Note to KOAT and ABQJournal: Let Miller debate

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KOAT-TV and the Albuquerque Journal plan to hold a debate between the 3rd Congressional District candidates on Oct. 19, but they don’t plan to let one of the three candidates participate. Media organizations should know better. By excluding independent Carol Miller, they’re helping prop up the corrupt and morally bankrupt two-party system that dragged us into the current economic crisis and other problems. In justifying the decision to only allow Democrat Ben Ray Luján and Republican Dan East participate in the debate, KOAT New Director Sue Stephens told The Santa Fe New Mexican that she invited the two candidates “in the public’s eye,” saying Luján and East “lived through the primary. They have had exposure.” Of course they’ve had more exposure than Miller. Continue Reading

Trip reveals wide range of gas prices in NM

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I drove the length of the state this weekend, from Las Cruces all the way to Farmington and Kirtland, and I was shocked to see the wide range of gas prices. Gas as I left Las Cruces on Friday was selling for $3.49 per gallon at many stations, and that remains the price today. In Bernalillo on Friday, one station was selling gas for $3.20 per gallon, but most were selling it for $3.35 per gallon. That’s not abnormal. Bernalillo is usually a bit cheaper than Las Cruces. Continue Reading

Kansas guv to hold rally for Obama today in Mesilla

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Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius will hold a “change we need” rally for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama this afternoon on the Mesilla Plaza. At the rally, Sebelius will “discuss Barack’s plans to strengthen the economy and lift up New Mexico families,” an e-mail from the Obama campaign states. The rally begins at 4 p.m. Click here to RSVP. Sebellius will be joined after the rally at a fundraiser for Obama in Las Cruces by N.M. Gov. Bill Richardson and Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. for those who contribute at least $2,500 and at 6:30 p.m. for those who contribute $500 or more. Continue Reading

Most voters in poll pick Obama to handle crisis

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The majority of those who voted in last week’s non-scientific poll on this site said Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is most capable of handling the nation’s economic crisis. Of 358 voters, 218, or 61 percent, picked Obama in the poll, while 114, or 32 percent, picked Republican John McCain. Independent Ralph Nader and Libertarian Bob Barr each received eight votes, or 2 percent; Constitutional Party candidate Chuck Baldwin received seven votes, or 2 percent; and Green Cynthia McKinney received three votes, or 1 percent. Don’t forget to vote in this week’s poll, located at the top of the right column on this page. Continue Reading

Heinrich internal poll has him leading

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The campaign of 1st Congressional District Democratic candidate Martin Heinrich is touting an internal poll that has him leading Republican opponent Darren White by 6 percentage points. Heinrich leads 48 percent to 42 percent in the Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research poll that was conducted for the Heinrich campaign. The survey of 450 likely voters was conducted Monday and Tuesday and has a margin of error of 4.6 percentage points. After undecided voters are asked which candidate they are leaning toward, Heinrich’s lead drops to 5 points in the poll, 50 percent to 45 percent. The question that was asked: “Thinking about the election for U.S. Congress in November, if the election for U.S. Congress were held today and the candidates were Democrat Martin Heinrich and Republican Darren White — for whom would you vote, Democrat Martin Heinrich or Republican Darren White?” The most recent independent poll, a SurveyUSA poll conducted for the Washington publication Roll Call a month ago, had Heinrich leading by 5 points, 51 percent to 46 percent. Continue Reading

Pearce ad cites financial crisis in attacking Udall

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Republican U.S. Senate candidate Steve Pearce is out with a new TV ad that aims to use the current financial crisis to convince voters that Democratic opponent Tom Udall is “too liberal” and “too risky.” Here’s the 30-second ad: “Financial markets in crisis. Millions of jobs at risk. The greatest economic challenge of our lifetime,” the ad’s narrator states. “Tom Udall’s plan: higher taxes on families. Tom Udall voted to raise taxes 64 times, and his tax-increase plan would send our economy into a tailspin, destroy jobs, wipe out retirement savings, shatter dreams.” I’ve sought comment from the Udall campaign. Continue Reading

Pearce, Udall to take questions on YouTube

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New Mexico’s U.S. Senate candidates, Republican Steve Pearce and Democrat Tom Udall, have agreed to answer questions from YouTube users. You have until Monday to submit a question. Here’s YouTube’s invitation to participate: The top five questions submitted in response will be asked of both candidates, and their video answers will be posted on Oct. 7 at youtube.com/youchoose08. You don’t have to live in New Mexico to submit a question for consideration. Continue Reading

Pearce’s opposition helps keep bailout on hold

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On Thursday afternoon, the president and many congressional leaders sounded confident that they had a deal in place on a proposed bailout to stabilize the economy. But by Thursday evening, it was clear that no deal was in place, largely because a group of conservative Republicans are rejecting the plan. U.S. Rep. and Senate candidate Steve Pearce, R-N.M., is among the proposal’s detractors. Their unwillingness to support the bailout is keeping Washington and Wall Street on edge. Pearce says the bailout proposal isn’t a real solution to the financial crisis. Continue Reading

Cheney cancels appearance at Tinsley fundraiser

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This article has been updated. Vice president Dick Cheney has cancelled a scheduled appearance at a fundraiser in Hobbs today for Republican 2nd Congressional District candidate Ed Tinsley so he can stay in Washington to help sell the bailout plan, the Associated Press is reporting. The plan is on the ropes after many congressional Republicans revolted against it late Thursday. A Tinsley spokesman said a statement would move across the AP wire soon. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party of New Mexico’s counter to the Cheney fundraiser is still on. Continue Reading

Who’s getting cash from companies in crisis?

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With all the news about financial meltdown and government bailouts of companies, I thought it might be interesting to know how much money members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation had taken from some of the companies at the center of the crisis. So I went to OpenSecrets.org to see what I could find. The bottom line: It appears that New Mexico’s members of Congress haven’t taken nearly as much over the years from these companies as some other Democrats and Republicans. Here’s a breakdown: The money-in-politics Web site lists contributions since 1989 from employees and political action committees tied to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to each member of Congress. According to the site, Sen. Pete Domenici has received $16,226, Rep. Steve Pearce has received $5,000, Sen. Jeff Bingaman has received $3,000, Rep. Heather Wilson has received $1,250 and Rep. Tom Udall has received nothing. Continue Reading

C. de Baca says he has resigned (updated)

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Fernando C. de Baca says he resigned this morning from the position of chairman of the Bernalillo County Republican Party. “The media sideshow which has developed, due to remarks taken totally out of context, has created a media spectacle of major proportions and, as a result, I decided to resign as of this morning in an effort to get the focus back on the 30 or more Republican campaigns in Bernalillo County,” C. de Baca said in an interview with 770 KKOB-AM’s Peter St. Cyr. “We have precious few days remaining before the general election and not a moment to spare.” C. de Baca was facing heavy pressure from Republicans and Democrats alike to step down because of racially charged comments he made in recent days related to relations between Hispanics and blacks in the context of the candidacy of Democrat Barack Obama. In the interview with St. Continue Reading

Calls for C. de Baca’s resignation grow louder

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Pressure continues to mount for Bernalillo County Republican Party Chairman Fernando C. de Baca to resign, with the state’s two U.S. Senate candidates among those calling for his ouster and the state GOP chairman saying he may have the authority to remove the embattled county chairman. C. de Baca continues to reject the calls to step down. Click here to listen to his latest interview with 770 KKOB-AM radio in Albuquerque. The Albuquerque Journal is reporting that state party Chairman Allen Weh says he has been advised that he has “the authority to remove a chairman under special circumstances.” Weh hasn’t said whether he’ll try to remove C. de Baca. All three of New Mexico’s U.S. representatives have joined the chorus of Republicans and Democrats calling for C. de Baca to step down. Continue Reading

No bailout, no way

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By Jim Scarantino There’s one simple word to describe what the federal government should do about Wall Street’s bad bets on securitized mortgages and homeowners who recklessly or dishonestly took out mortgages they couldn’t afford. That one word: nothing. Wall Street is always condemned for its greed, though greed is what makes the wheels of capitalism spin. But greed also drove decisions of homebuyers who willingly played along with “liar’s loans” by inflating their income on mortgage applications. Many of them also engaged in kickback schemes with brokers and walked out of closings not only with mortgages too big for their finances, but also with cash in hand. Continue Reading

Date of Las Cruces Obama fundraiser changes

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The Las Cruces fundraiser for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama that is featuring three current governors has been moved from Tuesday to Monday. Lobbyist Domonic Silva, whose home is the location of the fundraiser, wrote in an e-mail that the date had been changed. He did not give a reason. Gov. Bill Richardson will be joined by Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius at the Monday fundraiser. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. for those who contribute at least $2,500 and at 6:30 p.m. for those who contribute $500 or more. Continue Reading

Herrera finally hires an elections director

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A Santa Fe attorney who has held various government jobs is the state’s new elections director. Secretary of State Mary Herrera hired Gerald Gonzalez, 65, who is expected to begin the job next week, The Santa Fe New Mexican is reporting. Gonzalez takes a job that has been vacant for months. Earlier this month, Judicial Standards Commission Director Jim Noel declined the job after criticism mounted because he is the son-in-law of Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Tom Udall and his wife, in addition to being Udall’s daughter, is Udall’s campaign manager. Gonzalez has worked as an attorney for local governments in Santa Fe. Continue Reading