Democracy for New Mexico

Barack Obama to Visit Northern New Mexico September 18th

Obama at Pepsi Center: change from the bottom up, not the top down (better quality here)

Note: See my later post more information.
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The Obama campaign announced that Barack will make his fifth visit to New Mexico, hosting an event in Northern New Mexico on September 18th. More details will be released when they become available.

NM-02: Cheney to Stump for Tinsley at Hobbs Fundraiser

According to an AP story, VP Dick Cheney, who did not attend the GOP convention in St. Paul and whose name was never mentioned formally there, will attend a fundraiser for Ed Tinsley on September 26th in Hobbs. Hobbs is the hometown of Tinsley's Dem rival, Harry Teague. No further details were immediately available on the fundraiser.

"The vice president intends to work hard this cycle to return a Republican majority to Congress and he is looking forward to returning to New Mexico," Cheney spokesman Jamie Hennigan said.

Dick has his work cut out for him on that count, don't you think? Odd, too, that in a year when the GOP prez and VP candidates are trying to convince voters they're running to "change Washington" and throw out the crooked "do-nothing" bums who have been running things, one of the most notorious bums is coming to New Mexico to boost Tinsley (left). Of course they don't want to send the incredibly unpopular Bush to stump for GOP candidates, but I wonder why they think the venal Cheney is any better.

Why, just the other day one of Cheney's cronies at Halliburton plead guilty to bribery:

A former colleague of the US Vice-President, Dick Cheney, has pleaded guilty to funnelling millions of dollars in bribes to win lucrative contracts in Nigeria for Halliburton, during the period in the Nineties when Mr Cheney ran the giant oil and gas services company.

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Join Hector Balderas for Sign-Making Party Tonight; Change Not More of the Same Rally Tomorrow

The Democratic Party of New Mexico announced that State Auditor Hector Balderas, the country's youngest Hispanic Statewide elected official, will be joined by University of New Mexico students and other young Democrats tonight to make signs for the "Change, Not More of The Same" Rally tomorrow with New Mexico Women Legislators. Come on down to DPNM headquarters, 1301 San Pedro NE, tonight at 6:30 PM to join in.

This election cycle has energized young people to get involved more than ever in the political process. For many, this is the first time they've engaged in politics. Tonight's sign-making party is meant to help them organize and mobilize for tomorrow's rally:

Please Join Democratic Women Legislators
State Senator Linda Lopez
State Senator Dede Feldman
City Councilwoman Debbie O’Malley
For a Rally and Press Conference

Let’s Show the McCain-Palin ticket that New Mexico
wants change, not more of the same!

Saturday, September 6th at 4:00 PM
Civic Plaza – 3rd and Tijeras NW; ABQ
Click for Flyer (pdf) - Pass It On

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Reminder: BBQ Fundraiser for Victor Raigoza Sunday

It's so important to support our candidates who are challenging Republicans for legislative seats, including Victor Raigoza, who's running for State Senate in District 10 on Albuquerque's West Side. There's a BBQ fundraiser at the home of Brian and Aleli Colon this Sunday from 3:00 to 5:00 PM. Click for more information (pdf). If you can't make it, you can also donate to Victor's campaign online at his website.

Wootdall? Wootdall! Only $7.30 Per Second

Most geeks have probably heard of Woot.com, where they sell one gadget every day until it's sold out -- at a rock bottom price. Now a couple of geeks at the Tom Udall campaign have come up with a U.S. Senate campaign version of wooting -- called Wootdall (what else). You know you need to check it out. How can you resist?

At Wootdall.com, you can buy one full second of TV advertising time in Southern New Mexico for the measly sum of $7.30. Yes, for the price of an elite liberal mocha java latte, you can help the Tom Udall for Senate campaign counteract the $300,000 in ad time just purchased by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to attack Tom. We can't let that go unanswered, can we? Let's fight back against the COC! We know how to do it. We're all community organizers at heart, aren't we?

To neutralize the money the COC is dumping into the race, the Udall geeks have calculated they need an extree 301 points of advertising -- which can be had at the bargain basement rate of $7.30 per second, first come, first served. Don't get left in the lurch. When the supply is gone, it's gone -- so snap up as many seconds as you can afford today, before it's too late. Demonstrate your essential geekiness while showing your impeccable taste in Senate candidates in one fell swoop. Woot on, Wootdalls! Clicky right here. I did, and I confess it made me quiver, in a cyberspacy kind of way.

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No Way, No How, No McCain-Palin

I could go into what the Repubs were on about last night, but we all know what it was -- a charade to convince those who don't know any better or who prefer not to know the truth that the GOP is on the side of ordinary Americans. It was very difficult to listen to McCain profess his desire to "reform Washington" when we know his remarks were written by Bush's former speechwriter and that he has pandered away any credibility he once had to gain the support of the wacky neocons and religious fundies he used to disdain. I'm sure you had a very similar reaction. So let's move on.

Now that the GOP dishonesty-and-denial-fest has ended, here's a just released statement by Hillary Clinton about where we stand:

The two party conventions showcased vastly different directions for our country. Senator Obama and Senator Biden offered the new ideas and positive change America needs and deserves after eight years of failed Republican leadership. Senator McCain and Governor Palin do not.

After listening to all the speeches this week, I heard nothing that suggests the Republicans are ready to fix the economy for middle class families, provide quality affordable health care for all Americans, guarantee equal pay for equal work for women, restore our nation's leadership in a complex world or tackle the myriad of challenges our country facses.

So, to slightly amend my comments from Denver: NO WAY, NO HOW, NO McCAIN-PALIN.

Hillary says NO WAY at DNCC

Hillary will be in Florida on Monday campaigning for Obama. Also on Monday, the Obama campaign plans to begin a volunteer campaign to register 30,000 voters in 30 days right here in New Mexico. What will you be doing? Join Vote for Change 30/30 and be a part of the solution.

If you share Obama's sentiment of ENOUGH in terms of failed leadership and failed policies, now's the time to do something about it. VOLUNTEER!

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Guest Blog: Albuquerque Women for Obama Rollout/Voter Registration Rally

(Note: To hear audio of Michelle's entire speech today, check out this post at Peter St. Cyr's blog, What's the Word. And there's no waiting.)

This is a guest blog by our friend Rachel N. Rodriguez of Albuquerque who attended today's rally with Michelle Obama at the UNM SUB Ballroom:

61 days until the election - we need to work hard, and women can get the job done.

That's the message Michelle Obama brought to the energized crowd today at the Women for Obama Rally, held at UNM. Of her own reaction to the short time between now and the election, Michelle said she thinks, "Yeah!" and then "Is that it?!"

This rally kicked off the 30/30 push of the Obama campaign in New Mexico to register 30,000 people in just 30 days. The call to action - to not just encourage a vote for Obama, but to first get voters registered - came not only from Michelle but from a long string of people who spoke before her, among them Chris Van Holland, Congressman from Maryland; Mrs. Richardson, wife of NM Governor Bill Richardson; Martin Heinrich, candidate for Congress; Patsy Madrid, former NM Attorney General; and Diane Denish, NM Lt. Governor.

As I waited in line outside the Student Union Building before being let into the ballroom, much of the talk among the mostly female crowd was about McCain's running mate Sarah Palin and her speech last night. Strong and smart reactions were flying, including shock at Palin's severe cuts in the Alaskan budget for special education. One woman said she wanted to come to hear Michelle Obama to get "that speech" out of her head. I even heard a woman promise to move out of the country if McCain is elected - an idea my husband and I have been throwing around as well. For now, I'm going to do all I can to help make sure Obama is in the White House come 2009...I signed up to volunteer for the Obama campaign and register folks to vote.

Once we got inside the hall, the crowd filled one-third of the room a few minutes after the doors opened. Shortly afterward, hand-made signs were passed forward, reading, "Mujeres para Obama," "Students 4 Obama," "Lobos for Obama," "Kids for Obama," and "Chicana Mama for Obama." The energy grew as the hall filled and the advertised 4 pm start time neared. To keep us occupied, a lucky Obama staffer chose a medley of energetic, if somewhat cheesy, patriotic rock ballads (including Neil Diamond's "Coming to America" and Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA") with a rap song thrown in the mix for good measure. The crowd grew antsy and alternated between chanting "O-ba-ma" and clapping. Finally, some time after 4 pm, the show began.

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Obama on GOP Convention: You Haven't Heard a Word About ...

Today in York, PA

Sarah Palin may claim to be on the side of ordinary people, but Barack Obama really IS on the side of ordinary people.

NM Nonprofits File Motion to Dismiss Lawsuit by Shannon Robinson et al.

Today, several local nonprofit organizations, including the Center for Civic Policy, filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Senators Shannon Robinson and James Taylor and Representative Dan Silva. Attorneys representing the Center for Civic Policy, New Mexico Youth Organized, Southwest Organizing Project and New Energy Economy filed the dismissal request in Second Judicial District Court.

Matt Brix, Policy Director for the Center for Civic Policy, stated," We've maintained all along that the claims made by Senators Robinson and Taylor and Representative Silva are patently false. Their lawsuit is an attempt to muzzle nonprofits from publicizing the voting records of elected officials. In these times of overwhelming special interest money and influence, New Mexicans need this information more than ever."

Click to see a copy of the Motion to Dismiss.

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(Updated) Wiseacre from Wasilla

Update: I wanted to point you to an excellent piece by Marjorie Childress that discusses Palin's mockery of community organizers. She hits the nail on the head.
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VP candidate Sarah Pallin sarcastically mocked a lot of things last night, including community organizing:

“I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities,” Ms. Palin said, a slash of the sword at Senator Barack Obama’s job as young man working on antipoverty programs in Chicago.

Maybe she doesn't really know what a community organizer does. There are many things she apparently doesn't know about, so she's being tutored by a squad of Washington insiders connected to McCain and Bush. You know how right-wing "mavericks" are -- they're entwined with all the forces they suggest they're against when they're posing as populists for the little people during election cycles. Did you get the message last night that McCain-Palin is against Washington lobbyists and business as usual? Well, except for the massive cadre of DC lobbyists who constitute the McCain-Palin campaign apparatus, and other lobbyists who have already had to flee the campaign when they got caught in the headlights with their hands in the cookie jar.

No doubt about it, Palin can mock. I hope she gets some mocking in return. She's wide open to that on many fronts. Remember, Palin believes the Iraq war is a mission from god, as is the giant natural gas pipeline she's been pushing in Alaska. Want instant support for a course of action from the uninformed? Assert it's part of god's plan implying that opposing it would be unholy. Bingo!

Right-wingers have always been good at offering bread and circuses to the masses while their wealthy cronies pick their pockets. And I can see that Palin will be a big champion to the ignorance is bliss crowd. For example, she's an advocate for keeping polar bears off the endangered species list at a time when global warming is just warming up. Oh wait, she denies the human role in global warming so she doesn't have to bother with that issue. Everything will be fixed if we drill for more oil! Well, except that the U.S. has only 3 percent of the world's reserves and a massive per capita consumption rate.

Did anyone else find it odd that almost all of the Repub speakers last night were complaining about Washington doing them wrong? I guess they forgot that their own party has dominated Congress and/or the executive branch for a decade or more -- setting all the priorities and making all the decisions. I found it especially confusing when Mitty Romney went on about LIBERALS ruining everything in DC. I'm trying to remember when LIBERALS last had any significant power nationally. Can you recall?

Denial coupled with sarcastic dissembling is a useful tool for those like Palin who will say anything her elite, insider Washington speechwriter trains her to say over a week of closed-door sessions. Palin was reciting the words of none other than Matthew Scully, former longtime Bush speechwriter. How maverick-ish!

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