Politics
Reflections of one trail-blazer on another
James Lewis, 60, made New Mexico history 20 years ago when he became the first African-American to win statewide office. His election in 1986 as state treasurer was only the beginning. After several prestigious stints in state and municipal government, he bookended his career by getting elected state treasurer again in 2006. A tireless volunteer and speaker, Lewis, a lifelong Democrat, remains one of the most respected and genuinely-liked public figures in the state.
Pearce continues hammering Udall on energy
Republican Senate candidate Steve Pearce’s new radio ad continues his campaign’s hammering of Democratic opponent Tom Udall on energy issues.
“It’s time our government stood up for working families, reduce our energy costs by building nuclear power plants and drilling for oil on land and offshore,” Pearce says in the ad, which you can listen to by clicking here. “The far left environmentalists are not going to like this and maybe it’s not politically correct, but nuclear energy is a sure way to America’s energy independence. Nuclear power can make America free from Middle Eastern oil cartels.”
Dems give Madrid a seat at the table
Ad watch: DCCC ready to defend Heinrich
After an independent expenditure group began airing radio ads attacking Democratic candidate Martin Heinrich, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is ready to step in to attempt to counter the ads.
The DCCC is ready to air radio ads starting Friday in the 10 districts nationwide where Freedom's Watch began airing radio ads attacking Democratic candidates -- including New Mexico's 1st Congressional District.
What happens if you throw a party and nobody shows up?
New Mexico’s Republican House candidates all say they are skipping the GOP presidential nominating convention at the beginning of September. Some give reasons, others don't. Meanwhile, trying to figure out whether the Democratic candidates will attend their convention later this month is much more difficult.
TODAY'S TOP STORIES: Wait is longer at ABQ emergency rooms
Waiting time for emergency rooms in Albuquerque are up to four hours, the Albuquerque Journal reports today.
Acknowledging political reality, Gov. Bill Richardson has scaled down his health care priorities for the special session that starts Aug. 15, the Journal reports. Instead of universal health coverage, Richardson's focus will be on the state's children.
Developers are talking about rental properties and neighborhood services near a planned Rail Runner Express train stop, the Santa Fe New Mexican reports.
The Federal Aviation Administration will conduct the last of scheduled public hearings on the potential environmental impact of the spaceport today in Las Cruces, the Las Cruces Sun-News reports. The hearings are scheduled for 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at the Dona Ana County Government Center, 845 N. Motel Blvd., in Las Cruces.
CD3: Opponents say Luján is 'scared' to face them in campaign forums
Is 3rd Congressional District Democratic candidate Ben R. Luján ducking forums? That’s what two of his opponents are saying, but Luján's campaign says it isn’t true.
The 3rd District candidates had been scheduled to participate in a forum this evening in Clovis, but it was canceled on Tuesday after Luján backed out. His withdrawal came the day after he, Republican candidate Dan East, and independent candidates Carol Miller and Ron Simmons participated in a forum in Santa Fe.
Ad watch: Group supporting White takes aim at Heinrich
A group called Freedom's Watch is now airing radio ads attacking Democratic candidate Martin Heinrich's stance on drilling. You can hear the ad here.
Freedom's Watch is paying for the ads on local radio stations on behalf of Republican candidate Darren White, assuring White will be able to put his name out in front of voters even though he is sidelined with a back injury.
Dems give Tinsley mock Santa Fe 'Resident of the Month Award'
Democrats will present Republican 2nd Congressional District candidate Ed Tinsley with a mock Santa Fe “Resident of the Month Award” later today, the latest political stunt in their effort to highlight the home he owns there.
No room for bikes at the 'greenest convention in history'
From the Colorado Independent Organizers for the Democratic National Convention and party leaders have touted the official greenness of the upcoming convention in Denver, including everything from biodiesel buses and recyclable materials to carbon counting. But in the rush to secure everything green—even setting up a “hybrid-only parking lot” at the Pepsi Center—it seems one simple and fairly obvious LEED-certified step was overlooked: Installing bike racks.
Courting Dems down south
There’s a rare breed of Democrat in southern New Mexico that makes the region the place to watch in New Mexico in the 2008 election. Those conservative Democrats who have a history of voting for Republicans will decide who wins the 2nd Congressional District race between Democrat Harry Teague and Republican Ed Tinsley. Were the U.S. Senate race between Democrat Tom Udall and Republican Steve Pearce to get interesting -- Udall is currently way ahead of Pearce – those Democrats would be a major factor. And those Democrats will probably decide whether Democrat Barack Obama or Republican John McCain wins New Mexico in the presidential race.
Richardson to Beltway types: Lay off
Bill Richardson says that strategists who are urging Obama to hit back strong against McCain's recent negative campaigning have a "beltway" mentality, and are full of "sour grapes" for being excluded from Obama's "outsider campaign."
In a classic piece of reporting, The Hill--which is a website that is part and parcel of what it terms the "chattering class"--reports that Obama surrogates like Richardson think the response to McCain, despite the concerns of that same "chattering class," is right on track in a campaign that is just warming up:
“One of the advantages of Obama is he doesn’t listen to the Beltway mentality,” Richardson told The Hill.
TODAY'S TOP STORIES: More bad news for Jerome Block, Jr.
Things just keep getting worse for PRC candidate Jerome Block Jr. So far, he's been accused of drunk driving, peeing in the bushes at Summerfest, riding with a drunk driver and lying about having a college degree. Today, the Santa Fe Reporter unearths a decade-old restraining order against the candidate, and connects it to gang activity in Santa Fe.
Albuquerque can't make the mentally ill take their meds says the state Court of Appeals. The AP reports that the court yesterday upheld a lower court's ban on enforcing the law, which had been promoted by Mayor Martin Chavez after a schizophrenic man shot five people, including two police officers, in 2005.
llinois Congressman and former chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Rahm Emanuel will be in New Mexico on Thursday to help raise money for Ben Ray Lujan, Martin Heinrich and Harry Teague, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.
And just for laughs you've got to see Paris Hilton's new video (watch it here). Even if you hate Hilton, you'll get a kick out of her reaction to John McCain's ad, which included a glimpse of her in an attempt to paint Obama as a celebrity ditz.
Will the Senate walk?
The special session set to begin on Aug. 15 could turn out to be a repeat of last year when the state Senate defied Gov. Bill Richardson by walking out without taking action. Democratic state senators on Sunday will decide whether to tempt fate again and stymie the governor's priorities.
Lawmaker says "unnamed" insiders snitched to provide facts for lawsuit
A lawsuit alleging an illegal conspiracy to defeat three incumbent lawmakers in the June primary is baseless, several people and groups named as defendants say, but one of the lawmakers says insiders who decided to “snitch” will help prove the allegations.
Sen. Shannon Robinson, who spoke of these insiders, did not name them. The nonprofits and the three challengers who defeated the Albuquerque Democrats in the June primary, meanwhile, say the lawsuit is filled with "completely outlandish allegations."
TODAY'S TOP STORIES: Lawmakers seek new oil and gas projections.
New natural gas and oil revenue projections are being sought by state Senate leaders, according to the Albuquerque Journal. Prices for natural gas and crude oil have fallen since last month on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
A new war memorial is being contested by some veterans. The $300,000 monument makes connection between the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the events of Sept. 11. KOAT reports that some veterans are taking offense to the connection.
Santa Fe County public-information officer Stephen Ulibarri has sent a memo to county staff informing them that they do not have to talk to media. He warned that amid economic hard times, the media will be focusing more and more on government malfeasancea, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.
Obama is rock star material, not presidential timber
As we move closer to the November election, it amazes me the nerve of Barack and his left-wing supporters and their already revisionist perspective on the war on terror, as well as their continued opposition to protecting Americans and our economy. It is so disgusting that last week on Barack’s world tour -- with stops in such friendly countries as Germany and France -- he couldn’t help bashing our country
Mailer mixup
Republican restaurateur and Capitan rancher Ed Tinsley's campaign for Congress sent scores of fundraising letters to state Democratic Party headquarters in Albuquerque addressed to prominent New Mexico Democrats. It's unlikely much money will be raised given the lion's den in which they were received. A spokesman for the Tinsley campaign explained the mixup by releasing a statement that faults a "computer glitch" originating with the campaign's mail vendor.
Ad watch: Pearce hits Udall on energy in TV ad
Steve Pearce has joined Tom Udall on the TV airwaves with his first Senate TV ad of the general election season. Udall has been running TV ads since before the primary and is expected to stay on the air until the election.
Pearce's ad focused on using nuclear energy to help America find their way to energy independence. But he didn't let the ad go the entire way without taking a shot at his Democratic opponent, Udall.
Journal story examines state contract that has paid Foley thousands.
A weekend article in the Albuquerque Journal examines a state-government insurance contract that has paid thousands of dollars to outgoing House Minority Whip Dan Foley.
Chaves County Commissioner Harold Hobson -- a Foley critic -- has asked the attorney general to look into the situation in which Foley, an Allstate insurance agent, helped his company win a state contract last year that pays him a 10-percent commission on all policies sold, according to the Journal. Some 500 government employees in New Mexico have signed up for the supplemental cancer, accident and universal life-insurance policy.
The AG’s office told the newspaper that Hobson’s request has been forwarded to the appropriate section.
Foley, R-Roswell, told the newspaper he has done nothing wrong. He said the contract was awarded through a competitive process and called Hobson’s request “a political ploy.”