Democracy for New Mexico

Heavy Media Coverage of NM-01 Race

Local and national news media and blog coverage is heating up in the NM-01 congressional race between Iraq War supporter and Republican incumbent Heather Wilson and Democratic challenger AG Patricia Madrid. Besides the recent op-ed in the Albuquerque Tribune I covered in my last post, an article the other day in USA Today and a front page post yesterday on Daily Kos focus on various aspects of this neck and neck race.

Check out the coverage of these on NM FBIHOP, a local blog that's doing a great job following this important race. Two of their recent posts discuss the USA Today article and Wilson's whining about marching in the NM State Fair Parade, as covered by Kos, this morning's Albuquerque Journal and the DCCC.

See It Now

If you haven't seen it yet, you must. If you've seen it already, watch it again. Or read the text version. In a courageous and passionate statement reminiscent of newsman Edward R. Murrow's eloquent commentary warning America about Joe McCarthy's destructive red baiting, Keith Olbermann tells it like it is with no holds barred. He absolutely skewers Rummy and the Rovian tactics being used to try and equate BushCo's warmongering with Churchillian grit and anyone who criticizes the administration with Nazi appeasers. The equations don't add up. Unreasoning, illogical, devious deceptions never do.

Once again, our democracy is in jeopardy and fascism is on the rise, from within, from the right. Increasingly, this is an emergency. The dangers are growing by leaps and bounds. Are you registered to vote yet? Are you supporting Dem candidates with everything you've got? If not, go watch the video again and reconsider. Can you imagine another two years of a Bush administration unchecked by either House of Congress? Nightmares are made of this.

Also check out the negative commentary on Rumsfeld's "Nazi appeasers" speech in newspapers across the nation.

Block the Vote: Tonight on PBS' NOW

NOW, the weekly PBS news magazine, will air 'Block the Vote' tonight, a segment focusing on some of the many tactics being employed to block the participation of voters, especially minorities, the poor, the elderly and the disabled. KUNM KNME (Channel 5) will broadcast NOW at 8:00 PM tonight, September 1st, and PBS will provide a video stream of the show after it airs. To read more about tonight's show or watch the video later, visit the PBS website.

Stick a fork in Republican Rep. Heather Wilson of Albuquerque: She's done

Heather the Enabler with Bush

Believe it or not, I didn't come up with the lines that form my headline. It was the Albuquerque Tribune's deputy editorial page editor, Larry Spohn, who wrote about the NM-01 race between Republican incumbent Heather Wilson and Democratic challenger Patricia Madrid in an op-ed published yesterday entitled "Fooling no one: Wilson's election is far from certainty, thanks to Bush, Iraq." You really should read the entire piece, but here's some excerpts to whet your appetite:

... I believe that at the end of the day, the American people - including District 1 voters in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County - will do the right thing. They will use the ultimate power of their votes to hold their politicians, including incumbent Wilson, fully accountable for the worst presidency in American history.

Wilson has enabled that presidency. The American people are paying a horrific price for Wilson and a Republican Congress that have failed miserably in their Constitutional duty to all the people - to check and balance raw presidential power and stand up to a secretive, dishonest president who chooses routinely, I'd say, to break the law.

Patricia Madrid: Part of the solution

More from the op-ed:

Despite Wilson's early efforts to smear Madrid with the state treasurer scandal in Santa Fe, it's going to be all about her Washington, D.C., sellout to big businesses, such as the oil and drug industries. And about her complicity in an administration that has waged a horrific, unjust war; turned its back on middle America; run up the national debt with abandon; compromised our economy and our environment; and used fear, deception, distortion and paper patriotism to govern.

... I believe Americans today finally get it, as is evidenced by Bush's free-fall in the polls and the stunning upsets that have befallen Bush-policy incumbents - notably another pretender, Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut.

They speak to Lincoln's gold nugget: "You can fool some of the people all the time and all of the people some of the time; but, you can't fool all the people all of the time."

Like Bush, Wilson has been fooling a lot of the people much of the time. But this November she faces Abe's pendulum - voters who are not fooled anymore. They'll hold her accountable for not holding herself, her party, her Congress and her president accountable. On this, Madrid's no fool.

If you'd like to help this scenario come true, go volunteer some time or donate some money to the Madrid campaign. It's now or never. There are only 67 days until the November 7th election and absentee (mail in) voting begins October 10th. Be a part of the solution and help us take back the U.S. House.

County Commissioner Deanna Archuleta on 'We The People' Tonight

From Mickey Bock & Judith Binder, Hosts of We The People:

WE THE PEOPLE, August 24, 2006: Deanna A. Archuleta
Thursday 7-8 PM Mountain Time, Call-in 346-1633
Community Cable Channel 27, Albuquerque, NM

Bernalillo County Commissioner Deanna A. Archuleta was elected in 2004 and represents District 3. She was instrumental in the implementation of a substance abuse program at Metropolitan Assessment Treatment Services; she is focused on economic development, education and health care.

View TV Channel 27 Live! Worldwide! with https://quote-unquote.org/ at left, link to CHannel 27; in center of screen Click for Streaming Media

WE THE PEOPLE is an innovative call-in television show looking for TRUTH and TRANSPARENCY in local, state and federal governments. THANKS FOR WATCHING.

Flood Devastation in Hatch: How We Can Help

Heath Haussamen provides his first hand account of the widespread devastation that struck Hatch, NM as a result of the recent incredibly heavy monsoon rains and flooding. He also provides contact info if you'd like to volunteer or donate money for the clean-up.  Today, Governor Bill Richardson will be asking the federal government to declare the area a disaster zone. Approximately 402 homes have been damaged in the town of about 1,600 and there's mud and water damage everywhere. Let's help our neighbors in Southern NM. Now's the time.

New Talk Radio Programming Takes a Chance

Lee Logan is now on The New Talk FM, KAGM in Albuquerque at 106.3 and KBOM in Santa Fe at 94.7, from 3-6 PM, Monday through Friday. Every Monday from 4-4:30 PM there will be a "Focus at Four" on election fraud and related issues like electronic voting machine problems. Also check out Thursday's series on Unity '08 from 3:30-4 PM with the Founding Fathers. The revised afternoon scheduling for KAGM-KBOM represents a new direction for the Talk Radio station, which in the past has focused mostly on a right-wing point of view. Lee Logan is trying to redefine and broaden the format and needs us to show our support by tuning in regularly. We need to convince management to stick with the new afternoon format. Pass it on, and tune in yourself.

Lamont vs. Lieberman Debate: Watch Live on CSPAN

C-SPAN will be carrying the debate between incumbent Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman and Dem primary challenger Ned Lamont LIVE tonight, starting at 5:00 PM Mountain Time. Since we're having our DFA-DFNM Meetup tonight as well and I'll be busy preparing for that, I'm hoping CSPAN online will have a video after the fact and/or that CSPAN will repeat the event, as it often does. Should be quite a spectacle!

Feingold Roars on War, Bush, Cheney, Lamont

Is Russ Feingold our best Democratic Senator, or what? In his appearance yesterday on Meet the Press he was direct, clear, frank and fearless in stating his views on the Iraq War, the Bush-Cheney executive power grab and the fact he would support the Democrat who wins the primary in Connecticut even if it's challenger Ned Lamont. Critics often describe Sen. Feingold as a far left-wing liberal -- not that there's anything wrong with that -- but I see him more as a common sense reformer and clear-thinking patriot who speaks from the heart. Here's the video of his appearance courtesy of Crooks and Liars. Doesn't everything he says make perfect sense? Common sense?

Election Reform Activist Paul Stokes on 'We The People' Thursday

Paul Stokes (R) speaks to reporter after offficial bill signing for NM paper ballot legislation in March 2006

WE THE PEOPLE, JUNE 22, 2006: Guest: PAUL STOKES
Paul is the Director of United Voters of New Mexico, a coalition of concerned citizens and voting rights organizations which provides a forum for information sharing, citizen action, and educational opportunities to improve the accuracy, accountability and transparency of the election process. The group actively lobbied for Paper Ballots.

View Albuquerque TV Channel 27 Live! Worldwide!
Click here
Thursday, 7-8 PM Mountain Time
Albuquerque Community Cable Channel 27
Call-in:  346-1633
HOSTS: Mickey Bock & Judith Binder

WE THE PEOPLE is an innovative call-in television show looking for TRUTH and TRANSPARENCY in local, state and federal governments. THANKS FOR WATCHING.