April of 2005. In addition, since Richardson's organization was a state rather than federal PAC, it was prohibited by law from donating to federal campaigns like Lieberman's. It only operated in five states with a goal of registering Hispanic and Native American voters. It succeeded, registering more than 150,000 new voters in New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Florida and Nevada.

Because Richardson's gubernatorial campaign also is a state level fund, it cant donate to any Senate candidate, either. Both cash and in-kind contributions are prohibited by legal restrictions. So, clearly, there is no way the contribution from something called "Move America Forward" came from the Richardson gubernatorial campaign or his disbanded PAC with a similar name.

It's anticipated that Governor Richardson will make a statement soon about the results of the Lieberman-Lamont primary. It's rumored that brainstorming is going on to determine some way Richardson can show his support for Lamont while following the campaign finance laws that prohibit direct contributions from his state office campaign.

It's certainly a very positive sign to see so many Dem officials and officeholders coming out in support of Lamont as the legitimate Dem in the race, and suggesting that Lieberman withdraw from what is increasingly being seen as a selfish and destructive run as an "independent." Come on, Joe, do the Democrats a favor. Drop out now.

Quote of the Day on Joe

By Glenn Greenwald, writing on Salon:
Most of the ramifications of Joe Lieberman's extraordinary defeat will require some time to discern, but one thing is already painfully clear. With his behavior Tuesday night, Lieberman has turned himself into the most vivid symbol of the insular, arrogant, corrupt and power-desperate Washington establishment, the sheer cravenness and corruption of which are what catalyzed the campaign against him in the first place.

Those who compose that entrenched Beltway power establishment -- the endlessly reelected political officials, the hordes of consultants and lobbyists who feed off and control them, and the pampered, self-loving "journalists" who enable it all -- are characterized by a single-minded quest to perpetuate their own power, flavored by a thinly masked contempt for the masses on whose behalf this system ostensibly plods along. Lieberman's conduct last night was a perfect textbook for all of those afflictions.

Lamont Wins! Grassroots Change On the Way: We Have Just Begun to Fight!

The next Dem Senator from Connecticut!Unofficial CT Dem Primary Results:
Lamont 52%, Lieberman 48%Sweet Victory!

I really liked that Lamont quoted JFK in his victory speech about where we need to be headed: "Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate." He also said we'd be working for the COMMON GOOD, something long neglected in too many parts of our party and our nation.

Meanwhile, lapsed Democrat Joe Lieberman announced he'll be running as an "independent." Well, a Connecticut for Lieberman party candidate anyway, as his petition calls it. Sore loser. He lost fair and square. I predict that any prominent Dem who dares to support Joe's "independent" run will be run out of town, literally. This is a political earthquake coming straight from the people. We are just getting started, aren't we? And we all know it all began with the Howard Dean campaign. We've got the power! And never forget, The Whole World Is Watching....

(Right now, https://www.c-span.org/ has clips up of Lamont's victory speech and Lieberman's concession speech, such that it was.)

Come On Lamont! Catch the CT Returns

According to ABC's The Note: "The Connecticut Legislation and Elections website (LINK and LINK) will be updated continually, as soon as information comes in. The state is using a brand new system, which may or may not work. Should the system not work, officials are prepared with a spreadsheet and the site should be updated at roughly fifteen minute intervals with results."

Check my previous post for links to sites that are live blogging tonight's results.

Day of Reckoning in Lamont-Lieberman Race

Tonight's the night! The Dem primary voters of Connecticut will finally cut through all the bluster and select their candidate to run for the Senate on the Dem ticket. Pundits, bloggers, insider strategists, anti-war activists and DLC naysayers are all poised to pounce after the results are in. The lastest poll shows Lamont ahead by only about 5 points, down from 13 in an earlier survey. Given the odd nature of this contest and the fact that nobody really knows how many people will vote in an August primary when so many are on vacation or preoccupied, it's safe to say the race is a tight one and can go either way. Nothing can be taken for granted, and I'm sure Lamont's campaign folks and volunteers will working like dogs until the very minute the polls close. Fasten your seatbelts -- we're in for a bumpy ride!

Many of these sites are live blogging the election and will have updates all day and into the night:

• firedoglake
• Connecticut Bob
• My Left Nutmeg
• ConnecticutBlog
• Ned Lamont (official site)
• LamontBlog
• Blog For America (DFA)
• MyDD
• Daily Kos

I think David Sirota, as usual, has it just right about the four scenarios that might occur, depending on how the election results shake out. Excerpts:

1. Lieberman wins by more than 10 points: Champagne purchases in Washington, D.C. skyrocket, as the professional Democratic Party apparatus (ie. consultants, Hill staffers, think tankers, etc.) collectively celebrates the perception that they still do not have to worry at all about small-d democracy threatening their cushy lifestyles. Pundits like Cokie Roberts and Stu Rothenberg and neoconservatives Iraq War apologists like Robert Kagan, Peter Beinart, Al From, Marshall Wittman and other chickenhawk members of the 101st Fighting Keyboard Brigade clink glasses at restaurants like the Capital Grille.

... Meanwhile, the divide in the Democratic Party will grow far worse, as voters will feel that, once again, the Democratic Party apparatus was complicit in helping a Big Money candidate to buy an election and distort the debate over critical issues like the Iraq War.

2. Lieberman barely wins (less than 10 points): Again, champagne purchases in the Beltway are high ... They proceed to ignore polls clearly showing where the real center of American politics is and instead claim that Lieberman's right-wing, sellout politics represents the real "center." But, in the back of their minds, they know that something big is happening, and that a real small-d democratic power is building through the progressive movement. Though the Beltway never admits so in public, they know in the places they don't talk about at parties that the progressive movement has etched a very real win.

3. Lamont ekes out a win (less than 4 points): Xanax, Prosac and Valium fly off the shelves of DC pharmacies, as the Democratic Party Establishment goes into a depression because it realizes it no longer gets to give orders from Mt. Olympus. Lieberman, who for weeks has been trying to downplay expectations, cites the closeness of the results as a reason to go ahead with an Independent Lieberman for Lieberman bid, even though the fact that he - an 18-year incumbent with a massive warchest - should have won by a huge margin, and his loss is a clear repudiation of his corruption and his dishonesty. Though Lieberman's move threatens the Democratic Party's hold on the Connecticut Senate seat, and though Democratic voters have made themselves clear, at least some of Lieberman's Senate Democratic buddies decide to continue backing him, as does his wide network of Enron lobbyists, corporate lawyers and other professional business shills in D.C.

... Nonetheless, every Democratic officeholder in America realizes how totally out of touch Washington pundits/operatives really are and how important the progressive movement is.

4. Lamont wins big (by more than 5 points): Again, Xanax, Prosac and Valium fly off the shelves of DC pharmacies, though this time so does Immodium, because the Democratic Party elites get so scared, they collectively and uncontrollably begin soiling their pants. Incumbents begin worrying about whether their votes to sell out to Big Money or to preserve the Bush administration's "stay-the-course" nonsense in Iraq will draw them a serious primary challenge. Suddenly, votes by the Democratic caucus in both the House and Senate become far more unified. Instead of huge numbers of Democrats undermining their party on core economic and national security issues, there is more party discipline than has been seen in a long time because suddenly, every Democratic lawmaker realizes that they, too, might have to actually answer to voters.

... Despite begging from Lieberman's chief of staff-turned-Enron lobbyist Michael Lewan, Lieberman drops his bid for a "Lieberman for Lieberman" independent candidacy not because he's not a sore loser - but because most other Democratic politicians are embarrassed to be around him after such a shellacking.

Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer, NM Style

There's a lot of crazy shakin' goin' on now that the dog daze of summer and their monsoonal bursts have arrived, bringing us ever closer to election day '06. Did you know that New Mexico's educators focus almost exclusively on teaching sexuality, self-esteem and socialism? That's what New Mexico's Republican gubernatorial candidate, John Dendahl, had to say during a recent radio appearance. Local blog FBIHop has some excellent commentary on this.

Dendahl continues to amuse in a sick sort of way, given the obvious comparisons between his political style and that of Joe McCarthy in the red baiting daze of yore. I guess Rove gave him and his Party-mates a crash course in Swiftboating during the BushCo fundraising visit to benefit one of their favorite rubber stamps, Heather Wilson. You can see Rove's fingerprints all over the Republican messaging in New Mexico this year. I guess Karl finally realized that the majority of Americans now see Bush as the main problem as they awaken from their Mission Accomplished dreams. And the same goes for anyone who still drinks the BushCo Kool-Aid, whether it's Joe Lieberman, Heather Wilson or John Dendahl. Voters are pissed and Bush enablers will suffer.

I guess if you've got nothing meaningful to say about your plans if you win, waxing hysterical is all that's left. You know the old Kristofferson saying, "freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose." I guess Dicey Dendahl's "freedom" moment has arrived. Since there's no chance he can win his race for Governor, he feels "free" enough to voice ridiculous smears about whomever he lays his conciousness on at any given moment. Even the Republican Party of NM had to try and distance themselves from Johnny's latest remarks, claiming he was merely voicing his "personal" views. Uh-huh.

Pat Lyons' Sweetheart Deal
Next up we've got Republican incumbent candidate for Land Commissioner, Pat Lyons, caught in the act of serving up a no-bid contract from heaven to some of his cronies. The lease essentially names his pals as middle men who'll profit greatly when a large tract of land in Rio Rancho passes hands from the state to developers. The Land Commissioner wouldn't permit UNM to purchase a large section of the acreage for a West Side campus back when it was about $16,00 an acre. Instead, Lyons stalled, leased the whole shebang to John Black et al., and then held it until the value rose to about $32,000 an acre.

Who stands to rake in the windfall? The bunch that got the no-bid contract of course. Well, what can you expect from a candidate whose campaign has collected nearly a half a million dollars from oil, gas and land speculators? Be sure to check out Lyons' opponent in the land commissioner race, Jim Baca, on this boondoggle.

Harry Field and the Disappearing Letter
Also still rattling around the monsoon water cooler is that imaginary letter that was allegedly sent to AG Patricia Madrid by Harry Field urging a look at the NM Treasurer's office. Funny, there's no record within the Department of Finance Administration of their sending the letter and there's no record within the AG's office of their ever receiving the letter. But that isn't stopping the Heather backers from repeating the myth ad infinitum.

Again, if you've got nothing to say about how to solve the vexing problems we confront in this era, it's so comforting to fall back on political BS. And if you'd like to know how untarnished and reliable Harry Field is, check out the research on his past at New Mexico Matters. Oh what a cozy relationship he had/has with Gary Johnson and Big J Enterprises. Let's just say that credibility isn't his strong suit. Hazy, crazy, yes. Believable, no.

Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Those days of soda and pretzels and beer
Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
You'll wish that summer could always be here
-- Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer (Nat King Cole)

Heather Wilson Lies

Stamp and Rubber Stamp

I know, it's a shock, isn't it? I guess you have resort to lies when the only ways you can think of to try to get re-elected are to pretend you aren't REALLY a rubberstamp for BushCo and the culture of corruption, or use the infamous Rove tactic of blaming your own transgressions on your rival. These right-wing Republicans never give up on these Swiftboat tactics, do they? Remember how they accused Kerry -- a decorated war vet -- of being a coward, while claiming that Bush -- the national guard runaway -- was a courageous tough guy? Wilson is following the same playbook in her race against Patricia Madrid.

Wilson's latest lie? In her second poisonous ad this summer, she claims that Attorney General Patricia Madrid ignored a whistleblower letter urging her to investigate the State Treasurer's office. The problem is that no such letter was ever sent or received. The Madrid campaign has revealed an official letter from the Department of Finance Administration (DFA), where the alleged letter supposedly originated, documenting that no such letter was ever sent.

According to an Albuquerque Journal story the letter from DFA says in part, "Our office conducted an extensive search and found no documentation in our current files or archives of such a letter being signed and sent." End of story. Well, except that Heather's dishonest ad based on the lie about the letter continues to air.

Wilson doesn't have a leg to stand on in terms of calling for investigations. Despite serving on the House Intelligence Committee, it's apparently never bothered her that BushCo is clearly operating outside the legal lines on a variety of intelligence surveillance projects, such as the NSA wiretapping. No, she's been content to cruise, letting the neocons call the shots and ignore the constitution whenever it's convenient. Oh, she did make one weak call for an investigation once it was known it was already forthcoming, but that's about it for go along to get along Heather.

I also notice it never bothered her to take money from Abramoff scandal culprits or the shady Tom DeLay bunch. Did she ever call for investigations of that web of corruption and pay for play? Oh no, that would have upset her big donors, the entrenched Republican corruption network and BushCo, all in one fell swoop. Independent? Only when it's expedient.

Remember how thoroughly connected to the wrongdoing Heather has been all during the Bush years, and then ponder why she feels the need to resort to dishonest fingerpointing on the very moral weaknesses she exhibits herself. I guess when the only positive accomplishments you can claim are rubberstamps of the wildly unpopular Bush agenda, you have to try something to keep your seat.

To help stop that from happening, visit the Madrid campaign website and pledge your help.

Jim Baca Keynote Speaker at Tonight's DFA-DFNM Meetup

Jim Baca stops in to say hi at our Meetup in April.
This time he's our featured speaker.

Our monthly Albuquerque DFA-Democracy for NM Meetup is set for tonight at 7:00 PM at the First Unitarian Church Social Hall at Carlisle and Comanche in Albuquerque.

Our keynote speaker will be former Albuquerque Mayor JIM BACA, who's running on the Dem ticket for State Land Commissioner. It's a very important race in terms of our state's environment and use of public lands. Baca is running hard against an incumbent Republican who's funded largely by oil and gas interests. Come meet Jim Baca and learn more about this race. You can also visit his website linked to his name above or check out his blog, Only in New Mexico. All Dems are strongly urged to donate some bucks or time to Jim's campaign.

We'll also have a short presentation from our local Communities United to Strengthen America group about their work on healthcare and retirement security, and a short report from Lynn Jacobs on her trip to this year's DFA DemocracyFest in San Diego. To join our email list or RSVP for tonight's activistiies, visit our group page at the Meetup website.