Democracy for New Mexico

Sound Off: "Centrist Democrats"

From Terry Riley:
We just passed some of the most encouraging platform resolutions in our Bernalillo county central commitee as did Santa Fe, Taos, and Los Alamos.  I was really feeling good until I read this story from the Washington Times.

The actions of our county and state committees will reach the national party in a couple of months, though I am sure that the word has reached them already.  I think that we should work outside the normal channel as well as we are inside the normal channel. 

I believe that we should all write e-mails to Dean and to the DNC highlighting our agenda and pointing to the error of the "centrist Democrats."

What do you think?

Sound Off! State of the Union Follies

So did everyone enjoy watching liar, liar, pants on fire do his freedom and liberty for all bit last night? I know many of you probably couldn't stomach the spectacle and filled the time reading "Bush On the Couch" or some other political tome that dissects the pathology at the heart of the current administration. But some of us couldn't help ourselves and felt compelled to tune in.

My first reaction was to wonder when exactly it happened that right-wing Republicans became hysterically attached to freedom, justice and liberty. Then it dawned on me: when the WMD excuse for the occupation of Iraq went down the tubes, they needed something to cover over the real reasons they found Iraq so attractive. I mean, you can't just ask American freedom-lovers to rally behind controlling the largest oil reserves left in the world and grabbing land for (at last count) twelve military bases smack in the middle of the oil reserves, now can you?

Didn't you just love the courageous and mature display of purple fingers in "support" of the Iraqi voters? I wondered if it dawned on these people that the Iraqi people got to vote despite the Bush administration's dedication since the fall of Baghdad to keep them from doing so anytime soon. We went from plans to have the thieving Chalabi rule, to the Bremer rule, to a handpicked "coalition" concept to finally having to succumb to the preferences of al Sistani when he got tens of thousands of Shia into the streets demanding it.

The high point of the speech to me, however, was the news that Laura Bush would be tackling the problems of gangs in the old US of A. Who knew she had the street smarts to convince gang members to refrain from their untidy practices? I have to admit, folks, it made me feel safer. Phew.

Then there was the push for destroying Social Security, clothed in the "I care so much" rhetoric that always pops out when Bush decides the people need to see how compassionate the king is. It was a welcome, if minor miracle that a buncha Dems actually provided some vocal "Noooo Nooooooo's" when Bush was citing some of his most blantant lies about the CRISIS. The CRISIS! Hmmm. I wonder why the king offered next to no details about his plan to transfer more wealth to Wall Street? Despite his reticence, the devils in the details are already coming out in force, and I'll be covering them here in the coming days. It'll take alot of ink.

Finally, did anyone else notice Senator Lieberman acting like a jack-in-the-box last night? He seemed eerily determined to be the first one to jump out of his seat and applaud wildly every time Bush paused between focus-group lines. The topper was when he RAN up to Bush after the speech and engaged in a sloppy kiss with George, Dubbie holding Lieberman's head in a smoochy grasp. Ah the grand drama of theater. Even if it's of the absurd variety. The upside-down, inside-out world of Alice reigns again. Hookah anyone? --Barb

Sound Off! Now Hear This. General Quarters! General Quarters! This is not a Drill!

Commentary by Eric & Sonja Elison:

In the Navy, the sounding of General Quarters is at once an alert to danger, and a command to prepare for action. As the 109th Congress opens, and the inauguration process is concluded, ours is a Nation in peril. We must roll out of our racks; hit the deck running, and man battle stations. This is not a drill!

Senator Robert Byrd, (D- West Virginia) rightly described the danger in his book Losing America (Norton Publishing, 2004) The nation is being led by an ill-equipped, reckless President; a President whose support was gained through appeals to fear, hate, greed, and piety; a President who like many before him, is grasping for more and more power.

The President is aided by a Congress ruthlessly ruled by his own party. A Republican Congress that can no longer be described by even the most deluded of observers as “conservative.” A radical Congress, willing to give up its power, and diminish the checks and balances that have served our Republic so well. A Congress that sits on its hands as young men and women die in Iraq. A Congress that allows the country to sink deeper in a quagmire in which the lives of our children, the fortune of our nation, the well being of our most vulnerable, and our reputation as a just Nation is lost.

Chief Justice William Rehnquist recently confirmed the warnings sounded by Sen. Byrd. In his year-end Annual Report on the state of the Federal Judiciary, the Chief Justice warned us of the danger associated with attempts by the Congress and Executive Branch to limit the power of the Courts. This warning is all the more noteworthy considering it may be the last report from an ailing Chief Justice appointed by Ronald Reagan. But these are not the only indicators of peril.

Emboldened by the electoral illusion of victory, Right Wing ideologues are pushing radical agendas; agendas that attack individual Freedoms, and erode Civil Rights. Disciples of political philosopher, Leo Strauss, seek to legislate mandatory adherence to Order, and Virtue as defined by hypocrites who would be kings. (https://www.alternet.org/story/15935)

Recently a warning came from James Dobson. Abandoning non-partisanship, he threatens to go after Democratic Senators if they don’t support Bush’s judicial nominees. In 2005, using his Focus on the Family organization, Dobson plans to raise $170 Million, much of which will be brought to bear against the Democrats in careful code words, that when deciphered will be understood as hate-laced, deceptive attacks against Democrats, and those that support individual liberties, and the exercise of free will.

Corporations and the wealthy paid over $400 million in the last election to continue to gain influence, and access to the Executive and Legislative Branches. The right-wing wealthy, who President Bush describes as his base, is deploying its forces from K Street offices. Unlike our Army in Iraq, the K Street forces have been significantly reinforced through a draft. Rep Billy Tauzin (R - LA), ever the patriot, entered the draft willingly. He drew a good draft number. No basic training will be required for Tauzin. He demonstrated his ability to deliver a windfall to the drug companies by inserting language that prevents the Federal Government from negotiating Medicare drug prices. Unconcerned about appearances, Tauzin will lead the Pharmaceutical forces and reportedly draw over $2 million a year from his paymasters.

Corporate-controlled media empires, such as Fox and Sinclair Broadcasting, are playing a key communication role in right-wing attacks. Led by Fox’s Rupert Murdoch, and Roger Ailes, and Sinclair’s David Smith, they are helping to coordinate the creation and dissemination of propaganda, emanating from Right-Wing Think Tanks, Corporate-funded PR initiatives, the Republican Party, and the Executive Branch itself.

The Government Accounting Office, recently cited violations of Federal Law by the Administration in the production of propaganda “News stories.” In one instance, propaganda extolled the wonderful benefits of the Administration’s sham of a Medicaid Drug Bill. In another production, the propaganda promoted drug enforcement policies against importation of drugs from Canada. Most recently it was revealed that in the run up to the election, the Administration paid nearly a quarter of a million dollars to conservative columnist, and TV Talk show host, Armstrong Williams, to promote the virtues, and benefits of the woefully under-funded “No Child Left Behind” Act. Other conservative personalities such a Michael Savage, Rush Limbaugh, and Bill O’Reilly make millions by appealing to base instincts in their listeners. The right wing media outlets are appealing to powerful emotions of hate, fear, and avarice in their listeners as they work constantly at creating division in the populace along the cultural fault lines of Guns, Gays, and God.

The organization and behavior of right wing radical forces can be variously described as corporatist, fascist, theocratic, and autocratic. Regardless of what label you place on the interaction and cooperation of these forces, there is no escaping the impact of their efforts on the United States. As we begin the 109th Congress, and the second term of President Bush, the citizens of this great country must heed the warnings that are sounding. Liberty and Freedom are under assault. Our Liberty, our Freedom is in peril. All citizens must stand against these threats. Citizens must call for the preservation of the Separation of Powers, the Independence of the Judiciary, and the Preservation of Civil Liberties. To remain inactive through either apathy or false patriotism will imperil our ship of State.

The authors are organizers of New Mexico Democratic Friends: a grassroots organization working to promote progressive policies that contribute to the Common Good. You can email them at NMDF@comcast.net. Their next meeting is scheduled for February 12th.

Caroling: Not Ready for Prime Time!

From Mary Ellen Broderick:

Last night was the DeanCorps or DFACorps caroling event. What fun we had! It was a small group, but the voices were huge -- even if our singing wasn't exactly ready for prime time! Two sets of jingle bells for accompaniment helped. One of our group members brought a whole family of beautiful people from Guadalajara, Mexico. They were our Hispanic singing contingent, and shared some wonderful traditional Mexican carols, some of them playful and funny.

Nance Crowe deserves a big thanks for organizing this event. We really had fun, and spread some loving cheer to those less fortunate. We started at the Albuquerque Rescue Mission, where the homeless were just finishing their dinner and getting ready to load into school buses to take them to a shelter across town. The homeless men and women smiled big and sang along! We gave out Hershey kisses, which were devoured and sometimes stashed away for later.

Next we went to the Dismas House. Here were folks just out of jail and living in a halfway house. Again the carols lifted the spirits! Hershey kisses passed around. Noel ... Oh Come All Ye Faithful ... Silent Night ... and of course We Wish You a Merry Christmas! Our next and last stop of cheer was Barrett House, for battered women and children. Standing next to their very pretty Christmas tree, the singers sang all the usuals, the kids loved it and one ended up wearing one of the caroler’s Santa hats for keeps.

What fun. What simple good fun. To bring joy to these people, to reach out and touch their lives -- it was such a wonderful experience and brought joy in return to us. After the singing was complete, we went over to Nance Crowe’s house and ate the best posole I have ever had, with tamales and chili rellenos and all the fixings.

I could not help but keep thinking about the wide variety of folks we had seen tonite, all wanting to sing and have some candy. What I saw were many sweet, sweet souls just down on their luck, or who took a wrong turn, or who had been born into bad situations, or were mentally ill, or who had served their country and been changed forever. The common thing was that they all seemed to be poor, tired and hungry.   

At the end of the night, all I could think was how lucky and fortunate I am. Plenty of clothes, shelter and a warm bed every nite, plenty of food -- maybe more than all the people I saw tonite have altogether as belongings.

I am blessed and I am a liberal. I wish I could do more. New Year's resolution for 2005 is that I AM going to do more for the less fortunate.

It very well may be me one day.

Sound Off! On the Brink of Turning the Tide

We had our regular DFA - Democracy for New Mexico Meetup in Albuquerque the day after the selection. We had wavered on whether to hold it or not, given the horrors of the manufactured mandate Bush claims. But some people had signed up for it, so we went ahead.

To my surprise, the Page One coffee shop was absolutely PACKED with people. Faces old and new. Long-time DFA folks and new people finding their way from MoveOn and ACT and the Kerry campaign, looking for a way to the future, to remain connected and active despite the Pyrrhic victory of the dark forces of fear and repression and war for its own sake.

We just went around the room and let everyone ramble. People expressed all the emotions I know I have no need to list. But there was an incredibly creative energy also present in the room, an energy ripe with ideas for action by little circles of citizens, small but potent cells of citizens, loosely networking across the city and the state and the nation. Planning actions that may well be effectively politically, but that are also intrinisically valuable because they are right actions, expressive of caring and humanity and soul and democracy with a small "d."

It is only since the early actions of MoveOn and then the wildly inclusive and original tactics of the Dean campaign that we have actually had any real and widespread grassroots citizen action plan for taking out Bush and his minions and evolving the agenda to serve the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party. We almost won, despite how difficult it is to take out a "commander-in-chief" in "wartime" with the corporate media working against us. In spite of the religious poobahs going so far as to claim it would be sinful to vote for Kerry, while posters of Bush morphing into Jesus were making their way into many a small-town and rural byway.

Of course they stole votes. Of course they used all kinds of filthy tactics to prevent our people from voting. But still, they almost lost. We are literally on the brink of turning the tide. A tipping point is coming and Bush's no-doubt disastrous second term may well provide it.

He, and those who voted for him, have made their bed and they will have to lie in it. They have the presidency AND the Congress. There is no-one to blame. There is inevitable disaster coming as an inevitable result of their misguided and dishonest and incompetent plans for our nation and the world. This may well provide the perfect opportunity for completely discrediting their positions and approach. They will look like asses and have no-one else to point to, to blame.

Sure, wide swaths of humanity will suffer and even die. More and more of the planet's natural places will be sacrificed to greed and drilling. Our social safety net, health care system and the remnants of a sense of the common good will continue to deteriorate.  So of course I feel angry and miserable and depressed. But I'm trying to keep my eye on the silver lining.

Lyndon Johnson won a landslide and yet had to withdraw from the next election. Richard Nixon won a landslide and quickly found himself in Watergate and ruin. Sometimes when the asses of hubris get their own way, what they really get is enough rope to hang themselves.

All I know is that I've met so many incredibly talented and passionate and zanily funny people in this new political landscape. And I know most of them are in no way ready to give up now. If you feel the same way, go ahead and click on the Meetup button on the left-hand side of this page and join us. And share your hopes and plans and strategies and opinions here. There's a movement a'brewing.

Barbara Wold

The More Things Change . . .

From Sensory Overload via BOP.

A roundup of terrific maps relevant to the presidential election is presented at BOP as We've Gone Map Crazy! by Barry Ritholtz. Well worth a look.

Sound Off! Fredda Martinez on Why a Kerry Victory Is So Important Today

We heard Fredda Martinez give this eloquent speech at the Moms for Kerry rally at Tiguex Park in Albuquerque this past Saturday. We found it so moving that we asked her for a copy of the speech so we could share it with you here. Another set of reasons why VOTING TODAY is so important to the future of our nation and our planet. - BW

Hi, my name is Fredda Martinez, and I’m a military wife and mother. My husband is in the National Guard full-time, and he recently returned from the war in Iraq. My son is in the Navy and he will be leaving for the Middle East soon.

I assumed while my husband was in Iraq that he had full body armor. I couldn‘t have been more wrong. Although there were alarms going off every day telling our troops to take cover because there was incoming fire, his only protection was a helmet and a flack jacket. Because he didn’t want me to worry, he didn’t tell me this until after he got home. Thank God he returned safely.

While our government spends $1 per day taking care of each soldier, $110 per day is spent on each employee who work for Halliburton. These employees stay at posh hotels that have room service, maid service, and laundry service. My husband slept first in a tent, then in a trailer. He had to pay an Iraqi to clean his room, and he had to do his laundry himself. The food was barely edible most of the time, and there were days when he chose to eat an MRE instead of eating at the mess hall.

Our military troops face serious equipment shortages. They often lack up to date equipment and supplies. It wasn’t until 15 months after they went into Iraq that troops received the newest version of body armor, and even today many still do not have adequate protection. My husband told me about make-shift steel armor he saw placed on vehicles that were a death trap before.

Guard and Reserve troops do not have full access to military healthcare. Twenty percent of these troops lack health insurance. For those who do have health insurance, premiums have increased significantly, prescription co-pays have more than doubled, and dental insurance in non-existent. This means that many of our troops who are asked to go and fight are not physically fit to endure the rigors of battle.

The Bush administration has fought hard to prevent them from having access to TRICARE, the same insurance that is given to government officials at the Pentagon. This administration says it is too expensive to offer it to our National Guard and Reserves. Too expensive? Yet, they ask these young men and women to put their lives on the line for us.

Now we have also learned that there are explosives missing from Iraq. While they are not classified as weapons of mass destruction, they are still very dangerous, and it is quite possible that our troops are getting killed by insurgents using these same explosives.

Also, yesterday Osama bin Laden was able to threaten us once again because this administration failed to put enough troops on the ground in Afghanistan to capture him two years ago. These are yet more examples of the failed leadership of George Bush and Dick Cheney.

While these are certainly some of the issues that concern me, there are many more that break my heart.

I have recently learned that many of our wounded soldiers, some missing one or both legs, some missing a hand or even both arms are not being taken care of the way they deserve to be taken care. While the medical care is, for the most part, adequate, many severely wounded soldiers could be facing poverty. Staff Sgt. Ryan Kelly, from Abilene, Texas, who lost his right leg in Iraq, quickly realized when he returned home that the military had no real plan to take care of the injured soldiers.

National Guard Staff Stg. Peter Damon, from Brockton, Mass., lost both arms in Iraq. He assumed the military would see to it that he, his wife, and their two children had enough income to live on. He has not been taken care of and since his former careers were as a mechanic and an electrician, he has no way to make ends meet.

Then there is Army Spc. Tyson Johnson III., of Mobile, Alabama. He was injured in a mortar attack and was near death. He lived through it, but lost a kidney. He was brutally betrayed by our government. Not only did the military ask for his $2,700 signing bonus back, they demanded it. They placed it on his credit report as a debt and he was unable to rent an apartment. He now lives in his car. That story made me cry. After ABC news looked into it, the military now says he will not have to repay the bonus.

Also, many of the families that are left behind are below, yes, BELOW the poverty line! There are free food pantries opening up on bases across the country to feed these families. They are supplied through generous donations. Many of these families have small children who live each day not knowing when they will see “Daddy” or “Mommy” again, and the parent who is left to care for them is having a hard time putting food on the table.

Then there are those who will never come home again. Just this morning 8 Marines were killed and 9 wounded in Al Anbar Province. The death toll so far has reached well over 1,100 and George Bush has yet to attend a single funeral, nor will he allow us to view their flag draped coffins out of respect for their sacrifice and the sacrifice of their loved ones.

My son just turned 21. I have another son who is 25. Most of the young men and women getting killed in Iraq today are younger than my two boys. I know to the military they are young men, but to me they are my babies.

Some people believe that George Bush is strong on military issues. I don’t agree, and I have had personal experience for over 25 years. He has cut funding for our Veterans and to our bases. He has no plan to win the war in Iraq, much less peace in the Middle East. John Kerry has a plan.

How dare George Bush take us into a war under false pretenses! What right does he have to ask our children to die for oil. While Dick Cheney has made 2 million dollars from Halliburton, he and Bush tell us we’re freeing the people of Iraq. Have you seen the news lately? The people are less free today than they were under Saddam. Don’t get me wrong, I believe Saddam was a cruel dictator, but he had nothing to do with what happened to us on September 11th. Saddam had no ties to Al Qaida or Osama bin Laden.

I strongly believe that we are MUCH LESS safe in America and around the world today because George Bush chose to invade and occupy Iraq. While he and Dick Cheney tell the American people that if John Kerry is elected we are more likely to have a biological, chemical, or nuclear attack, what they DON”T tell you is that it is actually much MORE likely to happen under their watch just like it did the first time.

This administration chose to pretty much go it alone in this war. Oh, you can count Great Britain and a few other small countries for their generous contributions, but while we bear 90% of the casualties and 90% of the costs, it just isn’t enough help, and because George Bush has offended much of the world it is very unlikely he can gather a real coalition to help us clean up our own mess. John Kerry will bring a REAL coalition together to help us fight the war on terror.

I also have a 12 year old daughter. I know how fast the years pass, and before I know it she will be old enough to vote and defend our country. I believe that if George Bush continues on this path of destruction, while stretching our military way too thin, he is ignoring the real threats of North Korea and Iran. I believe under the leadership of George Bush and Dick Cheney a military draft is imminent.

But it is not just about foreign issues in this election. It is also about jobs, or lack thereof! With 45 million Americans lacking health insurance it is about healthcare reform! It is about education! George Bush tells you about “No Child Left Behind”, but because he has failed to fund the program adequately, he has left millions of our children behind!

There is something else I would like to mention before I finish. I am a Christian. I believe in Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Bible. Although George Bush says he too is a Christian, in my eyes he does not act like a Christian!

Some people will be voting for George Bush because they are against abortion. That is their right, but I would like to tell them that abortion has actually INCREASED since George Bush has been in the White House, and I can tell you why. Many single mothers don’t make enough to support a family, and many are unemployed, many of the fathers are also unemployed, and many of them lack healthcare. It is George Bush’s policies that have put them where they are today, and THAT’S what’s caused the increase in abortion rates.

As a Christian I value the earth God gave us. Genesis 2:15 tells us that “God took man and placed him on earth to cultivate it and keep it.” George Bush has continually sided with big energy companies that destroy more of our planet every day.

On October 23rd George Bush signed the most sweeping rewrite of corporate tax law in nearly two decades. It doesn’t take care of the less fortunate, once again he’s taking care of big business. Genesis 1:27 says “God created man in His own image. Male and female, He created them.” So, I believe as a Christian, what right do we have to kill innocent Iraqi children? We are ALL children of God. We should be tolerant and respectful of other religions around the world. We all know that it is religious fanatics that caused almost 3,000 innocent people to die on 9/11. If George Bush believes, as he has said, he is on a mission from God, doesn’t that make Americans look like religious fanatics too?

So, I come here today to ask you, implore you, to vote for John Kerry and John Edwards on November 2nd, and take five friends with you to vote for them too!

John Kerry will fight for you and for our military troops, just like he did when he served in Vietnam and then came home and spoke on Capital Hill. He told the truth then and he is telling us the truth today. For it is in truth that we will have real freedom in this country.

I fear if we do not change the direction of this country on November 2nd our children will not be safe under the Bush Administration for four more years! Thank you.

Sound Off! Jan Lincoln on Free Speech and Civil Rights

The Bush administration has made me start to really look around me. This past week, due to my catching a panel discussion on C-SPAN, I found a new television station. It is not listed among the channels available on my Dish list, but the moderator on C-SPAN gave the channel number. It is FSTV, Free Speech TV, 9415 on Dish Satellite TV. They have a news program called Democracy Now!

Last night on Democracy Now! was a story about two women getting arrested at a Bush rally. Their crime was to sit quietly in the audience, wearing t-shirts saying "protect my civil rights." They never spoke to anyone and did not speak out or in any other way draw attention to themselves. When did it become a crime to wear a t-shirt?

Why aren't violations of basic American liberties like this being reported in the mainstream media?

The moderator on Democracy Now! intervied Greg Palast, a BBC investigative reporter and showed his recent news film on the shenanigans going on disenfranchising voters. This, too, is a story not being covered in depth in the media. I did see a brief glossing of it on Washington Week on PBS last night, but even there the discussion did not include the extent of the different techniques. And how many people see Washington Week anyway?

I'm just a citizen, lost out here in the mass of the American population getting more and more demoralized. Bush's agenda is working very well for me. I am afraid now. Unfortunately, I am petrefied at what he and his cronies are doing to the America I love.

Drowning here in Ruidoso,
Jan Lincoln

P.S. I have felt pretty isolated here in Republican country, but this past week Kerry/Edwards signs have been popping up all over Ruidoso. Imagine my wonder and surprise! All fingers are crossed for Tuesday.

Sound Off! US Chamber of Commerce vs. NM Democratic Judges

Folks:

The national chamber of commerce has landed in New Mexico. In case you're feeling apathetic or indifferent about that fact, know this: the chamber has been successful in 21 out of 24 races they have entered. They have spent an average of something like $300,000 per race -- they recently spent $1.5 million in a PRIMARY in Washington state.

The purpose of the campaign is to elect right-wing ideological flunkies who are not qualified to serve the public in a judicial capacity. They bash injured plaintiffs, trial lawyers, and sitting judges. They enter late because (i) that is when negative ads (read, "lies") are most effective and (ii) their presence does not have to be disclosed -- usually for two weeks after dropping funds -- by the candidates they back until it is too late to do anything about it. The ads are based almost entirely on deception and falsehoods aimed at blaming the country's economic woes on our court system.

We know you won't be fooled. Keeping open access to our courts is the only way to preserve basic liberties and to hold the powerful and the corporations in some way accountable for their misdeeds. It is also the only way to make sure that people who are injured through no fault of their own are fairly compensated. Ultimately, access to the courts keeps New Mexico safe.

The judges listed below were selected based on their qualifications for office and they were vetted and nominated through the judicial selection process, a process that was implemented in order to try to take special interest money and partisan politics out of judicial races. The Chamber of Commerce is trying to undo that system by pouring in large sums of money and overwhelming the system.

Please tell your friends and acquaintances about the judicial candidates you think are most qualified, but please also let them know about the presence of outside forces trying to manipulate New Mexico elections. Please also put up yard signs and talk to your neighbors.

Following is information I have collected about various judges who are fine judges who should receive your support:

1. NM Supreme Court Justice Edward L. Chavez -- signs were available beginning September 10. Get in line to get yours from John Blair, e-mail: john@edchavez2004.com; phone: 243-9112; and fax 248-0261. Justice Chavez is facing a contested election with a right-wing ideologue as his opponent. Justice Chavez is the main target of the Chamber of Commerce.

2. NM Supreme Court Justice Richard Bosson. Justice Bosson is up for a retention election.

3. Ct. App. Judge Michael Vigil -- signs can be obtained through his campaign coordinator, Maria Berry, at 341-0324.

4. Judge Rod Kennedy, Ct. App. (retention election).

5. 2nd Judicial District Judge Linda Vanzi -- signs can be obtained from Maureen Sanders for pick up at 102 Granite NW in Albuquerque; phone is 243-2243. Judge Vanzi is being attacked for having done work for the ACLU and for working on civil rights cases for plaintiffs.

6. 2nd Judicial District Judge Valerie Mackie Huling -- she is running low on signs, but they can be obtained from Joann Erickson at 823-4745.

7. 2nd Judicial District Judge Nan Nash -- signs can be obtained from Edward Messett at 764-6086.

8. 2nd Judicial District Judge Michael Kavanaugh -- signs can be obtained from his bailiff at 841-7499 or 841-7500 (Robert).

9. Metro Court candidate Clyde Demersseman.
   

Thank you very much. Have a nice day.

Scott E. Borg
Rosenfelt, Buffington & Borg, P.A.
1805 Carlisle, NE
Albuquerque, NM 87110
266-3441, 266-8972 (fax)

(Note from editor: There's a link under our Candidates sidebar on the left-hand side of this page to many of the judicial candidates' web pages. There's also a link to the Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission, which evaluates judges and is another source of information on candidates.)

Sound Off! The Dark Side of the Force

I’m not sure when it happened, but I think a majority of the citizens of the United States were brainwashed. They were brainwashed into giving up their civil liberties with the Patriot Act, they were brainwashed into thinking that tax cuts could help the middle class, and they were brainwashed into thinking that Republicans supported their issues. When you think about it, their attacks have been both direct and subtle. Those of us who live in New Mexico have seen the vicious Swift Boat Veterans For Truth ads. But today, I’m going to take you on a journey that might explain why “rational” people have become Bush supporters (or remain supporters) over the past four years.

One of the most unfortunate facts about American politics is that Republicans control a lot of news and radio stations. For viewers looking to get a view from the left or an unbiased view, they are left with very few choices. Among those choices, even the most balanced news networks have bias though they try to buffer it with their different reporters. Today, I’d like to examine CNN’s Paula Zahn Now. On the surface, Paula seems unbiased as she tries to have both Democrat and Republican representatives discussing topics on her show. But when a guest makes a strong Democrat point on her show, look at her eyes first and then her mouth. She’s smiling, but her eyes show anger.

Another disturbing trend that I’ve noticed on the news is the quoting of Republican fabrications. One popular one goes like this, “Kerry voted to go into Iraq and then voted against the $87 billion dollars to support our troops.” Surprisingly, you actually get to hear about Kerry’s side of the story on CNN’s website when the $87 billion is mentioned in an article. But you rarely hear about it on television. He voted against the bill because it included billions of dollars in no bid contracts for Haliburton. Kerry voted against the bill because it would increase our deficit and put the burden of taxes on all Americans. Now, let me ask you a question. Do you think the rich outnumber the combined poor and middle class in America? I didn’t think so. Let me ask another question. Do people making over $200K a year need tax breaks? Why not roll back the tax breaks from the richest 2% of Americans to fund body armor for our troops? But I digress.

I think most of us can agree that things haven’t been the same since 9/11/2001. But I miss some of the things we lost after 9/11: media criticism of the President, American civil liberties, and the right to speak out against this administration’s policies. It seems like anyone who speaks out against President Bush ends up getting ridiculed, fired, or resigning. Look at all the people who have stepped down in his administration. Some acted as scape goats for bad policies and others were pressured to step down after being critical of the administration. Remember how Robert Novak leaked the identity of a CIA operative whose spouse was openly critical of the administration?

After 9/11, I’ll agree it was okay for the media to go easy on the administration for a few months while they got their bearings together. But why hasn’t the party ended? It seems like the only people that are pointing out mistakes made by this administration are the Democrat talking heads that show up on some of the prime time news shows. And don’t forget about the comedians, Bush always offers plenty of material for them. Wait a minute, I sense that one of them named Dennis Miller has moved to the dark side. I think the Daily Show put it best when they showed Bush and his entourage walking together to the tune of the “dark side theme” from Star Wars.

I would like to finish by saying thanks to all of the hard working 527s that have worked so hard in New Mexico to ensure that our election this year is not close by any means in this state. You all know who you are and now we need to focus on voter turn out before November. Thanks for reading and keep fighting the good fight and tune into Air America Radio on 1350 AM. Watch the debates, be well informed, and inform others. It’s the only way we’re going to win this election and get Bush Out The Door in 2004.

Howard Jow, a concerned voter