N.M. leaders urge action following Bush speech

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New Mexico’s members of Congress had mixed reactions to President Bush’s last State of the Union address on Monday, but all urged action and expressed hope that important issues can be addressed during the coming year. Bush focused much of his time on the war, economy and taxes, and again called for immigration reform and an end to congressional earmarks. You can read the full text of his speech here. U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, in a news release, said Bush outlined good policy initiatives and urged Congress to act. “President Bush sent a very clear message that he intends to work up to the very end of his term pushing what he believes will make us a stronger nation,” Domenici said. Continue Reading

Which Dem has the advantage in N.M. on Feb. 5?

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A dearth of polling has New Mexicans in the dark about who is likely to win the Feb. 5 Democratic Party Caucus in this state. The only poll of the state’s Democratic voters was conducted in September for the Albuquerque Journal. But the dynamic of the race has shifted since then, with the rise in popularity of Barack Obama and, most important in New Mexico, the exit from the race of Gov. Bill Richardson. The Journal poll had Richardson at 44 percent, Hillary Clinton at 17 percent, and Obama and John Edwards each at 8 percent. Continue Reading

A more polished Kissling focuses on issues in 2008

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This is the third in an occasional series of articles based on conversations with the Second Congressional District candidates. Articles on each candidate who agrees to an interview will run before the parties’ preprimary nominating conventions in March. U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce labeled his only 2006 opponent, Democrat Al Kissling, as “bizarre,” and the label stuck. In 2008, Kissling is a different and better candidate. He’s more polished. Continue Reading

Bill Clinton to campaign in N.M. on Thursday

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Former President Bill Clinton will be in New Mexico on Thursday to campaign for his wife. Kristin Lee, spokeswoman for Hillary Clinton’s campaign, confirmed that Bill Clinton will be in New Mexico on that day but released no details about time and location. The visit will come the day before Barack Obama campaigns in New Mexico. The Obama campaign has already announced on its Web site that Obama will be in Santa Fe, and a source tells me he will also visit Albuquerque. Hillary Clinton is expected to visit the state late this week or over the weekend, but Lee would release no details about the senator’s visit. Continue Reading

Group wants legislators to back public financing

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Common Cause New Mexico on Friday passed out its Voters First Pledge to every state lawmaker, asking them to promise to support voluntary public financing for statewide races. The group will begin lobbying lawmakers today to sign the pledge. Common Cause’s planned 2008 ethics reform scorecard will grade lawmakers based in part on whether they sign the pledge. “The public is losing faith in the political process. Some politicians appear to care more about what lobbyists and powerful interests think than about the pressing problems faced by most New Mexicans,” the pledge states. Continue Reading

Obama to visit N.M. Friday; no word on Clinton visit

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Barack Obama will visit New Mexico on Friday, with the time and location for a stop in Santa Fe yet to be announced, and sources tell me to expect Hillary Clinton to visit the state late this week or this weekend. A posting on Obama’s Web site confirms that he will be in the state capitol on Friday but provides no other details. The Clinton campaign has promised that the senator will visit before next week’s Feb. 5 Democratic caucus, but there’s no official word on the date of a Clinton visit. Neither campaign has responded to requests for more information about the candidates’ visits. Continue Reading

Obama wins this site’s non-scientific poll

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Barack Obama won last week’s non-scientific poll on this site, but Hillary Clinton was a close second. Of 219 voters, 96, or 44 percent, said Obama will win the New Mexico Democratic Caucus on Feb. 5, while 77 voters, or 35 percent, said Clinton will win. The only other candidate still in the race, John Edwards, received 20 votes, or 9 percent. Bill Richardson received 21 votes, or 10 percent; Dennis Kucinich and Chris Dodd each received two votes, or 1 percent; and Joe Biden received one vote, or less than 1 percent. Continue Reading

Guv rejects ethics proposals from AG and Cervantes

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Gov. Bill Richardson won’t allow discussion during the current legislative session on four ethics bills being jointly proposed by Attorney General Gary King and state Rep. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces. Meanwhile, a spokesman for the governor said Richardson has yet to decide whether to allow consideration of another bill Cervantes wants to sponsor that would open legislative conference committees to the public. King and Cervantes jointly asked the governor to allow deliberation on four bills: • A wide-ranging proposal that would increase the criminal penalties for public corruption crimes, campaign reporting violations and other violations related to ethics in government. • A bill that would amend the Inspection of Public Records Act to make clear that e-mail and fax are valid, written methods of requesting public records. • A bill that would create criminal penalties for violations of the public records act equal to the penalties for violations of the Open Meetings Act. Continue Reading

Help get kids off MySpace and into the open space

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By Diane Denish The 2008 legislative session found its legs in its second week. Health reform plans began moving through committee. Several ethics bills were introduced, including creation of an ethics commission, a limit on campaign contributions and disclosure of lobbyist salaries. A budget is expected from the House as soon as Monday. Committees started early in the morning, working through the hundreds of bills introduced thus far. Continue Reading

Wilson tries to set herself apart from Pearce, Udall

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U.S. Senate candidate Heather Wilson urged young people to get involved in the political process and took a few shots at her opponents during a visit with college Republicans at New Mexico State University on Thursday. Seeking to set herself apart, the Republican representative of the Albuquerque-area First Congressional District characterized U.S. Rep. Tom Udall as “too liberal” and a poor leader. She said U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, under the guise of fiscal conservatism, won’t boost funding for any program, even when additional money is necessary for measures like increasing the number of Border Patrol agents. “I think we need a commonsense conservative,” Wilson said. She called Pearce, who she’s facing in the GOP primary, a friend with whom she agrees on many issues. Continue Reading

Contribution limits should apply to everyone

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Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez has introduced two bills that would place limits on some campaign contributions in New Mexico. While neither is ideal, the bill he originally introduced is far better than the newest bill he unveiled on Wednesday. The first, Senate Bill 264, would create state limits equal to the federal limits – currently $2,300 for the primary and $2,300 for the general – on what any “person” can give to any candidate. Since a person is defined in the state’s Campaign Reporting Act as an “individual or entity,” this bill would place limits on contributions to candidates from individuals, political action committees, political parties, unions and corporations. On Wednesday, Sanchez introduced Senate Bill 387. Continue Reading

Pearce raises more than $50K at event with Cheney

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U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce raised more than $50,000 at a Tuesday fundraiser hosted by Vice President Dick Cheney in Washington. By contrast, U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, one of Pearce’s primary opponents in the U.S. Senate race, raised about $110,000 at a fundraiser with Cheney in November. Though the Pearce campaign wouldn’t officially release the fundraising total, a source close to the campaign did on condition of anonymity because the campaign doesn’t discuss fundraising totals from individual events. The source said the total raised “is a lot more than we expected, so we were very pleased with the outcome.” The campaign put out a news release that included comments Cheney made about Pearce at the event: “Steve is, of course, one of the most trusted names in New Mexico politics,” the news release quoted Cheney as saying. “Out in New Mexico and here in Washington, Steve has earned tremendous respect from his colleagues on both sides of the aisle. Continue Reading

Lawmakers won’t be able to ignore ethics reform

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Lawmakers hoping the ethics-reform front would remain quiet during this session – and this election year – aren’t going to get their wish. Legislative leaders had an initial plan to consider only four issues – contribution limits, an ethics commission, funding for the Secretary of State’s online reporting and disclosure system and a study on the possibility of creating an election commission. Activists are complaining that it isn’t enough. They’re drawing attention to ethics reform and, it appears, having some success in shifting the debate. • Gov. Bill Richardson on Wednesday said he will allow debate on public financing during the session, and Speaker Ben Lujan said he might introduce a bill to expand the state’s public-financing system. Continue Reading

Ethics bills introduced as push for reform continues

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Some ethics-reform bills have been introduced in the Legislature in recent days and received the blessing of Gov. Bill Richardson to be considered during the 30-day session. • Senate Bill 264, sponsored by Majority Leader Michael Sanchez of Belen, would place limits on campaign contributions to individuals equal to the federal limit, which is currently $2,300 for a primary and $2,300 for a general election. • House Bill 309, sponsored by Rep. Mary Helen Garcia, D-Las Cruces, would create a state ethics commission to investigate complaints of ethical misconduct by public officials from all three branches of government. Its membership would be balanced between the two major political parties and consist of people appointed by the governor, legislative leaders from both parties and the chief justice of the Supreme Court. • State Rep. Jose Campos, D-Santa Rosa, introduced legislation today calling for a study on the possibly of creating a state commission to oversee elections in New Mexico. Continue Reading

Cervantes, Lujan among politicos endorsing Obama

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State Reps. Joseph Cervantes and Antonio Lujan of Las Cruces joined 14 other prominent New Mexico politicians in endorsing Barack Obama today. The endorsements were announced in a news release and at a news conference outside the Roundhouse in Santa Fe. “I share Obama’s passion and commitment for reform of government and I share his belief that we have to entirely change the way we think of government, both at a federal and state level, before we’re going to meet the challenges of our modern world and modern society,” Cervantes said in a phone interview. “Sen. Obama has demonstrated a willingness to challenge the status quo, which is something I share too.” Co-chairs of Obama’s campaign in New Mexico are state Treasurer James B. Lewis, former U.S. Sen. Fred Harris, former state Rep. Patsy Trujillo and civil rights attorney John Pound, the campaign announced. Continue Reading