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State GOP says guv should not call special session

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The Republican Party of New Mexico says Gov. Bill Richardson should not call a special session for health-care reform. “The legislators and citizens of New Mexico spoke loudly and clearly during the past legislative session: Bill Richardson’s government-managed health-care plan runs the risk of driving doctors and insurance providers out of New Mexico and could bankrupt the state,” the party’s executive director, Adam Feldman, said in a news release. “For the sake of New Mexico taxpayers and small businesses, Richardson should not call a special session this year.” The governor has already said he will call a special session, and is meeting with Senate leaders on Thursday to discuss possible dates. The House approved a revised and watered-down version of Richardson’s universal health-care plan after much debate during the regular session that ended earlier this month, but the Senate refused to even consider it. Many lawmakers have said publicly that they see no point to calling a special session when there is no consensus on health-care reform. Continue Reading

Teague may have to take down signs for a few days

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Second Congressional District candidate Harry Teague’s campaign began putting up large signs around Las Cruces this weekend, but that appears to violate a city ordinance and the signs may have to be taken down for a few days. Many New Mexico cities have ordinances limiting the time that campaign signs can be displayed on public property, but Las Cruces is one of the few that also limits the time that campaign signs can be posted on private property. Signs can’t go up in Las Cruces until March 5, which is 90 days before the June 3 primary. City Manager Terrence Moore said staffers are “in the midst of checking into the locations of the respective signs. If violations exist, they will be dealt with accordingly.” You might recall that, because of the ordinance, state Land Commissioner Pat Lyons was ordered by the city to take down several signs that were put up on private property more than 90 days before the 2006 general election. Continue Reading

Wilson attacks Pearce for comments about England

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Heather Wilson is attacking Steve Pearce for claiming on Saturday that England is a bigger exporter of Islamic terrorists than any country in the Middle East. It’s the latest spat in what has become a contentious GOP U.S. Senate primary. “We must have a moral standard in this country. We cannot be a moral vacuum,” Pearce said at the Valencia County GOP convention on Saturday. “If we try to do that I will guarantee that the same thing will happen to us that happened in England. Continue Reading

Guv pushed on planned Cruces veterans museum

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Gov. Bill Richardson is drawing sharp criticism and heavy lobbying after saying on Friday that he hasn’t decided whether to sign a bill that would create a veterans museum in Las Cruces. Sen. Leonard Lee Rawson, R-Las Cruces and the sponsor of Senate Bill 349, said Richardson previously promised in front of several witnesses to sign the bill. In addition, he said, two of the governor’s cabinet secretaries testified in support of the bill during the session. “How can he not honor his word? This should in itself be the end of the discussion,” Rawson wrote in an e-mail. Continue Reading

Turnout high at GOP county convention in Las Cruces

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Almost 300 Republicans showed up to Saturday’s Doña Ana County party convention to select delegates to the March 15 state preprimary nominating convention, almost tripling the usual turnout at the county meeting. Several longtime Republicans said they had never seen more than 100 people at a county convention in Las Cruces. “Great turnout. Fantastic turnout,” was how the county’s interim party chair, Mark Van Dyke, characterized it. Republicans have reported similarly high turnout at county conventions across the state, which may suggest, coming on the heels of the record turnout for the Democratic Party’s Feb. Continue Reading

Most voters in poll say ‘no’ to special session

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The majority of those who voted in last week’s non-scientific poll on this site said the governor should not call a special session for health-care reform. Of 221 voters, 152, or 69 percent, said the governor should not call a special session, while 69, or 31 percent, said he should. The governor has already said he will call a special session. He’s meeting with Senate leaders this week to discuss the date. Don’t forget to vote in this week’s poll, located at the top of the right column on this page. Continue Reading

A jovial Richardson signs bills in Las Cruces

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Gov. Bill Richardson was all smiles and jokes today during a news conference and bill-signing ceremony in Las Cruces. Richardson was greeted warmly by lawmakers, local politicians and New Mexico State University officials during the ceremony at NMSU’s Business Complex. “The Legislative session wasn’t very good, but for New Mexico State, it was great,” the governor said with a chuckle in announcing more than $33 million in new funding for NMSU that came out of the legislative session and the creation of a new doctorate program in economic development. Richardson’s beard was the most mentioned subject at the event. Business Dean and former Gov. Garrey Carruthers introduced the governor as “Adjunct Professor Richardson” – a reference to his teaching a course at NMSU a couple of years ago – and joked about the facial hair the governor has been growing since he withdrew from the presidential race in January. Continue Reading

NMSU to honor Domenici at basketball game

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New Mexico State University will honor retiring U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici on Saturday by “retiring” a baseball jersey in his name during halftime of the men’s basketball game. The jersey will have the number 36 on it, for the number of years he will have as served as senator by the time he leaves office at the end of this year. NMSU President Michael Martin said in a news release that Domenici’s kindness and generosity make him a valuable friend to NMSU. He added that Saturday’s ceremony is an important and fun way for the university to show its appreciation. “Sen. Domenici has achieved a long and distinguished career of service, not only to New Mexico, but the nation and indeed the world. Continue Reading

Our national need for greed

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© 2008 by Michael Swickard, Ph.D. “It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interests.” – Adam Smith, 1776 We are a nation lost on the road of good life, having lived so well for so long that we do not see our bounty. We live much better than our ancestors, yet are constantly discontent and envious of others who have more than us. Despite our blessings, we want to punish the “greedy rich.” Some believe all business is theft, that profits and greed are a scourge upon our society. They reject Adam Smith’s ideas in the above quote, contending that the butcher, brewer and baker are harming us with their greedy self-interest in profits. Otherwise they could sell for less. Continue Reading

McCamley pledges commitment, change and results

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This is the sixth in an occasional series of articles based on conversations with the Second Congressional District candidates. Articles on each candidate who agrees to an interview will run before the parties’ preprimary nominating conventions on March 15. Bill McCamley has said often on the campaign trail that politicians should be judged solely on results. “Have you made life better for the people you represent? If you can’t answer that question, you shouldn’t be re-elected,” the Democratic Second Congressional District candidate said. Continue Reading

Two announce bids for ABQ-area legislative seats

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A Democratic business-planning consultant and Republican who is a former chairman of the state Commission on Higher Education announced today their candidacies for Albuquerque-area seats in the state Legislature. Tim Keller, a Democrat who wants to “bring new and ethical leadership to Santa Fe,” is running for the state Senate District 17 seat currently held by Democrat Shannon Robinson. Ron Toya, a Republican who says he will focus on education issues, is running for the state House District 17 seat currently held by Democrat Ed Sandoval. “I am running for office because the needs of our district are substantial. As a state senator, I will fight for working families in our district,” Keller said in a news release. Continue Reading

Bill, Chelsea Clinton to visit El Paso

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Hillary Clinton’s daughter will visit El Paso Friday and her husband will visit Saturday to campaign in advance of Texas’ March 4 primary, the Associated Press is reporting. Details of both visits have not been finalized or announced. Texas is a must-win state for Hillary Clinton, who hasn’t won a primary or caucus since Feb. 5 and has been overtaken in the delegate race by Barack Obama. Hillary Clinton is banking on huge Hispanic support in Texas, which explains her focus on El Paso. Continue Reading

Why do you care about politics?

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By Carter Bundy Over the last six months, I’ve been inspired by both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. But their “first” status isn’t the main thing that inspires me, nor are the speeches. What has moved me about both, more than anything, is that each has fought for, and staked out for the future, a series of policies that dramatically alter the current trajectory our country is on. Each of them would reverse Bush policies in everything from foreign affairs to fiscal responsibility to civil rights. They’d also add policies which, if implemented, would signal the re-emergence of America as a worldwide leader in progressive policies. Continue Reading

Miller to try independent bid for Udall’s seat

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Carol Miller made the Third Congressional District race much more interesting on Tuesday by announcing that she’s going to run as an independent for the seat, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican. The only time the Democratic district was in Republican hands in recent years was after Miller ran as a Green Party candidate in 1997 and split the liberal vote with Democrat Eric Serna. Republican Bill Redmond won the special election to replace Bill Richardson, only to be replaced next year in the regular election by Tom Udall. Miller won 17 percent of the vote in 1997. The next year, she received only 4 percent. Continue Reading

Dunn grabs delegates in home counties of opponents

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There’s a lot of buzz surrounding the campaign of Republican Second Congressional District candidate Aubrey Dunn Jr. after he won all delegates to the party’s state convention in the home counties of opponents Ed Tinsley and Terry Marquardt last weekend. Most surprising was Dunn’s victory in Otero County, where his supporters showed up in force and won all 15 county delegates to the March 15 preprimary nominating convention. Marquardt, who lives in Alamogordo, was a state representative for 12 years. Dunn also won all seven delegates from Lincoln County. Tinsley and his wife own a ranch in Capitan, and his campaign headquarters is located in downtown Ruidoso. Continue Reading