Democracy for New Mexico

(Updated) Sen. Jeff Bingaman Endorses Obama

UPDATE: As reported in WaPo's The Trail, Obama has now moved ahead of Clinton in terms of support from U.S. Senators, 14-13, due to Sen. Bingaman's endorsement. Obama will also receive the vote of Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), who hasn't officially endorsed him but said he'll support Obama at the convention in deference to his state's voters. Clinton has a similar pledge from Sen. Barbara Boxer of California. The article contains a list of Senators who have endorsed each candidate.
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Fabulous news. Jeff Bingaman, U.S. Senator from New Mexico and superdelegate, endorsed Barack Obama for president today. Sen. Bingaman joins Gov. Bill Richardson and former Sen. Fred Harris among New Mexico's superdelegates who are backing Obama. Thank you Sen. Bingaman! Here's the statement:

Chicago, IL – Today, United States Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) endorsed Barack Obama for president, citing his ability to rise above the issues that divide us, end the war in Iraq, bring universal health care, and make America energy independent.

Senator Bingaman said, “Today, I am announcing my support for Barack Obama for president and declaring my intention to vote for him at the Democratic convention.

“Our nation faces a daunting number of critical challenges: reasserting America’s leadership in the world, meeting our needs for energy independence, addressing global warming, making healthcare accessible and affordable, positioning our economy to effectively compete globally, and extricating ourselves from the war in Iraq, to name a few.

“To make progress, we must rise above the partisanship and the issues that divide us to find common ground. We must move the country in a dramatically new direction.

“I strongly believe Barack Obama is best positioned to lead the nation in that new direction.”

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NM-02: AFSCME Endorses McCamley

More good news (and more momentum) for Bill McCamley's campaign. Congressional candidate and Doña Ana County Commissioner Bill McCamley announced that the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) had endorsed his candidacy for US Congress in New Mexico’s Second Congressional District. AFSCME represents over 12,000 city, county, state, and university employees in New Mexico. AFSCME New Mexico’s Political Action Committee voted to endorse McCamley, citing his “great relationship with labor over the years.”

“Bill is going to do great things for Southern New Mexico,” said Committee Member Fred Marquez.  “We are going to work hard to make sure he is our next Representative in Washington.”

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NM-01: More Muddled Monahan Mush

For someone who prides himself on being politically savvy, Monahan doesn't seem to have any idea who supports Martin Heinrich for Congress in NM-01. In his latest silly knock on Heinrich (and Obama) supporters, he gurgles forth the usual canned, cliched mush that often emanates from those who haven't dirtied their fingernails in decades and don't hang out with anyone who does:

ABQ Dem congressional candidate Martin Heinrich, already the love-child of the Chardonnay sippers and the left wing of his party, made a swerve to where the election will be decided when he interviewed for the Sunday Journal's candidate profiles. Said the former city councilor of his Missouri parents:

"(They're) middle class, blue collar. They were the people who took a shower when they came home from work at night, not before they went to work."

Heinrich can capture his party's nomination by consolidating the Obama liberals, but it is working class (read Reagan) Democrats who have kept the GOP in control of the ABQ seat for 40 years.

Come Out Into the Light
Hey Joe, you really ought to venture beyond the haunts of monied lobbyists and leaking lounge lizards to mingle with the people who are supporting Heinrich and other common sense, reform-minded Democratic candidates.

Hint, hint: it's people who work hard for a living, it's people who don't have lavish expense accounts, it's people who don't have health insurance, it's people who are nearing retirement without hundreds of thousands of dollars in 401Ks, it's people trying to save money from their stagnant paychecks for their children's education. I'm one of these people and I'm among these people most of the time. I don't see much Chardonnay sipping, but I do see a lot of fretful and worried faces because ordinary folks know they've been getting the shaft from Republicans, and Democrats who vote like Republicans, for a long, long time now. And unless we work to elect candidates who know what it's like to be at the mercy of the fat cats, nothing will change.

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NM-Sen: Wilson & Pearce Debate in Los Alamos

Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce faced off on Friday in Los Alamos as the two current members of Congress from New Mexico continued their often nasty battle to be the GOP nominee for U.S. Senate here. KRQE News 13 live-streamed the debate on its website and you can now view an archived video of the entire event here.

In her opening statement, Heather calls herself a "common sense conservative," citing the usual no taxes and for-the-family lines. She then rushes right into how she believes the family is the "fibre" of our nation. Well, except for GLBT families. She stresses in one of her first sentences how she's for marriage being reserved for "one man and one woman." You know the routine. How that's more "common sense" than Pearce's approach, I have no idea.

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NM Dems Elect Final Unpledged Delegate and More; Clinton Camp Protests

DPNM Chair Brian Colon calls meeting to order

Click to see our complete photo album on this event at Flickr.

The State Central Committee of the Democratic Party of New Mexico met in Albuquerque yesterday at the Barcelona Suites to elect its add-on unpledged delegate to the DNC Convention, as well as its DNC Committeewoman and Committeeman who will represent NM Dems within the Democratic National Committee structure next year. Mary Gail Gwaltney easily beat Mary Helen Garcia to retain her Councilwoman position and incumbent Raymond Sanchez also kept his seat on the DNC, emerging victorious over challenger Bruce Barnaby. The SCC also unanimously approved the State Party's 2008 Platform.

Crowd stands for Pledge of Allegiance

Afterwards, the SCC members in attendance (no proxies allowed) split into separate caucuses for Obama and Clinton and selected a number of other pledged delegates to complete the New Mexico delegation. A total of 42 Dems, including four alternates, four Pledged Party Leader and Elected Official (PLEO) delegates, 11 unpledged or superdelegates and one unpledged add-on delegate, will be heading to Denver for the Party's Convention on August 25-28, 2008. I'll have a complete list of the delegates elected yesterday as soon as the DPNM releases the official list.

DPNM Executive Director Josh Geise

The Party had previously elected its Congressional District pledged delegates at its April 19 CD Conventions, an official listing of which you can see here.

Dominique Aragon, Benny Aragon, House Speaker Ben Lujan and wife

Clinton Camp Protests
Controversy erupted over the process used to elect the unpledged add-on delegate. The process is governed by the State Party's Delegate Selection Plan (DSP). The State Plan must conform to a number of requirements stipulated by the DNC and its Rules and Bylaws Committee, and be approved formally by both the SCC the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee. New Mexico's DSP had been duly passed by the SCC, reviewed by the DNC, made to conform to all necessary DNC requirements and released publicly in its final form.

Sidebar discussion over add-on delegate voting rules

Regardless, several top-level Clinton supporters, including former State Party Chair John Wertheim and former Arizona State Party Chair and CD1 Clinton delegate Mark Fleisher, tried and failed to change the add-on delegate selection process midstream during yesterday's meeting.

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NM-03: Sierra Club Endorses Luján

From Luján for Congress:
The national Sierra Club and the Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club have jointly announced that they are endorsing Public Regulation Commissioner and U.S. Congressional candidate Ben R. Luján.

The Sierra Club joins the national League of Conservation Voters and Conservation Voters New Mexico as major environmental organizations recognizing Luján’s outstanding environmental record and commitment to fighting global warming.

“We are very pleased to announce today that the Sierra Club officially endorses Ben Ray Lujan for election to the United States Congress,” said Susan Martin, Chair of the Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club. “In his excellent record as Chairman of the Public Regulation Commission he has shown himself to be a strong environmental leader, and we are confident he will continue to work to protect our environment, our families and our future.”

“Commissioner Ben R. Lujan has demonstrated bold leadership at the PRC that has made New Mexico a leader in addressing global warming and protected New Mexicans from high fossil-fuel prices,” said Tom Robey, political chair of the Rio Grande Chapter.

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4/30: Reception in Support of Judge Clyde DeMersseman

The Committee to Keep Judge DeMersseman will be celebrating the Judge's recent endorsements by the Albuquerque Area Firefighters (Local 244) and AFSMCE (American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees) at a reception in support of his retention as Metropolitan Court Judge on April 30, 2008 in Albuquerque. See FLYER (doc) for more information.

Meet & Mingle Events: Tim Keller for State Senator

Upcoming ‘Meet and Mingles’ in support of TIM KELLER, Democrat State Senate Candidate in Albuquerque's District 17 are set for Tuesday and Wednesday, April 29th and 30th. Click for FLYER (pdf) with more information about the events, including directions.

DFA-Democracy for New Mexico has endorsed Tim Keller for State Senate. Please do what you can to support his candidacy whether you live in his district or not. We need to help elect more and better Dems regardless of district if we want the NM Legislature to pass a progressive agenda.

NM Cover the Uninsured Events Scheduled for April & May

From ACI: As part of Cover the Uninsured Week, the Association of Commerce and Industry is sponsoring an Employers’ Health Coverage Symposium to look at how the business community can help be part of the solution for health coverage for the uninsured. The Employers’ Health Symposium will focus on public and private options available for employers with a panel of national and state experts as well as New Mexico businesses that are successfully using the State Coverage Insurance program. We'd like to invite you to attend this important meeting.

EMPLOYER HEALTH COVERAGE SYMPOSIUM
Monday, April 28, 2-4:00 PM
CNM Workforce Training Center
5600 Eagle Rock Ave. NE, ABQ
Please RSVP to Robin at 505-250-3105 or robinhunn@comcast.net

Click for FLYER (doc) with info on additional Cover the Insured events in April and May, including a AARP Town Hall Forum on Health Care Issues on April 29 at 9:30-11 AM at Hotel Albuquerque.

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NM-03: Wiviott Hosts Santa Fe Earth Week Celebration Tonight

From Wiviott for Congress:
Gas prices are soaring to record highs and big oil is raking in record profits. Global climate change is threatening our way of life. And, the thirst for oil is creating instability across the world. Now, more than ever, it's time to break our addiction to foreign oil and move America toward energy independence.

On this Earth Week, we remember just how fragile our planet really is. Today, I'm hosting an Earth Day Celebration and barbecue to meet with northern New Mexicans and discuss the future of our environment. The campaign will be providing free food and beverages for people who come to the event. I hope that you'll join us.

• Where? Monica Lucero Park, Santa Fe
• When? 5:30 PM, today, Friday, April 25th
• Directions: From Rodeo Road, turn North on Camino Carlos Rey, turn Left on Bellamah Drive which will end in a T at Monica Lucero Park
• RSVP ONLINE

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