Democracy for New Mexico

UNM Grad Students Pass Bring the Troops Home Resolution

From the University of New Mexico’s Graduate & Professional Student Association (GPSA): On Saturday, September 7th, the UNM GPSA Council passed a resolution asking the US Congress to end the US occupation of Iraq. Citing concern for the wellbeing of US military service persons and the exorbitant costs of the war, the resolution calls for providing comprehensive health and higher educational assistance to returning troops.

The purpose of the resolution is to call attention to local student and community needs that are not being fully met due to the allocation of needed funds to the US military engagement in Iraq.

“The billions of dollars being squandered in Iraq could be much better spent making campus safer and more family friendly, and providing health care and affordable housing to students,” said GPSA President Joseph J. García. Noting the lack of diversity among the ranks of graduate and professional students, Mr. García said New Mexican’s tax money, instead of funding war, should “go towards more financial aid for aspiring graduate students from traditionally excluded backgrounds.”

Lending their support of the resolution at the meeting were State Senator Gerald Ortiz y Pino and City Councilor Isaac Benton. They spoke of the necessity for students and citizens to be heard on important issues, and described their efforts to express opposition to the US occupation of Iraq at the state legislature and city council.

The GPSA council is composed of graduate student representatives from departments across UNM—including the schools of law and medicine.

The GPSA Council will now send copies of the resolution to New Mexico’s congressional delegation, the Albuquerque City Council, the UNM Board of Regents, and the President of the United States of America.

For further information please call GPSA staffer Max Fitzpatrick at 850-4364 or 277-3803, or GPSA President Joseph J. García at 400-3802.

First Amendment Rights? What Are Those?

Read the post and watch the video. The horse charge is particularly educational as to what Bush can be expected to do as things worsen: Cops Shut Down Anti-War Press Conference in DC 9.6.2007

Elevator 9 Trial: Guilty

I hope Sen. Pete Domenici, his staff and the federal government feel proud and powerful today after the "win" against Domenici's constituents. For irony's sake, it's just too bad the case wasn't tried in the new federal courthouse instead of the old one. The new one is named after Domenici. As reported in an article in the Albuquerque Journal:

A federal magistrate handed down guilty verdicts Thursday against six anti-war activists who occupied an elevator for more than five hours last year at a federal office building in Santa Fe. Magistrate Don Svet ruled that the activists "unreasonably" blocked access to the elevator when they tried unsuccessfully to deliver an anti-war message to the office of Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M.

The six defendants were among nine activists who remained on the elevator at the Joseph M. Montoya Federal Building from about 11 a.m. to after 5 p.m. on Sept. 26, 2006. Security guards cut power to the elevator as the activists tried to reach Domenici's third-floor office, witnesses testified.

Each faces a maximum sentence of 30 days in jail and a $5,000 fine for the class C federal misdemeanor offense of failing to comply with signs and directions. Svet said he will hold a sentencing hearing within 30 days. Svet also accepted negotiated plea agreements Thursday from two of the nine activists and ordered each to pay a $25 fine. The two are Bruno Keller and Jan Lustig, both of Santa Fe. Federal prosecutors dropped charges against a ninth activist because he is a juvenile.

The Rev. John Dear, one of the six found guilty Thursday, said Svet's ruling is an attempt to silence anti-war protest. The ruling "sent a very strong signal to people who care about" the Iraq war, Dear said outside a federal court building in Albuquerque after the daylong trial. That message is, "don't speak out against the war," Dear said.

... An attorney for the co-defendants, Todd Hotchkiss of Albuquerque, said in closing that he was "surprised by the pettiness" federal officials showed by cutting power to the elevator when the activists tried to visit Domenici's office. "That response does not speak to the heart of democracy," Hotchkiss said.

... The co-defendants testified that they intended to visit Domenici's office as a group. Guards turned off power to the elevator after the nine entered the car, they said.

I'll bet if a group of Domenici's deep pocket campaign donors wanted to ride up in the elevator to express themselves, his staff would have fallen over backwards to accommodate them. Apparently constituents have to pay to get the Senator's ear. You know how he is.

See our previous post for more info on this case.

American Democracy: Time Has Come Today

I often feel speechless these days, which isn't a natural state for me. But what more can really be said about the eternal, unabated horrors of the Bush administration and its assaults on government accountability, reason, democracy, the Constitution, civil liberties, the rule of law, the environment, the economy and even common decency? It's all been said -- the savaging of so much has been documented infinitely clearly, repeatedly. And there's more new evidence every day.

What's needed is some listening and, most of all, action on the part of people who have the power to do something about this lawless demogogue and his complicit cronies. We need them (if there are any) to get real -- to be as serious about their opposition as BushCo is about its relentless assault on justice and democracy. Without that, we are dead. Our democracy is dead. Our future is dead. The planet is dead.

Instead, we have business as usual in the Congress, business as usual in the traditional media, business as usual in the citizenry, business as usual everywhere. Are we really supposed to content ourselves with weak, toothless, picky complaints about minor, peripheral matters as the infrastructure of self-government implodes in full sight of anyone willing and able raise their eyes to it?

I do it myself. Busy myself with political day-to-day, with the latest wrinkles in the latest political maneuverings, with the minutia of the machine. I convince myself that doing things that might possibly help to mitigate the worst of BushCo's impacts is worth it, at least for now. But with almost zero in the way of genuine, effective or honest responses from our "leaders" and "representatives," how much longer can I keep it up?

I'm sure many of you reading this can relate. We can't afford any more beating around the bush, literally or figuratively. What we need is for people with real power to wake up and use it on behalf of the people and the democracy. As ex-Marine Bruce Clark (whose son is stationed north of Baghdad) said at the recent Iraq Summer event -- this is TREASON, this is TYRANNY. More and more of the people -- some in relatively high places -- are admitting it, yet our public figures and power brokers limp on, murmuring platitudes. We raise our voices, we protest, we petition, we build cases, we attempt to apply pressure but no matter how convincingly or loudly we do these things, the status quo is allowed to carry on or worsen.

There is a sort of deadly paralysis infecting those who should know better, those who know in their hearts they must act now or forever be silent. We can only do so much out here in the hinterlands. Those in the circles of power are the ones who must, at last, LEAD. They must take it all seriously, for what it is: a no-holds-barred attack on our democracy and everything positive it has ever achieved or can achieve. But is it already too late for even that?

Eloquent critic and writer Chris Floyd says it is in his very long, chilling, but eminently logical piece entitled, "Post-Mortem America: Bush's Year of Triumph and the Hard Way Ahead." I can't possibly quote enough for you to get the full flavor, so please do read the entire post. Here are just a few nuggests, to lure you into reading the whole thing:

The Republic you wanted -- and at one time might have had the power to take back -- is finished. You no longer have the power to keep it; it's not there. It was kidnapped in December 2000, raped by the primed and ready exploiters of 9/11, whored by the war pimps of the 2003 aggression, gut-knifed by the corrupters of the 2004 vote, and raped again by its "rescuers" after the 2006 election. Beaten, abused, diseased and abandoned, it finally died. We are living in its grave.

The annus horribilis of 2007 has turned out to be a year of triumph for the Bush Faction -- the hit men who delivered the coup de grâce to the long-moribund Republic. Bush was written off as a lame duck after the Democrat's November 2006 election "triumph" (in fact, the narrowest of victories eked out despite an orgy of cheating and fixing by the losers), and the subsequent salvo of Establishment consensus from the Iraq Study Group, advocating a de-escalation of the war in Iraq. Then came a series of scandals, investigations, high-profile resignations, even the criminal conviction of a top White House official. But despite all this -- and abysmal poll ratings as well -- over the past eight months Bush and his coupsters have seen every single element of their violent tyranny confirmed, countenanced and extended.

What can we do? What can we do? What can we do? Does anyone know the answer? How can we get those in positions of power to act -- appropriately, strongly and now?

In certain circles words like rebellion and revolution and anarchy and resistance are bandied about as necessities, as the only ways to counteract the forces of high tech fascism. But even in these enclaves, there is no movement strong enough to make a dent. There is only more hand-wringing, criticism, fatalism, empty gestures, rote responses. I suppose this post is just more of the same. The truth is, no-one seems to know what to do or how to do it or how to foment it or how to shape it and inspire it.

The war which we were told the Democrats and ISG consensus would end or wind down has of course been escalated to its greatest level yet -- more troops, more airstrikes, more mercenaries, more Iraqi captives swelling the mammoth prison camps of the occupying power, more instability destroying the very fabric of Iraqi society. The patently illegal surveillance programs of the authoritarian regime have now been codified into law by the Democratic Congress, which has also let stand the evisceration of habeas corpus in the Military Commissions Act, and a raft of other liberty-stripping laws, rules, regulations and executive orders. Bush's self-proclaimed arbitrary power to seize American citizens (and others) without charge and hold them indefinitely -- even kill them -- has likewise been unchallenged by the legislators. Bush has brazenly defied Congressional subpoenas -- and even arbitrarily stripped the Justice Department of the power to enforce them -- to no other reaction than a stern promise from Democratic leaders to "look further into this matter." His spokesmen -- and his "signing statements" -- now openly proclaim his utter disdain for representative government, and assert at every turn his sovereign right to "interpret" -- or ignore -- legislation as he wishes.

What we lack are leaders up to the task, no matter where we look, whether within or without. We need a new Martin Luther King, Jr., a new Mahatma, a new Mother Jones, a new Jefferson, a new suffragette city of sorts. I don't sense anything or anyone like that on the horizon, do you? And I certainly don't sense anything truly up to the task within myself. How about you? Can we the people rise at last, bidden or unbidden, and make any difference at all? Isn't there at least intrinsic value in trying something? But what?

Again, as Floyd writes:

... there is no place left for the kind of [civil disobedience] action that Thoreau advocated. His way – and that of Gandhi and King, who took so much from him – envisions a state opponent which one could hope to shame into honorable action by the superior moral force of principled civil disobedience. But the very hallmark of the present regime is its shamelessness, its utter lack of any sense of honor or principle, its bestial addiction to raw power.

Still, there is this, if only this:

So whatever we can do, we must do it ourselves. If we have no power or influence, if we cannot take large actions, then we must take small ones. Every word or action raised against the overthrow of the Republic will find an echo somewhere, from one person to another to another to the next -- each isolated, individual voice slowly finding its way into a swelling chorus of dissent.

We Can't Make It Here Anymore: Labor Day Edition

The mood of the country this Labor Day seems ripe for a little James McMurtry. A house of cards collapsing in on itself because of crooked deals and unpayable debt. "Free" trade robber barons piling up their tax-free bloat. Criminals in the board rooms and government and K Street. We're entrenched in one corporate quagmire war, while another threatens as Bush plots ways to attack Iran. Oh, and here's what our Democratic "leaders" are saying about continuing funding for Iraq. Happy Labor Day 2007. Think I'll head to the mountains, for some grounding.

Visuals: Iraq Summer 'Take a Stand' in Albuquerque

I haven't had a chance to report on the moving and well-attended Take a Stand Town Hall organized in Albuquerque by the Iraq Summer campaign and others. The August 28th event at the UNM Continuing Education Auditorium attracted more than 300 people to hear Albuquerque City Counselor Martin Heinrich; ex-Marine Bruce Clark (videos above), the parent of two sons in the military, one of whom is stationed north of Baghdad right now; Major General Mel Montano, US Air National Guard, Retired, and former Adjunct General of New Mexico; Judy Pratt, activist, former NM State Senator and 1984 U.S. Senate candidate against Pete Domenici; and Greg Richardson of the Iraq Summer campaign.

Both Sen. Pete Domenici and Rep. Heather Wilson were invited to participate, but refused the invitation to speak with their constituents about what they plan to do to end the carnage in Iraq.

I've compiled images from the Albuquerque event in this photo album for you to check out.

City Councilor Martin Heinrich speaks to crowd

The videos at the top of this post are excerpts of Bruce Clark's extremely emotional and passionate speech. They're of rather poor quality, taken with our little digital camera, but I hope you'll listen to Bruce's words about the real intent of Bush, his cronies and his supporters like Domenici and Wilson. If everyone in New Mexico could hear Bruce speak, I know that most of them would have a clear picture of what's truly at stake here. The other speakers were also excellent, and I'll cover more of what they had to say later. For now, please listen to Mr. Clark and do what you can to convince Domenici and Wilson to do what's right for the country, not what's right for the GOP or the Bush administration.

The event was moderated by Carter Bundy of AFSCME, who did a bang up job, and began with what seemed like an eternity of total silence as we watched a slideshow with the faces and names of members of the military from New Mexico who have died in the war. Lives are at stake. Time is of the essence. And still Sen. Pete Domenici and Rep. Heather Wilson won't vote to stop the deadly and damaging occupation.

By the way, Iraq Summer, MoveOn, True Majority and others helped organize similar events in many other states around the nation that day. Click to see a slide show of photos from other states.

Help Elect Replacements for Wilson and Domenici
The Beat Back Bush New Mexico page was created at Act Blue to counteract Bush's recent visit to Albuquerque to raise money for Pete Domenici. It's designed to raise donations from New Mexico's progressive netroots-grassroots for candidates who will run against the Republicans here. If you haven't donated yet, there's still time. Contrbute a few bucks to Martin Heinrich and Don Wiviot -- candidates who want to get rid of Heather Wilson and Pete Domenici once and for all in November 2008.

Click to read our previous posts about Beat Back Bush New Mexico.

(Updated) ABQ City Councilor Benton Introduces Bill to End Iraq War

UPDATE 9/4/07: The City Council Finance & Government Operations Committee WILL NOT hear R293 on Monday, 9/10. Instead it will be heard during the regular Council meeting on Monday, 9/17. Council meetings begin at 5 PM
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From the office of Ike Benton:
Last week City Councilman Ike Benton introduced a bill to end the war in Iraq by calling on Congress to withdraw the authorization for war. R-07-293 will go to the Finance & Government Operations committee on Monday, September 10 (5 PM in the Council Committee Room, 9th floor of
City Hall). It may come back to the full Council for a final vote on either September 17, or October 1.

If you have any questions or comments about the legislation, or want to be kept informed of its progress, contact: Kara Shair-Rosenfield, Policy Analyst - City Councilor Isaac Benton, District 3, Albuquerque City Council, tel: 505.768.3186, fax: 505.768.3227, email: karasr@cabq.gov. Contact info for Albuquerque City Councilors can be found .

(Updated) 'Elevator 9' Trial Set for 9.6.07: Tried to Get Domenici to Sign Peace Declaration

UPDATE 9.7.07: Six of the defendants were found guilty, two plead guilty and the charges against one were dropped due to being underage. See our later post.
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If you believe in free speech and nonviolent civil disobedience in the cause of peace, you can show your support by attending the federal trial of Father John Dear (above) and the 'Elevator 9' in Albuquerque next week. After a number of delays, the trial is now scheduled for Thursday, September 6, at 9 AM at the federal courthouse at 421 Gold SE, in the top floor courtroom.

Father Dear and eight other peace activists were arrested cited on September 26, 2007 when they attempted to visit the Santa Fe office of NM Sen. Pete Domenici in Santa Fe to get him to sign the Declaration of Peace. They entered an elevator to go up to Domenici's office but some official stopped the elevator with its doors open so they couldn't proceed to speak to their elected representative. The activists ended up spending more than five hours in the elevator reading the names of both the American and Iraqi dead.

The small group was continually monitored by members of the Santa Fe police force, the FBI, a SWAT team, the Federal Marshalls, and Homeland Security as they recited the names. Finally, they were escorted from the scene and issued citations by Homeland Security officials. Since they have refused to pay the fines imposed, they're scheduled to go on trial for the "offense."

For more background on the 'Elevator 9' demonstrators and the charges against them, see Father Dear's account on Common Dreams and our previous post published when the trial was initially scheduled back in January. Also see the website of Pax Christi New Mexico.

Register Now: GI Rights and Veteran Support Training for New Mexicans

From Maria Santelli: Saturday, September 22, 1-5 PM: GI Rights and Veteran Support Training for New Mexicans! Four and a half years into the war and occupation of Iraq, New Mexico is home to 24,000 Iraq Veterans and tens of thousands of active duty service members -- many of whom have been left behind by the US Government and want to work through their trauma by working for peace. (Remember the importance of GI resistance in ending the Vietnam War.) Let's strengthen our local support network and link New Mexico into the national GI Hotline so we can serve our local community directly and effectively. 

This can be intense but critically important work, so we are asking you to please register by calling Maria at 247-9694, by Wednesday, September 19. Extended two-day training option if there is enough interest. (PLEASE CALL TO REGISTER AND FOR LOCATION).

Guest Blog: Senator Domenici-How In Good Conscience Can You Do This To Our Men And Women In Uniform?

This is a guest blog from Bobby Muller, founder of Veterans for America:

Sen. Pete Domenici: I have a fundamental question for you -– a really simple basic question. One that every American should be asking themselves right now as you –- and the rest of our Senators –- get ready to return from your month-long break.

When the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said that our troops were at their breaking point, when the Department of Defense reported that our current deployment policies are compounding the wounds of war, causing mental health problems among our troops to skyrocket, and that one of the primary causes was our current policy of deploying troops back to Iraq and Afghanistan without adequate dwell time at home, why didn't you do something about it?

How can you not support a policy where soldiers are deployed for 15 months in Iraq and then receive at least equal time stationed stateside to rest, train, and then fight again?  (And at least three times that much at home if they are from the Guard or Reserve.)

Well guess what? You aren't alone. Back in July before you took your summer break, a lot of United States Senators voted against this fundamental act of fairness by voting against the Webb-Hagel Amendment. (Click here to see a press conference where I spoke up for this bill before the vote.)

What's shocking to me is that this amendment was sponsored by two veterans, one Democrat and one Republican, and it was a bill that unlike many in D.C. is incredibly simple and –- more importantly -- fair to our troops: At least one month stationed stateside for every month served in Iraq or Afghanistan.  It doesn't get any more basic or any more fair than that.

Here is the exact wording of the amendment in case you didn't carefully read it before you voted against it, and our troops.

July 11, 2007, Senate Roll Call Vote 241, HR 1585
The Webb amendment would mandate minimum intervals between deployments for troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. It would require active duty forces to be guaranteed as much time at home as they served while deployed. National Guard and reservists would be guaranteed three years at home between deployments.

Now if you're in New Mexico, and you're reading this -- I frankly don't care if you're a Democrat or Republican, blue or red. I'm asking you, American to American:

How in good conscience can you do this to our men and women in uniform?

Because when your Senators vote against our troops like this, you vote against them too.

But you get another chance.

So next week, when Senator Domenici and all of our elected officials return to Washington, guess what? There's going to be another dwell time bill waiting for them; this one has already passed in the House of Representatives.

This bill, the Tauscher bill (HR 3159), like the Webb-Hagel Amendment, offers our troops a fair deployment policy. I hope every single United States Senator votes for this bill. Shame on you, Senators, if you don't.

Editor's Notes:

This is a guest blog by Bobby Muller of Veterans for America. Veterans for America (VFA), formerly the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, is uniting a new generation of veterans with those from past wars to address the causes, conduct and consequences of war. Together, veterans offer a crucial perspective when addressing public and political concerns about war in the 21st century. Click here to read more about the mission of VFA.

In the U.S. House, Rep. Heather Wilson (NM-01) voted against the Tauscher bill, as did Rep. Steve Pearce (NM-02). Rep. Tom Udall (NM-03) voted for it. In the U.S. Senate, Sen. Pete Domenici voted against the Webb-Hagel Amendment while Sen. Jeff Bingaman voted for it. To contact them about their votes click here.

Guest blogs provide readers with an opportunity to express themselves on relevant political issues and may or may not represent our views. If you'd like to submit a post for consideration as a guest blog, contact me by clicking on the Email Me link on the upper left-hand corner of the page.