Democracy for New Mexico

Historic Call to Exit Iraq Includes NM

As you read the article below, I hope it will serve to underline the importance of supporting our own Democratic Party Iraq War exit resolution in New Mexico. Bring the troops home resolutions were passed at the Democratic Party County Central Committee meetings in Bernalillo, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Taos, Los Alamos and San Juan counties, and a finalized version was approved at last Saturday's State Resolutions Committee meeting for submittal to the State Central Committee this coming Saturday.

See resolution number 12, "A Resolution to Bring the Troops Home," on the passed by Bernalillo County. This is the version that was passed at the State Resolutions Committee and will be voted on by the SCC.

If you are a voting member of the SCC, you are urged to vote for this resolution. If you're aren't a voting member, I hope you'll urge members to approve it.

As the article shows, there's a growing network of progressives around the country who are stepping up to run for Democratic Party offices at all levels, working hard for adoption of progressive planks in State Party platforms and forming progressive caucuses at the state level. By supporting our Iraq War resolution and attending the planning meeting for a progressive caucus in New Mexico on Saturday afternoon, we'll be working in tandem with Progressive Democrats of America and others around the nation participating in this passionate movement for change:

PDA Activists Spur Historic Call to Exit Iraq
By William Rivers Pitt:
This past weekend, at the California State Democratic Party Convention in Los Angeles, the largest gathering of state-party Democrats in the nation, activists with Progressive Democrats of America led by PDA Executive Director Tim Carpenter successfully lobbied 2,000 delegates to pass a resolution calling for the termination of the occupation of Iraq. The resolution included specific language demanding the withdrawal of American troops from that country. "The California Democratic Party," reads the resolution in part, "calls for the termination of the occupation…of American troops in Iraq."

This victory is a powerful statement not only to the national Democratic Party but to the Republican administration and the majority in Congress.

Carpenter and his tireless crew spent the weekend working all corners of the convention to create a coalition of delegates large enough and strong enough to support the proposed resolution. Elements of the convention attempted to water down the language of the resolution, but the PDA activists successfully beat back the challenge. Meeting and overcoming this challenge was significant in and of itself, because it resoundingly demonstrated the ability of grassroots activism to overcome the go-along-to-get-along inertia of machine politics.

The resolution passed in California this weekend is more than mere words on a piece of paper. The document itself, along with the activism that created it, is a starting point, a blueprint for future action that must be taken in every state in the nation. PDA, with your help, intends to take the work from this weekend and duplicate it in legislature after legislature, until our combined voices carry our soldiers out of Iraq and home to their families.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this weekend in California was the emergence of so many new faces in the ranks of the PDA-inspired activism. Of the dozens of people who contributed to the effort that led to this resolution, most had never before been involved in this kind of political action. Carpenter and his crew shepherded them through the process, showed them how to get it done, and gave them the chance to be a part of positive history.

After the gavel came down and the resolution passed, most of the convention went their separate ways. Not so with the PDA activists, new and old, who met in a large gathering to strategize how to carry this great work to all points on the compass. They had completed their task for the weekend, but were not at all interested in stopping. Following this meeting, these activists committed themselves to convincing their own Congressional members to sign on to Rep. Lynn Woolsey's call to end the occupation.

To read Rep. Woolsey's call to end the occupation, please go here.

This is a victory to build on. If the energy and passion demonstrated by Tim Carpenter is any indication, if the energy and passion demonstrated by the activists who stood with him is any indication, if the effectiveness of PDA in overcoming all obstacles to achieve this victory is any indication, the winds of this action promise to blow great and necessary changes across this nation and the world.

The Resolution on IRAQ:

WHEREAS:  The Bush Administration, using false intelligence estimates, misled the country into an illegal, unnecessary and unwise invasion and occupation of Iraq, against a country that had neither attacked nor posed an immediate threat to the United States, thus jeopardizing our national security; and

WHEREAS:  As a result of that action, more than 1,500 American troops have been killed and more than 10,000 other brave Americans have been maimed or injured, and tens of thousands of Iraqis, including many innocent civilians, have also lost their lives, been injured, and seen their property and country’s infrastructure destroyed; and

WHEREAS:  The invasion and occupation have created a severe burden on our economy, stretched the capacity of our armed forces including Reserve and National Guard troops who are serving unexpectedly long and difficult tours in Iraq, and continues to cause deep concern at home and abroad about the policies and intentions of the United States to the point where the United States is widely regarded with suspicion, hostility and distrust, and elections in Iraq confirmed that Iraqis wish the United States to withdraw

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:  That the California Democratic Party calls for termination of the occupation at the earliest possible time with the withdrawal of American troops, coupled with the creation of an international body that can assist the Iraqi people in freely and peacefully determining their own future, and that we participate in multi-lateral reconstruction.

Submitted by: 3rd AD Comm.; 5th AD Comm.; 13th AD Comm.; 16th AD Comm.; 18th AD Comm.; 21st AD Comm.; 27th AD Comm.; 28th AD Comm.; 33rd AD Comm.; 35th AD Comm.; 38th AD Comm.; 41st AD Comm.; 42nd AD Comm.; 45th AD Comm.; 68th AD Comm.; 69th AD Comm.; 4th AD Steering Comm.; City of Alameda Demo Club; Marin CCC; San Benito CCC; San Mateo CCC; Malibu Demo Club; West Orange Demo Club; Valley Dems United; Dem Club of Conejo Valley; Progressive Democrats of America & LA; DSCC members, Ruth Group; Progressive Demo;
Congresswoman Maxine Waters

* * *

Adopted by the California Democratic Party
At Its 2005 State Convention
Los Angeles Convention Center
April 17, 2005

REMINDER: Dem Meetings This Week

TOWNHALL MEETING TONIGHT, TUESDAY, APRIL 19:

As reported previously, a special Democratic Party of Bernalillo County Town Hall Meeting will take place tonight at 7PM tonight in Room 2401 at the UNM Law School featuring local legislative leaders and Lt. Governor Diane Denish.

In addition, the regular Third Thursday Meeting of the Democratic Party of Bernalillo County will be held on Thursday. This is an especially important meeting for folks who won precinct, ward and State Central Committee positions and folks who'd like to learn more about how the Party works:

THIRD THURSDAY MEETING, APRIL 21:

The Third Thursday meeting of the DPBC will be held at the UNM Law School, Room 2401, April 21 at 6 PM. It is strongly advised that Ward Chairs attend. Ward Vice Chairs, Precinct Chairs and Precinct Vice Chairs are likewise urged to come as are other interested Democrats. Items for discussion will be officer responsibilities, procedures, coordination with the state party, increased voter registration efforts, information dissemination in respective wards and precincts and issues important to the Democratic Party at all levels.

STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE EVENTS, FRIDAY & SATURDAY 4/22-23:

if you haven't already done so, now is the time to check out and register for events this Friday and Saturday in Socorro for the NM Democratic Party State Central Committee meeting. Click for event descriptions and registration forms.

Download DPNM Meeting Documents

Here are links to documents from the Democratic Party of New Mexico for the upcoming State Resolutions Committee meeting and State Central Committee meeting and events:

Download State Resolutions Committee 4/16 Meeting Call

Download State Central Committee Meeting Call

Download State Central Committee Fundraiser Reception Invitation and Registration Form

Download State Central Committee Registration Form

Download DPNM State Central Committee Voting Proxy Form

The State Resolutions Committee Meeting is set for Saturday, April 16, at 8:30 AM at the Plumbers and Pipe Fitters Hall. Any Democrat can attend and participate in debate about the resolutions passed at County meetings around the state that will be voted upon by the Committee.

State Central Commitee Meeting activities begin Friday, April 22, with a 7 PM opening Party fundraiser reception with special guests Governor Bill Richardson And Congressman Tom Udall at the Macey Center on the NM Tech campus in Socorro. Tickets are $25 for SCC members and $30 for nonmembers.

The SCC Meeting itself begins at the Macey Center with registration at 9 AM and the meeting from 10 AM to 1 PM. The agenda includes voting on resolutions and election of State Party officers.

From 1 to 1:45 PM, there will be a cookout lunch at the duck pond behind Macey Center for $7.50. Afternoon breakout sessions will include caucus meetings for Progressives, Native Americans, Veterans, Democratic Women and Young Democrats, as well as training sessions on messaging and grassroots organizing.

Although only folks elected to the State Central Committee can vote at the official meeting, any Democrat is welcome to attend any of the meetings and events.

Interested progressives are urged to attend the breakout caucus on Saturday afternoon. Like-minded folks from around the state will be discussing the possibility of creating a statewide Progressive Caucus, how this would be structured and how it would relate to the State Party.

DPBC Hosts Town Hall Meeting 4/19

From the Democratic Party of NM:

We cordially invite you to attend a Bernalillo County Democratic Party

Town Hall Meeting

featuring local Senate and House Committee Chairpersons

and special guest Lt. Governor Diane Denish

April 19, 2005 at 7:00 PM

UNM Law School, Room 2401

You are invited to attend an Albuquerque area Town Hall meeting featuring our local legislative Committee Chairpersons on Tuesday, April 19, 2005 at 7:00 PM at the UNM Law School Room 2401.  Lt. Governor, Diane Denish will kick-off the town hall with remarks on the success of the Democratic agenda during the 2005 legislative session.  All Albuquerque area elected official have been invited. 

For local Democrats, the 37th legislative session was productive and successful.  In just sixty days, legislators considered over 2,500 bills, resolutions and memorials.  They approved a $4.7 billion budget that invests in our children’s futures, funding our public schools, state health care, and public safety and also promotes business through tax credits.

Our featured guests will include:

• Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish
• Representative Gail C. Beam, Chair, Government and Urban Affairs Committee
• Representative Miguel P. Garcia, Chair, Labor & Human Resources Committee
• Senator Linda M. Lopez, Chair, Rules Committee
• Senator Cisco McSorley, Chair, Judiciary Committee
• Representative Rick Miera, Chair, Education Committee
• Senator Bernadette Sanchez, Chair, Land Grant Committee
• Representative Edward C. Sandoval, Chair, Voters & Elections Committee
• Representative Mimi Stewart, Chair, Oversight, Courts, & Justice Committee

Members of the public and the press are encouraged to attend.  Members of the public interested in hearing Bernalillo Democrats’ committee and individual accomplishments, as well as their vision for next year’s session should contact 505/830-3650 or visit www.nmdemocrats.org

NM Democratic Progressive Caucus Plans & More

From Charlotte Roybal:

Dear Fellow Dems:
By now members of the State Central Committee should have received a packet from DPNM about the April 23, 2004 meeting in Socorro. Many of you expressed an interest in a Progressive Caucus. We will have a break out session on the afternoon of April 23, 2005. This session is an opportunity to meet other progressives from around the state to discuss whether we want to become a Progressive Caucus and perhaps a structure for a Progressive Caucus. Hopefully we can identify some leadership and a steering committee to work on this. Nothing has been decided. All State Central Committee members are invited as well all Democrats who are interested across the state. We want to be as inclusive as possible.

Please, if you know of anyone  in your community who is interested in a progressive voice in the party ask them to come. If they cannot come please sign them up on our sign up sheet at the State Central Committee session on April 23, 2005.

This is a totally inclusive process for all. I do not have email addressees for everyone but included as many as I had. Feel free to pass on to anyone you think might be interested.

Thank you and any questions you may have please call me at 930-0563, Charlotte Roybal

ADDITIONAL ITEMS:

These are some items taken from the party rules that will happen at the State Central Committee

District Vice-Chairs:
Two Vice-Chairs of opposite sex from each congressional district shall be elected by the respective members of the State Central Committee.  Each District Vice-Chair shall be elected separately by majority vote (state rule 5-1).  District Vice-Chairs serve on the Judicial Council.  The Judicial Council may be called upon to review challenges concerning the election of State Central Committee members or interpret state rules.

State Rules Committee:
Eleven members are appointed to the State Rules Committee by the State Chair.  These eleven members are announced at the first meeting after the election of state officers (state rule 15-2).

State Platform and Resolution Committee:
Seven members shall be elected by the State Central Committee after the election of officers (state rule 16-2.B).  Each Congressional District shall elect two members.  Equal division of man and women is not required (state rule 16.2).  Voting must follow appendix A of the state rules.  One additional at-large member shall be elected.  Seven additional members are appointed by the State Chair.

I do know that Steve Fettig who is County Chair in Los Alamos is running for a seat on Resolutions Committee.  He can be reached at osprey@cybermesa.com

I also know that in CD3 Conny Maki is running to retain her seat as District Vice Chair.  She will be having a Hospitality Room at the Holiday Inn Express in Socorro on Friday night at 9 PM if you are interested in meeting with her.

Jason Bousliman is running for District Vice Chair in CD 1 (Albuquerque).

Connie Salazar from Santa Fe County and Barbara Wold from Bernalillo County have been appointed to the State Resolutions Committee. I do not know at this time who is running for other positions. I encourage all of you to consider running or asking to be appointed to fill a seat.

Editor's Note: Also see information on the State Resolutions Committee meeting this Saturday, April 16, in an earlier post on the DFNM website.

If any of our Albuquerque DFNM members are interested in attending the State Central Committee meeting and/or the planning meeting for the progressive caucus in Socorro on April 23rd or in running for any of the elective offices noted above, please contact me at dfnm_albq@comcast.net. You do not need to be a ward or precinct chair or a member of the State Central Committee to run for these positions. Any Democrat can attend the State Central Committee meeting as a nonvoting participant or be a part of the progressive caucus meeting.

State Democratic Party Resolutions Committee Saturday Will Make Or Break Resolutions

From Meredith Dixon at the Democratic Party of NM:

The State Resolutions Committee meeting will be on Saturday April 16, 2005 at 8:30 AM at the Plumbers and Pipe Fitters Hall (510 San Pedro SE). 

Please attend if you are interested in discussing/debating the resolutions that will be presented to the State Central Committee.

***This is the meeting for debating resolutions***

Editor's Note: Since time will be limited at the State Central Committee meeting on Saturday, April 23rd, THIS is the place where all county resolutions will be presented, discussed, debated and voted upon by Committee members regarding whether each resolution will go on to the State Central Committee for adoption or not.

If you are interested in promoting any particular resolutions, please attend this meeting and make your case. This will be the opportunity for anyone interested to be present and encourage or dissuade the committee on the resolutions.

An Excellent Framing Resource: DemSpeak

DemSpeak is an open source initiative where Citizen Framers gather to discuss  domestic and foreign policy with the goal of framing or re-framing (re-claiming) the Progressive Message.

Our site is rich with training links, action links, links to framing resources, progressive  resources and a growing blog roll.  Not to mention a lively conversation as members and visitors work together to shape issue briefs like the one on Social Security you'll find at: https://www.deanport.com/dem/?q=node/299

At DemSpeak we don't acknowledge the toxic Blue state/Red state dichotomy. We're citizens working to change the language of politics so we can converse with the whole American family about what unites us rather than what divides us.

Progressive or conservative, religious or not, rich, poor, old or young Americans are in danger from an administration that treats the Constitution as if it were a first draft and the community of nations we helped to form and nurture as though it were a horde of barbarians at the gate.

Our future lies with our nation's children – yet so many are in desperate need of health care, education, decent housing. Spiritually, they are growing up in a climate that could result in their parents being afraid to raise them in the religion that expresses their deepest understanding of spirituality and the Divine.

At DemSpeak we're determined Progressives fighting for the future of the Republic.

Stop by, join in, use what you need.

Pax.

Nancy Virginia Varian
Daily Site Editor
www.demspeak.com

(Editor's Note: We were pleased to welcome Nancy to our DFA-DFNM Meetup last week as a new member. The site is definitely a useful resource for improving our framing and communications skills!)

Sound Off! Who's the Culprit?

From Barbara Wold:
I was shocked and appalled to see the following item on Joe Monahan's website today:

Linda Lopez & The Deaniacs; No, It's Not a Rock Band
It would make a good name for a rock band: Linda Lopez and the Deaniacs. But the veteran Dem ABQ Valley State Senator is probably in no mood to joke about her whipping at the hands of supporters of onetime prez candidate and now Democrat National Chair Howard Dean. Lopez was unceremoniously dumped from her spot as chairwoman of the Bernalillo County Democratic Party and replaced by party liberal and oldtimer Marvin Moss.

"It was the Dean supporters who did did her in. They packed the precinct and ward meetings leading up to the county convention and they did Linda in," reported an Alligator in attendance at the weekend confab. "The post has lost its glamour. Just what does the county chair do? Not a whole lot," added our on-the-scene Gator.

But whatever the chair does, Linda Lopez will not being doing it. By any measure that is a setback. She has repeatedly been mentioned as a possible candidate for higher political office, everything from Guv to mayor, but her detractors are now saying she was unable to hold on to a relatively minor party post. That gladdens the hearts of her rivals, including friends of Light Guv Diane Denish who are tired of being taunted by the Lopez clan for keeping Linda off the ballot when the two sought the Dem nomination for Light Guv in 02.' Oh yeah, Big Bill isn't crying in his beer about this one either.

I wonder who the devisive and wrong-headed person is who fed this line of distorted untruth to Monahan, who's always glad to feed the fires of Dem bashing. Given the tenor of the rumor, I'm not surprised they decided to spew this garbage anonymously.

First off, DFA-DFNM is much more than "Deaniacs" these days. Our ranks now have many people who weren't supporters of Dean's presidential run joining the "old-timers" whose involvement stretches back to the early days of the presidential primary.

Second, as anyone who knows anything knows, DFA-DFNM took no stand on the race for Bernalillo Dem County Chair. In conversations with many members, I learned first-hand that many voted for Linda Lopez and many voted for Marvin Moss. Contrary to the rather hysterical tone of the Monahan item, there was no concerted effort by "Deaniacs" to sway the race one way or another.  And most people had a hard time deciding between them.

Many I spoke with who had decided to vote for Marvin Moss said they were doing so NOT because they disliked Senator Lopez or didn't respect her politically, but because they thought Moss would have more time and inclination to immerse himself in the often tedious work that will be necessary to rebuild the Party, its infrastructure and its procedures in this time of upheaval. Many believe he has exactly the right skills for the job.

As for Linda Lopez, a significant number of members I spoke with said they thought she should instead run for higher office, like the governorship or Congress, instead of devoting time to the more mundane responsibilities of the County Chair position.

Also, every single DFA-DFNM member and other progressives I've talked to who worked with Senator Lopez on the election reform bill that's being signed today by Governor Richardson came away from the process with a very high regard for her. To a person they were impressed with her energy, enthusiasm, smarts, dedication, talent and honesty as exhibited in her negotiations with advocates, the Governor's office and other legislators.

It's clear that whoever planted this item wants to sow the seeds of divisiveness among progressive Democrats and bash Senator Lopez. They will not succeed. Contrary to to what the leaked item says, progressives sought precinct and ward chair slots, as well as membership on the State Central Committee, in order to change the Party from within and have a say on Party positions and candidates -- not to damage the chances of one of our most progressive and enlightened State Senators. 

Believe me, there are few fans of Govenor Richardson in the liberal and progressive ranks of the Party these days and it is upsetting that the item claims Richardson "isn't crying in his beer" over Senator Lopez's loss. Message for you, Bill (and whoever planted that item) -- we're trying to rebuild this Party from the ground up to counter the Republican-lite voices of Democrats-in-name-only like you and promote lively and courageous voices like Senator Lopez. Many of us intend to support her for higher office and work to get rid of the anti-progressive voices of pro-corporate Dems who vote against the little people way too much of the time. Saavy?

Sound Off: "Centrist Democrats"

From Terry Riley:
We just passed some of the most encouraging platform resolutions in our Bernalillo county central commitee as did Santa Fe, Taos, and Los Alamos.  I was really feeling good until I read this story from the Washington Times.

The actions of our county and state committees will reach the national party in a couple of months, though I am sure that the word has reached them already.  I think that we should work outside the normal channel as well as we are inside the normal channel. 

I believe that we should all write e-mails to Dean and to the DNC highlighting our agenda and pointing to the error of the "centrist Democrats."

What do you think?

Preliminary Results of DPBC State Central Committee Election

Preliminary results that could still change are up at the website of the Democratic Party of Bernalillo County:

So far, our progressive slate folks have won 23 seats out of the 119 shown for State Central Committee! Of course, as noted, the results are not finalized or official so we don't yet know for sure. But what we do know is that our people won a significant number of seats -- an extraordinary achievement given that many of us are novices in Party politics.

Congratulations to everyone who ran and everyone who helped! And special thanks to Barbara Grothus and Summer McKean for all the terrific help with strategy.

I'll be revisiting this topic when more complete results are in, but for right now I have to say we are cookin' with gas.