Former judge arrested for failing to appear in court

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Former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Carlos Garza was arrested on Wednesday for failing to appear in the court in which he once served. He was scheduled to appear in Magistrate Court for a non-jury trial on March 24 after being cited during a Dec. 13 traffic stop in Doña Ana County for driving with a suspended or revoked license, failing to display registered plates and driving 11 to 15 miles per hour over the posted speed limit. Garza didn’t show for the March court date, and a bench warrant was issued. He was arrested on Wednesday, according to online court records. Continue Reading

Gwaltney wants to continue serving in DNC role

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Mary Gail Gwaltney says she has spent decades working hard for the Democratic Party, and she wants to continue doing that in her role as the national committeewoman from New Mexico. “I want to continue in my role so that we can elect a president, so that we can elect a senator and three congressmen, so that we can elect our local and state Democratic candidates,” Gwaltney said. “That’s all I do.” Gwaltney, who has been the state’s national committeewoman to the Democratic National Committee for 13 years, is being challenged this month for that position by state Rep. Mary Helen Garcia, D-Las Cruces. Garcia says Gwaltney hasn’t done a good job of communicating with local and state Democrats about what’s happening on the national level or of taking the state’s issues to the DNC. The vote will be held at the Democrats’ statewide presidential delegate convention on April 26. Continue Reading

Communication workers’ union backs Teague

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The New Mexico Communication Workers of America has announced its endorsement of Harry Teague in the Second Congressional District race. Though the union’s leadership voted unanimously on Feb. 1 to endorse Teague, the decision wasn’t announced until Wednesday. “Our New Mexico CWA Locals want to thank you for your energy and commitment to working families in New Mexico,” the union stated in a letter to the Teague campaign. “We wholeheartedly look forward to your firm support of the Employee Free Choice Act and ongoing efforts to improve access to health care. Continue Reading

Former congressman endorses Greer in CD2 race

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Former U.S. Rep. Ed Foreman, a Republican who represented congressional districts in Texas and New Mexico in the 1960s, has endorsed C. Earl Greer in the Second Congressional District race. “Earl Greer has the grit, guts and gumption to do the kind of results-oriented job that New Mexicans have grown to expect from their Washington representatives in the likes of Joe Skeen, Steve Pearce, and Senator Pete Domenici,” Foreman said in a news release from the Greer campaign. He called Greer an “experienced, honest, hard-working, dependable leader” who will do New Mexico and America “a great service.” Greer, also a Republican, said he was “flattered” by the endorsement. “His previous experience in the U.S. House of Representatives has given him a unique viewpoint in this election, and he feels that I am the best qualified of all the candidates in this election,” Greer said. Foreman, a prominent motivational speaker who now lives in Texas, was born in Portales and attended Eastern New Mexico University and New Mexico State University. Continue Reading

Controversy over guv’s endorsement continues

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Bill Richardson has been unable to get away from the controversy surrounding his endorsement of Barack Obama, so he confronted it head-on in a Tuesday op-ed published in the Washington Post. Today another newspaper revealed a weekend meeting where Bill Clinton expressed his anger at Richardson for endorsing Obama. In the Post op-ed, Richardson ripped into Hillary Clinton supporter James Carville, who has compared Richardson’s endorsement of Obama to Judas’ betrayal of Jesus. “While I certainly will not stoop to the low level of Mr. Carville, I feel compelled to defend myself against character assassination and baseless allegations,” Richardson wrote. “Carville has made it very clear that this is a personal attack – driven by his own sense of what constitutes loyalty. Continue Reading

Udall is among the top fundraisers through ActBlue

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Tom Udall raised an impressive amount of money through the liberal fundraising site ActBlue during the first quarter of 2008, perhaps a sign of what’s to come when overall fundraising reports for the quarter are made public on or before April 15. According to CQ Politics, the $195,000 Udall raised through the site from Jan. 1 to March 31 was the second highest total raised by any Democratic candidate for a House or Senate seat. Udall has raised almost $334,000 through the site this election cycle, according to his page on ActBlue. The enthusiasm for Udall’s campaign on the site underscores the importance of New Mexico’s Senate race on a national level. Continue Reading

Wiviott loans his campaign another $300,000

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Third Congressional District Democratic candidate Don Wiviott loaned his campaign another $300,000 on Monday, bringing the total he’s given his campaign to $890,000. It’s a sizable amount of money for a candidate in New Mexico to give to his own campaign. Though such self-financing is rare, it’s not unheard of: For example, in 1998, when Democrat Phil Maloof unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, he gave his own campaign almost $6.5 million, according to FEC records. Wiviott had previously topped $350,000 in personal contributions and triggered the Millionaire’s Amendment, which triples contribution limits in the primary race to $6,900. Though the other candidates can raise more money because of that, Wiviott is giving his campaign money at a pace they probably won’t be able to match. Continue Reading

Nader files signatures to get on ballot in N.M.

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Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader said last week that New Mexico would be the first state where he qualified for the ballot. On Tuesday, his campaign filed 6,700 signatures with the Secretary of State’s Office in an attempt to make that claim a reality. Nader told the Associated Press that New Mexico is the first of at least 40 states where his campaign will file to appear on the November ballot. “We’re drawing a bright line between us and the three corporate candidates,” the news service quoted him as saying. Nader is running in New Mexico under his newly formed Independent Party, rather than as a candidate independent of any party, because it’s easier to qualify for the ballot as a minor-party candidate than as a candidate not affiliated with any party. Continue Reading

Clinton to attend fundraiser in Albuquerque

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Hillary Clinton will be in Albuquerque for a few hours on Sunday to attend a fundraiser at the home of former Ambassador to Spain Ed Romero, the Associated Press is reporting. For a donation of $1,000 attendees will be called “friends,” while those who give $2,300 will be “sponsors.” Those in attendance will include Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez, former state Democratic Party Chair John Wertheim and former Ambassador Joe Wilson and his wife Valerie Plame, the news service reported. Clinton narrowly beat Barack Obama by 1,709 votes in New Mexico’s Feb. 5 caucus. Continue Reading

Fighting between Dems increases McCain’s chances

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Several months ago I didn’t see much reason to believe a Republican would be elected president this year. A Democratic wave was sweeping the country. Democrats had an incredibly deep pool of talented presidential candidates. Excitement about the candidacies of a woman, black man and Hispanic man led to media coverage of the Democratic primary that topped that given to American Idol. The Democratic wave is generally continuing; however, in recent weeks, I’ve changed my opinion about the chances of the Republican nominee as the result of an incredibly pragmatic GOP electorate. Continue Reading

Wilson, Pearce spar over history of Cannon vote

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Sparring between Republican Senate candidates Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce continued on Monday with back-and-forth accusations related to the history of the decision to mothball Cannon Air Force Base. I wrote last week that Wilson was accusing Pearce of attempting to rewrite history by falsely stating that all five members of the New Mexico delegation signed a letter shortly after Cannon appeared on the base closure list saying “please let us mothball” Cannon. She also said Pearce has given differing explanations for his vote to OK the mothballing of Cannon. Over the weekend, the Associated Press published a story on the situation that included this paragraph, quoting Pearce spokesman Brian Phillips: “Pearce voted for base closings after assurances from Defense Department officials that a new mission would be found for Cannon, which in 2005 housed three F-16 fighter squadrons, Phillips said,” according to the Associated Press article. That prompted another Monday release from the Wilson campaign. Continue Reading

Voters OK LCPS mil levy that will generate $35 million

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Voters on Tuesday approved a refinancing and restructuring of the Las Cruces Public Schools’ debt that will generate $35 million over the next five years to help with construction of three new schools and other projects. With 28 of 28 precincts reporting, 2,625 voters, or 84.3 percent, voted in favor of the three-mil property tax levy, while 490, or 15.7 percent, voted against it. Turnout was relatively small – that adds up to 3,115 votes, and there are several hundred absentee and provisional ballots that will be counted today. The yet-to-be-counted ballots won’t make a difference in the outcome. “It’s very gratifying to see this support,” LCPS Superintendent Stan Rounds said in a news release. Continue Reading

Richardson goes to Washington to promote spaceport

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Gov. Bill Richardson is heading today to the nation’s capitol to meet with a NASA official and a congressman to lobby for funding and other support for Spaceport America. Richardson will meet Wednesday with NASA Administrator Michael Griffin at NASA headquarters. Accompanying the governor on the trip is Steve Landeene, executive director of New Mexico’s spaceport. The two will also meet on Wednesday with U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon, D-Tenn. and chair of the House Committee on Science and Technology. Continue Reading

Poll puts Dunn ahead in Republican CD2 primary

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A poll conducted for the campaign of Republican Aubrey Dunn has him leading the pack of five men seeking the party’s nomination in the race to replace Steve Pearce in Congress. The poll places Dunn at 22 percent, Ed Tinsley at 16 percent, C. Earl Greer at 10 percent, Monty Newman at 8 percent and Greg Sowards at 1 percent. Thirty-six percent of the 400 likely Republican primary voters surveyed said they are undecided. Of the remaining 7 percent surveyed, 6 percent refused to answer the question of who they support, and 1 percent named someone else as their choice. No one else will appear on the ballot in June. Continue Reading

Gutierrez deserves praise for disclosing DWI

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I wrote last week that Doña Ana County Clerk candidate Lynn Ellins’ voluntary disclosure of a 2006 drunken driving arrest was an example others should follow. Apparently, former county Treasurer David Gutierrez thought such a disclosure would also be a good idea. Gutierrez revealed to the Las Cruces Sun-News, in an article published today, his August 2005 arrest for drunken driving. He told the newspaper he “had a few beers” with friends at his house before driving to the restaurant he owns in Las Cruces. He was pulled over and found to have a blood-alcohol level of 0.12. Continue Reading