Republican magistrate hopeful faces uphill climb

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The Republican candidate for the magistrate judge Division II seat in Doña Ana County has a tough road ahead. The first hit to his campaign came in April, when the U.S. Office of Special Counsel began looking into whether Foldy and Sheriff Todd Garrison were in violation of the Hatch Act, which prevents some public employees whose jobs involve federal money from running for office while holding those jobs. Foldy is a corporal in the sheriff’s department. He’s also the only Republican running against any of the county’s five incumbent Democratic judges this year. When the feds began looking into the situation, Foldy stopped volunteering for overtime jobs such as DWI enforcement that are funded by federal grants. Continue Reading

Richardson tries to assure Iowa, N.H. of 2008 status despite Nevada caucus change

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The Democratic National Committee is expected to insert Nevada’s caucuses between Iowa’s and the New Hampshire primary when it adopts its 2008 primary and caucus calendar Saturday in Chicago. Gov. Bill Richardson defended that proposal in Iowa Thursday, according to the Des Moines Register. “The path to the presidency is through Iowa and New Hampshire,” Richardson told the newspaper. “I don’t see Nevada’s entrance in between, a caucus in a small western state, as going to affect either one.” The issue was contentious during a recent Richardson visit to New Hampshire. He is one of the backers of the Nevada proposal, designed to raise the status of the west, but, at the same time, has worked hard to convince Iowa and New Hampshire they won’t be harmed. Continue Reading

Many Democrats also upset over party’s ad comparing Hispanic immigrants to terrorists

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Some Democrats are upset about the lack of sense shown by those in their own party who created an advertisement many believe unfairly compared Hispanic immigrants to terrorists. After writing about the subject yesterday, I’ve had several calls and e-mails from Democrats who are upset about the ad created by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. The ad, which was posted on the group’s Web site Tuesday, attacked Republicans and showed footage of two undocumented immigrants scaling a border fence along with images of Osama Bin Laden and North Korea’s leader. It compared the problem of illegal immigration to those of terrorism and rogue nations. The Democratic group’s spokesman, Phil Singer, dismissed criticism as a Republican group “trying to gloss over the White House’s abysmal record on security,” according to the Associated Press. Continue Reading

Acting Gov. Denish declares Hatch and Socorro disasters, and politicos push judge candidates

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While Gov. Bill Richardson is out of state doing the anti-Wal-Mart thing, there’s a lot happening locally. Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, serving as acting governor, declared a disaster today in Hatch and Socorro, which have been pummeled (and in the case of Hatch, devastated) by recent rains. According to the Albuquerque Journal, the declaration frees up $750,000 in flood-relief funds for the communities. The funds can only be used to repair public infrastructure. Denish will fly over both towns today. Continue Reading

New web site a venue for quick, easy and public campaign finance reporting

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Conservative political blogger Mario Burgos has started a new Web site on which candidates for office can voluntarily report campaign contributions. Ethical Reporting is a blog-formatted site “for politicians and political candidates who want to provide real-time and easily searchable campaign finance information to the general public,” Burgos writes on the site. His goal is “to address deficiencies with the campaign finance reporting system in New Mexico,” though he invites candidates from across the nation to participate. It’s brand new and, as of Wednesday, only one candidate had signed up. Candidates can obtain free usernames and passwords that allow them to post their contributions, expenses and gifts on the site, which is updated by the candidates as they input data. Continue Reading

Treasurer paints bizarre picture of office under Vigil, and legislative salaries on the chopping block

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State Treasurer Doug Brown painted a bizarre picture Wednesday of the way the office operated under Robert Vigil. He said he found bugged telephones, rigged security alarms, altered personnel files and more when he was appointed in November to the job, according to an Associated Press article you can read via the Albuquerque Journal. Brown was speaking to the state ethics task force, of which he is a member, during a meeting of the group at which he suggested the treasurer should be an appointed, not elected, position. With no oversight, Brown said, a “rogue clique” was running the office, making inappropriate investments and ignoring personnel and procurement policies, the Associated Press reported. The new details provide insight into the severity the situation under Vigil. Continue Reading

Goddard strikes back at Whitley’s e-mail

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Any suggestion that local law enforcement agencies encourage investigations into Democrats and suppress investigations into Republicans is false, Doña Ana County Republican Party Chair Sid Goddard said today. Melinda Whitley, the county’s Democratic Party chair, recently made such a suggestion in an e-mail to fellow party members. “At this moment, Republicans control the district attorney’s office and the sheriff’s department, which means that they can reveal or suppress, investigate or not investigate, any type of incident they choose – which obviously is why we read these constant attacks against Democratic elected officials in our Republican-controlled newspapers,” Whitley wrote in an e-mail encouraging Democrats to attend a meeting of the county’s elections task force. You can read a prior posting that includes the full text of Whitley’s e-mail by clicking here. Speaking on The Morning Show with Michael Swickard, Goddard said, “there is no conspiracy whatsoever.” “That is one of the most egregious and disingenuous comments I’ve ever heard in my life,” Goddard said. Continue Reading

Republicans, others attack Democratic ad they say lumps immigrants in with terrorists

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Republican Hispanics and others are blasting a Democratic group for a political ad they say unfairly compares Hispanic immigrants to terrorists. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee ran an ad on its Web site that shows footage of two apparently undocumented immigrants scaling a border fence, along with images of Osama Bin Laden and North Korea’s leader, according to an Associated Press article that you can read via the Albuquerque Journal. Pedro Celis, chairman of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly, called the ad “appalling” and said the Democratic group should remove it, according to the Associated Press. Republicans aren’t the only ones upset. A Democratic city councilwoman from Houston is among those calling for the ad to be removed from the group’s Web site. Continue Reading

Richardson to pressure Wal-Mart on pay, benefits

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Gov. Bill Richardson is one of four potential Democratic presidential candidates who will be in Iowa this week to join a union-based group that’s trying to pressure Wal-Mart to offer higher wages and better benefits. According to the Associated Press, Richardson will be participating in events organized by Wake Up Wal-Mart on Thursday. The group is planning to visit 19 states in 35 days, according to the article, which was posted on the Santa Fe New Mexican’s Web site. The tour will be in Iowa through the weekend and in New Mexico next week. The group claims Wal-Mart’s low wages and poor benefits equal government subsidies, because its workers are eligible for programs that include Medicaid and food stamps. Continue Reading

Judge: Vigil trial staying in New Mexico

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A federal judge issued a preliminary ruling Tuesday morning denying a request to move the trial of former state Treasurer Robert Vigil out of New Mexico, according to the Associated Press. The review is pending U.S. District Judge James Browning’s review of a few other cases, but the judge said he’s confident a jury can be found in the state, the Associated Press reported. The retrial is set to begin Sept. 5. Vigil resigned in October and has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of racketeering and extortion. Continue Reading

Richardson interviews district judge candidates

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Gov. Bill Richardson interviewed Monday the two candidates for the new district judgeship in Las Cruces, and will announce an appointment in the next several days. A judicial nominating committee sent the names of Democrats Fernando Macias, 54, and Bernadette Sedillo, 40, to Richardson at the end of July. Both candidates plan to seek the party’s nomination to run in November if appointed. The Republican Party has chosen Rita Nuñez-Neumann, 62, to run in November. The governor has until Aug. Continue Reading