Udall makes tough decision on lab funding

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I wrote in June about U.S. Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., being in a sticky situation when the House approved cutting funding for Los Alamos and Sandia national laboratories by $400 million after rejecting his proposal to reduce the proposed cuts by $192 million. Most of the cuts were for LANL. Who would want to be remembered as the representative for LANL when its funding was severely cut? The proposed cuts come in part because of security breaches at the lab and in part because some Democrats want to shift the lab’s mission from nuclear weapons to energy research. According to the Associated Press, Udall voted for the cuts on Tuesday in approving the House Energy and Water Appropriations Act. Continue Reading

Popular superintendent leaving Gadsden schools

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The popular superintendent of the Gadsden schools is leaving behind a tenure of turmoil and progress to take a similar job just across the state line. Ron Haugen will become the superintendent of the Anthony, Texas Independent School District on Aug. 1, the Las Cruces Sun-News is reporting. He leaves the Gadsden Independent School District after 26 years, including six as superintendent. Haugen was fired from the top job in 2005 by a board that was mired in scandal. Continue Reading

New ad continues Richardson’s effective campaign

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You might recall me writing a few weeks ago about how Gov. Bill Richardson often looks wooden and insincere when talking to massive crowds or television cameras. That problem doesn’t exist in his newest television commercial. The 30-second spot, set on a hillside in New Mexico, highlights the governor’s plan to get all American troops out of Iraq. The ad, which began airing today in Iowa, shows a comfortably dressed Richardson talking about how New Mexico, Iowa and every other state has lost “too many soldiers” in Iraq. “We have to end this war now,” Richardson says in the ad. Continue Reading

Senate kills Iraq withdrawal bill

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While most of us were sleeping last night, members of the United States Senate were debating a proposal to require that President Bush begin withdrawing American troops from Iraq within 120 days and complete the pullout of combat troops by the end of April. The measure needed 60 votes to pass, but only received 52. Four Republicans joined all Democrats in voting for it. The measure is different than one Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., has signed on to in that it’s more rigid because it sets a firm withdrawal date. Domenici favors a goal of withdrawing all combat troops from Iraq by March 2008 and implementation of other recommendations of the Iraq Study Group, and he voted against the proposal that was debated last night and this morning. Continue Reading

King’s human trafficking task force meets in Cruces

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Attorney General Gary King will be in Las Cruces on Wednesday for the first meeting of a task force whose aim will be developing legislation that would criminalize human trafficking in New Mexico. Legislation that would do that, sponsored by Sen. Mary Jane Garcia, D-Doña Ana, failed during this year’s session, in part, King said, because of conflicting information that confused lawmakers. The task force will seek to clear up confusion and help create new legislation. It will also discuss services for victims of human trafficking and training for law enforcement in ways to recognize and deal with trafficking, which is on the rise in New Mexico. “It is important for all interested parties to come together to craft a human trafficking bill that will have wide support and, therefore, stand a better chance of passing in the next legislative session,” King said. Continue Reading

Richardson moves ahead of Edwards in N.H. poll

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For the first time, Gov. Bill Richardson has moved past one of the top three Democratic presidential candidates in an independent poll in an important primary state. Richardson is in third place, and two points ahead of John Edwards, in the latest CNN/WMUR/UNH poll released today. The new poll has Hillary Clinton in the lead with 36 percent, Barack Obama at 27 percent, Richardson at 11 percent and Edwards at 9 percent. A month ago, Clinton led with 39 percent, Obama had 24 percent, Edwards had 14 percent and Richardson had 11 percent. So Richardson hasn’t gained any ground in the last month, but Edwards has fallen. Continue Reading

Heinrich, McCamley make important money list

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Martin Heinrich and Bill McCamley are two of 24 Democratic House challengers across the nation who had more than $100,000 on hand at the end of the second quarter of 2007. A poster on the liberal blog MyDD compiled the list of Democratic challengers to GOP incumbents who have that much cash. The poster doesn’t report how much each has beyond $100,000, and he doesn’t rank them, so I did, to get an idea of where Heinrich and McCamley stand. I couldn’t find Federal Election Commission reports for all of the candidates listed, but I did for most, and at least 13 have more money on hand than Heinrich, who had almost $153,000 at the end of the quarter. At least 15 have more on hand than McCamely, who had just over $133,000. Continue Reading

Can guv balance campaign with 2008 Legislature?

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I’ve been thinking today about what the 2008 legislative session is going to look like in light of Gov. Bill Richardson’s presidential run. The governor has raised enough cash so that, no matter what the polls say, he’s likely to be in the race at least through Feb. 5. At least four small states will hold presidential nominating contests in January. So many states are holding their contests on Feb. Continue Reading

Polling analysis site predicts guv will win Iowa

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A well-read national Web site that analyzes polls is predicting that Gov. Bill Richardson will win Iowa’s Jan. 14 caucus – the first-in-the-nation contest that could catapult him to the Democratic nomination. An analysis on USA Election Polls points out that Richardson, six months ago, was at about 1 percent in both Iowa and New Hampshire but, if you average out recent polls in those states, he’s at 9.8 percent in Iowa and 8.7 percent in New Hampshire. The site also considers a recent poll conducted by Fairbank Maslin Maullin and Associates for the Richardson campaign that had him at 13 percent in Iowa and, if only the most likely voters are considered, 18 percent and ahead of Barack Obama in that state. Before the 2004 Iowa Caucus, the site points out, Howard Dean and Dick Gephardt were considered the frontrunners, but they came in third and fourth, respectively, in the state. Continue Reading

Poll should make Richardson supporters nervous

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A new poll of likely Democratic voters in New Hampshire should have supporters of Gov. Bill Richardson’s presidential campaign a little nervous. The poll, conducted by Research 2000 for the Concord Monitor, has Richardson nipping at the heels of John Edwards – at 8 percent to Edwards’ 10 percent – when Al Gore is included. Eliminate Gore, who isn’t running for president, and Edwards’ support jumps to 15 percent. Richardson’s support drops to 7 percent when Gore is not included in the poll. That’s bad news for Richardson because other recent polls in New Hampshire – none as recent as this – found that Richardson and Edwards were nearly tied at 8-10 percent without Gore in the running. Continue Reading

ABQ council candidate needs new e-mail address

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Rey Garduño is running an Albuquerque City Council campaign based on clean elections and ethical government. The Democrat is running for the District 6 seat in the state’s largest city – a seat being vacated by congressional candidate Martin Heinrich. He has the support of many who are fighting for good government in New Mexico and Albuquerque. But Garduño’s latest misstep is cause for concern that the man who is running a campaign based on ethical government may not know how to avoid the appearance of impropriety. It’s one thing to use a government e-mail address to campaign – which he’s doing. Continue Reading

FEC reports give clearer picture of federal races

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Candidates for federal races had to file second-quarter fundraising reports by Sunday, and the money game in New Mexico’s races became clearer with their public release. Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., who has drawn three lesser-known opponents but no prominent Democratic challenger thus far, raised $650,000 from April to June, the Albuquerque Tribune reported. His report isn’t yet posted on the Federal Election Commission Web site. The senator has $1 million in the bank. U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., raised $393,000 during the quarter. Continue Reading

Veterans’ activist to battle for right to take on Pearce

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A prominent Vietnam veteran who has run unsuccessfully for Congress in the past plans to fight for the right to take on U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M. next year. Democrat Rick Bolaños said he is “absolutely” running and plans to officially declare his candidacy later this week. Until recently, Bolaños lived in east El Paso, and he ran in 2006 against former Rep. Henry Bonilla, R-Texas. Mid-way through that election cycle, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld most of the controversial 2003 Texas redistricting, but forced the redrawing of Bonilla’s district. It also ordered a vote on Election Day 2006 that included all candidates who wanted to run, with a runoff in December if no candidate received 50 percent. Continue Reading

Voters in polls say guv is most and least ethical

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Gov. Bill Richardson won both non-scientific polls posted last week on this site, one for being the most ethical statewide elected official and the other for being the least ethical among the seven politicians. Of 289 voters in the poll about who is most ethical, Richardson received 92 votes, or 32 percent; Attorney General Gary King received 72 votes, or 25 percent; Lt. Gov. Diane Denish received 35 votes, or 12 percent; Treasurer James B. Lewis received 32 votes, or 11 percent; Auditor Hector Balderas received 31 votes, or 11 percent; Land Commissioner Pat Lyons received 24 votes, or 8 percent; and Secretary of State Mary Herrera received three votes, or 1 percent. Of 186 voters in the poll about who is least ethical, Richardson received 76 votes, or 41 percent; Lyons received 73 votes, or 39 percent; Herrera received 17 votes, or 9 percent; Balderas received nine votes, or 5 percent; Denish received six votes, or 3 percent; King received three votes, or 2 percent; and Lewis received two 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