Democracy for New Mexico

Monday: Dem Convention to be Gaveled to Order

At long last, today's the day for the official opening of the Dem Convention in Denver, and we'll be on the floor with the New Mexico delegation. Here's a chart that shows where we'll be sitting. We have a great site on the floor of the Pepsi center right behind Indiana on the left-hand side if you're facing the stage, so keep an eye out. You can see where I think we'll be on the left side in that narrow section in the photo above of the Pepsi Center.

Michelle Obama is the headline speaker tonight, but many more notable Dems will take the stage starting at 3:00 PM MDT. Here's today's complete schedule for a day devoted to the theme "One Nation."

I'm very excited that Sen. Ted Kennedy is supposed to make an appearance here today during a tribute to his many acccomplishments and a speech by Caroline Kennedy. It's unclear whether Ted is well enough to speak, but we know if he can possibly manage it, he will. Either way, it'll be a moving, emotional moment and a chance to thank Sen. Kennedy for his long service to the nation.

Keith Little, Frank Willeto, Bill Toledo, Jimmy Begay of the Navajo Code Talkers Association will present the Colors. Former NM Attorney General Patricia Madrid will give the report on behalf of the DNC Platform Committee, probably around 5:00 PM our time.

You can watch rather minimal network coverage, more comprehensive cable news coverage, or watch it all gavel to gavel on C-SPAN TV or online, or on the official Democratic Convention site.

PS: We bumped into former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman today and managed to get a video interview. We hope to get it up later today or early tomorrow. As I'm sure many of you know, Siegelman clearly got railroaded by the Rove machine, which resulted in his conviction on trumped up charges. We'll also have some footage soon from this morning's NM Delegation breakfast, which featured a surprise appearance by Donna Brazile.

PSS: There are rumors going around that Bruce Springsteen and/or Jon Bon-Jovi will serenade Obama when he accepts the nomination at Mile High on Thursday. We'll keep you posted.

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Sunday in Denver: Confusion, Cops, But No Cigar

Whose streets? Our streets.

Go to top of DFNM's main page to see our Zannel vids & photos.

Lesson of the day: it takes much longer to do things than it appears it should. It starts with the slow wireless connections that seem to be the norm, at least where we've been. Our "economy studio" hotel's connection is often slower than dial-up. Last night, for instance, it was taking forever even to load a web page, let alone watch or upload a video or photo. It makes me think of how countries like Japan and many European nations have nationwide broadband that's many times faster than the fastest connections we have -- and many times cheaper.

Good job telecoms and Bushies. Let's have more of this infrastructure neglect for four more years. No way to have advanced, public-wide broadband when the incredibly underregulated telecoms are so busy doing illegal surveillence on our citizens. Ironically, when we finally did get our first day's "media credentials" we discovered that Quest had apparently donated the strings used to hang the plastic-coated pass around your neck because the Quest logo was all over them.

Rats in a Maze
Then there's getting around town if you can get accurate information on where you might want to go. We ended up bouncing around town like ping pong balls, following bad directions, only to be denied entry to events we were encouraged to attend. We did this to the point of exhaustion so we didn't go to events we really could get into -- at least if we played the childish game that seems to dominate interactions at this kind of event. It mostly consists of waiting around for long periods of time, cutting through crowds, battling credential checkers and sidling up to certain people to get the secret password that permits you to go here or there and drink free liquor while in the vicinity of people you've seen on TV.

Cop-Contained

Chasing Our Tails
It helps to be connected to a media organization of any sort, that's helping to pay the bills by the way, and tossing tips your way as to what's going on. These sorts are used to running after "stories" and waiting for hours to get a quote that pretty much says what everyone would expect the person to say. They have the process down.

On-their-own partisan bloggers like us aren't really there to get a "scoop" or a nonstory story, we don't have a stipend from a news entity to pay for anything and we're women to boot, so we don't really fit in with the pushin' and shovin' to get in and grab free food and drink crowd. We don't have rooms close in, we have certain health issues that make it difficult to get around -- and so much going on in Denver seems joltingly disorganized and spread out.

One guy with sign, many cops

Continue reading "Sunday in Denver: Confusion, Cops, But No Cigar"

Denver Convention: Getting Closer

Northern NM

Go to top of DFNM's main page to see our Zannel vids & photos.

We're ALMOST to Denver for the Democratic Convention. We're at our "economy studio" in Aurora out on the flat plains near the airport and amidst the warehouses -- "media housing" arranged by the DNC housing office. Trains pass by whistling every now and then. Flocks of starlings gather and converse. We can see a colony of prairie dogs across the street. Not exactly in the thick of the action of downtown Denver, but we may come to treasure that as the pace picks up.

Trinidad CO, Where Coal Was King

We'll be retrieving the first set of DFNM's media credentials today at the Sheraton downtown. Everyone has to pick up new credentials daily, to avoid counterfeiting I guess. The rest of the week we'll be picking them up at the Hampton Inn downtown. No reason for the change.

Tentative plans are to check out the lay of the land this morning and then meet up this afternoon with some of the other state bloggers who are a part of the Zannel PoliticsBlue project. We have our own channel called DemocracyForNM within PoliticsBlue and you can see our videos, photos and messages at our channel page or on the top of the DFNM blog's main page. We'll be gathering at The Big Tent to put faces to the names and see what's happening at the two-story blogger headquarters put together by ProgressNow, the Alliance for a Sustainable Colorado and Daily Kos to be a home away from home for credentialed and noncredentialed bloggers.

Raton Pass

We'll also be hooking up with the New Mexico delegation tonight at a 5:00 PM welcome gathering at their downtown hotel headquarters. I'm sure the energy will be outstanding as everyone realizes we're finally here after months of anticipation, nominating the next President and Vice President of the United States. Yowsa.

Roadside recuerdo memorializing an accidental death at steep and often snowy Raton Pass

Matt of was trailing us by about 35 miles yesterday as we drove up to the Convention. Text messaging kept us connected as we progressed along I-25 through Northern New Mexico, which looked very green from the monsoon rains, up and over Raton Pass and into Colorado. We passed through the old city of Pueblo, with its coal-fired power plants, rusting industrial infrastructure and new development at its fringes. North along the Front Range of the Rockies, the mountains always to our left (!), and into the sprawl of the urban corridor that starts around Colorado Springs. The Focus on the Family welcome sign was plainly in view from the highway. It didn't make us feel very welcome.

Continue reading "Denver Convention: Getting Closer"

NM-03: Lujan Featured in Denver Post

Click here and then click on "Mora" to see the Denver Post's photo, video and 360 degree view of NM-03 Dem candidate Ben Ray Lujan at the Mora Fiesta Parade and explaining why he's a Democrat. Great stuff.

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Do YOU Know How Many Houses You Own?

Alex Flores Guest Blog: Obama/Biden 08!

(To see our Zannel channel with videos, photos and messages from Denver and the Dem Convention you must be on our main page at www.DemocracyForNewMexico.com. The widget is at the top of the page under our banner.)

This is a guest post by Alex Flores, who blogs at Alex on Politics. Alex is from Corrales, NM and will be working on a Master's at Princeton. He'll be serving as a Page at the Democratic Convention, assigned to Democratic Party of New Mexico Chairman Brian Colón.

Campaign back channels are confirming Senator Joe Biden will become Senator Barack Obama’s Vice-Presidential Nominee tomorrow.

It’s going to be an impressive duo to watch this election season! 10 weeks to go.

Tonight, confirmation that the United States Secret Service has dispatched a protective detail to assume the immediate protection of Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., a source tells ABC News, indicating in all likelihood that Biden has been officially notified that Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, has selected him to be his running mate.

Interviewing on “The Early Show” on CBS this past sunday, Obama made clear what his expectations are for his Vice-President:

“Obviously, the most important question is: Is this person ready to be president?” Second, he said, was: “Can this person help me govern? Are they going to be an effective partner in creating the kind of economic opportunity here at home and guiding us through some dangerous waters internationally?”

And, he added: “I want somebody who is going to be able to challenge my thinking and not simply be a ‘yes person’ when it comes to policymaking.”

Continue reading "Alex Flores Guest Blog: Obama/Biden 08!"

August 22, 2008 at 10:52 PM in 2008 Dem VP Candidates, 2008 Democratic Convention, 2008 General Presidential Election, Guest Blogger | Permalink | Comments (7)

NM-Sen: Join in a LIVE BLOG with TOM UDALL RIGHT NOW

From Rep. Tom Udall, Dem candidate for U.S. Senate in New Mexico:

First of all, just wanted to say a big thank you to Barb and Mary Ellen. Not just for welcoming me to live blog here as a part of my "Doing Right by New Mexico Tour", but also because of all their hard work to make New Mexico a better place. They're out there every day connecting progressives and spreading the message about our great candidates here.

I have a pretty simple rule that guides me when I am making important policy decisions or looking at specific legislation. All I really think about is whether it's right for New Mexico and our nation. That's one of the most important things I learned from my family -- the real value of public service. And I believe that's a common trait we all share in the Democracy for America community.

With the way things have been going during the last eight years it is vital to have independent, thoughtful and dedicated folks like you keeping a close eye on what your public servants do. Harry Truman always said that the most important position in America wasn't President, or Senator. It was that of the citizen. And with this great blog, your coverage of the issues and your tireless organizing, you really are all great citizens.

With that, I'll be here for about a half hour or so and I'd love to take your questions or comments about our Tour!

--Tom Udall

(Click on "Comments" link at end of post to communicate with Tom.)

Tom Udall is supported by blogs in the New Mexico netroots at True Blue New Mexico. We hope you'll donate a few bucks to his campaign. We can turn New Mexico Blue but we need your help!

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August 22, 2008 at 04:25 PM in 2008 NM Senate Race | Permalink | Comments (25)

Convention Coverage: Here Comes DFNM on Politics Blue on Zannel and Beyond

The Pepsi Center podium unveiled

Democracy for New Mexico is one of twelve blogs (see below fold) from around the country chosen to help launch the group Politics Blue on Zannel, a new and exciting vlogging service you can access via your cell phone or computer. All the blogs on the Politics Blue channel at Zannel are members of the DNC State Blogger Corps and, like DFNM, have credentials to be seated with their state delegations on the floor of the Pepsi Center in Denver next Monday thru Wednesday, and on the field at Mile High Stadium on Saturday for Obama's acceptance speech.

Mary Ellen and I will be using Zannel to post video clips, photos and short text messages from the 2008 Democratic Convention. The DFNM blog has its own channel within Politics Blue, as do all the other blogs. We've installed a widget at the top of the main DFNM page where you can quickly access our latest uploads. (To see it you must be at www.DemocracyForNewMexico.com, not one of our subpages.) There are arrows you can use to move from upload to upload. Our material will also be shared on the aggregated Politics Blue group channel on Zannel. Right now, we've just got test-type material uploaded to Zannel, but soon we'll be putting up the real deal. Check back often.

Continue reading "Convention Coverage: Here Comes DFNM on Politics Blue on Zannel and Beyond"

August 22, 2008 at 11:56 AM in 2008 Democratic Convention, 2008 General Presidential Election, 2008 New Mexico Convention Delegation, Democratic Party, Visuals, Web/Tech, Zannel | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today at 4:30 PM: LIVE BLOG with TOM UDALL on DFNM

Be sure to visit the DFNM blog at around 4:30 PM Mountain time today to participate in a live blog with Rep. Tom Udall, our excellent candidate for U.S. Senate. We're excited that Tom will be taking our questions and comments and interacting live with folks on DFNM as we count down to the start of the DNC Convention in Denver. Tom's in the midst of his Doing Right by New Mexico Tour and will be checking in live from the road.

Come on back at 4:30 PM today, and encourage your friends to do the same. We'd like to have as many people as possible participating in the live blog. If you have questions or comments for Tom, today's the day to get them heard -- LIVE on the DFNM blog.

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August 22, 2008 at 10:33 AM in 2008 NM Senate Race | Permalink | Comments (0)

Patricia Madrid Named to Obama's National Latino Advisory Council

Patricia Madrid with husband Mike Messina
at Obama event earlier this year

The Obama Campaign yesterday announced the formation of its National Latino Advisory Council, highlighting the continued growth of support Senator Obama is receiving in the Latino community nationwide. According to the campaign, the advisory council is made up of key labor, faith, community leaders, and elected officials from across the country and will serve as an advisory council for the campaign on issues important to the Latino community as well as play an active role reaching out and organizing Latinos in their communities and across the country. (See list below fold.)

Among those named to the Advisory Council is New Mexico's former Attorney General Patricia Madrid. Madrid is also one of three Democrats serving as co-chairs of the Democratic Platform Committee this year.

"I am honored to have the support of these key Latino leaders from across the country that have dedicated their lives to improving and advocating for better education for our children, access to health care, civil and voting rights and advancing economic opportunities not only for Latinos, but for all Americans," said Senator Obama. "With their support and advice, we will continue building our movement for change in every community."

A recent Pew Hispanic Center Poll had Senator Obama leading amongst Hispanic registered voters by 66 percent to McCain's 23 percent. The Obama campaign is focusing on winning the support of Latinos throughout the country and in particular in the key battleground states of New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado and Florida where Latinos comprise a large percentage of the voting population. 
 


Recently, the Democratic National Committee and the Obama campaign committed an unprecedented $20 million to engage and mobilize Hispanic voters for the November election. This money will include voter registration, paid advertising, staffing and mail, in an effort to promote engagement and mobilization among Hispanic voters and build on already overwhelming support from this key group of voters for the Democratic Party and Senator Obama.

Continue reading "Patricia Madrid Named to Obama's National Latino Advisory Council"

August 22, 2008 at 12:01 AM in 2008 General Presidential Election, Minority Issues | Permalink | Comments (2)

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