Democracy for New Mexico

What You Didn’t Know About The Ryan Budget: It’s Devastating For Women

Republican Senate candidate Heather Wilson says she “admires” Mitt Romney’s new running mate Paul Ryan for his willingness to “put forth bold ideas” that would deal a severe blow to women’s economic security and access to health care.

“There are many reasons why the Ryan budget is bad for women, but chief among them is its disproportionate and devastating impact on the economic security of middle-class families and women’s access to health care,” said Whitney Potter, spokeswoman for Democratic Senate candidate Martin Heinrich.

The Ryan budget calls for radical policy changes that would impose deep cuts to many of the programs women rely on for important health services, including ending Medicare as we know it. Ryan’s budget would force seniors into a voucher program, and increase their health care costs by thousands of dollars each year.

These impacts would also disproportionately affect women, who account for the majority of Medicare recipients. Moreover, twice as many women over the age of 65 live in poverty as compared to men, making Medicare even more important to their ability to access health care. Increasing, the cost of services like mammograms and cancer screenings would put preventative health care farther out of reach for millions of women across the country.

Ryan’s extreme budget also includes a tax “reform” plan that would not only make the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy permanent, but cut them even further. Women are over-represented in the ranks of middle- and low-income earners, making this a significant blow to women’s economic security.

“The fact that Heather Wilson ‘admires’ ideas that would be devastating for women and middle-class families shows just how wrong her priorities are for New Mexico,” said Potter.

Heather Wilson says she admires Ryan’s willingness to put forth bold ideas. "Paul Ryan and I served together and I've always found that he's a decent, honest and smart man," Wilson said. "And I admire his willingness to put forth bold ideas on big issues, even if I don't always agree with him." [KOB Eyewitness News, 8/11/12]

Wilson’s implicit support for the Ryan Budget. In May 2011, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported that, when asked about the Ryan Budget, Wilson responded, “I give [Ryan] a lot of credit for trying to have a serious debate about saving Medicare. Democrats have not offered one single idea to save Medicare.” [Santa Fe New Mexican, 5/30/11]

The Ryan budget would end Medicare as we know it, force seniors into a voucher program, increase costs. The Ryan Budget would replace traditional Medicare and its guaranteed benefits and instead give seniors vouchers to purchase private insurance or Medicare. The value of the vouchers would not keep up with the rising cost of health care. Once again, insurance companies would reap big profits as seniors would be forced to pay as much as $5,900 more for the benefits they have now. [CBO, 3/20/12; CBPP, 3/20/12]

The Ryan Budget will require that seniors pay deductibles, co-insurance, and copayments for many preventive services currently covered by Medicare; including cancer screenings such as mammograms and colonoscopies as well as annual wellness visits. As a result, fewer seniors will access these preventive services, thereby dramatically increasing Medicare spending in the long-term. [CMS, 2/15/12]

Women account for the majority of Medicare recipients. Women constitute more than half of the individuals with Medicare. The program is therefore critically important to preserving the health and well-being of our mothers and grandmothers. Because women, on average, are poorer, live longer and have more health care needs than men, Medicare (sometimes combined with Medicaid) potentially plays a greater role for them in preventing illness and destitution. [NWLC, 5/23/11]

Heather Wilson “Proud” Of Votes To Protect Special Tax Breaks for Companies Shipping Jobs Overseas

From Martin Heinrich for Senate Campaign.

In a recent news article in The New Mexican, a spokesperson for Heather Wilson said the former Congresswoman was “proud” of votes she took to protect special tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas.

“Heather Wilson's blatant support for giving special tax breaks to companies that ship American jobs overseas shows just how wrong her priorities are for New Mexico,” said Whitney Potter, spokeswoman for Democratic Senate candidate Martin Heinrich. “We need leaders who are going to fight for the future of the middle class and put New Mexicans back to work, not politicians that put tax breaks for the rich ahead of strengthening Medicare and Social Security.”

Echoing the chorus of the Republican Party, Wilson also signed lobbyist Grover Norquist’s tax pledge promising to never require big corporations to pay their fair share, even by closing loopholes that reward them for shipping American jobs overseas.

Background:

Wilson “Proud” of Votes to Protect Special Tax Breaks. In a recent news article in The New Mexican, a spokesperson for Heather Wilson said the former Congresswoman was “proud” of votes she took to protect special tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas. [Santa Fe New Mexican, 8/1/12]

Wilson Has Voted At Least Four Times To Protect Special Tax Breaks For Companies That Ship American Jobs Overseas. During her time in the House, Heather Wilson voted at least four times to protect special tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas. [Vote 344, 5/21/08; Associated Press,5/21/08; Vote 161, 5/12/04; wolf.house.gov, accessed 7/12/12; Vote 291,6/19/03; wolf.house.gov, accessed 7/12/12; Vote 247, 6/21/02; New York Times, 5/13/02]

Politifact: ‘True’ That The Tax Code Allows Companies To Get A Tax Break When They Send Jobs To “China Or India Or Wherever.” In September 2010 Politifact ruled that the following statement from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse was ‘True’: “The law, right now, permits companies that close down American factories and offices and move those jobs overseas to take a tax deduction for the costs associated with moving the jobs to China or India or wherever.” Whitehouse made this statement on the Senate floor while arguing for a proposal to close this loophole. Politifact concluded: “There is little debate that the current system allows companies to get a tax break for their expenses when they send jobs outside the U.S. We rate Whitehouse's statement True.” [Politifact, 11/21/10]

Wilson Voted Twice Against Banning Certain Federal Departments From Awarding Contracts To Companies That Incorporate Overseas. In 2006, Wilson voted against an amendment to the FY 07 Treasury, Transportation and Housing Appropriations bill that would have placed a ban on new contracts with corporate expatriates - companies that have incorporated on paper overseas in the tax haven countries of Bermuda, Barbados, the Cayman Islands, Antigua, Panama. In 2005, Wilson voted against an amendment to ban the departments and agencies funded under the Transportation, Treasury & Housing Appropriations bill from contracting with corporate expatriate companies. [Vote 275, 6/14/06; Rep. Berry Press Release, 6/14/06; Vote 351, 6/30/05; Rep. DeLauro Press Release, 6/30/05]

Wilson Opposed Barring Corporations Laying Off More U.S. Workers Than They Do Overseas From Receiving Ex-Im Aid. In 2002, Wilson voted against an amendment the Associated Press reported “would have barred companies from receiving bank aid if they lay off more workers in the United States than in foreign countries.” The amendment was defeated, 135-283. [Vote 120, 5/01/02; AP, 5/01/02]

Wilson Signed Americans for Tax Reform Pledge Not to Eliminate Tax Deductions. In 2011, Wilson was listed as a signer of the Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge, stating that she opposed any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates. [Americans for Tax Reform Press Release,4/18/11]

ATR Called American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010 a Taxpayer Protection Pledge Violation. In May 2010, Americans for Tax Reform issued a Tax Pledge Alert to announce that HR 4213, the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010, was a Taxpayer Protection Pledge violation. The bill would eliminate $14.451 billion of foreign tax credit loopholes. [Americans for Tax Reform, Press Release,5/20/10; House Committee on Ways and Means, “American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010, HR 4213, 5/28/10]

Let’s Get It Clear: The Message Behind the Heather Wilson Attack Ads

Produced by Peter Moulson, Special Correspondent

This June, a coordinated group of TV ads highlighted Heather Wilson’s history of siding with oil and gas corporations as they pollute groundwater while she collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from these industries.

Photo from Heather Wilson’s Facebook page.
Note: Heather drinks a warm beverage, not water.  

The TV commercials produced by The League of Conservation Voters and Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund met with muted acceptance by the mainstream New Mexico media, and even Wilson herself. But at least one New Mexico TV station and a widely-read and syndicated New Mexico newspaper chewed on the TV ad from the Sierra Club for making Wilson “look like the Wicked Witch of the West”, and over all being “vague.” It appears that one more attack on Wilson was too much.

Still from “Drinking Fountain”. Courtesy: Sierra Club.

It was The Santa Fe New Mexican which described the Sierra Club’s TV “attack ad” on Heather Wilson’s oil company cronyism as “vague”. The 30-second commercial did not mention the polluting chemical by name (it’s MTBE), or details of her voting record--for three consecutive years beginning in 2003, she voted in favor of energy bills that would have shielded MTBE manufacturers from lawsuits—and we thank The Santa Fe New Mexican for that research.

What political TV ad gives exact chapter and verse of their research? Try it yourself—in 30 seconds or less. Sounds as if Wilson’s oil and gas megabuck contributions are getting her in deep water, and somebody’s fighting back.

Thanks for stirring the pot.

Heather Wilson Wants to Protect the Rich at the Expense of New Mexico's Middle Class

From Martin Heinrich for Senate:

U.S. Senate candidate Republican Heather Wilson has a history of putting herself and special interests first. In Congress, she voted for the Bush tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires at the expense of New Mexico's middle class.

Martin Heinrich refuses to allow New Mexico to go down that dark road again.

“There are several reasons that we must end the Bush tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires, but chief among them is the simple reason that we can't afford it,” said Heinrich. “We followed Heather Wilson and George W. Bush down that road already, and America's middle class paid the price while the wealthy consolidated their grip on power.”

Heather Wilson has always put herself and the special interests ahead of the people she was supposed to represent. While Congresswoman Wilson was voting against raising the minimum wage for New Mexico's workers, Heinrich was leading the fight on the Albuquerque City Council to raise it. Wilson took six pay raises during her time in Congress, while Heinrich rejected every congressional pay raise since he's been in office. Furthermore, Wilson has refused to reject the Republican plan that would end Medicare as we know it.

“The truth is, Washington needs to get its priorities straight,” said Heinrich. “Moving our country forward requires fresh ideas and hard work. This campaign is about standing with working families and fighting for what matters most to New Mexico's middle class.”

Wilson Voted Against Raising The Minimum Wage Six Times. In 2006 and 2007, Wilson voted six times against minimum wage increases or to kill Democratic attempts to even be allowed to offer a minimum wage increase. [CQ Floor Votes; HR 2206, Vote 333, 5/10/07; CQ House Action Reports, No. 110-3, 3/20/07; HR 1591, Vote 186, 3/23/07; Leadership Document, “Democrats are Fighting for a New Direction: A Pay Raise for Millions of Americans,” 7/19/06; HR2389, Vote 382, 7/19/06; HR2990, Vote#364, 7/12/06; HR4411, Vote 360, 7/11/06; HR5672, Vote 319, 6/27/06]

Albuquerque Tribune Editorial Called On Wilson To Support Minimum Wage Increase While Allowing Her Own Pay To Go Up. In July 2006, the editorial board of the Albuquerque Tribune criticized Wilsonfor allowing a congressional pay raise to take effect while not supporting a meaningful increase in the minimum wage. They wrote, “The minimum wage has been stagnant at a mere $5.15 per hour for nearly 10 years now. That’s just shy of $11,000 per year and well below the poverty line for a family of three. For more than half of that time, Republicans - including Wilson, Bush and Sen. Pete Domenici of Albuquerque - have controlled the federal government. During the same period in which the minimum wage has been stuck below the poverty level, Congress has managed to give its own members more than $30,000 in wage raises, to the current $165,200 per year. That salary is scheduled, based on cost-of-living arguments that apparently affect only federal legislators, to automatically rise to $168,500. Domenici and Wilson supported the raise. Wilson voted for it last week, while the state’s other congressional Republican representative, Steve Pearce of Hobbs, continued his admirable practice of voting against congressional pay raises for himself and his colleagues…So why have Domenici and Wilson - often quick to support tax cuts for the wealthy, including repeal of the estate tax - been essentially AWOL on an issue that has gained substantial support among local lawmakers, despite its controversial nature and opposition by businesses? [Albuquerque Tribune, Editorial, 7/4/06]

Heinrich Led the Fight To Raise The Minimum Wage On The Albuquerque City Council. On April 20, 2006, the Albuquerque City Council approved a phased-in minimum wage increase by a 6-3 vote. The ordinance (COUNCIL BILL NO. O-06-20), sponsored by then City Councilor Martin Heinrich, was enacted on April 27, 2006. [Albuquerque Official City Website,

Wilson Voted Six Times To Allow Congressional Pay Raises. In the House, Wilson voted six times to allow her own salary to increase. [CQ Floor Votes, 6/13/06; H RES 865, Vote #261, 6/13/06; CQ Floor Votes, 6/28/05; HR 342, Vote #327, 6/28/05; CQ Floor Votes, 9/14/04; H Res 770, Vote #451, 9/14/04; CQ Floor Votes, 9/04/03; H. Res. 351, Vote #463, 9/4/03; CQ Floor Votes, 7/18/02; H. Res. 488, Vote #322, 7/18/02; CQ Floor Votes, 7/25/01; H Res. 206, Vote #267, 7/25/01]

Heinrich Rejected Every Congressional Pay Raise Since He's Been In Office. Heinrich is a cosponsor of H.R.156, the Stop the Congressional Pay Raise Act and H.R.4255, the Stop the Automatic Pay Raise for Members of Congress in Fiscal Year 2011 Act.

Wilson Consistently Supported Bush-Era Tax Cuts That Overwhelmingly Benefited Millionaires. In 2001,Wilson supported President Bush’s first round of tax cuts. In 2003, Wilson supported another round of tax cuts that overwhelmingly benefited the wealthy. In 2004, Wilson supported President Bush’s budget that permanently locked in multitrillion-dollar tax breaks that mostly benefit the nation’s wealthiest. In 2005, Wilson backed a Republican bill that extended capital gains and dividend tax breaks for the rich. And in 2006 Wilson backed another Republican tax break package that the Washington Post dubbed a “windfall for the rich, and a hole in the federal budget.” [HR 1836, Vote 149, 5/26/01; HR 2, Vote 225, 5/23/03; Center for Budget & Policy Priorities, 5/28/03;; H Con Res 393, Vote 92, 3/25/04; Vote 621, 12/8/05; Chicago Tribune, 12/9/05; HR4297, Vote 135, 5/10/06; Washington Post, 5/11/06]

2006 Study: 99% of New Mexicans Taxpayers Are Net Losers Under the Bush Tax Cuts. According to a study conducted by Citizens for Tax Justice, 99% of New Mexican taxpayers were net losers under the Bush tax cuts. For the wealthiest one percent of New Mexico residents, who have an average income of $720,500, the tax breaks outweigh the added debt burden accumulated from 2001 through 2006 by an average of $14,450 per family member. They have received an average tax break of $50,630 per family member, which exceeds their added debt burden of $36,179 by $14,750. In contrast, the added debt burden accumulated from 2001 through 2006 outweighs the tax breaks for the other 99 percent of New Mexico residents by an average of $7,589 per person. They have received a tax break of $2,305, but their added debt burden is $9,894 per person. [Citizens for Tax Justice, “99% of New Mexicans Are Net Losers Under Bush Tax and Spending Policies,” June 2006]

Heinrich Urges Vote to Make Middle-Class Tax Cuts Permanent. On September 27, 2010, Martin Heinrich released a letter he signed with 45 other House members to then Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi urging that the Congress vote on permanent tax cuts for the middle-class before adjournment in October 2010. The letter also called on the Speaker for a vote to allow the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest two percent of Americans to expire, using the additional revenue to close the federal budget deficit. [09/27/2010, Heinrich Letter]

Tax Cuts: Heinrich Fights For The Middle Class. Heinrich voted for H.R. 6467, the Middle Class Tax Relief Act of 2010, aimed at permanently extending the 2001 and 2003 income tax cuts for families making $250,000 or less and individuals making $200,000 or less. [12/02/2010, Roll no. 604]

Wilson Refuses to Take Position on Ryan Budget. In a March interview with the Albuquerque Journal’s Michael Coleman, Wilson dodged the question of whether she would support the Republican plan. “For the second year in a row, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Heather Wilson declined to take a clear position,” reported Coleman. “When I interviewed her last year, Wilson similarly refused to take a stand on Ryan’s 2011 proposal.” [3/24/12, Albuquerque Journal]

432 Days of Sidestepping. Heather Wilson has consistently dodged questions on the Ryan Budget since it was introduced in the House of Representatives on April 11, 2011. In an interview with POLITICO, Wilson stated, “I'm not in the House of Representatives. This is not something that I have to vote on.” [7/8/11, POLITICO; 4/11/2011, H.CON.RES.34 Library of Congress, THOMAS]

New Report: The Republican Budget Showers The Wealthy With Close To $300,000 In Tax Breaks While Increasing The Burden On Middle Class Families. In June 2012, the Washington Post reported, “The tax reform plan that House Republicans have advanced would sharply cut taxes for the wealthiest Americans and could leave middle-class households facing much larger tax bills, according to a new analysis set to be released Wednesday … Households earning more than $1 million a year, meanwhile, could see a net tax cut of about $300,000 annually … Roberton Williams, a senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center, reviewed the Joint Economic Committee report. Although the numbers are rough, he said, the conclusions are largely accurate.” [Washington Post, 6/19/12]

New Sierra Club Ad Targets Heather Wilson for Votes to Protect Big Oil Campaign Donors

Six Figure Ad Buy Highlights Wilson’s Dirty Water and Dirty Politics

Today, the Sierra Club launched a new six-figure television ad campaign (above) highlighting Congresswoman Heather Wilson’s record of consistently voting to put the agenda of her Big Oil campaign donors before the needs of New Mexico families. The first ad (“Natural Resources”) highlights Wilson’s multiple votes to shield chemical manufacturers and oil companies from liability for contaminating hundreds of groundwater sites and multiple water systems throughout New Mexico with MTBE, a toxic gasoline additive rated as a “potential human carcinogen” by the EPA. These same MTBE producers and Big Oil companies also contributed thousands upon thousands of dollars to Wilson’s campaign coffers.

“Wilson’s dirty politics stuck New Mexico farmers and families with dirty water while she raked in the campaign cash,” said David Farrell, Sierra Club Political Chair for the Southern Group, Rio Grande Chapter. “Big Oil and chemical companies poisoned the drinking water used by thousands and thousands of New Mexicans, putting the health of our kids at risk. But, instead of holding these polluters accountable, Heather Wilson took their money and voted to let them off the hook.”

While accepting more than $60,000 from MTBE producers and oil companies facing lawsuits because of MTBE contamination, Wilson voted four times for legislation that would protect those same companies from liability. That includes votes for the 2003, 2004, and 2005 Bush energy bills maintaining that liability shield and a vote against a stand-alone 2005 bill that would have stripped the shielding provision.

To date, Wilson has taken a total of more than $700,000 from oil and gas companies.

“Access to clean water is vitally important to farmers and families in New Mexico. Instead of protecting us, Wilson consistently chose to put big polluters and their millions first, giving them a free pass for threatening the health and well-being of our children,” said Farrell.

The new ad is part of a coalition effort by environmental and conservation groups to defeat Wilson and support the campaign of Congressman Martin Heinrich, who has consistently voted to protect clean air, clean water, and the health of New Mexico families while creating thousands of new clean energy jobs.

Republican Senate Candidate Heather Wilson Says "She Can Tolerate the Bullying of Gay Kids"

There has been very little media coverage of the statement made by the New Mexico Republican Candidate for Senate Heather Wilson. She recently went on record with an out of touch position regarding the bullying of gay kids.

At a forum in Otero County, Heather ridicules Sen. Al Franken's bill he introduced SB555; the Student Non-Discrimination Act . From Al Frankens website:

"The proposed bill establishes a comprehensive federal prohibition against discrimination and bullying in public schools based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Specifically, the bill would forbid schools from discriminating against LGBT students or ignoring harassing behavior. Fifty years of civil rights history shows that similar laws are effective in preventing discrimination from happening in the first place. Like other civil rights laws, SNDA would prompt schools to avoid liability by taking proactive steps to prevent the discrimination and bullying of students protected by the bill."

"While federal civil rights statutes clearly address discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, and national origin, they do not explicitly include sexual orientation or gender identity. As a result, LGBT students and parents have limited legal recourse for this kind of discrimination."

The video above shot by American Bridge captures Heather Wilson's entire response to her tolerating of LGBT bullying. Be sure to read her words accompanying the video. She goes on to say it is the parents responsibility to make the kids stronger. No mention of the fact that the harassing and bullying by the bullies is bad. She goes on to say: "It is a act that would criminalize harassment or bullying in schools...of...of a...of children who...uh...mm...who are gay or who-it criminalizes bullying."

Heather sounds like a bully herself in this video. Her final statement in the video of the proposed Franken bill: "it (the bill) actually punish children and say that it's prohibited to express an opinion with respect to homosexuality in the schools...um I just think that's wrong..." Can she really believe what she is saying? So many pauses, and ums and ahs, she is condoning the right of young kids to mock and hurt other kids due to their homosexuality. It is OK for kids to make fun, harass, mock, even hit a fellow student that is maybe gay or lesbian, bisexual or transgender. Imagine the outrage if Heather was admitting this same condoning of bullying of other minorities to say hurtful/hateful words causing emotional and at times physical violence.

Imagine the other Matthew Shepard's, the torturing and the killings Heather Wilson is allowing to have happen, due to uncontrolled rage and hatred towards LGBT people. Bullying today results in a hate crime tomorrow, very easily. Just remember Matthew Shepard.

    
Heather is merely spouting the hatefilled Republican party line. She even calls the bill Franken introduced an "Agenda". Sure we all know the code for "gay agenda." The radical gay agenda which is teaching young people to not hate themselves and to survive the Heathers of the world. Code that prohibits the bullying of young kids, and not having these young kids carry with them self hatred for their lives because of being lesbian or gay. With so many LGBT bullying induced LGBT suicides being in the news currently, it is unconscionable Heather Wilson could say this and not be held accountable.

Heather obviously has not heard of the; "It Get's Better" campaign. In Heather's world it would be "It gets worse." Bullying is real, it hurts, it changes lives, it affects many, it kills, it is wrong and should be stopped at a young age, not condoned by our elected officials. Watch some of the videos recorded on the It Get's Better link above. These are real people on these videos all reminding young people that your life will get better.

Who knows what Heather's sexual preference is? There have been rumors for years that she had a woman lover in Washington DC., was even seen in lesbian bars. The rumor is her husband is gay as well, and their marriage is one of convenience. Honestly, Heather is kind of butchy and her hubby is kind of fem. It is conceivable this could be a marriage of convenience. But how would we ever know and to be clear "not that being gay is a bad thing."

Also, when ever we can bring up the "Heather Wilson cover-up for her husband scandel" we must. Remember how Heather was caught and admitted to lying about removing a file of information regarding her husband and what he did to warrant a CYFD file. A previous post on this website describes this Heather cover-up and can be seen here. What ever her husband did she did not want anyone to see it and this CYFD file has never seen the light of day. One can just assume the contents of the file would have derailed the Heather Wilson train to power.

The Huffington post covered this admittance by Heather Wilson to tolerate the bullying of LGBT kids. You can read the Huff post piece here.

The only local TV news coverage was done by KOAT TV channel 7, their coverage is here. It is appalling that the republican candidate for the United States Senate has the audacity to say this. It is made worse that no main street media has covered this outrageous statement.

Heather Wilson Staff Linked to Illegal Voter Registration Scheme

ProgressNow New Mexico has discovered that senior staff from Republican Heather Wilson’s US Senate campaign are connected to a recent illegal voter registration stunt in Albuquerque.

One day after an unnamed name announced that he had illegally registered his dog to vote in New Mexico, ProgressNow NM discovered that the dog actually belongs to senior Wilson staffer Heather Wade and the "unnamed man" in the KOB report is her husband, Thomas Tolbert.

On February 20, 2012 Tolbert approached a voter registrar at UNM and asked to register to vote.  According to an interview he gave to KOB-TV, he created a false social security number and date of birth and used his dog’s name “Buddy” to complete the application to vote.  Tolbert then signed the form under the statement “I swear or affirm… that all information I have provided is correct.”

ProgressNow has called on Bernalillo County Sheriff Dan Houston and UNM Police Chief Kathy Guimond to launch an investigation into alleged voter registration fraud, a 4^th degree felony in New Mexico.

Now, our own investigation reveals that Thomas Tolbert is married to Heather Wade, a senior staffer with Heather Wilson’s Republican campaign for US Senate.  Wilson’s FEC reports and Wade’s own LinkedIn profile confirms her status with the campaign.

“This new information raises the stakes significantly,” says Pat Davis of ProgressNow NM. "Heather Wilson's team is undermining the integrity of our voting system from their kitchen tables.  And they are using her payroll to do it."

Both also share the home where the fraudulent registration card was mailed.  Tolbert told KOB-TV that he received the card in the mail earlier this week.

ProgressNow NM intends to ask Chief Guimond and Sheriff Houston to expand their investigation to determine if both persons were involved in a conspiracy to undermine the integrity of our voting system.

Read the full post and view the documents, pictures and more at ProgressNowNM.org/blog

Martin Heinrich Leads All in Campaign Fundraising for U.S. Senate Race in NM

At the end of the third quarter, NM-1 Democratic Rep. Martin Heinrich has an impressive lead over all other candidates in campaign fundraising for the U.S. Senate race in New Mexico. Last Wednesday, Heinrich's campaign released a saying that his 3Q report would show him raising more than $650,000 between July 1 and September 30, 2011, with a cash-on-hand total of more than $1.1 million. They also said then that "the impressive total was fueled by 2,596 individuals, 94 percent of whom gave $200 or less."

Today it was revealed that fellow Democratic Senate candidate, State Auditor Hector Balderas, raised about $250,000 in Q3, and has nearly $465,000 in cash on hand.

On the Republican side, former CD1 Rep. Healther Wilson raised more than $530,000 between July and the end of September. Her campaign says she has almost $1 million cash on hand. Her fellow Republican candidate, Lt. Gov. John Sanchez, reported that he raised more than $161,000 in the third quarter, and that has has about $250,000 in cash in hand. Republican Greg Sowards of Las Cruces had not yet released his info.

Q2: At the end of the second quarter, which ended June 30, 2011, the Balderas campaign reported raising $400,000 in its first two months, with approximately $370,000 cash-on hand. (Balderas did not announce his candidacy until April 26.) Heinrich for Senate reported raising $485,000 in the second quarter and just over $700,000 cash on hand.

For more posts on the 2012 Senate race in New Mexico, visit our archive.

Guest Blog by Martin Heinrich: Votes Heather Wilson Hopes You Won't Remember

This is a guest blog by Democratic U.S. Senate Candidate Martin Heinrich

Senate candidate Heather Wilson left more than a few important facts out of her recent attack in the Albuquerque Journal. Most importantly she failed to mention her 11-year track record in Congress. 

Perhaps most outrageous, is Wilson’s pretend indignity over government spending. During her time in office, former Congresswoman Heather Wilson was all for taking out loans to fight two wars and pay for an unfunded prescription drug program. At the same time, she voted for tax breaks for the richest Americans and a taxpayer-funded Wall Street bailout.

Here are a few of the highlights from her tenure as your U.S. representative that she hopes you won’t remember:

• As one of her final acts as a congresswoman, Wilson voted for a bill that gave a historic bailout to the Wall Street CEO’s who crashed our economy. Her support for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) allowed the Treasury Department to buy up to $700 billion in troubled assets.

• Wilson voted to max out our nation’s credit card on costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Data from the non-partisan CBO show that Republican-Bush policies on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and new defense policies cost $1.469 trillion dollars.

• Wilson voted for the unfunded Bush tax cuts for the ultra-rich, adding over $700 billion to the deficit over the long term. We’ve seen that Wilson’s approach to taking care of special interests and ignoring the interests of New Mexico’s middle class families has proven ineffective at stimulating job growth.

• In 2003, Wilson voted for the Medicare Part D program that gave billions of dollars to pharmaceutical companies and health care giants by not allowing Medicare to negotiate cheaper drugs for seniors. This unfunded prescription drug program costs U.S. taxpayers about $55 billion annually, paid for completely through deficit spending.

What’s more, is the irony that while Wilson focuses on earning the support of the Tea Party and playing an armchair political quarterback, she refuses to say whether she would vote for the House GOP's budget that guts Medicare. Perhaps we’ve only scratched the surface on her extreme agenda.

In the months to come, we'll surely have some tough choices to make—but going back to Heather Wilson’s devastating policies that put us in this mess in the first place isn't one of them.

America is too great a nation to cast aside our values as we face hardship. I’ll continue working to reduce the deficit but not on the backs of New Mexico seniors or the middle class. We must end the Bush tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires, strengthen Medicare and Social Security, and accelerate our commitments to bring the troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan. The path forward is one that focuses on creating jobs and puts the American middle class family first.

This is a guest blog by Martin Heinrich.

If you'd like to submit a piece for consideration as a guest blog, contact me by clicking on the Email Me link at the upper left-hand corner of the page.

Demonstrators Protest Karl Rove's ABQ Fundraiser for Heather Wilson for Senate

Karl Rove -- uncouth political strategist and GOP babysitter to the uncouth stars of the right wing -- who was once known as (George W.) Bush's Brain and referred to as "Turd Blossom" by Bush himself, headlined a fundraiser yesterday at the Tinnin residence in Albuquerque for none other than Mz. Heather Wilson, who's running for U.S. Senate now. Rove and Wilson became pals and co-conspirators of sorts during the time Wilson served as NM-01's congresswoman, and she joined former GOP Sen. Pete Domenici and worms like Mickey Barnett in trying to get rid of U.S. Attorney David Iglesias. Note that Barnett is one of the fundraiser's co-hosts. How sweet. It's like a reunion of the can Iglesias conspiracy ring.

Folks had to pay a premium of $1000 per person to get into yesterday's event -- but all the thousand-dollar donors also got a personally signed copy of Rove's book, Courage and Consequence. Who could ask for anything more, even though Media Matters points out the tome is rife with falsehoods? Hey, they're the falsehoods right wingers cling to, even today.

Naturally, New Mexico Dems couldn't resist demonstrating their distain for everything Rove-Wilson-GOP outside yesterday's event, and they did it with spirit and pizzazz. Check out the photos of some of the protestors with their pointedly critical signs. They had to make SOME dent in the attention-getting department with all those well-heeled GOP campaign pork providers, right? You betcha! (Oh wait, that's Sarah Palin's schtick.)

Blast From the Past
You may recall that Iglesias refused to pursue bogus "voter fraud" cases and allegedly wasn't working fast enough on certain corruption cases, and thus became an enemy of Wilson-Domenici et al. He was fired and eventually Wilson-Domenici got into trouble for pushing Iglesias to prosecute cases they perceived would help Wilson's chances at reelection.

Although neither one actually received the punishments they deserved, you'd have to say their squeaky clean facades, constructed so carefully over the years, didn't look so squeaky clean anymore. Domenici ended up retiring -- claiming a malady that miraculously disappeared when he left office -- and Heather lost her seat to Dem Martin Heinich when she ran in the GOP Senate primary in 2008 and lost to the right-wingers' right winger, Steve Pearce.

You can read more about the misadventures of Heather in he Iglesias case, as well as her real voting record, below. Always good to get the facts instead of the spin.

Why Rove for the headliner of this big bucks event? I guess Karl is considered a good money draw out here, and he does have those high-flying PACs that can easily pay for swoops into swing states when the time is right. Heather also clearly wants to rub elbows with right-wingers as much as possible to try to make the NM GOP base forget her long-time claims to being "moderate" when she believed that might help her reelection chances. Of course the truth is that she was a Bush-Cheney cheerleader through and through, so I'm sure it was easy to get Rove to make a trip to Albuquerque on her behalf.

However, Rove is also persona-non-grata among Tea Party advocates. He has regularly insulted them and pointed out their stupidities, so I don't know how much the Rovey vibes will help her with the right-wing extremist/Tea Party wing of the NM GOP, which is expected to back her opponent -- current Lt. Gov. John Sanchez. Well, you take what you can get when you're Heather Wilson -- an old-hat candidate in an era when the GOP wants fresh meat for their rabidly extreme base voters.

Heather Wilson on the Record:

• In mid-October 2006, Wilson and Domenici each called Iglesias personally, asking him about the status of the courthouse corruption investigation and possible indictments of New Mexico Democrats. Iglesias, seeing the calls as unwarranted interference in a criminal case by elected officials, refused to give them any information. Iglesias later testified that he was “sickened” by the calls from Wilson and Domenici. [Politico, By John Bresnahan &Josh Gerstein, 8/12/09]

• Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) called Iglesias’s dismissal “the most egregious case of political abuse of the U.S. attorney corps” and said he has forwarded the information obtained by his panel, including depositions of Rove and former White House counsel Harriet Miers, onto a Justice Department prosecutor. [Politico, By John Bresnahan &Josh Gerstein, 8/12/09]

• CQ also found that Wilson doesn't buck the president quite as much as she and her campaign handlers might like us to believe. Starting in 2001, CQ found that Wilson voted in support of Bush's stated positions on issues 88 percent of the time. In 2002, she supported the president 90 percent of the time, in 2003 her support level was 89 percent, in 2004 it was 88 percent. Only in the last year, 2005, did Wilson put some serious distance between herself and Bush, voting on his side of issues just 70 percent of the time. [Wilson Record a Maverick Streak, Not GOP Buckin' , ABQ Journal, by Michael Coleman, 3/12/06]

• In 2001, Wilson voted with House Republican leadership 94 percent of the time, according to CQ. The following year, in 2002, that number dropped to 90 percent. In 2003, the number edged up to 91 percent, then dropped to 79 percent in 2004 and then 82 percent last year, in 2005. [Wilson Record a Maverick Streak, Not GOP Buckin' , ABQ Journal, by Michael Coleman, 3/12/06]

• Democrats criticize Wilson for her decision to return only $10,000 of about $50,000 she received from Americans for a Republican Majority, or ARMPAC, a political action committee founded by DeLay. [Wilson Money Draws Criticism, ABQ Journal, by Michael Coleman, 9/14/06].  Tom Daley was eventually convicted of money laundering and conspiracy.

NM GOP Senate Candidates: John Sanchez Backs Ending Medicare But Heather Wilson Still Won't Talk

According to a statement released today by the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee (DSCC), it only took a day for extreme, right–wing Republican John Sanchez to get in line with mega-lobbyist Grover Norquist’s demands to support the GOP plan to end Medicare -- but Heather Wilson is refusing to comment. On Wednesday, Norquist issued new marching orders when he said that Republicans need to do their part to enact the reckless spending plan that privatizes Medicare in order to pay for big tax breaks for the rich and oil companies.

The following day, New Mexico Lieutenant Governor and fellow Senate hopeful John Sanchez did as he was told and finally came out and endorsed the plan, but there’s still nothing but crickets from the Wilson camp.

Norquist and Wilson are old Washington friends, and Wilson has previously signed on to Norquist’s pledge to preserve tax breaks for special interests and millionaires. But for months now, Wilson has refused to say specifically where she stands on the Republican plan.

“Heather Wilson’s Tea Party primary challenger got the message and got in line, but Wilson is ignoring new marching orders from her old Washington friend Grover Norquist,” said Matt Canter, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman. “Wilson has a long history of kowtowing to Norquist’s demands, but now she is sitting silently on the sidelines, while her party recklessly attacks Medicare. Wilson’s refusal to say anything, let alone the right thing by standing up for seniors and Medicare, sends a disturbing message.”

Guess Heather is committed to having it both ways by staying mute on the GOP policy of destroying Medicare as we know it. She doesn't want to offend senior primary voters by openly supporting her party's extreme policy -- but she also doesn't want to anger Tea Party ideologues by saying plainly that she's against it. Instead, Wilson seems dead set on trying to be a cipher on one of the most important issues being discussed in the nation today. Cowardly and expedient, isn't it?

Background:

WISLON SIGNED NORQUIST'S PLEDGE:
April 2011: Wilson Signed Grover Norquist’s ‘Taxpayer Protection Pledge.’ In April 2011, Heather Wilson signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge from Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform. [ATR Release, 4/18/11]

NORQUIST ISSUED NEW MARCHING ORDERS:
Norquist is demanding that Republicans in Congress enact the extreme Republican plan to end Medicare or pay the consequences. “Anti-tax activist Grover Norquist, the keeper of the no-new-taxes pledge that virtually all Republican politicians have signed, has a new set of marching orders for the GOP troops; Enact Rep. Paul Ryan‘s budget plan.” [Wall Street Journal, 7/12/11]

JOHN SANCHEZ GOT ON BOARD:
Sanchez finally endorsed the Ryan plan in a statement yesterday. "A genuine conservative should have no trouble supporting Rep. Ryan’s budget proposal. It is not perfect by any means, but it is a bold step toward truly reforming how our federal government does business. It protects our seniors, pays down our national debt, puts us on a responsible path to prosperity and repeals ObamaCare. I would vote for Rep. Ryan’s plan. ... For Mrs. Wilson to punt on such an important issue is disappointing, and unfortunately consistent with her record.” [Santa Fe New Mexican, 7/14/11]

WILSON SILENT ON PLAN TO END MEDICARE:
Wilson Continued to Sidestep Ryan Budget Questions. In an interview with POLITICO, Wilson continued to sidestep questions about House Finance Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s 2012 budget plan that would end Medicare in its current form. Wilson praised Ryan “for his efforts” but also pointed out that she disagreed with portions of his blueprint. “I'm not in the House of Representatives. This is not something that I have to vote on. I don't agree with some of the things in his budget plan. There are a lot of things in there that cause some concern,” Wilson said. [POLITICO, 7/8/11]

Dem Senate Candidate Hector Balderas Calls Out GOP's Heather Wilson for Refusing to Take Stand on Medicare

In an interview with POLITICO on Friday, GOP Senate candidate Heather Wilson continued to deflect questions about whether she would vote for Rep. Paul Ryan's plan to end Medicare as we know it. She told a reporter, "I'm not in the House of Representatives. This is not something that I have to vote on."

When pressed, Wilson took it one step further, indicating that she didn't need to take a firm stand on the proposal and deflecting blame to Senate Democrats, saying, "It's not my job to do Harry Reid's job here."

In response to Wilson's continued refusal to take a stand on protecting Medicare, State Auditor and Democratic US Senate Candidate Hector Balderas issued the following statement, challenging Wilson to stop weaseling on this issue:

With all due respect to Congresswoman Wilson, that answer is just not good enough. She's interviewing with the people of New Mexico for a job in the United States Senate. They deserve to know how she would act in that job.

In the last job she had serving the people of New Mexico, she voted for the policies that turned America's largest surplus into America's largest deficit and that led us to the brink of economic collapse and high unemployment. So it's even more important that people know this time if she would continue to support policies that are damaging to the economy like the Ryan plan to end Medicare as we know it.

The question is not that hard. If you got this job that you're applying for, would you vote yes or no on this plan? I don't believe the answer to deficit reduction or job creation is to pull the safety net out from under New Mexico's seniors, so my answer is no. Congresswoman Wilson, what's yours?

Come on Heather, fess up! You're either supportive of our seniors or you stand in agreement with the miserable plans of GOP leader Paul Ryan to undermine Social Security and punish seniors in order to protect lavish tax breaks for the wealthy and big corporations. Which is it? Are you ashamed of your position on this issue, or what?