http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/person/14905 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 23:32:05 GMT Stories by Heath Haussamen http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/udall-outraises-gop http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/udall-outraises-gop Wilson and Pearce battle for dollars as Udall continues to outpace his GOP opponents in the hunt for cash in New Mexico's U.S. Senate race. Wilson and Pearce each raised around $500,000 during the first three months of 2008 compared to Udall's $1.3 million. Tue, 15 Apr 2008 23:32:05 GMT Heath Haussamen Politics http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/state-funds-go-to http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/state-funds-go-to The New Mexico Secretary of State received an emergency loan of more than half a million dollars today to help the office prepare for the June primary. Gov. Bill Richardson said the money is meant to ensure a smooth primary election. Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:18:50 GMT Heath Haussamen Politics http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/pearce-attacks http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/pearce-attacks Republican U.S. Senate candidate Steve Pearce is attacking primary opponent Heather Wilson today for missing a House session in which she could have cast the deciding vote in favor of stripping the tax-exempt status of so-called sanctuary cities. Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:23:29 GMT Heath Haussamen Politics http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/guv-launches http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/guv-launches Gov. Bill Richardson condensed the contents of several speeches he gave during his presidential campaign into one foreign policy speech that he delivered Wednesday at New Mexico State University. The result: Richardson appeared to be testing a comprehensive speech on foreign policy that he will soon unveil to national audiences as he guns for whatever position he wants in a potential Obama administration – most likely vice president or secretary of state. Richardson has given a number of policy speeches since he began his presidential campaign in January 2007, but he has delivered them in places like Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles. When his office announced earlier this week that he would give a major policy speech in Las Cruces on Wednesday, I wondered why, when he’s clearly trying to stay in the national spotlight, he would give such a speech in a place where it would attract little media attention. Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:00:00 GMT Heath Haussamen Politics http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/lyons-goes-ahead http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/lyons-goes-ahead Land commissioner Pat Lyons plans to proceed with land deals even though the New Mexico Attorney General's office has questioned their legality. Lyons has said the deals will spur economic development but Attorney General Gary King has said if Lyons fails to heed advice from his office the Land Commissioner proceeds at his own risk. Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:32:44 GMT Heath Haussamen Blog Growth http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/udalls-early http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/udalls-early U.S. Rep. Tom Udall may be out raising his GOP rivals for the soon-to-be vacated U.S. senate seat. But that doesn't mean the race is over, a political analyst says. In a state that likes close votes, there's a lot of politics left in the battle for New Mexico's Senate seat. Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:56:16 GMT Heath Haussamen Politics http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/spaceport-or-bust http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/spaceport-or-bust Tuesday’s tax vote in Sierra County may not quite be a do-or-die moment for Spaceport America, but supporters of the tax say if it isn’t approved the task of constructing the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport will become much more difficult. “This is very pivotal and, really, Sierra County holds this key to the future,” said Steve Landeene, executive director of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority. He said rejection of the tax on Tuesday would be “a major setback” for the spaceport. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:00:00 GMT Heath Haussamen Growth Politics http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/dunn-first-gop http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/dunn-first-gop Aubrey Dunn became today the first Republican 2nd Congressional District candidate to air television ads, and he’s starting with a 30-second spot that introduces him to voters. Here’s the ad. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:08:08 GMT Heath Haussamen Blog Politics http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/state-gop-radio-ad http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/state-gop-radio-ad The state Republican Party is currently running radio ads in several rural New Mexico communities attacking Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama for comments he made at a recent fundraiser in San Francisco. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 23:39:08 GMT Heath Haussamen Blog Politics http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/tinsley-to-join-dunn http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/tinsley-to-join-dunn Ed Tinsley will become today the second Republican congressional candidate from southern New Mexico to air television ads. Here's his new ad. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:46:53 GMT Heath Haussamen Blog Politics http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/sierra-county-passes http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/sierra-county-passes Voters in Sierra County easily approved a tax increase Tuesday to help fund Spaceport America as two-thirds of voters cast ballots to support the measure. Sierra becomes the second county to endorse the tax measure. The issue now moves to Otero County. Wed, 23 Apr 2008 03:07:18 GMT Heath Haussamen Blog Growth http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/enviros-back-udall http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/enviros-back-udall Several national environmental groups that helped to knock off a prominent California GOP congressman in 2006 are backing Tom Udall for New Mexico's soon-to-be-vacant U.S. senate seat. Udall is one of three Democrats across the country that the coalition is trying to elect to the U.S. Senate. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 21:56:15 GMT Heath Haussamen Politics http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/senate-commitee http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/senate-commitee Sen. Pete Domenici did not try to improperly influence a federal investigation but should have realized that calling then-U.S. attorney David Iglesias weeks before the 2006 mid-term congressional elections might have created an appearance of impropriety, a Senate committee said Thursday. The committee's finding closes an investigation into Domenici's call to Iglesias. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 23:56:20 GMT Heath Haussamen Blog Politics http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/state-auditor-mulls http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/state-auditor-mulls State Auditor Hector Balderas is mulling whether to investigate controversial land deals struck by the state land office after five state lawmakers asked him this week to step in. The state land office has financial deals with developers in several cities across the state. Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:54:17 GMT Heath Haussamen Blog Growth http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/got-bucks-you-need http://nmindependent.mypublicsquare.com/view/got-bucks-you-need You need access to serious bucks to run in New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District race. In fact, no other congressional contest in New Mexico has as many wealthy candidates giving money to their own campaigns. Five of the seven candidates running for the seat have given $100,000 or more of their own money to their campaigns. The makeup of the congressional district in Southern New Mexico partly explains the need for ready money. The district is large geographically and candidates have to be willing to buy ads in Albuquerque and El Paso to raise their name recognition. Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:00:00 GMT Heath Haussamen Politics