Democracy for New Mexico

Heather Embraces Bush, Carville Visits for Madrid

I'm sure you're aware of all the propaganda Heather Wilson has been putting out these days about how "moderate" and "independent" she is. That buzz is certainly undermined by the announcement that Bush himself is coming to Albuquerque on June 16 to raise large donations from hardcore Republicans in support of Wilson's campaign to keep her CD1 seat. Monahan has the scoop. If you pass the "security check" mentioned in the invitation, you too can have your picture taken with The Decider for a mere $5,000 in greenbacks. Cant' you just see all the autocratic, monied Republican elites posing with their mission accomplished hero? Disturbing, I know.

In contrast, Ragin' Cajun James Carville will be the special guest at a fundraiser for Patricia Madrid's campaign on Wednesday, June 7th, at the Salon Ortega at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque. Suggested donations: $100 - guest; $500 - sponsor; $1,000 - host. Click to RSVP. I'll bet she'd even encourage you to pose for a picture with her for free!

In the meantime, you can donate a few bucks to the cause by helping to 'fill the chile pepper' at Madrid's campaign site. All it takes is a quick click and you'll be helping Madrid take on the dark forces of Heather Wilson, who's joined at the hip to George Bush, who's joined at the hip to Dick Cheney, who's joined at the hip to Donald Rumsfeld. Just do it!

Election Reform Groups Endorse Gonzales for NM Secretary of State

Stephanie Gonzales speaking at 5.4.06 DFA-DFNM Meetup

From Verified Voting NM and United Voters of NM:
A statewide coalition active in election reform announced its support today for Stephanie Gonzales in the Democratic primary race for Secretary of State. Verified Voting NM and United Voters of New Mexico joined in selecting Gonzales as their favored candidate, saying she has more ideas and positions than her rivals on how to improve the election process and make it transparent and accountable to the citizenry. The coalition also noted her strong management capabilities, as evidenced in her experience as former Secretary of State, Deputy Secretary of State, and as Director of the Rural Development Agency and later, the Child Support Enforcement Division.

“Ms. Gonzales has endorsed voting by hand-marked paper ballots counted by optical scanning machines as the most trustworthy electoral system currently available,” said Paul Stokes, UVNM coordinator. “She has also underscored the importance of conducting automatic audits of vote counting as an effective means of strengthening accuracy in election results. Both have been major objectives of United Voters of NM and Verified Voting NM during the past two legislative sessions.”   

Robert Stearns of VVNM noted that Gonzales has pledged to work with County Commissions to expedite the switchover from electronic voting machines that can’t be checked to the auditable and recountable  paper ballot system, as passed into law by the  2006 Legislature with Governor Richardson’s support.

Click for info on Verified Voting New Mexico and United Voters of New Mexico.

You can get more information on the Stephanie Gonzales campaign at her website. She lays our her 8 Point Plan for improving the Secretary of State's office here (pdf).

Editor's Note: Verified Voting NM and United Voters of NM are local grassroots activist groups that were heavily involved in interaction with New Mexico's election reform task force and lobbying for a variety of bills to make the election process more effective, efficient, transparent and accurate. They were instrumental in the drafting and successful passage of the legislation that mandated the use of a voter verifiable paper ballot system statewide. The bill was passed by the NM Legislature and signed by Governor Richardson earlier this year.

First Up: Las Cruces Sun-News Endorsements

Newspapers around the state will soon be publishing their endorsements for candidates running in the June 6 New Mexico primary. The Las Cruces Sun-News seems to be first out of the box with their endorsements of Democratic candidates in contested primaries:

Geno Zamora for attorney general, Stephanie Gonzales for secretary of state, Jim Baca for land commissioner and Thomas Buckner for auditor in Democratic primary races for statewide office.

Follow the link to their article that explains why.

UPDATE: The Silver City Sun-News and the Hobbs News-Sun also endorsed Geno Zamora for attorney general.

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: DFA Endorses Lamont vs. Lieberman

From Jim Dean of Democracy for America:

Joe Lieberman: George Bush's favorite Democrat?  Support Ned Lamont!

For years, Joe Lieberman has supported President Bush on issue after issue. He supported Bush's crusade to dismantle Social Security and he folded on the nominations of Justices Roberts and Alito. Lieberman voted for the invasion of Iraq and he continues to stand in the way of real solutions that will bring our troops home. He has even supported attempts to label criticism of the war as unpatriotic. Last winter, he said, "It is time for Democrats who distrust President Bush to acknowledge that he will be Commander-in-Chief for three more critical years, and that in matters of war we undermine Presidential credibility at our nation's peril."

On Friday, Connecticut Democrats said, "Enough." The Connecticut Democratic Convention was the first opportunity for an open vote between Joe Lieberman and upstart challenger Ned Lamont. With the process heavily stacked toward insiders, Lamont was expected to collect just a handful of votes. Instead, he shocked the establishment and won more than twice the number of votes he needed to qualify for the August primary ballot.

Ned Lamont has won the support of DFA members across Connecticut and now he's won a place on the ballot to challenge Joe Lieberman. When he's elected in November, Ned will oppose the Bush administration's misguided policies and he'll stand with other Democrats for clean government, universal healthcare, and a moral foreign policy. I urge you to join me in supporting Ned Lamont today!

Joe Lieberman has won strong support from Republicans. Vice President Cheney calls him "a fine U.S. Senator." Republican Congressman Chris Shays and Fox News Commentator Sean Hannity have both endorsed him. Even President Bush loves Lieberman—there are rumors he has been considered for a post in Bush's cabinet. Is that the kind of Democrat that we want in Washington?

Ned Lamont won't have any Washington Republicans fighting for him. He's only going to win through thousands of grassroots donations from DFA members like you. We need to show Ned that the grassroots will stand with him. With your help, our goal is to raise $25,000 from 500 donors today. Can you make a donation of $100, $50, $25 or even $10 to make it happen?

Ned will be a progressive voice in the Senate. He'll speak out against the destructive Bush administration policies that threaten our moral and economic future, our civil liberties, and our nation's security. He has opposed the Iraq War since the beginning and he'll advocate a new direction in Iraq. Let's make it happen.
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Editor's Note: For more information on Lamont's shocking support in the Connecticut Democratic Party delegate vote in this Democratic primary race, check out the coverage on MyDD and watch video of local news coverage of this story. I just gave another $10 to the Lamont campaign via DFA and I strongly encourage you to donate a few bucks. We need to display our grassroots and netroots strength and put our money where our mouth is for this race and others where progressives are challenging entrenched, "Republican-lite" Democrats in name only.

Ward 31 Dem Picnic Rocks

Patricia Madrid (center) arriving at Ward 31 picnic.

From Shay Rose, Democratic candidate for NM State Representative, District 28: Albuquerque's Ward 31 had a great District 'meet and greet' at High Desert Park in the Northeast Heights this past Saturday. There was a band, food catered by Garduno's (red and green enchaladas, rice, beans, taquitas, chips and salsa); plenty of cold water and sodas to drink and lots of NE Heights Democrats meeting their candidates. Tom Solomon (Vice Chair Ward 31A) and Kooch Jacobus, Adam Romero, Charles Penney and several others did a fine job organizing this event. About 125 ward residents were in attendance.

Amy, Shay, Ana

Shay Rose's Campaign provided a cake (chocolate with cream cheese filling, blue rose buds and a minature campaign card on each piece of cake) and a watermelon tent (the only candidate to do this as others had campaign materials only). Not that I'm bragging but food always brings people by! All candidates were recognized on stage by Kooch and received an enthusiastic welcome.

Amy, Barb, Mike, Marvin at the Shay Rose booth

CD1 Congressional candidate Patricia Madrid visited with fellow Democrats, gave a rousing speech from the stage and took questions from the crowd. Others who spoke and picnicked at the event were Ray Powell, running for State Land Commissioner; Gary King, candidate for NM Attorney General; Judge Clay Campbell, running to keep his seat as District Judge in Division 12 of the 2nd Judicial District; and Karen Montoya and Moises Gonzales, both Dem candidates for Bernalillo County Assessor. Shay Rose (House District 28) and Barbara Scharf (House District 31) were the only legislative candidates that spoke, although Janice Saxton (House District 22) was there hanging out in the crowd. Other candidates sent representatives in their place -- just not quite the same tho!

Ray Powell (center in cap) visits with picnickers

By all accounts, a wonderful time was had by all. Other wards are encouraged to hold similar events to provide an opportunity for Democrats to meet, mingle and nurture our network while having fun at the same time. (Click on photos for larger images.)

District Judge Clay Campbell appraises the scene.

Albuquerque Tribune Offers Primary Candidate Profiles

The Albuquerque Tribune has candidate profiles for the major New Mexico primary races that are being contested. You can vote early at your county clerk's office right now. Starting May 20th, you can also vote early at additional satellite voting sites in many counties, including Bernalillo. The primary election is set for June 6th. In order to vote in the Democratic Party primary, you must be registered to vote as a Democrat . For more information, check our earlier post.

Campaign Fundraiser Set for Letitia Montoya for Secretary of State

(Click on image for larger version.)

From the Letitia Montoya campaign for Secretary of State:
Please attend this very important fund raiser for my campaign. If you can't make it, please consider mailing in your contribution of any amount to the address below; or logging onto our website below and making a donation from $5 on up through our secure Pay Pal server with your credit card. I need your financial support in any amount to take this campaign all the way to victory. Also, please look out for our campaign TV commercials that will premiere later this week on Comcast Cable STATEWIDE. 

Thanks a million for your support!

Letitia Montoya for Secretary of State
P.O. Box 32960
Santa Fe, NM 87594-2960
505.820.0445
www.letitiamontoya.com

VOTE JUNE 6TH !!!

Heather Wilson Caught in the Act

As most people know by now, Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM1) has being trying to create a false perception of herself as an "independent" and "moderate" as the 2006 election draws near. Despite being a consistent rubberstamp for Bush's radical neocon agenda, she's now trying to distance herself from the administration's failures and misdeeds in order to gain votes. In the process, she's talking out of both sides of her mouth on a variety of issues, including the NSA domestic spying program and the credibility of its creator, General Michael Haden.

One example of Heather's less than honest political calculations was her much hyped call for an "inquiry" into the secret NSA domestic surveillance program. Even though she serves on the House Intelligence Committee, she had raised no questions or concerns about the program previously. This move got her national headlines, even though it clearly was a coldly calculated bid for attention by someone who has gone along to get along with Bush and the gang.

Now, she's been caught in the act of deception with her strong support for Bush's nominee to head the CIA. General Michael Hayden was instrumental in creating the NSA domestic spying program about which Wilson supposedly has serious concerns, and he has consistently either denied or defended the eavesdropping as the Bush administration's point man on the issue.

Media Matters has an enlightening piece on what they call Wilson's "misleading assertions" about General Hayden's handling of questions on the illegal domestic surveillance program, which she made during a recent interview. Excerpt:

During an interview with Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM) on the May 8 edition of PBS' The NewsHour, host Jim Lehrer failed to challenge Wilson's claim that Air Force Gen. Michael V. Hayden, President Bush's nominee to be CIA director, had been "very, very candid about the [Bush administration's warrantless domestic surveillance] program, its authorities, how it operates, and so forth." In fact, Hayden has defended the program with shifting and contradictory explanations and failed to answer questions regarding whether it has been used to spy on U.S. residents with no ties to terrorism. Moreover, in 2002 testimony, Hayden misled Congress about the existence of the warrantless eavesdropping program.

... Throughout the segment, Wilson extolled Hayden's abilities, calling him a "great leader," "a good leader of the people," and "a people-oriented leader." When questioned about his involvement in the Bush administration's warrantless domestic surveillance program, Wilson said: "[W]hen he was given the green light, Mike Hayden came up and was very, very candid about the program, its authorities, how it operates, and so forth. And in my book, he gets some credit for that."

As detailed in another piece by Media Matters, Hayden testified to Congress in 2002 that the National Security Agency complies with the requirements of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) in its surveillance programs. He also denied the domestic spy program's existence.

When trying to make points with moderate voters, Wilson expresses grave concerns about the illegal spying that violates the FISA law. However, when push comes to shove and Bush and company want to install the creator and main defender of the spying as CIA Director, Heather spins and spins to justify another rubberstamp of the Bush agenda. Does this mean that she was against the program before she was for it? Inquiring minds want to know.

Meanwhile, Patricia Madrid, Wilson's Democratic challenger in the NM CD1 race, had this to say about Heather's flip flop on this issue and the nomination of Hayden to head the CIA:

After the intelligence failures that led to 9/11 and the intelligence failures that led us into the disastrous war in Iraq, we must have a strong CIA director who can restore the American people’s confidence in our intelligence system. Instead, George Bush has decided to nominate one of the very people who undermined the system in the first place. Meanwhile, Heather Wilson, who sits on the House Intelligence Committee and is in the position to ask the tough questions about Hayden and his role at NSA, is simply rubberstamping yet another flawed Bush decision. Heather Wilson and other leaders in Washington need to stand up for what is best for the country and say no to Gen. Hayden’s nomination. The CIA and the American people deserve a director who will move the agency forward.

The Money Game

New Mexico campaign finance reports were just submitted by candidates for the period May 1, 2005 to May 1, 2006. They show who made donations, in what amounts, and list expenditures the campaigns have made to date. As I've said before, it pains me to report on races according to funds raised. I don't believe the level of campaign contributions necessarily tracks with the strength, electability or positive attributes of a candidate. And raising loads of money in the current political climate can mean the candidate is compromised and hamstrung by big donors.

Ideas count. Grassroots outreach counts. Perceived honesty and ethics count. Personality and other variables count. Of course money counts too, but not always as much as fundraisers, media consultants and big dollar donors would like us to believe. For instance, when Russ Feingold ran for his first term as Senator in Wisconsin, his primary opponents outraised him by hundreds of thousands of dollars. Yet Russ won.

Nevertheless, the amount of money raised by a campaign can often indicate something about how organized and efficient an operation is, provide a window into how things are going out in the field or merely show that someone is taking in big bucks from special interests. You decide.

Governor Bill Richardson's reelection campaign has raised a whopping $3.8 million this past year, for a total of $6.9 million. He has more than $5.5 million cash on hand. Richardson raised $8 million in his first run for governor in 2002. The campaign allegedly has its sights on raising at last $10 million by the November general election.

Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish raised $1 million for her reelection campaign, but returned $10,000 of that to Guy Riordan, who has been tarnished by testimony in the Robert Vigil kickback trial.

In the Democratic primary race for Attorney General, Geno Zamora leads the field with more than $430,000, Gary King is second with $300,000 and Lem Martinez lags with $200.000.

In the crowded primary for Secretary of State, Stephanie Gonzales and Mary Herrera are in a virtual tie for second at $43,000 each, although most of Gonzales' total was in the form of a personal loan from her. The almost entirely self-funded campaign of Letitia Montoya is in the lead with $61,000. Shirley Hooper is last with $25,000, including her personal loan to her campaign of $5,000.

In the Dem primary race for Land Commissioner, Ray Powell raised $98,000, including $45,000 he provided his campaign as a loan. His cash in hand totals $69,000. Jim Baca raised about $77,000 with $29,000 cash in hand.

Check out Joe Monahan for his view of what the finance reports mean, as well as the totals raised by Republicans. Although our current Secretary of State, Rebecca Vigil-Giron, was supposed to have a searcheable database in place for campaign reporting this cycle, things are still in disarray at her site despite three years to prepare. Many candidate reports are incomplete, and none are in the form of a searchable database. You can read more about this snafu in this Albuquerque Journal article. Excerpt:

Campaign finance reform advocates say they are disappointed by the delay, particularly with scandals unfolding in New Mexico that involve campaign contributions.

"If you think about all the things going on now, if we are truly interested in more disclosure, we've got to make this system work," said Matt Brix, executive director of New Mexico Common Cause and a member of an ethics reform task force created by Gov. Bill Richardson.

The Albuquerque Tribune has articles on Monday's campaign finance report submittals:

Governor and Lt. Governor

Attorney General and other statewide races

Early Voting Starts Today for NM's June Primary

The statewide NM primary is set for June 6th, but you can start voting early today at your county clerk's office. You can also request an absentee ballot by contacting your county clerk. They'll send you an application you need to complete and return, and then they'll send you the ballot.

Starting May 20th, you'll also be able to cast your ballot at additional satellite locations in many counties. Bernalillo County will have 12 of these early voting sites.

The Bernalillo County Clerk is Mary Herrera. Her office is located at One Civic Plaza, NW, 6th Floor, Albuquerque, NM 87102. Phone: (505) 768-4090. Fax: (505) 768-4631. Email: Clerk@bernco.gov

You can find the location of your county clerk's office here. You can also access general election and voting information at the Secretary of State's site. The League of Women Voters is another good source of voting and election information.

In order to vote in the primary, you need to be registered as a member of either the Democratic or Republican parties because New Mexico's primaries are "closed" to those not officially affiliated with a party. Today is the last day for voter registration, so head over to your county clerk's office if you want to vote in the primary and haven't yet registered.

You can check the Secretary of State's website for a list of the statewide candidates, as well as the district candidates who are primary candidates. Statewide candidates on the Democratic side:

U.S. Senator: Jeff Bingaman (unopposed)

Governor: Bill Richardson, plus Write-In Candidate: Anselmo A. Chavez

Lt. Governor: Diane Denish (unopposed)

Secretary of State: Stephanie Gonzales, Mary Herrera, Shirley Hooper, Letitia Montoya

State Treasurer: James B. Lewis (unopposed)

Attorney General: , Lemuel Martinez, Geno Zamora

Commissioner of Public Lands: Jim Baca, Ray Powell, Jr.

U.S. Representative (District 1): Patricia Madrid (unopposed)

U.S. Representative (District 2): Al Kissling (unopposed)

U.S. Representative (District 3): Tom Udall (unopposed)

Judges - Retention:
Justice of the Supreme Court: Edward L. Chavez
Judges of the Court of Appeals: Cynthia A. Fry, Lynn Pickard, Jim Wechsler