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Obama in ABQ today for invitation-only event

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Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will be in Albuquerque today for an invitation-only event with women. The event will be held at 12:30 p.m. but the campaign did not authorize the release of the location other than to say it’s at a local business. The visit is part of Obama’s “Change That Works for You” economic tour, according to a news release from the campaign. Obama will “have a discussion with working women” at the Albuquerque event. Former state Attorney General Patricia Madrid said she was invited to and will attend the event. Continue Reading

White wins this site’s non-scientific poll

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The majority of those who voted in last week’s non-scientific poll on this site said Darren White will win the 1st Congressional District race. Of 367 voters, 204, or 56 percent, said White, the Republican, will win, while 163 voters, or 44 percent, said his Democratic opponent, Martin Heinrich, 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

Our primary goal: make things better

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© 2008 by Michael Swickard, Ph.D. No matter how educated, I believe we all have a hint of superstition. Speaking for myself, I am superstitious about whatever happens at the beginning of a week. To my way of thinking it colors the rest of the week for me. For example: One Monday a few years ago when I was working at the university I was heading to my office at 8:02 a.m. with a cup of coffee along with a substantial donut when one of the people in an office near me leaned out his door and said to me, “Hey Michael, happy Pig Day to you.” I was startled by him and looked at the donut and thought, I do not have to take this kind of insult, especially since it is Monday and this would affect the whole week. Besides, as far as I was concerned the donut was generous but not overly so. Continue Reading

Bingaman goes to ANWR

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By Jim Scarantino Watching Democrats mishandling America’s energy crisis feels like 2002: There we were fighting Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. They had attacked us with hijacked planes. They wanted to upgrade from flying coach to detonating nuclear weapons in American cities. Al Qaeda had hoped to provoke us into doing something stupid. Al Qaeda knew it couldn’t defeat us. Continue Reading

Undoing Dubya

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By Carter Bundy One of the trendier things people say in politics is, “Well, I guess I don’t care who’s in the White House, as long as the other party is in control of at least one house of Congress.” It’s perfectly cool, because it implies a certain disdain and aloofness from politics, while at the same time making a statement against the extremes. It makes one a maverick. An independent. Non-partisan. A thinker. Continue Reading

Help wanted: University president to schmooze

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By Dr. James “Jim” Kadlecek “The university has lost its way, and everybody knew it except the Board of Regents, the alumni, the faculty and 90 percent of the students” – James Michener, The Drifters Another New Mexico State University president moves on. In the dozen years I’ve lived in Las Cruces, I believe there have been at least four university presidents at NMSU. Apparently, this short tenure of university presidents is not unusual. I checked with my alma mater, the University of Colorado, and found that in the past 35 years there have been eight presidents, with each president’s tenure averaging a bit more than four years. The longest any stayed was six years. Continue Reading

New Mexico’s 2nd District race is already heating up

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The primary has just ended, but New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District general-election race between Democrat Harry Teague and Republican Ed Tinsley is already heating up. The fundraising group for House Democrats has set its sights on electing Teague. And a nonpartisan political analysis group has recently shifted its rating of the race from one Tinsley is likely to win to one that leans in his favor, but not as strongly. There’s good reason for that. The district is conservative and one where outgoing Republican Rep. Steve Pearce has had few difficulties winning re-election. Continue Reading

Most voters in non-scientific poll pick Teague

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The majority of those who voted in last week’s non-scientific poll on this site said Democrat Harry Teague will win the 2nd Congressional District race. Of 282 voters, 160, or 57 percent, picked Teague to win the race, while 122, or 43 percent, said Republican Ed Tinsley 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

Guv praises Russert upon learning of his death

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Upon learning today of the death of Meet the Press host Tim Russert, Gov. Bill Richardson praised him as a journalist who “set the standard for tough but fair political coverage.” Russert collapsed today while at work and was later pronounced dead. He was 58. You can read about his death from NBC News by clicking here. Russert, the host of the most widely viewed Sunday news program, was a tough questioner, and, as NBC reported, “A ‘Meet the Press’ grilling was often considered an essential proving ground in the career of any national politician.” Time Magazine named Russert one of the 100 most influential people in the world this year. Richardson, as a presidential candidate, appeared for his hour-long grilling on Russert’s show in May 2007. Continue Reading

McCain to return to ABQ for fundraiser

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Republican presidential nominee John McCain will be in Albuquerque next month for a private fundraiser, the Albuquerque Journal is reporting. Tickets for the July 14 gathering will be $1,000 apiece, McCain’s New Mexico finance chair, car dealer Ken Zangara, told the newspaper. The fundraiser will be hosted at Zangara’s home. This will be McCain’s second 2008 campaign trip to New Mexico. He was in Albuquerque on Memorial Day. Continue Reading

The real nature of the dropout problems

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© 2008 by Michael Swickard, Ph.D. Education Week featured a report this week, Diplomas Count: 2008, looking at public school graduation rates nationwide and by state. The top states graduate about 80 percent of their students, while New Mexico is second from the bottom at 54 percent. In 2005 New Mexico only graduated 44 percent of Hispanic males. Gov. Bill Richardson, the No. 1 Hispanic politician in the nation, leads a state that leads in Hispanic dropouts. Continue Reading

Lawmaker no longer seeks audit of Lyons’ dealings

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A special audit of the dealings of the State Land Office begins today, even as one of five lawmakers who requested the review has withdrawn his support for it. The land office announced today in a news release that Democratic state Rep. Ray Begaye of Shiprock has withdrawn his name from the letter that sought the formal involvement of state Auditor Hector Balderas. In an interview, Begaye said he has come to respect Land Commissioner Pat Lyons and his staff and is concerned that the controversy that has ensued over Lyons’ dealings with a Las Cruces developer is costing the state money that could help fund education. Begaye said that, until the controversy began, Lyons was increasing the amount of money the land office was making for education, which “tells me that Pat Lyons and his office staff are doing a pretty good job.” The controversy, Begaye said, caused the land office’s business and planning lease revenue to drop during the 2007 fiscal year by about $400,000 from the previous fiscal year. Asked if he believes the controversy is politically motivated, as Lyons has alleged, Begaye said there “is some internal strife” in Las Cruces but he doesn’t know a lot about it. Continue Reading

Foley’s loss changes the dynamics in state House

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Dan Foley is a fighter. Whether it’s using his debating skills to single-handedly filibuster legislation on the House floor or rushing a Roswell basketball court in June after a fight broke out among teens, Foley has often found his way into battles. That has led to some of the controversies that ultimately cost Foley his elected position, including his arrest last June during the basketball-court fight on charges that were later dismissed. The House minority whip was defeated in last week’s primary by his well-funded opponent, Republican Dennis Kintigh, who went negative early and hammered Foley throughout the campaign. But Foley’s willingness to fight and his skill in a debate, coupled with his unique friendships with a handful of colleagues on the other side of the aisle, have also made him an effective legislator whose absence will change the dynamic in the House, many of his colleagues said. Continue Reading

Bribery statute may need clarification

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State Rep. Debbie Rodella, D-Ohkay Owingeh, gave $100 from her campaign fund three times last year to help cover funeral costs, according to a Wednesday article in the Albuquerque Journal. She also wants to use her campaign fund for other expenses some would find questionable: She wrote a letter to the Attorney General’s Office last year asking whether it is alright to spend campaign money on phone cards, pizza parties and other expenses for voters. She wrote in her letter that her purpose in doing that “would be to garner good will from these men and women and their family and friends.” The AG’s office, in a letter I found confusing, responded last month that, while the Campaign Reporting Act appears to allow such expenditures, they might be illegal bribes under the state Election Code. The Election Code forbids a lawmaker from “willfully advancing, paying… directly or indirectly, any money or other valuable consideration… to any person… to induce such a person, if a voter, to vote or refrain from voting for or against any candidate.” Violation is a fourth-degree felony. The AG opinion states that any thing of value, “no matter how trivial,” can’t be given to “influence or induce a vote” unless it is strictly campaign literature. Continue Reading

N.M. Republicans to gather Saturday in Las Cruces

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New Mexico Republicans will elect a new national committeeman, confirm the five who get the state GOP’s electoral votes and hear from candidates for federal office at a meeting on Saturday in Las Cruces. The 2008 Republican Party of New Mexico Quadrennial Convention will begin at 10 a.m. at the performing arts center at Oñate High School. The most interesting vote of state central committee members who attend Saturday’s meeting will be on who will replace George Buffett as the national committeeman for New Mexico — a representative who has a voice in the Republican National Committee. Albuquerque attorney Pat Rogers had previously announced his candidacy, but two late entrants — Albuquerque small businessman Anthony Contri and Albuquerque car dealer Don Chalmers — jumped into the race this week. It’s too late for their names to appear on Saturday’s ballot, but they’re still welcome to compete, said Allen Weh, chairman of the state GOP. Continue Reading