Democracy for New Mexico

GI Rights & Iraq War Featured on Indy Media TV Tonight

From Indy Media TV:
Friday, September 21, 7-8 PM, Comcast Cable Channel 27 and at quote-unquote.org: GI Rights and the Iraq War. Indy Media TV welcomes Reber Boult, an attorney who has worked with GI war resisters since the Vietnam war; Jackie Thomason, from the National GI Rights Hotline; and Bruce Clark, Marine Veteran and father of a marine stationed 20 KM outside of Baghdad right now. Tune in and call in live: 346-1633.

Transcript: District 6 City Council Candidate Online Forum

The transcript is now available for yesterday's Albuquerque Journal online forum with the District 6 candidates for Albuquerque City Council. Visitors to the site were encouraged to submit questions for Kevin Smith, Blair Kaufman, Joanie Griffin and Rey Garduño (above, left to right), who then answered online. Check it out.

Albuquerque's municipal election is set for October 2, 2007. Registered voters who live in all even-numbered City Council districts will elect City Councilors. A councilor recall is also on the ballot in District 9. All voters will consider a number of municipal bond issues and ballot propositions. Mail-in (absentee) voting and in-person early voting is going on right now. See our archive of posts on the municipal election for more information on candidates, voting, issues and more.

TV Tonight: District 2 & 4 Candidates
Don't forget to tune in tonight to We The People's live TV forum with City Council candidates from Districts 2 and 4. It starts at 6:00 PM on Albuquerque Comcast community cable channel 27. You can also watch a live online stream of the show by going here. Click for more info on tonight's event.

(Updated) Edwards Buys TV Time to Counter Bush's Speech Tonight

UPDATE: Above is the message the Edwards campaign aired after Bush's speech tonight.
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Edwards at YearlyKos Q & A in August

In an innovative and bold move, the John Edwards campaign has purchased several minutes of TV time on MSNBC tonight right after Bush makes his latest TV plea to the nation to stay the course in Iraq. Edwards will use the time to rebut the Bush spin on the Iraq occupation and urge Congress to implement a firm timeline for withdrawal. Bush's speech is scheduled for 7:00 PM Mountain Time on all the major networks and cable news stations. Be sure you're tuned in to MSNBC (Albuquerque Comcast channel 30) immediately afterwards to see Edwards. Here's the message from Joe Trippi of the Edwards campaign about the move:

Tonight, after President Bush makes yet another argument for continuing the war in Iraq, John Edwards will speak directly to the American people in a nationwide address on MSNBC.

Our campaign has bought airtime on MSNBC immediately following the President's address at 9 p.m. (Eastern Time), and John Edwards will challenge the President's remarks with a strong call to the nation to end the war now.

Please watch in that timeframe—and forward this message to your friends, asking them to watch as well. Each of us has a responsibility to make sure that President Bush and Congress understand that the time for excuses has run out. John Edwards will deliver a strong message tonight on our behalf. It's time to end this war and bring our troops home.

Buying this kind of airtime is expensive. But we believe that President Bush's address must be countered with a strong voice in opposition to the failed policies that have kept our troops in harm's way for far too long. Tonight, John Edwards will continue to lead, and make the case to the nation that we cannot wait for an election to change course in Iraq—we as citizens must make Washington understand that the time to end this war is now.

Don't miss John's address tonight on MSNBC, immediately following the President.

President Bush will be on every network for free tonight. Our campaign will have to pay for the time on MSNBC so that John Edwards can challenge the President's failed policies. Please consider making a contribution to the campaign—to help us meet the costs of paying for tonight's address—and to help John's campaign continue to grow.

www.johnedwards.com/action/contribute/iraq-address

Thanks for all you do,

--Joe Trippi
  Senior Advisor, John Edwards for President
  September 13, 2007

(Click on photo for larger image. Photo credit: M.E. Broderick.)

MoveOn Petraeus Ad: The Facts

Oh, the knashing of teeth is loud indeed about the full page ad MoveOn.org placed in the New York Times to coincide with the Petraeus-Crocker spin exhibition. It's dominating discussion in the corporate media, in rightwingnut circles and even among some Democrats in Congress. Sadly, it's much louder than any wailing about the real tragedy of the last few days -- namely, that BushCo has made it clear they intend to keep the occupation-surge going full throttle until the next president steps in to clean up the mess.

The usual unholy alliance between the Repub mouthpiece media, Bush's handpicked military officers (all naysayers have been dispatched) and the White House PR operation is vehemently dedicated to its mission to make sure nothing really changes in Iraq. Well, by summer they MIGHT withdraw troops down to what they were before the 2006 election, but maybe not. It depends on whatever The Decider says it depends on when the time comes. And you know how he is.

Of course there's the minor matter that we can't really sustain the "surge" troop levels after late Spring without condemning those serving to ANOTHER stint in the occupation zone without adequate down time, but that's never bothered The Decider before. He apparently couldn't care less whether he breaks our military as long as he can keep the victory-is-near charade going until he can dump the bloody mess in the hands of his successor. If nothing else, Bush has always been good at escaping the consequences of his bad decisions.

Betrayal is Betrayal
Unfortunately, an abundance of traditional media outlets, all those grimacing Repubs before the cameras and even some moaning and groaning Dems are giving more time to complaining about the MoveOn ad than challenging the failed strategies feeding the debacle in Iraq. What's being ignored is that General Petraeus DID BETRAY THE FACTS during his droning performance before House and Senate committees. And in betraying the facts, he betrayed the people, especially the troops he commands. I guess the "patriotic" thing to do would be to ignore the situation and pretend that distortions, omissions and spin in his testimony is just fine by us. He is, after all, a handpicked four star, and apparently deserving only of praise uttered in worshipful tones.

The Facts
I know it's probably considered nitpicking in many quarters, but what did the MoveOn ad really say beyond its headline? You can see the ad (PDF), along with the full text. MoveOn has aslo provided convincing documentation for its assertions . I don't hear anyone refuting any of them. All I hear is the usual hypocritical grandstanding by Repubs who would love to change the subject from the facts at hand to a sideshow designed to demean Dems for daring to confront Bush.

Even more analysis on how Petraeus and the traditional media are ignoring or distorting the facts is provided by Think Progress and Media Matters. More at Speaker Pelosi's blog and this McClatchy News article.

Come on, everyone knows how things work in Washington, especially Bush's Washington. If generals or anyone else doesn't publicly (or sometimes even privately) agree 100% with Bush, they're either silenced, forced out or labeled "weak on terrorism." Remember how, one by one, previous Generals left the service after straying from the party line -- only to be replaced with someone willing to further The Decider's PR game?

Following in the Footsteps of Powell
Didn't we hear very similar excuses about Colin Powell and his often false and misleading testimony before the UN -- which got us into Iraq in the first place? Turns out Powell wasn't as full of integrity, competence and truthfullness as many at the time would have us believe. Turns out he wasn't really worthy of the degree of respect in which he was held. Turns out we might have entirely avoided the Iraq quagmire if more Democrats had been willing to sacrifice some of their oh-so-sacred "civility" for some speaking truth to power.

Now here we are again. Time to give up the fairy tale belief that Generals, by their very nature, don't lie publicly on behalf of their commanders-in-chief. History is full of cherry picked stats and clever distortions offered by military officers, CIA directors and many other "distinguished" personages to further the desires of presidents. It's not shocking to anyone but those afraid to call a spade a spade, even with so much on the line.

Online Chat: ABQ City Council District 6 Candidates

The Albuquerque Journal is hosting an online chat at 7:30 PM on Wednesday night, September 12th, with the four candidates running for Albuquerque City Council in District 6. Rey Garduño, Joanie Griffin, Blair Kaufman and Kevin Williams will participate in the chat, moderated by reporter Dan McKay. To access the chat, click here. You can begin submitting questions right now.

Stop the DC Establishment: Watch & Sign

I certainly support what Glenn Greenwald has to say:

"Jane Hamsher of FireDogLake has produced a video, which, along with Matt Stoller, I helped put together and narrated, documenting the four-years-long record of Gen. Petraeus in repeatedly assuring Americans that the war is going well and great progress is being made. The video can be viewed, among other places, here at FDL.

"It is actually amazing to watch media coverage of Gen. Petraeus' testimony depict him as though he has just risen from the apolitical ether as the objective and trustworthy source with regard to the war. The White House is desperate for that image to be maintained because the nation no longer trusts George Bush or Dick Cheney or other Republican office-holders, precisely because they have heard from those individuals over the last several years countless assurances of "progress," only for events repeatedly to prove those claims to be untrue.

"But since the inception of the war, Gen. Petraeus has been at the forefront of issuing those sorts of highly -- and unduly -- optimistic statements about the war's progress. The media should not take a position as to how much credibility ought to be assigned to Gen. Petraeus' testimony, but it is inexcusable to exclude from their coverage these facts -- facts which demonstrate indisputably that what Gen. Petraeus is claiming this week about the war's success is exactly what he has been claiming for the last several years.

"In addition to documenting Gen. Petraeus' history, the video is also intended to spur support for an online petition, created and to be submitted to various Congressional leaders by Matt Stoller and Open Left. That online petition, which I encourage you to sign, is here, at Stop The DC Establishment. As indicated, the video can be viewed here. This is the first step in trying to develop a template for channeling the intensity and growing anger with the political class into meaningful pressure."

Amen.

More evidence that Petraeus is spinning and dodging and politicking is offered by Juan Cole in his post "McClatchy: Civilian Deaths Steady through Surge; August Secret Official Toll Staggering 2,890; Mahdi Army Continuing Ethnic Cleansing." It's getting better all the time ... better, better, better ....

Reserve Now: We The People ABQ City Council Debates

WE THE PEOPLE- Live audience

COME SEE the Candidates Answer Your Questions!

ABQ City Council Candidate Forum Districts 2 & 4 

Channel 27

September 13th, 6 p.m.

The League of Women Voters, Albuquerque / Bernalillo County will moderate City Council Districts 2 and 4 Forum at 6 pm. Live audience will participate with their questions. Doors close at 5:45 pm. Reservations must be made by September 10th; there is limited seating. Meet 'n Greet following the Forum.

Please call the League office, staffed by volunteers, between 9:30 and noon: 884-8441 or 265-4336.

Community Cable Channel 27 - SW Corner of Civic Plaza

Please use the ramp in the center of the Building

Albuquerque, NM

Kindly forward this message to your friends.

TAPE the program if you cannot be present.

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

District 6 Forum - Live - Channel 27 on September 27th

!

THANKS FOR WATCHING

Mickey Bock, Host  Judith Binder, Producer 

Editor's Note: The municipal election in Albuquerque is set for October 2, 2007. City Councilors will be elected in even numbered districts, and there are a number of bond issues and ballot initiatives to be decided, as well as a recall election of Councilor Don Harris for District 9.

Learn more by checking out the online version of the League of Women Voters Guide for the 2007 Albuquerque Municipal Election or picking up a hard copy of the guide at various locations around the city.

You can also check out our previous posts on the municipal election at our archive on the topic.

Tonight: Univision Dem Prez Debate in Spanish & English

Spanish-language TV station Univision is hosting a Dem presidential candidate debate tonight from 6:00 to 7:30 PM Mountain Time. Albuquerque viewers can tune in to the live broadcast from the University of Miami on KLUZ-TV, channel 41, or on Comcast cable channel 15. The broadcast will also be available on Radio Cadena Univision and online at Univision.com. It's the first presidential debate to be broadcast entirely in Spanish, as well as the first to specifically address Latino issues.

Seven of the eight contenders for the Dem presidential nomination will participate. Sen. Joe Biden will miss the event to prepare for next week's Senate Foreign Relations hearing with Gen. Petraeus, which he will chair. Only two, Gov. Bill Richardson and Sen. Chris Dodd, speak fluent Spanish, but that actually shouldn't be much of a factor in the debate.

Univision anchors Maria Elena Salinas and Jorge Ramos will ask the questions in Spanish but the candidates will hear them translated into English via the UN-style earpieces they'll be wearing. Their answers in English will be translated into Spanish be an interpreter for the TV viewers. English-speaking viewers can watch using the closed caption service on their TVs.

Expect glitches and delays. Plus, I can't imagine that Richardson and Dodd will refrain from showing off their prowess in Spanish at some point, even though the rules say they must speak English during the debate. Why? Univision claims it's to give everyone a level playing field. Both Richardson and Dodd have objected to the rule.

KUNM's Women's Focus on Veterans This Saturday

On Saturday, September 8, from 12 - 2 PM, Women's Focus on public radio KUNM 89.9 FM will feature Carol Boss  and Maria Santelli welcoming a panel of women veterans for a discussion of their experiences in their service to the US Military.  Also, learn how you can support local veterans and GIs in their work for peace and justice. You can also listen to a live streamonline. Questions? mjs1126@hotmail.com.

Sunday: KSFR Radio Interview With Dem Senate Candidates

From Living on the Edge: Is it time for Pete to go? Do the Dems have a candidate who can unseat him?

Living on the Edge radio show, with hosts with hosts David Bacon and Xubi Wilson, will interview the three Democratic candidates who are currently in the running against incumbent Senator Pete Domenici. The three -- Jim Hannan, Leland Lehrman, and Don Wiviott -- are all from Santa Fe. The interview will air this Sunday, August 26th, from 1-2 PM on 101.1 FM, KSFR Santa Fe Public Radio. Join us as we talk with the candidates who feel they can win against New Mexico's longest serving Senator. This will be a very interesting and fun show, and a good way to get introduced to the candidates,their issues, and strategies that they will use to unseat Pete! Websites for the candidates:

• Jim Hannan
• Leland Lehrman
• Don Wiviott

Editor's Note: With KSFR's stronger signal, listeners outside of Santa Fe, including in Albuquerque, should be able to tune in. You can also listen to the station's live feed at their website.