Democracy for New Mexico

Dem Women of Bernalillo County Host Holiday Benefit for Joy Junction

From the DPBC E-News:
The Democratic Women of Bernalillo County invite you to join us for our Holiday Black Tie Affair Benefiting Joy Junction. The evening will include dinner, dancing, a silent auction and entertainment.  Come and have a dance with your favorite candidate!

Friday, December 14, 2007 -- 6:00 to 11:00 PM
$25/person - No Host Bar
Ladera Banquet Room -- 401 Ladera NW, Map
Silent Auction to Benefit “Joy Junction”

Tickets are going fast and remember, they must be purchased in advance -- no ticket sales at the door. You can send your payment by mail (check payable to DWBC) to: Margaret Garcia, Treasurer, 2528 Kelly Ave SW, Albuquerque, NM  87105, or you can contact a committee member listed below.

Bring a personal item gift for Joy Junction residents to place under our tree. Joy Junction has requested travel size toiletries or other items such as gloves, hats, scarves, socks etc.

(Vegetarian plate available upon advance request * Contact Margaret Garcia 877-1043)

Contact one of the following to buy your ticket: Margaret Garcia, 877-1043; Barbara Najera, 833-4028; Yvonne Abeyta, 883-1785; Marcella Duarte, 730-3669; Dorothy Holland, 235-7524; Jacqueline Pargas, 489-6866; Romaine Serna, 831-2196; Maxine Marks, 352-7139; Lorraine Aranda, 831-6529; or Michelle Garcia, 343-0405.

Join Us at the ABQ DFA-DFNM Meetup Tonight

Our regular monthly Albuquerque DFA-DFNM Meetup will be held tonight, December 6th, at 7:00 PM at the First Unitarian Church Social Hall on the SW corner of Carlisle and Comanche. You can joint the group and/or RSVP here. This is our last Meetup of 2007, and we encourage you to join us for a full agenda and a holiday munch and mingle afterwards with cookies, chips and dip and other treats:

MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM, Dem candidate for Congress in NM-01, will discuss her candidacy and answer your questions.

We'll also hear from GEORGE KRAHE, representing Martin Heinrich for Congress, and meet new Family Court Judge ELIZABETH WHITEFIELD.

BILL and ANNE KASS will give what should be a very compelling Power Point presentation about their recent trip to VENEZUELA. Talk about perfect timing, with news about the Venezuelan election results all over the media.

IMPORTANT: TERRY RILEY will bring the Democratic Party of New Mexico's KICKING DONKEY FLOAT to Meetup, decorated with holiday lights. He'll be gathering clothing, food, personal items and monetary donations for the Veterans Reintegration Center project organized by the Democratic Party of Bernalillo County, so bring your donations to the meeting if you're attending. Our Dem County Chair Ana Canales asked me to encourage you to donate holiday wrapping paper and tape so the presents to the Vet Center can be wrapped. You can read more about the Party's vet center donation project here. See below for a list of other items you can donate to the cause.

DONATION ITEMS NEEDED FOR VET REINTEGRATION CENTER

• Personal toiletries: deodorant, shampoo, soap, toothpaste, lotions, toothbrushes, combs, shaving lotion, razors, etc.
• Towels: new or gently used please!! We would like one bath towel, one hand towel, and 2 wash clothes per person in each box.
• Socks, slipper socks, and underwear- various sizes and types will be fine.
• Gloves and caps- one size fits all will be best.
• Sweatshirts, sweaters, and/or flannel shirts, various sizes.
• Stationery, first-class stamps, envelopes, and long-distance phone cards.
• Home-made cookies, brownies, etc. No store bought!!
• Copier-paper boxes to pack gifts in. (This will make all gifts uniform size)

DONATED CASH WILL BE USED TO PURCHASE COATS FOR THE MOST NEEDY RESIDENTS.

Other Ways to Donate
You can also bring donations for the Veterans Integration Center to Dem Party HQ at 1301 San Pedro NE, on weekdays before 12/20 from 9AM - 5PM, or to the County Party's Third Thursday Meeting and potluck at 6:00 PM on December 20 at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Hall at 510 San Pedro SE. All are welcome!

Denish, Herrera, Balderas To Kick Off NM Presidential Caucus Today in Albuquerque

From the Democratic Party of NM:
Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, along with Secretary of State Mary Herrera and State Auditor Hector Balderas, will kick off New Mexico's Democratic Presidential Preference Caucus season with a press conference today, December 5th, at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center's Special Events Building in Albuquerque, at 2:00 PM. This press conference will provide an opportunity for journalists to understand the unique details of the Caucus and to educate voters throughout New Mexico on how to vote for the next Democratic nominee for President of the United States.

New Mexico's Presidential Preference Caucus will be conducted on Tuesday, February 5th, 2008, enabling New Mexico to participate in a "national primary day" along with 22 other states nationwide.  The Caucus will be in many ways similar to most statewide New Mexico elections, in that voters will be given a paper ballot and then the voter will cast the secret ballot for their preferred candidate.  However, the election will be conducted and financed entirely by the Democratic Party of New Mexico, without any taxpayer expense. Additionally, the number of polling locations will be consolidated to 184 Caucus Sites throughout New Mexico. A list of statewide Caucus Sites will also be distributed at the press conference, and will be available on the Party's website at www.nmdemocrats.org.

New Mexico's Democratic Presidential Preference is important because it gives the voters of New Mexico an opportunity to have a voice in the current high-profile campaign for the Democratic nominee for President. Before 2004, New Mexicans cast their votes for presidential nominees in June, which is typically long after the nominees are determined. The Caucus is also important because it compels presidential candidates to pay particular attention to the unique issues and concerns of the people of New Mexico.

• WHO: Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, Secretary of State Mary Herrera, State Auditor Hector Balderas, and Democratic Party of New Mexico Chairman Brian S. Colón
• WHAT: Press Conference Kicking Off New Mexico's Democratic Presidential Preference Caucus
• WHERE: Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Special Events Building, 2401 12th St NW, Albuquerque, NM
• WHEN: Wed., Dec. 5th, 2:00 PM

Three Ways to Donate to Expanded DPBC Holiday Vets Project

In a November post we announced a project organized by the Democratic Party of Bernalillo County to benefit the New Mexico Veteran's Reintegration Center in Albuquerque. The project has now been expanded in scope, and donations of food, clothing and other needed items -- as well as cash donations -- are being collected for presentation to the Center and its 75+ residents on the evening of Thursday, December 20, 2007.

See below the fold for a list of items being sought.

You can make a donation in three ways:

• At the DPBC office located at 1301 San Pedro NE, weekdays before 12/20 from 9AM - 5PM
• At the DPBC Third Thursday Meeting and potluck at 6:00 PM on December 20 at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Hall at 510 San Pedro SE
• At the DFA-DFNM Meetup at 7:00 PM on Thursday, December 6 at the First Unitarian Church Social Hall on the SW corner of Carlisle and Comanche

The Democratic Party of New Mexico's kicking donkey float -- festooned with holiday lights -- will be driven by Terry Riley to both the December 6th Meetup and the December 20th DPBC Third Thursday Meeting to collect donations (see panel above). After the Third Thursday Meeting, well-wishers will accompany the float to the Veteran's Reintegration Center to make the presentation.

More Info from DPBC:

Welcome to the First Annual Democratic Party of Bernalillo County Holiday Season Service Project

In keeping with the spirit of the holiday season, and the DNC “7 in 2007” activities (which are suggested to include a Democratic sponsored service project) the Democratic Party of Bernalillo County has selected the Veterans Reintegration Center at 6101 Central Ave NE as the recipient of our service project efforts. The Veterans Reintegration Center provides housing, food, and job training for returning vets, especially those who are homeless. There are approximately 75 men and 5 women housed at the center.

The plan: All of us collect money and needed items between now and December 20.

Bring these items, and cash, to the 3rd Thursday potluck dinner on December 20, 6 PM, at the Plumbers and Steamfitters Hall, 510 San Pedro Blvd. S.E. (or bring to party headquarters at 1301 San Pedro NE if you are unable to attend the dinner or to the DFA-DFNM Meetup on December 6 at the First Unitarian Church).

Following a wonderful shared potluck dinner and visiting with each other, we will then spend an hour or two putting together our gift boxes and wrapping them. The State Party kicking donkeys float will be used to deliver the gifts that evening.

Items needed:

· Personal toiletries: deodorant, shampoo, soap, toothpaste, lotions, toothbrushes, combs, shaving lotion, razors, etc.

· Towels: new or gently used please!! We would like one bath towel, one hand towel, and 2 wash clothes per person in each box.

· Socks, slipper socks, and underwear- various sizes and types will be fine.

· Gloves and caps- one size fits all will be best.

· Sweatshirts, sweaters, and/or flannel shirts, various sizes.

· Stationery, first-class stamps, envelopes, and long-distance phone cards.

· Home-made cookies, brownies, etc. No store bought!!

· Copier-paper boxes to pack gifts in. (This will make all gifts uniform size)

DONATED CASH WILL BE USED TO PURCHASE COATS FOR THE MOST NEEDY RESIDENTS!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SPIRITS AND WARM HEARTS!

CLICK FOR FLYER

RSVP Now for DPNM Ambassadors Luncheon

The Democratic Party of New Mexico
Cordinally Invites You to

THE AMBASSADORS LUNCHEON
with
AMBASSADOR ED ROMERO and AMBASSADOR JOE WILSON

Thursday, December 13, 2007, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
National Hispanic Cultural Center, Salón Ortega
1701 Fourth Street SW, Albuquerque, New Mexico
$100 per person

Respondez-vous, S’il Vous Plait: 505-830-3650 or email laura@nmdemocrats.org by December 7, 2007. Download the invitation (PDF).

Ortiz y Pino: Hillary Is a Symptom of America's Malaise

This is a guest blog by NM State Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino, a Democrat who represents District 12 in Albuquerque. This article recently appeared in other publications including the Seoul Times, OpEdNews.com and Santa Fe Sun News:

Watching the Democratic Presidential candidates' televised debates has become painful for me. Oh, sure: watching the Republicans' version of the rainbow coalition (white, off-white, grey, bone, ivory, buff and cream) in action on television in (pardon the expression) "living color" is even more dreadful, but we know those guys are going to lose, so who cares how bad their act is?

The Democrats, on the other hand, are in all likelihood sifting through the options leading up to actually picking a winner—the next occupant of the Oval Office. If the point of these debates is to give us, the voters, any insight into what our next Chief Executive is going to be like, we are in big trouble. I say this knowing that the Press has already accorded Senator Hillary Clinton not only the Democratic nomination, but the ultimate prize, the White House, as well. This was done without a single vote having been cast and simply on the strength of one solitary measure: dollars raised. She must be ahead, the pundits reason, because she's lapped the field in the money-grubbing sweepstakes.

I know that all the commentators realize that technically some sort of voting has to take place before the coronation is allowed to happen, but to the skilled political observer's eye, this is just so much red tape and hokum. The matter has been decided. She was the first in the sprint to raise $10 million this year, which shot her to the forefront in the early analyses and which then generated an avalanche of additional money from those eager to be lined-up on the same side as the ultimate victor. Then that extra money was widely interpreted to mean she was enjoying soaring, even skyrocketing popularity, far more than her primary opponents…and that attracted yet more contributions. A classic snowball effect played out.

It should be no surprise that the polls show her well ahead of Obama, Edwards, Richardson, and the rest of the pack. She's riding a tsunami of cash, and she seems expertly shrewd in the art of spending it wisely. Her commercials (definitely carried on network television, not the dusty back shelves of cable rerun channels) are certain to be slick. Her mailings will be models of Madison Avenue wizardry. Her telephone push polls will, of course, be put together so subtly that no respondent will ever be aware they've been pushed or polled. If money can buy it, Hillary will have it in her arsenal and all the gadgetry of modern political "witch doctorism" will be immediately at her disposal.

You've got to hand it to her: Senator Clinton plays this version of the political game like the old pro she is, and she plays it to win, with nothing left to chance. So I admit to a certain admiration for this tough, smart, supremely polished woman. She might have made a terrific President at one time, but now when I see her in action in front of the cameras, I cringe. She has become the number one symptom (and not the solution) of all that ails American Democracy in these most cynical of times.

In her probable victory a year from now, we will have reflected back to us the dismal portrait of what we have devolved into: a culture that can't be bothered to decide the value of anything except by one solitary measure: the marketplace.

Equally on full display is the frightening picture of how corrosive the influence of money is on political processes. I can't blame Hillary for playing to win by these rules; she didn't write them, she just figured out how to make them pay. It can be argued that it was the Supreme Court that did the dirty deed when it ruled some years ago that any attempt by law makers to limit the influence of money in elections is an unconstitutional attempt at limiting free speech!

One corollary to this ruling has always seemed to me to be: he who has the most money has the most free speech, and the poor, by virtue of their lack of money, have practically no free speech. A second corollary is what Clinton appears to be demonstrating so precisely this primary season: when dollars are the equivalent of votes, who needs elections as long as we have bankers?

This, then, is the American political malaise. Our worship of money has logically produced an electoral process in which nothing will be said that might antagonize the sources of political cash: the wealthiest of the American Corporate lions. Senator Clinton's rhetoric becomes increasingly bland and forgettable as her campaign treasury deepens. In the end stages (now), she says nothing and promises only to avoid (her favorite word) "irresponsible" action. Wonderful. We will get four years of "responsible inaction" if she assumes the mantle.

This rapid ride to the bottom of insipid inoffensiveness was on pathetic display most recently when she forgot herself during an answer to a question on issuing drivers licenses for undocumented persons. She said something just a wee bit venturesome—then spent five minutes thrashing around trying to re-establish herself as sitting squarely on the fence on this (and every other) issue imaginable. "I can see all sides of this controversy," she seemed to me to be saying, "and you can be assured that as President I will do absolutely nothing about it…for fear that taking action might offend someone, especially someone who possibly might have supported my campaign financially. I just can't take that risk. Nor will I promise to end the Occupation of Iraq during my term, either."

A campaign run the way this one is being run seems exquisitely crafted to produce record low voter turn-outs. The message is clear. Our leading candidates feel passion about nothing but the size of their campaign's bank deposits. They intend to do nothing to change the status quo. When Democrats and Republicans are indistinguishable, will voting make the slightest difference? There isn't a whole lot of Democracy left in this country, just a powdery covering with a lot of bare spots. Watching our leading Democratic Presidential contender brush away even those remnants isn't a pretty sight.

Editor's Note: This is a guest blog by NM State Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino. Click to read a previous guest blog by the Senator. Guest blogs provide readers with an opportunity to express their views on relevant issues and may or many not reflect our views. If you'd like to submit a piece for consideration as a guest blog, contact me by clicking on the Email Me link on the upper left-hand corner of the page.

A New Era of Progressivism?

Progressivism is a term that refers to a broad school of international social and political philosophies. The term progressive was first widely used in late 19th century America, in reference to a general branch of political thought which arose as a response to the vast changes brought by industrialization, and as an alternative both to the traditional conservative response to social and economic issues and to the various more or less radical streams of socialism and anarchism which opposed them.

Progressivism historically advocates the advancement of workers' rights and social justice. The progressives were early proponents of anti-trust laws and the regulation of large corporations and monopolies, as well as government-funded environmentalism and the creation of National Parks and Wildlife Refuges. -- Wikipedia

From U-S-History.com:

... Progressivism was rooted in the belief ... [that humans were] capable of improving the lot of all within society. As such, it was a rejection of Social Darwinism, the position taken by many of the rich and powerful figures of the day.... Specific goals included:

The desire to remove corruption and undue influence from government through the taming of bosses and political machines;

the effort to include more people more directly in the political process;

the conviction that government must play a role to solve social problems and establish fairness in economic matters.

The successes were many, beginning with the Interstate Commerce Act (1887) and the Sherman Antitrust Act (1890). Progressives never spoke with one mind and differed sharply over the most effective means to deal with the ills generated by the trusts; some favored an activist approach to trust-busting, others preferred a regulatory approach. A vocal minority supported socialism with government ownership of the means of production. Other Progressive reforms followed in the form of a conservation movement, railroad legislation, and food and drug laws.

From :

Sound Familiar?
Progressive Movement: Concerns over abuses by business and the "robber barons" who exploited labor and the lack of government regulation of the marketplace ... was a prevailing theme of those seeking reform. The sharp rise in economic activity spurred by industrialization and cheap labor contributed to concentrations of economic power among large national corporations and the formation of huge "trusts" as companies sought to eliminate their prime competitors. Between 1897 and 1904, 4,227 firms merged to form 257 corporations, with the largest merger consolidating nine steel companies to create the U.S. Steel Corp. controlled by Andrew Carnegie. By 1904, 318 companies controlled about 40 percent of the nation's manufacturing output. A single firm produced over half the output in 78 industries.

An Early Version of the"Blogosphere"?
Progressive, "muckraking" journalists also played key parts in highlighting specific economic and social ills that led to government action. Jacob Riis exposed the poor living conditions of the tenement slums in How the Other Half Lives (1890), which led to significant legislation establishing minimum safety and housing standards in tenements. In The Shame of the Cities (1904), Lincoln Steffens exposed the rampant political corruption in the party machines of Chicago and New York, arguing that the political machines served the interests of businessmen who sought government contracts, franchises, charters, and special privileges. The Jungle, published by Upton Sinclair in 1906, traced an immigrant family's exploitation and the unsanitary practices prevalent in Chicago's meat packing industry. The outrage provoked by the novel contributed to the enactment of the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act in 1906, the first legislation of its kind to set minimum standards for food and drug production.
*********

Progressive (and sometimes populist) changes continued on and off through President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, which in large part was designed to head off even more intense and dramatic changes springing from the Labor Movement and Communist revolutions. Some strains of the movement continued into the 1970s with the civil rights, women's and GLTB movements, as well as innovative programs like the GI Bill, Peace Corps and Medicare. Then Richard Nixon's infamous "Southern Strategy" of using opposition to the new civil rights legislation to turn the Southern bloc of states into a Republican stronghold.

Eventually, this led to "conservative" victories, with Ronald Reagan as President and a Congress led by the likes of Rep. Newt Gingich dedicated to turning back the clock on many of the reforms of the progressive and New Deal eras and returning to an unregulated market and corporate hegemony. This still wasn't good enough for Bush II and cronies -- who have worked for 7 years to literally bankrupt, cripple and dismantle the government and regulatory agencies.

The reliance on government to create a level playing field in a variety of areas was replaced by the view that government was the problem, not the solution. The negative results are apparent in virtually every aspect of American life, as well as on a planetary basis. The ravages of "free" trade, severe deregulation, privatization, militarization, anti-unionization and multinational corporatism are everywhere. The Robber Barons are back -- as truly global actors this time.

Unfortunately, too many of today's Dems are aligned with the DLC wing of the Party, or self-identify as so-called "centrists," "moderates" or "pro-business" Democrats. These politicos are dedicated to using "triangulation" to support global corporatist power and fight against "core" or "progressive" Democrats. The new progressives want to institute reforms similar to those implemented in earlier progressive eras to reinstate a level playing field where ordinary working people can prosper and community and environmental needs -- not just the corporate bottom line -- are a primary part of the value system.

From The 50 Year Strategy: A New Progressive Era (No, Really!), By Simon Rosenberg And Peter Leyden, Mother Jones magazine, November/December 2007:

A New Progressive Era?
A conservative president who is deeply unpopular with Americans. A country facing profound economic and security challenges. New technologies upending old media. A cohort of new immigrants and a bulging generation of young people ready to transform the political calculus.

2008? No, 1932, the tail end of the Hoover administration. And you know how that one turned out. FDR and his fellow progressives took on the challenges of their day and built the domestic programs and international institutions that ushered in an era of unrivaled prosperity and stability. They used a new medium—radio—to reach citizens, and fashioned a new majority coalition from the emergent demographic realities of their time.

Today's progressives face a political opportunity as great as any seen since. The election of 2006 may well have marked the end of the conservative ascendancy that began with the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980. George W. Bush now has the potential to do what Herbert Hoover did in the 1920s—tarnish his party's brand for a generation or more.

As in FDR's day, a new media is emerging, one that will ultimately replace the broadcast model of the 20th century. A new American populace is emerging, led by the arrival of the millennial generation and a new wave of immigrants, particularly Hispanics. And once again, the nation faces massive challenges—from climate change to health care in the era of biotech and preparing young people for a global economy. On the eve of the 2008 election, it's worth raising our sights beyond what it would take for a Democrat to win the presidency, and begin thinking about what it would take to bring about deeper, more lasting changes. The stars have aligned to give progressives a chance to permanently shift the conversation about the nation's values. The question before us now is, Do today's progressives have what it takes to do what FDR and his allies accomplished 75 years ago—seize the new politics, take on the big challenges, and usher in a new era?

Rise of the Internet and Participatory Politics
... This new paradigm represents a profound threat to the politics of privilege. Funding expensive broadcast campaigns forces political leaders to raise enormous sums of money, giving large corporations and wealthy individuals disproportionate influence. Republicans and Democrats have both played this game, but the Republicans consistently won; now, using Internet fundraising, Democratic Party committees consistently out-raise Republicans. The two leading Democratic presidential candidates raised $60 million in the second quarter of 2007—60 percent more than the $38 million for the two leading Republicans. By July, Barack Obama already had 258,000 donors to his campaign, more than any presidential campaign ever had at that point. Embracing this model has allowed the progressive movement and the Democratic Party to become much more authentic champions of the middle class, dependent as they now are on the financial support of average people.

Help Out With Wreaths & Cookies for Vets

From the DPBC E-News:
The Democratic Party of Bernalillo County is going to have a service project in keeping with our belief that Democrats should work for things that benefit the people. This service project will be a special Holiday Season effort to give a token gift and some cookies to the residents of the New Mexico Veterans Integration Center in Albuquerque. People staying in the center are homeless veterans who are trying to put their lives together. 

We are asking for cash donations to pay for small wreaths to be given to each veteran staying at the center to symbolize the unity, peace and hope typical of the season. We hope that this effort is not religiously insensitive; the hope is to say that we care. The cookies are a small food item that we hope can show caring without risking dietary issues.

We need everybody possible to participate in this. There are over 70 guests at the Albuquerque Veterans Integration Center. The Holiday Season is a very lonely time for people with limited family access and certainly for people who are working to rebuild their lives. We hope that you agree that this is a worthwhile project to participate in. We are asking that only homemade cookies be donated. We want the project to appear as personal as we can make it.

The Third Thursday DPBC meeting on December 20th at 6:00 PM in Room 2401 at the UNM Law School is the deadline for donations of both money and cookies. The wreaths and cookies have to be delivered as soon as possible after that. We also need a couple of people to help with the distribution.

Terry Riley: Terryactivist@aol.com, 899-6275
Ana Canales
Nili Lang

Editor's Note: Also read the recent Daily Lobo article, Center Lends a Hand to Homeless Veterans, for more info on the Veterans Integration Center.

DPBC Third Thursday Meeting: NM-01 Dem Candidate Forum

This month's Democratic Party of Bernalillo County Third Thursday Meeting will feature a candidate forum for New Mexico's First Congressional District primary candidates for the Dem nomination:

DPBC Third Thursday Meeting
November 15, 2007, 6:00 PM
UNM Law School, Room 2401 (map), ABQ

Those running for the NM-01 Dem nomination include Albuquerque City Councilor Martin Heinrich, Former Secretary of the NM Department of Health Michelle Lujan Grisham, attorney Jon Adams and math teacher Jason Call.

NM-02 Congressional Candidate Bill McCamley: 30,000 Miles and Counting

I thought one of the highlights of Saturday's Democratic Party of New Mexico State Central Committee meeting was the rousing speech of Bill McCamley, who's running for the Dem nomination in New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District. I was one of the SCC members you can hear cheering in the video above and I was wearing his campaign button to boot, even though I live in NM-01 and can't vote for him.

So good to hear someone speak with a passionate, exciting and committed voice that hasn't been muffled by focus groups and talking point memos from high-paid consultants. It was clear that McCamley's message -- and all the high energy he's putting into this race -- come from the heart, from real concern about what's going on in our nation, from a dedication to making genuine change happen by putting it all on the line up close and personal.

Many candidates like to talk about "grassroot campaigning" but this guy really walks the walk (and drives the drive). As he explains in episode 1 of of his campaign video diary above, McCamley has put more than 30,000 miles on his car since April, when he entered the race to take on Repub incumbent Rep. Steve Pearce before Pearce decided to run for Senate.

NM-02 is the size of Pennsylvania and McCamley describes how he's constantly on the move, on a mission to visit every county and travel to every corner of the district to connect with voters and then reconnect.

No, McCamley's videos aren't perfectly modulated, professionally edited campaign pieces. However, I think it's clear that, more than ever, voters this election cycle are bored to death by the kind of conventional, professionally bland, overly polished pablum produced by the same old same old "media consultants" with a cookie cutter mentality. It's not so much the quality of the video production that matters -- it's the quality of the message and the sincerity of the candidate that are critical this time around.

McCamley's campaign has raised more than $200,000 so far, with more than $33,000 of that raised online via Act Blue. You can donate to keep it going no matter where you live. I did. .

Check out all of McCamley's current and future campaign videos on his watchbill channel on YouTube.

To read our previous coverage of the 2008 NM-02 Congressional race, visit our archive.