Democracy for New Mexico

NM-Sen: New Defenders Ad Ties Pearce to Bush, Big Oil Profits

Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund today launched its third TV ad in New Mexico this election cycle, and the first since Steve Pearce defeated Heather Wilson by about 3,000 votes to win the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate in New Mexico on Tuesday. It shows how Pearce and George Bush are two peas in a pod when it comes to energy policy.

The ad calls on Pearce to begin working for the public interest rather than continually supporting President Bush’s legislative gifts to big oil. It will be broadcast throughout New Mexico and highlights Pearce’s vote to give billions in tax breaks to big oil, as well as his terrible record on improving fuel economy standards, a cost cutting solution for New Mexicans that Pearce has consistently opposed. 

The ad, entitled “Both,” highlights for New Mexicans how Pearce and Bush have consistently stood together on the wrong side of environmental issues, damaging the environment and eating into people’s wages simultaneously.

Continue reading "NM-Sen: New Defenders Ad Ties Pearce to Bush, Big Oil Profits"

Saturday: America Votes 2008 Day of Action

America Votes and the America Votes partners invite you to the 2008 Campaign Day of Action:

Saturday, June 7, 2008, 9:30 AM-6:00 PM
at the
Defenders of Wildlife Fund/SEIU International HQ
1600 San Pedro Drive NE, ABQ, 87111

Schedule:
9:30 AM: Morning Canvasses Launch
11:30 - 11:50 AM: Canvassers Open House
1:00 PM: Afternoon Canvass Launch
6:00 PM: Pizza time for canvassers

Let’s get the 2008 Campaign started UNITED
as a MOBILIZED, PROGRESSIVE FORCE in New Mexico!

Technorati Tags:

NM-Sen: Join Tom Udall at Veterans Rally Saturday

From Udall for Senate:
You're invited to join Tom Udall tomorrow at Noon for a Veterans for Udall Rally. Throughout his career in public service, Tom Udall has demonstrated that he has the integrity to do what's right. He believes that we must provide our veterans with the care they need and opportunities they deserve when they get home. For questions or to RSVP, please call Mike Davis at 505.884.3055.

Veterans for Udall
Saturday, June 7th, 12 Noon
Bataan Memorial Park, Corner of Lomas & Carlisle, ABQ

Technorati Tags:

(Updated) Dean to Stay as DNC Chair; Obama Adds One of His Own

Dean at Dem event in Albuquerque not long after becoming DNC Chair

Update: Politico reports on more change at the DNC being instituted by Obama: "Beginning Thursday, the DNC will no longer accept checks from federal lobbyists or political action committees, mirroring the strict standard Obama adopted for his presidential campaign." Gotta love it. In another nod to transparency, Obama will allow at least one pool reporter in to cover his fundraisers. McCain holds only closed-door fundraisers and bans members of the media from attending.
*****************
Great news. Do you think this would have gone this way had Clinton won? According to Chris Cillizza at the Washington Post, DNC Chair Howard Dean will remain in his current post as Obama moves to establish his influence within the Party apparatus as the Dem presidential nominee:

Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) is moving quickly to put his imprint on the Democratic National Committee, offering a vote of confidence in current chairman Howard Dean while also installing one of his most senior political deputies in a leadership role at the party committee.

In the days since Obama clinched the Democratic presidential nomination on Tuesday night, there had been speculation that Dean might be removed in favor of a party chairman of Obama's choosing. Obama put that speculation to rest this morning.

"Senator Obama appreciates the hard work that Chairman Dean has done to grow our party at the grassroots level and looks forward to working with him as the chairman of the Democratic Party as we go forward," said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton in a statement.

Continue reading "(Updated) Dean to Stay as DNC Chair; Obama Adds One of His Own"

Tonight: Celebrate and Unify at the DFA-DFNM Meetup

One of our cakes from a previous celebration

This month's Albuquerque DFA-DFNM Meetup will be a get-together to celebrate our primary victories (and commisserate over losses), come together to unify for a win in November and hang out socializing and sharing treats.

We hope to see many of our candidates and folks from the campaigns and other groups that will be working hard to elect Democrats this year to share in the festivities. If any of you are reading this, come on down! This Meetup is about celebrating with fellow grassroots activists and getting motivated for the work we must do in the months to come if we want to turn New Mexico Blue, Blue, Blue! Change is coming. And we're fired up.

All are welcome. You can RSVP and/or join the group and get on the email list here. As always, tonight's Meetup is at the Social Hall of the First Unitarian Church on the SW corner of Carlisle and Comanche in Albuquerque. It begins at 7:00 PM.

Amigos Bravos: Two River Cleanups in Taos Area

From Amigos Bravos:
As part of National River Cleanup Week (June 1 – 8) Amigos Bravos is joining with three other local groups to organize two river cleanups in the Taos area. We are looking for volunteers to help with these cleanups!

June 7th — River Cleanup Sponsored By Centinel Bank, Water Sentinels of Taos, and Amigos Bravos

• When: Saturday, June 7, 2008. 8:30 AM to Noon (Cookout Afterward)
• Where: Meet at Centinel Bank Main Parking Lot 512 Paseo Del Pueblo Sur
• Why: To clean up portions of the Río Fernando and the Little Río Grande
• Bring/Wear: Water Bottle, Work gloves, hat, long sleeved shirt, long pants, sturdy shoes.
• Contact: Jim White, Telephone 758-6749, Email: jwhite@centinelbank.com

Continue reading "Amigos Bravos: Two River Cleanups in Taos Area"

Time to Get Off the Stage, Hillary

I didn't go to the Dem Party celebration at the Albuquerque Convention Center last night because I've been to a few where the tense excitement morphed into achey depression as too many losses scrolled across the tv screens. Even the balloons and cheese platters didn't help. I couldn't take another one like that, although it turned out to be just the opposite this time. Wonderful wins for so many I supported.

But last night I wanted to watch Hillary Clinton give her concession speech in prime time and start applying her clout to unifying the Party behind our candidate. I wanted to take in every nuance of Barack Obama stepping up to the podium in victory, making history in an arena full of faces showing amazement at the audacity of of the achievement. He did it. We did it. We won, against all odds. But it was not to be. In a petulant and selfish display of I, me, mine, Hillary refused to concede. And even though Obama gave another shining, spinetingling speech, Clinton's reality-challenged spectacle in New York managed to drain more than a bit of the dazzle from a night that should have been all Barack, and all unity.

I will never forgive her and I don't think any Dem worth his or her salt should ever forgive her either. To call her performance classless and without grace is to put it mildly.

Continue reading "Time to Get Off the Stage, Hillary"

NM-01: Heinrich to Take On White

Julie and Martin Heinrich savor last night's win

I'm pumped that Martin Heinrich won decisively in the Dem Congressional primary in New Mexico's First District yesterday, garnering 44% of the vote in a four-way race. Heinrich defeated two competitors with strong name recognition in the state, with Rebecca Vigil-Giron and Michelle Lujan Grisham getting about 23% each. Robert Pidcock trailed badly with only 8%, despite floating generous loans to his campaign to run TV ads in the final days before the election.

Now it's on to the general election, where Martin will face Bush-clone Darren White for the seat. This race, viewed as one of the premier Congressional contests in the nation, is gonna be a barnburner. Are  you ready to pitch in and make sure NM-01 turns Blue?

We do have some serious momentum on our side. As in races in other parts of the country, more Democrats voted in the NM-01 primary than Republicans -- even though the Republicans had a competitive U.S. Senate primary. A grand total of 49,516 Democrats cast their ballots in the First Congressional District race, while only 44,299 Republicans did the same. And if we do what we all know we need to do between now and the general election, we can do much better than that in turning out motivated Dems in November.

Continue reading "NM-01: Heinrich to Take On White"

Defenders of Wildlife Pledges to Help Udall Defeat Pearce

The U.S. Senate race in New Mexico between the GOP's Steve Pearce and Dem Tom Udall will pit one of Congress’ most anti-environmental members, Pearce, against on of its environmental champions. According to a release today by the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, Pearce’s nomination triggers a second phase of support by the group, which for several months has run a fully integrated, pro-Udall campaign involving extensive TV and radio ads and a growing door-to-door canvass, against both Pearce and Wilson.

“We’ve been pointing out since April that as U.S. Senators, both Pearce and Wilson would be bad for New Mexico. And, unfortunately, extremist ring-wing forces have now succeeded in nominating the one who would be the worst of the two,” said Rodger Schlickeisen, president of the Defenders Action Fund. “At least Wilson on rare occasion would vote against a special interest provision and to protect the environment. But Pearce is absolutely irredeemable. He never votes to protect the environment if big oil and other special interests want something else. He is an anti-environmental extremist in the true sense of the phrase.”

Continue reading "Defenders of Wildlife Pledges to Help Udall Defeat Pearce"

NM-Sen: Pearce Ekes Out GOP Primary Victory Over Wilson

Dem Tom Udall will be facing ultraconservative Repub Steve Pearce (right) in the U.S. Senate race in November. You can see Udall's primary night speech here, as he celebrated victory in a primary race where he was unopposed.

According to the AP, Heather Wilson has conceded the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate to Steve Pearce:

Congresswoman Heather Wilson has endorsed Congressman Steve Pearce in his bid for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Pete Domenici. ... Wilson said today in Albuquerque that Republicans have made their choice and she gladly accepts it. ... Wilson says she doesn't regret her decision to leave the U.S. House to seek the Senate seat. She says she doesn't know what she'll do next.

Pearce carried a steady 51-49% lead over Wilson into the wee hours last night, a margin that propelled him to victory this morning with 99% of precincts reporting.

Continue reading "NM-Sen: Pearce Ekes Out GOP Primary Victory Over Wilson"