Democracy for New Mexico

Bush Overturns 200 Years of American Democratic Values and Principles With Stroke of Pen

Torture. Secret prisons. Hearsay evidence. No habeas petitions. Kangaroo courts. Star chambers. If you look real close you can almost see the erections. -- TBogg

October 17, 2006 is a day that will live in infamy as a dark stain on American democracy, a travesty against international human rights of the highest order. Yesterday, Bush signed the so-called Military Commissions Act that makes it legal to torture anyone we please, removes the centuries old right of habeas corpus from citizens and non-citizens alike and gives the American president absolute power to determine guilt or innocence, as well as hold or punish offenders, as only he or she sees fit.

Any U.S. President (or a designee) can now convene a panel of his or her choosing and have them agree to lock up anyone for any period of time -- American citizen or not -- on the basis of coerced testimony or any accusation of being associated in any way with "terrorism." That person will not be permitted the habeas corpus right to face his or her accuser or learn what evidence is being used to seize and "detain" them. Individuals can be tortured by water boarding or other brutal means to "encourage" them to confess or provide "facts" about themselves or others.

The American Civil Liberties Union called the Act "one of the worst civil liberties measures ever enacted in American history."

The courts, the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, the Geneva Conventions and traditional common law democratic rights are all now subservient to the rights of the President to call the shots without restraint or even explanation. We have now officially given the President the tyranical, despotic powers that we fought against during our revolutionary war of independence. We are back at square one, without any checks or balances on presidential power, without any  meaningful legal or judicial recourse if we are singled out, detained, tortured and punished according to evidence we're not party to. Our rights are now dependent on the whims of whoever holds the office of President. 

Crooks and Liars has video and text on the response of Keith Olbermann and Georgetown University constitutional law professor, Jonathan Turley, to the Act's signing. As Turley says,

"People have no idea how significant this is. Really a time of shame this is for the American system.—The strange thing is that we have become sort of constitutional couch potatoes. The Congress just gave the President despotic powers and you could hear the yawn across the country as people turned to Dancing With the Stars. It's otherworldly ... People clearly don't realize what a fundamental change it is about who we are as a country. What happened today changed us. And I'm not too sure we're gonna change back anytime soon."

Sen. Russ Feingold said of the new law,

"It allows the government to seize individuals on American soil and detain them indefinitely with no opportunity to challenge their detention in court. And the new law would permit an individual to be convicted on the basis of coerced testimony and even allow someone convicted under these rules to be put to death."

Robert Parry, who broke many of the Iran-Contra stories in the 1980s for the Associated Press and Newsweek, and whose latest book is Secrecy & Privilege: Rise of the Bush Dynasty from Watergate to Iraq has more on the horrendous legal implications of the Act.

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."

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 ....

Bush Returns to Crawford in Shackles and Chains

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From the Backbone Campaign:
AMERICA DECLARED AN ACCOUNTABILITY ZONE! Military Tribunal Sentences Bush & Co. to Hard Labor

CRAWFORD, TX- After Last week's ruling on NSA domestic spying, members of the Bush Administration were rushed before one of their own military tribunals and quickly found guilty of treason and conspiracy to undermine our Constitutional Republic. The judge took mercy on the criminals, and spared them the guillotine in favor of a life of hard labor and humiliation along the roadsides of America, "May they serve as a warning to all against hubris and greed for power" said a spokesman for court.

They are pictured above at their first stop in Crawford, Texas, formerly the vacation residence of G.W. Bush. The old Crawford City Jail has been re-opened to house the . The Bush Ranch will be auctioned next week, as will his other assets and the assets of the Vice President, Karl Rove, Condoleezza Rice and Donald Rumsfeld to pay reparations to victims of their crimes.

Work Release Tour Greeted with Cheers and Cameras!
Well OK, we were just tickling your appetite for a little accountability, as the Bush Chain Gang "Work Release Tour" has done all around the country this summer. You probably don't know that there are now three sets of Chain Gang costumes, one based on the East Coast in D.C., another in the Mid-West, based out of Chicago, and a third on the West Coast, based in Seattle. All three sets were created at an "undisclosed location" near the Backbone Campaign's Headquarters on Vashon Island. And our dedicated volunteers are building more!

The Chain Gang has gotten coverage on CNN.Com, New York Daily News, Rueters, AP, YahooNews, The Seattle Times, multiple television stations across the country and now in the Lone Star Iconoclast. Nobody can seem to keep their camera in their pack or there cell phone locked when these characters show up. Crowds in restaurants or in parks often erupt into spontaneous standing ovations as the characters pass by. Many of the people who have volunteered to wear the costumes have raved that it was the "most fun" and "most powerful" political experience of their life!

Friends we are on to something here, but WE NEED YOUR HELP! It has cost the Backbone Campaign thousands of dollars to commission these masks, organize appearances, and ship them all around the country. We know that most of you appreciate this and the other creative work we do. Now we need you to show it. Please, go to the Backbone Campaign website and make a donation.

We'd love to send you a sticker or shirt to show our appreciation. You can now support all the work we do by becoming a member of the Lumbar Club, an easy way to spread out your contribution, and be sure that we have a budget we can count on. Another way to help is to donate a frequent flyer coupon to send an organizer to an event like Camp Democracy. Join us today and please tell your friends about us too.

Right now only 5000 people across the country are signed up to receive our emails. The picture above is worth a lot more than a thousand words, so visit our website and sign up on the right-hand side of the page and encourage friends to do the same. Ask them to sign up and support our work, get a shirt, a sticker or just a good laugh at seeing Bush and Co. wearing the stripes that suit their characters.

Ironically, the Backbone Campaign is not really an "impeachment organization," but with abuse after abuse, violation of national law after national law, and the systematic disregard for the balance of powers, the congress, treaties and international law, finally it just becomes irresponsible not to urge the use of the tool the Constitution provides, while we still have one. It's not negative, it's not "political," it's an affirmation of the document that provides the very foundation of this country. Thanks to the Bush administration, impeachment has become an indispensable component of a positive progressive agenda, and don't listen to the spineless, calculating, scared of their shadow politicians who tell you otherwise.

Finally, a big "Thank you" to Doug Skove and Tara Meehan who made the Crawford trip possible, as well as all the other volunteers, coordinators, providers of hospitality. You all are the backbone of our campaign!

Bill Moyer, Executive Director
Backbone Campaign
206-408-8058

Cheers and Jeers Greet NM Dems' Impeachment Resolution

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Passage of a floor amendment to the NM Democratic 2006 Platform that supports the impeachment of Bush is getting nationwide attention. Not only was the story linked on right-wing website The Drudge Report this week, so-called Freepers are up at arms. Robb Chavez's successful floor amendment on impeachment was also were featured on The Huffington Post, Daily Kos and a number of other progressive blogs, where it received many cheers.

I'm sorry to say that the responses of some Dems have been less than stellar, in my opinion. According to a story in the Albuquerque Tribune, here's what Patricia Madrid had to say:

Madrid, trying to oust Republican U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson of Albuquerque, said in a statement today she wasn't present when the vote was taken Saturday. She called the action "premature."

"I hope I get the chance to go to Congress to participate in a full investigation of the underlying issues," she said.

The same article reports this on Senator Jeff Bingaman's response:

Bingaman also says it's too early to support sanctions against Bush for the wiretapping issue, said his spokeswoman, Jude McCartin. Bingaman was in Afghanistan Saturday and is in Baghdad today.

I thought Governor Bill Richardson had the best public response. Even though I personally think he could have gotten out front on this issue nationally by supporting the impeachment resolution, he at least said he understood it and gave delegates props for being engaged on the issues. I think he gets it. According to an article in the Albuquerque Journal, which I couldn't find online:

...the Democratic Governor understands the anger of party members who supported the Bush resolution, given the direction the president's policies are taking the country, spokesman Pahl Shipley said.

"The Governor is opposed to this call for impeachment and feels that is premature," Shipley said. "Nonetheless, he recognizes the mounting frustration with the policies of the Bush administration," Shipley said. "However, he is pleased the party delegates have become very issue-oriented and commends them for their activism."

To those Dems saying they can't support the impeachment or censure resolutions because they're waiting for an investigation, I say read this. When and how, exactly, do they think the dishonest, secretive, cover-up Republicans are going to launch a genuine investigation into Bush's abuse of power regarding NSA domestic surveillance?

Glenn Greewald lays out the compelling arguments against waiting in his piece on Huffington Post entitled Myth-Making and Excuse-Making on the Feingold Resolution.

Senator Pat Roberts STILL hasn't allowed Phase II of the pre-war intelligence "investigation." Remember when our Senate Leader, Harry Reid, shut down the Senate in protest because Roberts was in eternal delay mode on this? Still nothing, months later. How long will we have to wait for Roberts to "investigate" the NSA matter? You can be sure it won't be before the 2006 midterm elections, if ever.

There are many stuck in the conventional wisdom box who say this impeachment and censure talk is premature, a distraction or just plain silly. An Albuquerque Tribune editorial takes this tack, saying impeachment talk is just sour grapes. It directs Dems to concentrate on winning by ignoring the illegal acts of a sitting president for now. They actually claim that Bush won NM in 2004 by "focusing on bread-and-butter issues close to home." Hmm. I didn't notice that. I thought they won by placing hysterical flyers about abortion on cars in Catholic Church parking lots, using McCarthy-like tactics to trump up indignation and fear about gay rights and bellowing dishonest propaganda about Dems being soft on terrorism.

Oddly, the editorial sets up an artificial either-or situation: If Dems are boldly challenging lawlessness in the presidential suite, they cannot possibly focus on winning races. Sadly, the editorial staff of the Tribune apparently believes that tepid is better than bold when serious wrongdoing is uncovered in Washington. They seem to have bought into the right-wing bluff that dares Dems to speak out and face the blare of neo-con fearmongering. What they don't seem to realize is that the right-wing noise machine will continue regardless of what Dems say or do. Truth and facts have nothing to do with their propaganda.

I guess whoever wrote the editorial hasn't been watching politics for the last decade. Did they miss Repubs spending billions of taxpayer money on an "investigation" into Whitewater real estate deals and impeaching a president over consensual sexual acts? Given the much more serious wrongdoing by Bush, why should Dems be disuaded from challenging President Bush for clearly circumventing the FISA law, lying us into war and ignoring the Geneva Conventions?

As usual these days, candidates and editorial boards, insulated from the rigors and realities of Bush's America, lack the sense of urgency and outrage that is rippling through our neighborhoods all over America. Repeatedly they caution us to act like nothing out of the ordinary is happening in our nation, that nothing strange and dangerous is threatening our constitution and our democracy. If Dems must speak about issues, they'd best do so while saying nothing of substance. Just play the political game as it's always been played, or risk derision. This is a winning stratetgy?

How out of tune with Americans can these forces get? Your guess is as good as mine. I point you again to the recent polling on Senator Feingold's censure resolution. Even without widespread persuasion and outreach on this issue, All Adults support censure 46-44% and voters support it 48-43%. Moreover, Democrats support it by a margin of 70-26%. The real issue is whether Dem candidates will represent the strong views of people whose votes they seek, and whether Dem voters will give their votes to candidates who refuse to represent them on issues like this. We'll see.

Impeachment and More: What We Won at NM Dem Weekend Meetings

UPDATE 3/22/06: Today's right-wing Drudge Report features a link to this Santa Fe New Mexican article on the Bush impeachment resolution passed at Saturday's Democratic Pre-Primary Convention. I guess we've hit the big time, big time. NM Dems: Out in front of the pack and calling attention nationwide to the abuses of power perpetrated by the Bush administration. You can comment on the New Mexican story here.
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Despite the ruckesses described in previous posts here, we won some big battles at the NM Democratic Party SCC Meeting Friday and Pre-Primary Convention Saturday. You can see one of them depicted on the front page of today's Albuquerque Journal above. A copyrighted story  by Journal political writer Jeff Jones, describes passage of a floor amendment to the Party platform introduced by Bernalillo County delegate Robb Chavez that says:

...the Democratic Party of New Mexico supports the impeachment of George Bush and his lawful removal from office.

Since this was a floor amendment, it had to pass by at least a margin of 2/3 of the delegates. In the article, NM Democratic Party Chair John Wertheim is quoted as saying

"It was probably 80/20" in favor of the resolution. "There was not a single person to speak in opposition."

In another excerpt, Chairman Wertheim continues:

Realistically, "impeachment is not going to happen while we have a Republican Congress." But he said the resolution shows "there's widespread sentiment among Democrats that the Bush administration has been fraught with abuse of power -- and a greater degree of violations than anything the Clinton administration did."

Above: Dallas Timmons at the Convention mic proposing a floor amendment.

In addition, Dallas Timmons, another delegate from Bernalillo County, who's also an SCC member, introduced this amendment to the platform, which also passed by a large margin:

We believe the United States should abide by the Geneva Convention on all issues of conduct of war and prevent the U.S. military and our nation's intelligence agencies from utilizing torture of prisoners or detainees in any manner or at any time whatsoever.

It's telling that if an amendment or motion from the floor was allowed to be introduced by the Chair, it generally passed by a large margin, sometimes almost unanimously. What does this mean? That the Democratic Convention delegates are definitely from the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party, oftentimes way ahead of elected officials on timely and crtitical issues.

Above: Jeff Armijo, who got 70% of the delegate vote for State Auditor, rounding up votes at Friday's SCC Meeting. He passed out stickers that said, 'You Matter.' And we do.

In addition to wins at the Convention, we also had some significant successes at the SCC Meeting on Friday. SCC member Bill Kass of Bernalillo County introduced a motion to require the Party to create a budget committee to help plan and oversee the Party's financial dealings. Ann Dunlap, another SCC member from Bernalillo County, introduced a motion requiring the Party to institute a regular audit process of its books. Both passed almost unanimously.

Also Friday, SCC members passed a State Rules Committee report that included requiring that each of our three congressional districts be represented in appointments to the Rules Committee, and that changed the Party bylaws to allow the creation of a Native American Caucus within the Party.

What do these successes show? If the Dem grassroots keeps at it, has the gumption to introduce business from the floor at meetings and learns to do it properly by studying the intricacies of Roberts' Rules of Order, members and delegates are often quite receptive and generally vote to approve the measures.

At this weekend's meetings, almost every motion or resolution from grassroots Dems that managed to make its way to the floor was approved by a wide margin. You can see why there's been an ongoing effort in some quarters to quash floor motions and resolutions before they get to the floor. A number of additional platform planks, including ones on equal rights for all and banning weapons in space, would no doubt have passed if they had been allowed by the Chair to reach the floor. Unlike some of our candidates and officeholders, rank and file Dems are ready to rumble and to confront the right-wing noise machine head on. If not now, when?  As legendary Democrat, President Franklin Roosevelt, once said, "The only thing we have to fear is -- fear itself."

There's a movement afoot among Dems of many stripes. It has to do with fighting for what we believe in. With speaking truth to power. With saying what we mean. With fearlessly persuading, educating and leading on issues where voters have heard only the argument of the right-wing cabal. As the badges worn by a number of Dems at this weekend's meetings said:

"I'm a Murtha - Feingold Democrat. Are You?"