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Chávez: Obama needs to do more to reach Hispanics

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I wrote in May, following Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s Las Cruces visit, that he was going to have to do more to reach out to conservative, rural and Hispanic voters – including returning to Las Cruces – in order to win New Mexico. Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez agrees that Obama has to do more to reach Hispanics. The mayor, who supported Bill Richardson and later Hillary Clinton before eventually backing Obama for president, made some telling comments in an article published this week in the National Journal. “The real question in my mind is whether Senator Obama is going to be able to capture Hispanics by a significant margin,” Chávez was quoted in the article as saying. “That’s a big ‘if,’ because he’s clearly an urbanite.” The state Republican Party seized on the opportunity to attack Obama with a news release. Continue Reading

Tinsley helps with flood relief; Teague also chips in

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When Ed Tinsley learned of the flooding that devastated Ruidoso last weekend, he cleared campaign activities from his schedule so he could help. The Republican 2nd Congressional District candidate spent Sunday through Wednesday coordinating an effort among area restaurants to feed those stranded by the flooding and those who came to their aid. Tinsley and a campaign intern personally delivered 1,500 meals to about 400 victims stranded in the Upper Canyon area of Ruidoso, state and county road crews, Red Cross volunteers, emergency workers and area churches that were providing aid to victims, campaign spokesman Jim Pettit said. Several restaurants, including some Tinsley owns, contributed food. The intern who helped Tinsley, Ben Sewell, said Tinsley lined up donations from restaurants, picked up the food himself and delivered it. Continue Reading

Pearce touts poll that shows him trailing by 8 points

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Republican Senate candidate Steve Pearce is touting as good news a weeks-old survey that shows him trailing Democratic opponent Tom Udall by 8 percentage points. That’s because other polls have shown Pearce trailing by much greater margins. Meanwhile, an independent group has set its sights on Pearce in a new TV ad that’s running in the Albuquerque television market. The Zogby “interactive analysis” — an online survey of 464 likely voters in New Mexico that Zogby says are representative of the adult population — had Udall leading Pearce, 49 percent to 41 percent. The margin of error was 4.6 percent, and Zogby states that such surveys were “remarkably accurate” during the 2006 midterm elections. Continue Reading

Carrot or stick: Use the one that works

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© 2008 by Michael Swickard, Ph.D. My hometown public school district is taking on often-absent high school slackers by announcing that, regardless of how a student does academically, if absent 10 percent or more, he or she fails the course. The idea is that under threat of losing credit the slackers who somehow could not get themselves to go to school will suddenly put their noses to the grindstone. Will they? What published research supports this approach? Sure, when we smack students with our stick there is a chance that the students will thank us in their prayers for teaching them discipline. Continue Reading

Lawmakers to consider water-rights adjudication

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Two interim legislative committees will hold joint meetings in Las Cruces next week to discuss the adjudication of water rights in New Mexico. The interim Water and Natural Resources Committee and Courts, Corrections and Justice Committee will meet at the NMSU Golf Course Club House, 3000 Champions Drive, Monday through Wednesday. “Since water rights and water adjudications are a subject of interest to both committees, we are meeting concurrently as we hear testimony on these subjects,” Rep. Andy Nuñez, D-Hatch and chairman of the water and resources committee, said in a release. “We are taking a close look at what’s happening along the Lower Rio Grande.” The committees will also hear about the impact of a recent Supreme Court decision that limits the regulation of domestic wells. The courts committee will also meet separately to consider prison reform, with an emphasis on the juvenile justice system. Continue Reading

New Mexico Liberty is a new public forum on the Web

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A new Web site started by the libertarian-leaning Rio Grande Foundation aims to provide “a public forum for open and wide-ranging discussion on matters affecting the life, liberty and well-being of New Mexico’s citizens.” That’s according to a posting from the man who is running New Mexico Liberty, Jim Scarantino (who is also a columnist for Heath Haussamen on New Mexico Politics). “We want this site to be like a public square. You can use the forum as your soap box to get a discussion going,” Scarantino wrote in the inaugural posting on the site. “We sorely need quality, challenging, substantive debates in this state. We don’t seem to be getting it from our newspapers and television. Continue Reading

CD2, CD3 candidates to attend forums next week

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The Association of Commerce and Industry plans to hold forums around the state next week for candidates seeking the 2nd and 3rd Congressional District seats. The candidates for U.S. Senate have been invited to but not confirmed their attendance at any of the events. The 2nd District candidates, Democrat Harry Teague and Republican Ed Tinsley, will attend a forum on Thursday in Las Cruces. It will be held at Good Samaritan Society Las Cruces Village, 3011 Buena Vida Circle, from 5-7 p.m. To RSVP for the 2nd District forum, click here. Also, three candidates seeking the 3rd District seat — Democrat Ben R. Luján, Republican Dan East and independent Carol Miller — will attend two forums, one on Monday in Santa Fe and one on Wednesday in Clovis. Continue Reading

Domenici steps up after Stevens’ indictment

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The federal indictment of Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, means Sen. Pete Domenici has to take on greater responsibility. Domenici, R-N.M., assumed on Wednesday the position of ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery, according to a news release from his office. Senate rules required Stevens to step down from the position pending resolution of a federal indictment on charges that he lied about accepting more than $250,000 in gifts from contractors. Stevens pleaded not guilty to the charges today. “This subcommittee plays an important role in maintaining our understanding of the role of the federal government in responding and dealing with disaster situations, and I plan to ensure it continues,” Domenici said in a news release. Continue Reading

Obama’s office locations reveal focus on southern NM

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The campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will formally open two offices in Doña Ana County this weekend and plans a third later in the campaign. The offices reveal a widespread effort by the Obama campaign to reach voters in southern New Mexico and throughout the state. The campaign will open offices in Las Cruces and Anthony this weekend, according to a news release. It already has offices open in Silver City and Alamogordo. Later in the campaign it plans to open offices in Deming, Ruidoso and on the New Mexico State University campus in Las Cruces, the news release states. Continue Reading

Guv appoints new deputy secretary for prison reform

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Gov. Bill Richardson today appointed Gail Oliver to serve as deputy secretary of reentry and prison reform in the Department of Corrections. This is a new position Richardson created as a result of a recommendation from the Governor’s Task Force on Prison Reform. Richardson made the announcement in a news release. “I am committed to improving New Mexico’s corrections system,” Richardson said. Oliver will oversee development of prison and community programs that will allow inmates to leave prison with the skills they need to be successful. Continue Reading

Here’s to heresy

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By Jim Scarantino Let me say this up front: Here and in The Weekly Alibi’s blog I’ve written glowingly about Barack Obama’s explosion onto the national stage. His nomination is historic, hope-affirming. With that said, the cult of personality developing around Obama is getting scary. We’ve seen this before. At the far right of the political spectrum, a culture of worship surrounded George W. Bush in 2000. Continue Reading

GOP Senate group will come to Pearce’s aid

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Republican U.S. Senate candidate Steve Pearce is having a difficult time keeping up with the fundraising of Democratic opponent Tom Udall, but it appears that help is on the way. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev. and chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, today pledged to match the spending of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in races in key states including New Mexico, and asked GOP senators to transfer money from their own campaigns to make that happen. The fundraising arm of Senate Republicans will spend most of that money — some $44.8 million — through independent expenditures on races in Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina and Oregon. The NRSC currently doesn’t have the cash to do that. Continue Reading

Rocket Racing League finally gets off the ground

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The Rocket Racing League finally got off the ground on Tuesday, but it has delayed its first exhibition race yet again. The league’s Rocket Racer took to the skies for the first time at an air show in Oshkosh, Wis. on Tuesday. Here’s video of the flight: “Today was truly a milestone not only in the history of the Rocket Racing League and aviation in general, but in the future of sports and entertainment,” said Rocket Racing League founder and CEO Granger Whitelaw. “This first flight proves that by bringing together the technological and business development power of the aerospace industry, we have changed the future of sports and entertainment.” The league plans additional flight demonstrations on Friday and Saturday at the EAA AirVenture air show. Continue Reading

Guv will host two Aug. 17 fundraisers for Clinton

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Gov. Bill Richardson will host two fundraisers in New Mexico next month to help Hillary Clinton retire the debt from her unsuccessful presidential campaign. Clinton will attend both fundraisers, which will be held in Santa Fe and Albuquerque on Aug. 17, according to a news release from Richardson. Both events are invitation-only. Clinton’s debt was $25.2 million at the end of June. Continue Reading

New McCain ad: Obama, Britney and Paris

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Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s new TV ad calls Democratic opponent Barack Obama “the biggest celebrity in the world” and compares him with scandal-plagued stars Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Here’s the 30-second spot, which is airing in New Mexico, other battleground states and on national cable: The ad begins with huge crowds chanting Obama’s name, then flashes to images of him, Spears and Hilton. “He’s the biggest celebrity in the world. But is he ready to lead?” the ad’s narrator asks. “With gas prices soaring, Barack Obama says no to offshore drilling. Continue Reading