A brief survey on the submission of comments

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I want your feedback before I finalize plans to unveil a new comments system, which I hope will happen the week after Thanksgiving. Take a couple of minutes to vote in these polls. If you want to explain your votes or provide other suggestions please e-mail me at heath@haussamen.com. Thanks!Should people be allowed to submit anonymous comments?YesNo  Would you be willing to register with Google and be required to enter a username and password to submit comments?YesNo  Would you be willing to have your real name published with the comments you submit?YesNo  Free polls from Pollhost.com Continue Reading

Republican considers another run at Udall’s seat

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Ron Dolin, a Republican who ran unsuccessfully against U.S. Rep. Tom Udall last year, is considering running again now that Udall is vacating the seat to run for Senate. Dolin, an engineer at Los Alamos National Laboratory, is the only Republican who has confirmed that he’s considering running for the Third Congressional District seat. “I am considering a run for U.S. Congress in the third district,” Dolin said. “Now is that rare moment in Northern New Mexico when a true grass-roots candidate has the ability to make a difference. I very much believe that the nation and New Mexico needs someone outside the political dynasties/inner-circles to represent the people of Northern New Mexico in Washington.” Dolin is also a small-business owner and adjunct professor at the University of New Mexico. Continue Reading

McCamley to discuss veterans’ issues in Las Cruces

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Congressional candidate Bill McCamley plans to discuss veterans’ issues at a town hall meeting this evening in Las Cruces. The Democrat and Doña Ana County commissioner, who is running for the seat being vacated by Steve Pearce, will hold the meeting beginning at 6 p.m. at VFW Post 6917, 5845 Bataan Memorial West. McCamley was born in South Korea while his father, a U.S. Army veteran, was stationed there. His father served 25 years, including two tours in Vietnam. The event is open to the public. Continue Reading

Wilson raises $110K at fundraiser with Cheney

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U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson raised $110,000 for her Senate bid at a Thursday fundraiser featuring Vice President Dick Cheney, a source with knowledge of the situation said. The event, held at the GOP’s Capitol Hill Club in Washington, was attended by about 80 people. No House members were there, but U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici and his chief of staff, Steve Bell, did attend, the source said. Domenici did not give money to Wilson’s Senate campaign, but Bell did. The senator has not, to this point, endorsed Wilson over U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce in the GOP primary battle. Continue Reading

Richardson gaining support in Iowa

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After weeks of falling slightly in the polls, Gov. Bill Richardson appears to be making some late gains in the all-important state of Iowa, whose Democrats will be the first in the nation to make their choice for the presidential nominee. Three of four new polls show him making notable gains in that state while Hillary Clinton’s support has dropped. The problem for Richardson is that Barack Obama and John Edwards also appear to be making late surges in advance of the Jan. 3 caucus. On Nov. Continue Reading

House GOP leader gives White’s campaign a boost

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Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White has secured a significant campaign contribution that will make it difficult for any potential rivals in a GOP primary to raise Washington money. House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio has sent White a $5,000 contribution – the maximum allowed – from his political action committee, The Freedom Project, to be used specifically in the primary. You can read the letter accompanying the contribution by clicking here. “We are pleased to provide you with the enclosed contribution of $5,000 from The Freedom Project to benefit your 2008 primary election campaign,” the letter from Boehner states. “We hope it is helpful to you and your efforts.” It’s highly unusual for the minority leader to get involved in a primary, and this is another sign that the Washington GOP establishment is trying to shut out other potential GOP candidates and rally behind White. Continue Reading

Griego to kick off campaign to unseat state senator

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Former Albuquerque City Councilor Eric Griego plans to kick off his campaign to unseat state Sen. James Taylor, D-Albuquerque, on Sunday. Griego plans to launch his campaign at the home of Ron Romero, 1106 Santa Fe SW, in Senate District 14. “I believe we need leadership in Santa Fe that stands up to the specials interests,” Griego said. “I will fight for affordable health care for all, better schools for our kids and the resources our district needs for roads, parks and community facilities. With the right leadership, real progressive reform can happen at the state level.” Griego is currently the executive director of the non-profit advocacy group New Mexico Voices for Children. Continue Reading

Democratic presidential candidates to debate tonight

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Gov. Bill Richardson and other Democratic presidential candidates will gather in Las Vegas, Nev. tonight for the next official candidate debate. The event begins at 6 p.m. Mountain Standard Time and will be televised live on CNN. It will be the first debate among the candidates since Hillary Clinton was hammered on Oct. 30 by most of her rivals and stumbled on a question about whether undocumented immigrants should be allowed to obtain state driver’s licenses. Continue Reading

The 2008 list of N.M. candidates for federal offices

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This list was last updated on March 27, 2008. U.S. Senate Democrats• Tom Udall, U.S. representative Republicans• Steve Pearce, U.S. representative• Heather Wilson, U.S. representative Independents• Zack Boatman, high-school teacher First Congressional District Democrats• Martin Heinrich, former Albuquerque city councilor• Michelle Lujan Grisham, former state health secretary• Robert Pidcock, Albuquerque attorney• Rebecca Vigil-Giron, former secretary of state Republicans• Joe Carraro, state senator• Darren White, Bernalillo County sheriff Second Congressional District Democrats• Bill McCamley, Doña Ana County commissioner• Harry Teague, former Lea County commissioner Republicans• Aubrey Dunn Jr., rancher and retired banker• C. Earl Greer, former Sierra County GOP chair• Monty Newman, Hobbs mayor• Greg Sowards, owner of several Las Cruces daycare centers• Ed Tinsley, restaurant-chain owner and rancher Third Congressional District Democrats• Jon Adams, attorney• Ben R. Luján, Public Regulation Commission chairman• Rudy Martin, Dixon attorney• Harry Montoya, Santa Fe County commissioner• Benny Shendo Jr., former cabinet secretary for the state’s Indian Affairs Department• Don Wiviott, green builder Republicans• Marco Gonzales, attorney• Daniel East, Rio Rancho contractor Independents• Carol Miller, activist and former congressional candidate• Ron Simmons, building contractor Continue Reading

Online town hall is an innovative way to reach voters

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Steve Terrell of the Santa Fe New Mexican and Kate Nash of the Albuquerque Tribune wrote revealing articles today on the online town-hall meeting held Tuesday evening by Albuquerque Mayor and U.S. Senate candidate Martin Chávez. Read their words if you want the details. What I want to say after participating in the event is that it was awesome. People from around the state got watch Chávez talk about topics including health care, Iraq and the environment. They got to ask questions by typing them into a chat box on the Web page. Continue Reading

Farmington councilor considers running for Congress

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Farmington City Councilor Jason Sandel, son of former state Rep. Jerry Sandel, is seriously considering running for the Third Congressional District seat being vacated by Tom Udall, who is running for U.S. Senate. Sandel, 33 and a Democrat, said he has been encouraged by many to consider running and has spoken with Udall, the state Democratic Party chairman and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee about the possibility. “Most significantly I am evaluating impact to my family and my business should I decide to run to represent New Mexicans in the Third Congressional District,” he said. “All told, I think that I would be a terrific representative for the Third Congressional District; moreover, I am confident that I would be a strong voice and advocate to ensure that areas inside the Third Congressional District are treated with the respect which we deserve.” Sandel did not provide a timeline for a decision. Democrats Don Wiviott and Santa Fe County Commissioner Harry Montoya have both entered the Third Congressional District race, and a number of others are seriously considering it. Continue Reading

On immigration, N.M. deals with cost of D.C. inaction

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Washington’s inability or unwillingness to reform our broken immigration system has forced states to take some creative steps to deal with resulting problems. In 2003, New Mexico began offering driver’s licenses and identification cards to undocumented immigrants. The controversial idea colored the most recent Democratic presidential candidate debate when Hillary Clinton and Chris Dodd argued about a similar proposal in New York. In New Mexico, the change, coupled with a new program that checks whether drivers are insured, has drastically reduced the number of uninsured drivers, but it’s also led to a controversy over potential illegal voting. Before the change, New Mexico had the highest rate of uninsured motorists in the nation – one in every three drivers. Now, New Mexico’s uninsured motorist rate is 10.8 percent, well below the national average of 14 percent. Continue Reading

Here’s why I’ve temporarily disabled all comments

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Comments on this site have been temporarily disabled because I’ve learned that someone has been impersonating a Las Cruces couple, apparently with the intent of trying to discredit certain political groups by submitting comments that make those groups’ members – and that couple in particular – appear to be extremists or nutcases. Many of you have been reading comments signed “Vi and Ron” and have become increasingly annoyed with their talk of a progressive Democratic “slate” of candidates. The comments have become increasingly obnoxious in recent days and have claimed to be submitted by two people who belong to the Progressive Voter Alliance and other groups that share some of the same members. There’s only one couple who fits that profile and who frequently goes by “Vi and Ron.” They are Violet and Ron Cauthon of Las Cruces, and, though they sometimes attend PVA meetings, they have not been submitting those comments. It appears that someone else has been intentionally impersonating them. Continue Reading

Zamora won’t run for Udall’s House seat

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Geno Zamora, former attorney general candidate and former chief legal counsel to Gov. Bill Richardson, announced today that he will not seek to replace U.S. Rep. Tom Udall, who is vacating his House seat to run for Senate. “I am proud to have Tom Udall as a mentor in both politics and the practice of law. It is my hope that Northern New Mexico’s next representative is as strong and progressive as Tom has been, and it would be an honor to succeed him,” Zamora said. “For me and my family, however, now is the time to remain in New Mexico and continue working for change here.” Zamora currently serves as a board member of the New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the New Mexico Domestic Violence Leadership Commission, the Attorney General’s Advisory Board and the New Mexico Sports Authority Advisory Committee. Earlier this year, Zamora served as a member of the Governor’s Task Force on Ethics Reform. Continue Reading