Democracy for New Mexico

(Updated) Today: Lt. Gov. Denish Launches First Roundhouse on the Road Tour

Update: Check out the Lt. Governor's blog for posts about her experiences on the Roundhouse on the Road Tour.
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Lt. Governor Diane Denish will be reaching out directly to constituents in rural New Mexico to hear their concerns and ideas. It's all part of a series of Roundhouse on the Road Tours Denish kicks off today in Santa Rosa, Fort Sumner and Melrose. On this first tour, the Lt. Gov. is set to travel more than 500 miles, visiting eight towns in just three days. She'll be holding her constituent meetings inside a Department of Tourism bus.

“I’m looking forward to meeting as many people as possible” said Denish. “I’m traveling to not only listen to the concerns people may have, but also to hear their ideas on how we can better serve them,” she added.

According to a release from Denish's office, the general purpose of the Lieutenant Governor's Constituent Services Office is to provide assistance to citizens with individual problems or requests that relate to State Government. The office facilitates and promotes cooperation between the people of New Mexico and the various state agencies by directing citizen's complaints to the proper state agency.

On her Roundhouse on the Road tour, Denish will be traveling with her constituent services staff. Everyone is encouraged and very much welcomed to drop by during office hours for a meeting with the Lt. Governor.

Below is Lt. Governor’s Denish travel schedule and constituent office hours:

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Gov. Richardson Calls 8.15.08 Special Legislative Session

I just got back from our trip to Netroots Nation in Austin to this news confirming the long-simmering rumors of a special session. It's gonna be a busy August in an already buzzing election cycle, not to mention the Dem Convention set to launch officially in Denver on August 25th. The official release:

Governor Bill Richardson today announced that he will call legislators into a special session on Aug. 15. The Governor notified legislative leadership today about the start date to give them time to plan. The Governor is calling the special session to address access to universal health care and the $211 million CARE package he unveiled last week to boost family budgets and put money in people’s pockets. The Governor will also ask legislators to approve a $200 million road funding package.

“New Mexicans need relief now,” Governor Richardson said. “I am working with legislators to move forward with a special session so we can address health care and put money in people’s pockets before the holiday season.”

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Netroots Nation: Friday

Joe Trippi talks about where we stand

Well, it's Saturday and I'm finally getting around to posting some stuff about Friday at Netroots Nation. Better late than never! So much to do, so many people to talk to, only so much energy and then there's the dauntingly slow process of uploading photos and video. And the small matter of trying to be coherent after a day packed with politics.

DFA's Jim Dean with NM-01 Congressional Candidate Martin Heinrich

We started Friday morning with a panel called From Dean to Obama: Four Years in the Internet Revolution with former Dean campaigners Joe Trippi, Zephyr Teachout, Karl Frisch (now of Media Matters) and Amanda Michel of Huffington Post's Off the Bus. These are some of the people who started it all and they had very postive things to say about where we're going. Hint: the change has just begun in bringing millions into netroots activism. The Dean campaign was like the Wright brothers. Obama's campaign is like the first trip around the moon. More to come that we can't even imagine now. Stay tuned.

Sam Seder interviews former Gov. Don Siegel

Next up was Sam Seder's riveting interview with former Dem Governor (and former federal prisoner) Don Siegelman of Alabama. You can watch it here as live-streamed on Air America. It's definitely a must-see. The powerful injustice that is being done to this man by Karl Rove and a politicized Department of Justice should send chills down the spine of anyone who believes in the rule of law and our government's checks and balances. If it can happen to Siegelman, it can happen to anyone. Perhaps the saddest part is that the Democratic Congress is letting it happen without doing all it can to get to the bottom of this tragic case.

Visit DonSiegelman.org for an extensive archive of materials about Siegelman's case. Then make a point of going to https://ContemptForRove.com to urge your member of Congress to vote for contempt charges against Rove for refusing to honor a Congressional subpoena requiring him to answer questions about his role in the political targeting of Siegelman. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi will be answering questions at Netroot Nation tomorrow morning and you can rest assured she'll be asked to explain what she plans to do about Rove and the contempt charge he deserves.

Next up was a face-off between Markos Moulitsas of Daily Kos and DLC Chairman Harold Ford that was moderated by DFA's Executive Director Arshad Hasan. You can imagine who won. Ford was in tatters. Progressivism trumps Repub-lite "centrism" every time. At least at NN.

NM-03's Ben Ray Lujan (right) hosts luncheon for Congressional candidates and bloggers

Next came a luncheon at the Ironworks BBQ near the Convention Center that was organized by NM-03 Congressional candidate Ben Ray Lujan and his always on top of things staffer, Mark Nicastre. The event was designed to bring  a small group of bloggers and candidates together for some relaxed dialogue.

Dan Seals: charming, smart, Congressional Class '09

This event was a highlight for us as we happened to end up across the table from netroots champ Dan Seals, running for Congress in IL-10, and Annette Taddeo, a tough, progressive Dem who's challenging the 18-year Repub incumbent Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in FL-18. Nothing like eating sloppy BBQ with candidates to prompt candid discussions! These two were impressive indeed, strong on every progressive issue we raised. So were Jim Himes, trying to take down incumbent Repub Chris Shays in CT-04, and Russ Warner, who's battling the GOP incumbent in CA-26, David Dreier.

Annette Taddeo: South Florida's next Congresswoman


Jim Himes: Adios Chris Shays

I'll have more in the days to come on these candidates and the Netroots All-Star events from Friday. Right now, I'm going to relax a bit before more of Netroots Nation tonight. I feel I've earned it! Al Gore even made a surprise visit to speak to us this Saturday morning during Nancy Pelosi's event. It was exhillarating to say the least. More to come.

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NM-Sen, NM-02: Candidate Forums Set for Mescalero

According to the AP, Senate candidates Tom Udall and Steve Pearce will both appear at a candidate forum on July 26th at the Inn of the Mountain Gods in Mescalero, but they'll be appearing one at a time. The campaigns could not reach agreement about a format for a joint appearance at the forum, part of a two-day gathering of thr New Mexico Farm Bureau. Instead, each candidate in turn will speak for 30 minutes, then take questions.

"Both candidates have a great opportunity to address the group, to present and share ideas as well as take questions," Udall spokeswoman Marissa Padilla said. "It's a very important venue. We look forward to talking and comparing ideas."

Also during the Farm Bureau meeting, Dem Harry Teague and Repub Ed Tinsley, Congressional candidates in NM- 02, will participate in a forum together after agreeing to a format that includes opening statements, questions from the audience and brief rebuttals if one candidate mentions the other.

"It's kind of a debate. I would call it a debate," because House candidates can respond to each other's remarks, Teague spokesman Alex Cole said

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NM-02: Out of Town Ed and His Out of Town Donors

Republican Ed Tinsley "has only 25 donors that live" in New Mexico's Second Congressional District, said Representative Steve Pearce in 2002, according to a release by the Democratic Party of New Mexico. Six years later, more of the same from Ed Tinsley. He continues to own a house in Santa Fe, avoid questions about how much time he spends outside the district, and raise his campaign cash from outside of Southern New Mexico. Through the first quarter, Tinsley has taken 70 percent of his money from people and organizations not located in New Mexico.

"Out of town Ed lives in Santa Fe and has resorted to raising money from Las Vegas, NV and Virginia Beach. Does Ed Tinsley want to represent the people of New Mexico or the interests of his rich out of state donors?" asked Josh Geise, Executive Director of the Democratic Party of New Mexico. "Tinsley hasn't raised much money from the second district because he doesn't understand the challenges facing Southern New Mexico's middle class families, who are struggling to afford rising gas, mortgage, health care and education costs."

Background:

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Netroots Nation: Later Thursday

Lots of progressives like this one are connected in the Hilton lobby

I'm beat, it's late and the sessions start early in the morning, but I wanted to get a few things down before I call it a day. The word is that more than 2000 people are here this year, a new record for this third incarnation of the conference. But then, this is the year we really do have an excellent chance to Take Our Country Back -- something so many of us in the netroots/grassroots have been working for each and every day since 2003, when Howard Dean was running for president. And we can do it by winning both the White House and a significant number of additional seats in Congress -- not to mention state and local races.

NM-03 candidate Ben Ray Lujan sat with us at evening speeches

This afternoon we attended the Open Left caucus led by bloggers Matt Stoller and Chris Bowers, and Washington State Congressional candidate Darcy Burner. The discussion centered on lessons learned from the net neutrality and FISA battles that might help us be effective on energy and gas prices. Bottom line on what's needed: more cohesive messaging and working more closely with activist groups working the issue on the ground. It's an issue that's tough to summarize in a progressive slogan as simple as the one used by the GOP: "drill, drill, drill."

Dean speaks to the Nation: We're still powered by Howard

Afterwards we got to hang out on the outdoor patio and do what we do best -- talk politics -- with Steve Olson and Bryan Barash of Tom Udall's campaign, Matt McMillen, who's doing some work for the Martin Heinrich campaign, fellow NM blogger Matt Reichbach and Mark from California, who we met at last year's blogger conference.

Serious about the work we have ahead, even if Obama is elected

Then it was off to the big ballroom to hear Howard Dean and Wesley Clark tell it like it is and bring 2000 Democrats to their feet, cheering all the way. Boffo. Both of them. They always are. It was great to share our table with Ben Ray Lujan, Mark Nicastre of his staff and fbihopper Matt Reichbach. Not only does Ben Ray have a new website at https://www.benrlujan.com/, but he'll be doing a media and blogger event tomorrow with some of the other netroots candidates around lunchtime that we'll be attending. On Saturday, he and Martin Heinrich will be on a panel discussing the politics of New Mexico and the Inner West. Great to see New Mexico candidates so active here. Unity!

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Netroots Nation Thursday

What's in the (Netroots Nation) bag? Lots of chum.

New Mexico FBIHOP has some of Howard Dean arriving at Netroots today with the DNC's Register for Change tour that's traveling around the nation registering voters -- it'll finish in Denver at the Convention. We missed its arrival today, though, because we were elsewhere and there are a lot of elsewheres to be at this conference! Dean will be speaking tonight along with Wesley Clark. The C-SPAN bus was parked outside the Hilton when we arrived last night, but I don't know how much they'll be airing from Netroots this year.

Message from Mary Ellen: What are the two best pieces of chum in the Netroots bag? The pocket-size copy of the Constitution from the ACLU and the smashed fortune cookie that said, "If you want your children to inherit your wealth, best to die now." Hmmm.... The free mags are great too....Mother Jones, The Nation, and others. Off to have some fun!

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Netroots Nation: Days 2 and 3, Quanah to Austin to Dean

Hey, hay!

We arrived in Austin last night about 9:00 PM, sticky, tired and hungry from the road. We're at the Hilton across from the Convention Center and netroots geeks are everywhere with their orange Netroots Nation gear, laptops and phones that do everything but prepare dinner. Libruls in Texas -- although Austin is a Blue enclave in the middle of a Red State that's reportedly turning Bluer by the day.

Ghosts of auto culture past

The last leg of our drive took us from Quanah to Wichita Falls, and then south on 281 for most of the way, through towns like Mineral Wells, Stephenville, Hico, Hamilton and Lampasas. Much of the area was dominated by classy horse facilities, hay fields and large ranches.

But there were still plenty of new and ancient grain elevators, antique and wrought iron shops, long-closed gas stations, bbq joints, examples of classic public architecture and oddities -- like the massive, abandoned Hotel Baker in Mineral Wells that apparently housed well-heeled visitors who came to soak in the healing spring water in days of yore.

It's for sale: huge abandoned hotel in Mineral Wells TX

The horses were magnificent creatures of many breeds and there were foals in abundance, frolicking and kicking up their heels. Yee-haa! And goats, cattle, calves, sheep, milk cows, long horns, wild turkeys, pronghorns, hawks, chickens, roadkill armadillos and CAMELS (!) -- you name it.

Yes, those really are camels along the road. We saw a couple dozen in two different locations on 281.

Then onto 183A and I-35 and into the big city. And Austin is definitely a big city now. It's grown outwards and upwards significantly -- even since we were last here three years ago for a DemocracyFest convention.

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Obama: The Lighter Side

(Click on image for larger version)

Getting too het up and nerve-wracked over the coming election? Check out The Lighter Side on Obama's blog for some tension relief. Cartoons like the one above and more in the way of political humor.

Consider this an open thread. If you've got something to say (and I know you do), click on Comment below and say it.

State Auditor's Task Force Reaches Out to Rural Communities

State Auditor Balderas(right) speaks to group

State Auditor Hector Balderas has launched a new effort to help government entities in rural communities meet their auditing requirements, which can be economically challenging for many. The State Auditor’s Task Force on Rural Accountability held its first meeting on Monday, July 14, at the State Capitol in Santa Fe. According to a statement from the State Auditor's office, Task Force members from communities throughout the state joined State Auditor Hector Balderas, including State Representative Joni Marie Gutierrez and State Senator Phil Griego.

“I was raised and educated in Wagon Mound, and therefore have a deep understanding of the many challenges facing rural communities,” Balderas said. “I convened this task force as a first-step in finding long-term solutions for rural governments that are economically impacted by the annual audit requirement.”

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