Democracy for New Mexico

Citizen Group Wins Federal Lawsuit Against NNSA for Unlawful Document Delays

From Citizen Action:
Citizen Action, a public interest group, received a victory in a federal lawsuit against the National Nuclear Security Agency/Albuquerque Operations Office (NNSA) for engaging “in a continuing pattern and practice of unlawful delay” in furnishing documents under the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). 

The decision by U.S. District Court Judge Robert C. Brack states that “In light of the Kafkaesque review process adopted by Defendant, it is not surprising that the delay in this case stretched many months beyond the statutorily-prescribed time frame.” The decision describes a “labyrinthine process for reviewing FOIA requests” that does not justify the delays even for “situations involving national security, sensational, or complex issues.” The decision orders an agreement to be made between DOE and Citizen Action within 30 days for “responding to pending requests and for processing future requests.”

Citizen Action Attorney Richard Mietz, Santa Fe stated, “This is a complete vindication of my client’s right to receive information under the FOIA in a timely manner.” 

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Tonight on We The People: Steve Allen of Common Cause

WE THE PEOPLE
Steve Allen, Common Cause NM Executive Director
Let's Take the Profit out of Politics
April 2, 2008 on ABQ CABLE - Channel 27
1st and 3rd Wednesdays at 6 PM on TV
Or on the web at  www.quote-unquote.org:
On the right side - click for Channel 27's Media Stream
Thanks for watching!
Mickey Bock, Host; Judith Binder, Producer

NM-Sen: Rep. Tom Udall Finishes 2nd in ActBlue Fundraising This Cycle

Rep. Tom Udall (r) at NM Dem Preprimary Convention last month

Congrats to Rep. Tom Udall and all who donated via ActBlue. As reported in CQ Politics:

Part political committee, part fundraiser, part social networking site, the pro-Democrat fundraising Web site ActBlue announced today that it collected $24 million from 199,000 donors for candidates so far this election cycle — more than 10 times what the political action committee raised at the same point in the 2006 election. 

... Daniel Seals leads the way this cycle, raising $245,000 on ActBlue for his rematch against Rep. Mark Steven Kirk , R-Ill. He is followed by Senate candidates Tom Udall of New Mexico and Texan Rick Noriega, who raised $195,000 and $171,000 respectively. Donna Edwards, who upset fellow Democrat Rep. Albert R. Wynn in a Maryland primary, raised $151,000 via ActBlue.

Udall has raised a total of $333,722 at ActBlue.

And here's the rundown on donations raised at ActBlue on behalf of the Dem Congressional candidates in New Mexico, led by NM-01 candidate Martin Heinrich at $159,601. Hooray Martin and all who gave! I'm not sure, though, whether these totals include everything given at the site through midnight yesterday, the deadline for donations to count towards the candidates' first quarter FEC report.

Regardless, Dem fundraising is on track to break records this cycle, up and down the ticket, all over the country. Official campaign fundraising reports for the first quarter are due to the FEC by April 15, but I'm sure many of the campaigns will be releasing their totals before that date. Keep an eye out.

Fooling Around: Hey Joe, Where's That Ethics Contest Winner?

Mr. Monahan: I echo the call for answers posted at m-pyre:

Monahan’s contest had a deadline of March 8, with results to be announced on the 30th. You can see the details of the contest here. Essentially, he offered $500 to the student who developed the best “lobbying/PR” ethics reform plan for next year’s legislative session. Despite the fact that this contest is totally passive-aggressive, I never discount the creativity of young people. I want to see the results. Well, Joe?

Yeah, who won the contest and the $500 prize? Enquiring minds want to know.

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Learn How to Bird-Dog in NM

From the groups listed below:
In these upcoming elections we have the opportunity to have a great effect on our local and national political landscape. According to the Friends Committee on National Legislation, all eyes will be on New Mexico in 2008! We are a presidential swing state with four congressional seats up for election. Special interest groups, personnel and money are flowing in. We the people need to be the ones who will bring the important New Mexico issues to the forefront.

To make sure your issues are front and center on election day, learn how to effectively "bird-dog." Arnie Alpert from the American Friends Service Committee will be coming to New Mexico to give three training events. The term "bird-dogging" means following candidates and tracking their positions in order to make sure that the issues important to you are part of the campaign agenda and in the forefront of media coverage. This is a great opportunity to learn a technique to raise public awareness and shift the political will in the direction of peace, sustainability, nuclear abolition. The training events will be in Taos, Santa Fe and Albuquerque:

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Breaking: Gov. Bill Richardson Quits to Become Strategist for Obama Campaign

I just got word that Gov. Bill Richardson has resigned his post as New Mexico Governor to serve as one of Barack Obama's primary campaign strategists. The unexpected move was greeted with shock on the part of politicos on both sides of the aisle. However, James Carville, who commented he wasn't surprised that "Judas" Richardson would abandon his New Mexico constituents as easily as he did the Clintons, was one of the few who seemed to take the news in stride.

Asked about Richardson's decision to join his campaign, Barack Obama said only that he and Bill were fired up and ready to go! The two were expected to begin their collaboration by challenging Hillary and Mark Penn to bowl a few frames in Pittsburgh.

See the comments for details about the duties Richardson is expected to assume on the Obama campaign.

Clinton's Lead Cut to 5 in Latest PA Rasmussen Poll

According to yesterday's Rasmussen poll in Pennsylvania:

Senator Hillary Clinton’s lead in the Pennsylvania Primary is shrinking. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in Pennsylvania shows Clinton leading Barack Obama by just five percentage points, 47% to 42%. For Clinton, that five-point edge is down from a ten-point lead a week ago, a thirteen-point lead in mid-March and a fifteen-point advantage in early March.

Support for Clinton slipped from 52% early in March, to 51% in mid-month, 49% a week ago, and 47% today. During that same time frame, support for Obama has increased from 37% to 42%.

You can see the poll's questions and results here. The phone survey contacted 730 Dem primary voters. Margin of error plus/minus 4%.

By the way, Obama won the most delegates in Texas after allocations were completed during this weekend's Dem county conventions in the state. Combining the results of both the Texas primary and caucuses, Obama won a total of 99 delegates to Clinton's 94.

After Midnight ... It'll Be Too Late

The end of the first fundraising quarter of 2008 happens at Midnight tonight for all federal candidates. That means we have only a few hours to add to the campaign funds of our favorite Dems running for U.S. House seats in all three of New Mexico's Congressional Districts, to help Rep. Tom Udall's run for U.S. Senate and to give a last-minute boost to Obama or Clinton. Google your candidates' names, click on the Donate button and give what you can. Whether we like it our not, a candidate's strength -- especially in primary races -- is often gauged by his or her fundraising abilities. As we know, lots of small donations from ordinary people can bring big mo. The clock is ticking ....

State Senate District 14: Step Up to the Plate for Eric Griego

Former Albuquerque City Councilor Eric Griego is running for NM Senate in the Dem primary in District 14, taking on incumbent Dem James Taylor. Visit Eric's campaign website to learn more, sign up to help or make a donation. You might also be interested in checking out a new interview with Eric on the local blog A Female New Mexican's Political Point of View.

Griego has already receive two important endorsements -- from Conservation Voters New Mexico and the Albuquerque Area Firefighters Union IAFF Local 244.

When progressive grassroots candidates like Eric take on entrenched interests, they need all the help they can get -- from those who live in their districts and those who don't. Electing another State Senator who's dedicated to issues like ethics and campaign reform, clean energy jobs, universal health care and effective improvements in our schools benefits all of us, not just those who live in a particular district. Consider volunteering to canvass door-to-door for Griego's campaign regardless of where you live. Pass it on. Pass it on. Pass it on.

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McCain (The American) Chooses NM for First TV Ad: What Middle Class Tax Relief?

Repub prez nominee John McCain launched his first TV ad of the general election cycle right here in New Mexico (above). The GOP must be nervous about all the incredible Dem energy being generated in NM by the lively contests in all three Congressional Districts -- and Tom Udall's positives in his race to take Pete Domenici's Senate seat. With strong candidates for Congress AND the Senate, Dems have a really good chance of turning New Mexico Blue, Blue, Blue in November -- especially if the Dem prez candidate can trounce McCain and give the downticket contenders a ride on his or her coat tails.

An American President Americans Have Been Waiting For?
Even though New Mexico's TV market is one of the cheapest in the nation, McCain's melodramatically staged ad doesn't seem to provide much bang for the buck. Everybody knows by now that McCain is a war vet and that he was courageous when captured by the Viet Cong. I also presume that everybody knows McCain is an AMERICAN, a word that crops up repeatedly in the ad. I guess the emphasis is meant to contrast McCain with that Dem candidate with the "foreign sounding" name -- Barack Obama.

Weak and transparent, isn't it? The ad's deep-throated narrator intones, "John McCain: The American president Americans have been waiting for." As opposed to that funny-named mixed breed sorta kinda Muslim guy running on the Dem ticket. You know. Obviously, those old standbys -- jingoism and fear, Republican style -- will be omnipresent in the GOP spin this cycle. What else do they have to run on? The truth about their policies hurts.

Middle Class Tax Relief?
What will McCain actually do for America besides have a narrator insist that "she is worth protecting"?  The ad whips in a line about "middle class tax relief," but offers not a scintilla of info on what that means. It does an abysmal job of explaining how McCain's sloganeering will translate into policies that are good for working families. It asks New Mexicans to look for someone that can “walk the walk,” but McCain clearly isn't walking the walk when it comes to providing tax relief for middle class Americans.

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