Democracy for New Mexico

Obama Says Enough: How about YOU?

Enough is enough! Read about Obama's stand here.

CUT DOWN READING BLOGS. CUT DOWN WATCHING TV. CUT DOWN EMAILING THE CHOIR. GET OUT THERE AND VOLUNTEER TO REGISTER VOTERS, KNOCK ON DOORS AND MAKE PHONE CALLS. YOU MUST BE REGISTERED TO VOTE BY OCTOBER 7 TO VOTE THIS FALL. HERE'S HOW. ENOUGH WITH THE PROCRASTINATING. ACT NOW.

Enough of things like this: Pretty much the only criticism of Palin that's been written by a certain New Mexican who's forever claiming to be a "journalist" is -- get this -- "Palin’s views may be overly simplistic and fail to recognize the complexities of living on this planet." Meanwhile, absurd criticisms of Obama by him and others go on and on and on, right here in New Mexico's alleged "new" media and in the trad media all over. Tells you a lot about which candidate is viewed as a serious threat to the status quo, doesn't it? And who pretty much likes things just the way they are as long as they've got theirs.

Our entire safety net, our justice system, our constitution, our planet and so much more are all at risk if we don't win this time, and yet so many continue to treat this whole thing like a game, a gotcha opportunity, a laughing matter, a chance to get attention. This is no time for "neutrality" -- it's imperative that we all take sides. In no uncertain terms. And with everything we've got. Or else not much will matter after November 4th.

Everybody Knows
Everyone knows that McCain and Palin are shams. Everyone knows they're hypocrites. Everybody knows they're an integral part of the awful stuff that has come before -- and that the power elite want to be continued to completion. They are owned and operated by amoral (and immoral) corporate plutocrats, neocon arms dealers, corrupt lobbyists, Halliburton, Wall Street, Lockheed Martin, Countrywide Mortgage, criminal bankers, pharmaceutical companies, Exxon and many other members of the have-the-public-pay-the-costs-and-give-me-the-profits-crowd. There's not even a shred of doubt about it. Look at who gives them money, look at who runs their campaign, look at who writes their speeches, look at who gains from their policies and neglect of policies.

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NM-02: Teague's Second Ad Stresses Connections With Ordinary People

Harry Teague, the Dem Congressional candidate in NM-02, is now airing his second ad district-wide on broadcast and cable TV. This ad focuses on Harry's contributions to his community and his long-time relationships with working people. His first featured Teague talking directly to the camera about his life. Both ads provide an opportunity for Harry to demonstrate who he is and what he believes in.

I think the ad spotlights Harry's natural warmth and down-home qualities, and the lines spoken by ordinary people come across as honest and heartfelt. Although it doesn't mention his GOP rival, Ed Tinsley, the ad effectively draws contrasts with Tinsley's reputation for nastiness and the fact that he's often accused of spending more time at his "second home" in the exclusive Las Campanas development in Santa Fe than he does at his property in Capitan.

Now's the time to donate to Harry Teague's campaign -- and get the added bonus of having your contribution matched dollar for dollar. I think you'll agree that we need to turn this seat BLUE -- and make sure that the extreme rightwinger Ed Tinsley doesn't get his hands on it.

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Guest Blog: More on McCain/Heather Wilson Ties to Latest Abramoff Indictment

This is a guest blog by Daily Kos diarist Land of Enchantment. It was originally posted on Daily Kos. I previously posted on this issue here, but this in-depth piece goes into greater detail and examines John McCain's behavior in relation to the Abramoff scandal.

Sandia Pueblo, near Albuquerque in NM-01, happens to have an excellent location for a casino. They've come a long ways since their modest Bingo Room back in the 1990s. Casino proceeds have built a variety of community facilities, placed a computer in every home, and plowed a lot back into additional economic development. This is their newly-opened resort:

The mountains behind it are the Sandia Mountains, traditional spiritual place for the small Tiwa-speaking tribe. That piece of turf was claimed by the US after the Mexican-American War and later incorporated into the National Forests. The tribe was involved in ongoing efforts to protect their interests and traditional activities in the Sandias. When the the money started coming in from gaming, they decided to hire a lobbyist. Who did they hire? To the tune of $1.7 million? Jack Abramoff. And who presided over the associated Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearings? And sealed 98% of the hearing's documents? John McCain!

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Privatized Water Profits the Real Goal of Pickens' Wind Energy Plan?

T. Boone Pickens -- who funded much of the swiftboating of Kerry in 2004 -- was at the Albuquerque Convention Center today talking about his energy plan, again. But as the plan attracts more scrutiny, Pickens' true motivations for pushing it are being questioned by some. According to an article in the Local Energy News:

Critics say Pickens’ energy plan is providing cover for another plan being developed by the oil baron: Pickens is hoping to pump billions of gallons of water from an aquifer beneath the Texas Panhandle and ship it to Dallas and other major cities as drinking water. The power line corridors for his wind project, to be created by seizing private property through eminent domain, would also serve the $1.5 billion water project. Other critics of his plan question the wisdom of switching our driving addiction from oil dependence to natural gas. The production of natural gas in the U.S. has been declining since 1971.

Be sure to follow the links -- it's a fascinating story of Pickens' no-holds-barred pursuit of profits.

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Campaign Fundraiser for Rep. Mimi Stewart Set for 9/18

Mimi Stewart, one of our most effective and forward-thinking Representatives in the New Mexico Legislature, is up for reelection -- and has a Republican challenger this election cycle. Needless to say, we have to do everything in our power to make sure that Mimi keeps her seat in House District 21 so she can continue to champion causes that promote the welfare of women, regular working and middle class families and children. One way to do that is to attend next week's campaign benefit reception.

Click for a FLYER (pdf) and pass it on to friends, colleagues and neighbors who might be interested in attending. If you can't attend in person, you can donate to Mimi's campaign online at ActBlue or volunteer with her campaign by emailing k_zamarin@yahoo.com.

Please Join Us
for a Reception with
Rep. Mimi Stewart
In Support of Mimi’s Re-Election Campaign
Hosted by:
Richard Romero ◆Drew Setter ◆Mike Puelle ◆Sue Griffith ◆David Barber ◆Ricardo Barros ◆Maurice Bonal ◆Rep. Gail Chasey ◆Gary Kilpatrick ◆Randy Marshall ◆Fred Ocheskey ◆Luke Otero ◆Sonia Phillips ◆Rep. Danice Picraux ◆Sam Ray ◆Joe Thompson ◆Albuquerque Teachers Federation ◆NEA-NM ◆Joe & Daisy Kupfer ◆Dan Weaks & Marla Shoats ◆Qwest NM ◆Speaker Ben Lujan ◆Virtue Najjar & Brown P.C. ◆Senator Cisco McSorley ◆Marc Saavedra
Thursday ◆ September 18 ◆ 2008
5:30–7:00 PM
At The Home of
Margie Lockwood & Richard Romero
907 Silver SW • Albuquerque
Appetizers & Drinks Provided
Suggested Contribution: $50

If you cannot attend, please send your contribution to People for Mimi Stewart / 313 Moon St NE / Albuquerque NM 87123. RSVP to Kim Zamarin at k_zamarin@yahoo.com

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Get Your Obamanos Bumperstickers

From Ellen Wedum of Cloudcroft, who's running for state rep in HD 59: This distinctive bumpersticker is the inspiration of retired engineer Joyce Westerbur, former vice-chair of the Lincoln County Dems, who requested a design from bumperactive.com. They are going like hotcakes down here south of I-40. I bought 200 and have already sold (at cost) about 100 of them at the Otero and Dona Ana Labor Breakfasts. Anyone who wants some can order them from kyle@bumperactive.com. I like having an Obama bumper sticker that is uniquely New Mexico.

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Lots of Sierra Club NM Events This Month

From Sierra Club NM: September is turning out to be a very exciting month full of events dealing with many of the most important environmental issues facing our region today. Check out the list below for details, and email Shrayas Jatkar (Conservation Organizer, shrayas.jatkar@sierraclub.org) if you are interested in learning more or volunteering at some of the events listed here.

Thursday, September 11, 6-9:30 PM
Public Meeting on Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement (Draft GEIS) for In-Situ Leach Uranium Milling Facilities at Hilton Albuquerque (1901 University Boulevard, NE). The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will be in town to present and take public comments on its Draft GEIS for in-situ leach uranium mining. Led by Environmental Justice Organizer Robert Tohe, the Sierra Club has been working with tribal community and other pro-environment groups to challenge the GEIS process as well as the push for renewed uranium mining in the U.S. Please email shrayas.jatkar@sierraclub.org if you plan to attend and would like a set of talking points for the public meeting.

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(Updated) Heather Wilson: Office Tied to Abramoff Corruption Network?

Update: Heather Wilson has released what I think is a very weak response to the material in the Kevin Ring indictment that mentions the Abramoff firm's suspicious emails with a Wilson staffer. You can read her complete statement at (scroll down) and a report on it by Peter St. Cyr. Basically she claims she has no idea about the emails and that Sandia Pueblo officials found their way to Abramoff's lobbying firm without any help from her. Do you believe that? Wilson provided no documentation to bolster her explanations. And notice how she phrases this denial: "At no time did I take any action on behalf of Greenberg Traurig with Sandia Pueblo." She doesn't say that no-one in her office did, now does she....
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Today's reports:

The Abramoff corruption probe has already snared one GOP Congressman, Bob Ney, and implicated a few more, most prominently Rep. John Doolittle of California. But could there be another to add to the list: Rep. Heather Wilson of New Mexico?

An examination by TPMmuckraker of the indictment of former Jack Abramoff associate Kevin Ring, filed yesterday, suggests that Wilson's office was tied in to Abramoff's corruption network at a level not previously known. And John McCain's 2005 investigation into Abramoff's fleecing of Indian tribes, which McCain conducted as chair of the Senate India Affairs Committee, made no mention of that fact.

No wonder Heather has been such a public and outspoken cheerleader for McCain of late. One hand washes the other, even if McCain and Palen have been posing as the white horse mavericks arriving to save the day and clear out the crooks in Washington. Odd, since the duo has reportedly been in cahoots with the right-wing lobbying-corruption machine in any number of ways. McCain, for instance, protected the interests of a number of folks entwined in the Abramoff web, while pretending to conduct a serious probe of the corruption. According to TPM:

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Santa Fe Railyard Grand Opening This Weekend

From the City of Santa Fe: Santa Fe Mayor David Coss invites the community to attend the grand opening of the Santa Fe Railyard this weekend. Back in 1995, the residents of Santa Fe decided to purchase the Railyard property as a city investment for the future of the community. We are about to see the vision for this space become a reality.

On September 13 and 14, the City of Santa Fe, Santa Fe Railyard Community Corporation and The Trust for Public Land have planned a community celebration of the revitalized 50-acre Railyard. There are tons of fun and free activities for children and families, including art workshops, live entertainment, yoga in the park, a community dance and more. All are invited aboard the Santa Fe Southern Railway for FREE train rides on Sunday. A full schedule is here and will also be printed in a special supplement in this Wednesday’s New Mexican. Other information is posted on www.santafenm.gov. We hope to see you there!

NM-02: Talking About Guns, Tinsley Says He Has a "Rude Awakening" for Obama

Ed Tinsley, the GOP's Congressional candidate in NM-02 who's running against Democrat Harry Teague, has been caught in the act again. Tinsley's latest inflammatory remarks -- and what can be perceived as a threat to Barack Obama -- came at a recent candidate forum in Roswell. Tinsley was asked about his views on gun ownership and the Second Amendment. Instead of talking about his or his opponent's positions on the issue, Tinsley launched into a disturbing attack on presidential candidate Barack Obama, as you can see in the video clip above. Ed Tinsley said:

Well, I'll say this, somebody that certainly doesn't get it is Barack Obama when he says that our district clings to our guns and our religion out of frustration. I have a rude awakening for him and we'd love to have him as a guest at our ranch.

Check out Tinsley's demeanor when he says the words "rude awakening." What do you think he has in mind when he says it? What do you think his words are meant to convey?

Making such statements is getting to be a disturbing habit with Ed Tinsley. This isn't the first time he's demonstrated a penchant for brutal and violence-tinged rhetoric. For instance, in 2002 when running in the GOP Congressional primary in NM-02, Tinsley was asked about his views on the death penalty. He answered,

"I would certainly like to take the people out and drag them behind my horse until their head popped off."

The Albuquerque Journal printed the quote and Steve Pearce, Tinsley's primary rival back then, used it against him. Pearce -- no shrinking violet in the inflammatory rhetoric department himself -- ended up winning the primary and the Congressional seat. (Pearce is now running for U.S. Senate in New Mexico.) The voters of New Mexico's Second District evidently didn't cotton to cruel talk like that back then, and I doubt they'll do so now.

Last month, Tinsley earned Worst Person in the World status on Keith Olbermann's Countdown and gained notoriety across the web for his nasty and personal statement at a candidate forum in Las Cruces -- where he said of his Dem competitor, Harry Teague,

"How am I supposed to call my two nephews over there [in Iraq] right now ... and tell them I'm running against a guy who will cut your throat!"

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