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Is Ben R. Luján ducking forums?

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Is 3rd Congressional District Democratic candidate Ben R. Luján ducking forums? That’s what two of his opponents are saying. And Luján isn’t responding. The 3rd District candidates had been scheduled to participate in a forum this evening in Clovis, but it was canceled on Tuesday after Luján backed out. His withdrawal came the day after he, Republican candidate Dan East and independent candidates Carol Miller and Ron Simmons participated in a forum in Santa Fe. Continue Reading

Southern N.M. Dems are critical to 2008 election

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By Heath Haussamen There’s a rare breed of Democrat in southern New Mexico that makes the region the place to watch in New Mexico in the 2008 election. Those conservative Democrats who have a history of voting for Republicans will decide who wins the 2nd Congressional District race between Democrat Harry Teague and Republican Ed Tinsley. Were the U.S. Senate race between Democrat Tom Udall and Republican Steve Pearce to get interesting — Udall is currently way ahead of Pearce – those Democrats would be a major factor. And those Democrats — who gave Hillary Clinton the win in New Mexico’s Feb. 5 caucus — will probably be the deciding factor in whether Democrat Barack Obama or Republican John McCain wins New Mexico in the presidential race. Continue Reading

Dems continue to focus on Tinsley’s Santa Fe home

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Democrats will present Republican 2nd Congressional District candidate Ed Tinsley with a mock Santa Fe “Resident of the Month Award” later today, the latest political stunt in their effort to highlight the home he owns there. The award will be presented on the Santa Fe Plaza at 3:30 p.m. by Santa Fe Mayor David Coss. Tinsley owns a ranch in Capitan in the 2nd District and a home in Santa Fe in the 3rd District. While Tinsley votes, pays taxes and says he spends most of his time at the ranch, Democrats, including his opponent, Harry Teague, have repeatedly accused him of not living in the district he is running to represent. Today’s ceremony comes on the heels of the Tinsley campaign erroneously sending fund-raising letters to the Democratic Party’s state headquarters addressed to a number of high-profile Democrats late last week. Continue Reading

McCain continues attack on Obama’s celebrity

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Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s newest television ad continues attacking Democratic opponent Barack Obama’s celebrity. Here’s the 30-second spot, which is airing in New Mexico and other states: The ad opens with a scene similar to the previous ad that included images of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, but the two controversial stars are absent from the new ad. “Is the biggest celebrity in the world ready to help your family?” the narrator of the new ad asks. “The real Obama promises higher taxes, more government spending. So, fewer jobs.” “Renewable energy to transform our economy, create jobs and energy independence,” the narrator says. Continue Reading

Wal-Mart gets it right

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By Carter Bundy I said it: Wal-Mart got it right. And the Wall Street Journal got it right. The Journal reported last week that Wal-Mart is actively encouraging their employees to vote against Democrats, particularly Barack Obama, to keep out unions. The Journal undoubtedly got it right. Wal-Mart is arguably the most aggressive union-busting company in recent history, shutting down the few stores where employees have bravely started organizing drives and firing many others for union activity. Continue Reading

Legislators’ lawsuit is baseless, defendants say

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Robinson says insiders who decided to ‘snitch’ helped reveal conspiracy that led to lawmakers’ defeat By Heath Haussamen A lawsuit alleging an illegal conspiracy to defeat three incumbent lawmakers in the June primary is baseless, several people and groups named as defendants say, but one of the lawmakers says insiders who decided to “snitch” will help prove the allegations. Sens. Shannon Robinson and James Taylor and Rep. Dan Silva claim in their lawsuit that several nonprofits and the three challengers who defeated the Albuquerque Democrats in the June primary conspired to illegally hide the spending of at least $180,000 on a secret campaign against them. The defeated lawmakers allege in the lawsuit that the money was funneled through the Center for Civic Policy and the League of Young Voters — which no longer exists in New Mexico — to at least six other nonprofits. The lawsuit alleges that the Center for Civic Policy received approximately $1.5 million from liberal activist George Soros and other groups and individuals for the purpose of electing the three challengers “and others.” “That is a completely false allegation. Continue Reading

This is the presidency, not American Idol

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By Dan Foley I write this knowing it will provoke a response from my fellow columnists. I’m happy to help get those creative juices flowing because God knows there’s nothing worse for a liberal than to have nothing to complain about. (Considering liberals, maybe I shouldn’t even use the term “God.”) As we’ve seen lately, if there’s nothing to complain about liberals will make something up, even if it ends up exposing their own hypocrisy on issues. I say this because I have to take a few minutes to talk about Barack Obama and the liberal response to the surge and the current success we are having in Iraq. As we move closer to the November election, I’m amazed by the nerve of Barack and his left-wing supporters and their already revisionist perspective on the war on terror, as well as their continued opposition to protecting Americans and our economy. Continue Reading

Obama’s new TV ad attacks McCain’s oil ties

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Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s new TV ad takes aim at Republican opponent John McCain and accuses him of being in the pocket of the oil industry. Here’s the 30 second spot, which is currently airing on national cable: “Every time you fill your tank, the oil companies fill their pockets,” the ad’s narrator states. “Now Big Oil’s filling John McCain’s campaign with $2 million in contributions, because, instead of taxing their windfall profits to help drivers, McCain wants to give them another $4 billion in tax breaks. After one president in the pocket of big oil, we can’t afford another.” McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds responded with this statement: “Barack Obama’s latest negative attack ad shows his celebrity is matched only by his hypocrisy,” he said. “After all, it was Senator Obama, not John McCain, who voted for the Bush-Cheney energy bill that was a sweetheart deal for oil companies. Continue Reading

Setting the record straight

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By Keegan King and Eli Il Yong Lee Over the past week, media outlets have reported Sen. Lee Rawson’s dissatisfaction over mail pieces we sent and radio commercials we ran about the senator’s record. The claims made by Sen. Rawson about the issues we support, the kind of organization we are and the intent of our work merit correction. We wish to set the record straight. Like the vast majority of New Mexicans, we are deeply troubled by the rash of public-corruption scandals popping up at every level of government. Common-sense reforms like contribution limits for political campaigns are long overdue. Continue Reading

Pearce’s first TV ad promotes nuclear energy

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Republican U.S. Senate candidate Steve Pearce released his first general-election television ad today, a 30-second spot in which he says nuclear energy is the key to America’s energy independence. Here’s the ad: “It may not be politically correct, but nuclear energy is a sure way to America’s energy independence,” Pearce says in the ad. “Nuclear power can make America free from Middle East oil cartels. Nuclear can keep energy costs low, America prosperous and keep American jobs from going overseas.” “Tom Udall won’t stand up to the far left environmentalists. I will,” Pearce says of his Democratic opponent. Continue Reading

Journal examines Foley’s role in state contract

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A weekend article in the Albuquerque Journal examines a state-government insurance contract that has paid thousands of dollars to outgoing House Minority Whip Dan Foley. Chaves County Commissioner Harold Hobson — a Foley critic — has asked the attorney general to look into the situation in which Foley, an Allstate insurance agent, helped his company win a state contract last year that pays him a 10-percent commission on all policies sold, according to the Journal. Some 500 government employees in New Mexico have signed up for the supplemental cancer, accident and universal life-insurance policy. The AG’s office told the newspaper that Hobson’s request has been forwarded to the appropriate section. Foley, R-Roswell, told the newspaper he has done nothing wrong. Continue Reading

Defeated lawmakers allege conspiracy in lawsuit

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Three lawmakers who were defeated by progressive challengers in the June primary filed a lawsuit Friday alleging a “secret campaign” by nonprofit groups and their opponents that skirted campaign-finance laws and defrauded voters. Because of the alleged conspiracy, the lawmakers say, their losses should be voided. State Sens. Shannon Robinson and James Taylor and Rep. Dan Silva, all Albuquerque Democrats, say the alleged conspirators funneled at least $180,000 through the nonprofits, which aren’t subject to campaign disclosure laws, and used the money to distribute literature and make phone calls, according to the Albuquerque Journal. Without that effort, the lawmakers claim, they would have won the primary races. Continue Reading

Denver Post: Guv should be Obama’s running mate

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The Denver Post says Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama should pick N.M. Gov. Bill Richardson to be his running mate. In a Friday editorial, the Post wrote that it hopes when Obama accepts his party’s nomination for president in Denver later this month that “he will have a son of the West” — Richardson — by his side. “We think there’s only one direction to go,” the Post editorial states. “The first test of a vice president is whether he or she is qualified to serve in the top job should the occasion arise. Richardson clearly leads all other Democratic contenders by that standard.” “His outstanding record makes him an ideal partner for Obama, not only on the campaign trail but at the vital job of shaping America’s future,” the editorial states, citing Richardson’s experience as a congressman, ambassador to the United Nations, energy secretary and governor of New Mexico. Continue Reading

Pearce, Udall to debate on NBC’s Meet the Press

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New Mexico’s candidates for U.S. Senate, Democrat Tom Udall and Republican Steve Pearce, will participate in a nationally televised debate before the November election on NBC’s Meet the Press. The date of the debate hasn’t been set, but both campaigns confirmed on Friday that they have accepted the news show’s invitation. The argument now is over whether the debate will count as one of the three statewide, televised debates in which the candidates have already agreed to participate before Nov. 4. “The Udall campaign has accepted with Meet the Press and we’re pleased to have this be one of our three statewide televised debates,” Udall campaign spokeswoman Marissa Padilla said. Continue Reading

Most voters in poll say Steinborn will be re-elected

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The majority of those who voted in last week’s non-scientific poll on this site said state Rep. Jeff Steinborn, D-Las Cruces, will hold off a general-election challenge from Republican Kent Evans. Of 286 voters, 158, or 55 percent, said Steinborn will win the District 37 race, while 128, or 45 percent, said Evans will win. Don’t forget to vote in this week’s poll, located at the top of the right column on this page. Continue Reading