The day after the National Republican Congressional Committee cut funding for some Darren White TV commercial's, his campaign has released a new ad, called the "Trolley." The ad highlights his Democrat Martin Heinrich’s push to extend the City of Albuquerque 's quarter-cent transportation tax for 10 years – without voter approval – to pay for a $270 million trolley car that would service his own Nob Hill neighborhood.
Campaign spokesman Stephen Schatz claims, "When the transportation tax was first passed in the nineties, voters were promised it was temporary and would sunset in 10 years. But Martin Heinrich tried to extend the tax without voter approval."
Schatz also said, "This led to weeks of public and media criticism, which ultimately forced Heinrich to back off his plan to increase taxes without voter approval to fund the trolley car."
Blogger Joe Monahan reports the NRCC will put up about $232,000 in tube time for Darren starting October 14th.
UPDATE- 5:31
The Editor of the New Mexico Independent David Alire Garcia has an in-depth story on the "war of words" in the 2008 1st Congressional District race here. Garcia says the Heinrich campaign is still trying to clarify the flap over whether or not he was an unregistered lobbyist.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
White Confident He Has Resources and Ideas to Win.
NMFBIHOP and the New Mexico Independent are reporting the NRCC has withdrawn financial support for up to twenty Republican congressional candidates nationwide. But, Darren White's campaign released a statement late this afternoon saying they're confident they have the resources and are on the right side of the issues to beat Martin Heinrich, who they say is too liberal to represent the district:
But now Sue Major Holmes with Associated Press is reporting executives at the local stations said Thursday "none of the canceled buys were aimed at a particular candidate."
We are in a strong position financially, and have our television time booked through Election Day. We always knew we were going to be outspent in this race, and we budgeted and planned appropriately. We are confident that we will have the resources necessary to win this race.From LP at NMFBIHOP:
The NRCC has cut two of three weeks of an expected media buy for White.
UPDATED 5:20 pm
In August we interviewed NRCC Chairman Rep. Tom Cole. He told us in this audio interview Darren is has a unique background and record of independent accomplishments. He also advised White to to run against Washington, D.C. Cole also pledged financial support, saying "I'm sure your going to be seeing a lot of television commercials in the next 85 days.
But now Sue Major Holmes with Associated Press is reporting executives at the local stations said Thursday "none of the canceled buys were aimed at a particular candidate."
They don't stipulate what the ad is (in advance). ... I can't tell you it was designated for a specific candidate," said Jeff McCallister, director of sales for KRQE.
Susan Hern, assistant to the national sales manager for KOB, echoed that.
"We can't say they are specific for any candidate. We have no way of knowing until the ad really starts," she said. "It doesn't say in the contract."
The campaign of Democratic 1st Congressional District candidate Martin Heinrich contended the canceled television ads -- two weeks out of a three-week buy -- were a vote of no confidence by the national GOP in Republican candidate Darren White.
But White's campaign said the national party has canceled television ads in other states as well. National reports say Republican House and Senate committees are pulling out of several places, said Stephen Schatz, spokesman for White.
"We always knew the NRCC ad budget was not the most prolific, so we always anticipated when we were doing our fundraising that anything the NRCC would do would be in addition to what we did," Schatz said.
Ken Spain, press secretary for the NRCC in Washington, D.C., said Thursday the committee doesn't comment on strategy.
New Mexico's 1st District race, he said, "remains a high-profile race and we plan to make the case to voters that there is a clear choice between Darren White ... and Martin Heinrich."
Last month, the national Republicans' Senate campaign arm called off television ads that were to air in New Mexico to support Steve Pearce in the run-up to Election Day.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee's decision to cancel the spots reflected its priorities during a tough year for the GOP, with the party lagging badly in fundraising and resigned to losing seats in the Senate.
The NRSC pulled the New Mexico ads a little more than a week after Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., the committee's chairman, announced he would scale back advertising in battleground states because Republican senators haven't contributed enough money to compete with Democrats.
Meanwhile Heinrich, who is still shuffling his staff, issued this statement through a new spokesman, Jason Burke:
LP reports:Back in August, the NRCC reserved $731,690 in advertising on behalf of Darren White from October 14 to November 4th [NRCC to spend $731k on TV ads in 1st District Race, 8/27/08]. The NRCC has now slashed two weeks out of the three-week buy, cutting an estimated $500,000 in financial support from the White campaign.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has already spent $866,746.05 in the 1st Congressional district, much of those expenditures on TV ads.
According to FEC reports, the DCCC led the NRCC on cash on hand by a wide margin; the NRCC had just $14.2 million cash on hand as of September 1. The DCCC had nearly $54 million at that time.
STEVE PEARCE ACCUSED OF FLIP FLOPPING!
UPDATE - 5:14PM NBC has cancelled the Udall - Pearce Debate on Sunday to focus on the economic crisis. Heath Haussaman has the details here.
This afternoon, Democrats are responding to U.S. Senate candidate Steve Pearce's full page ad in the Los Alamos Monitor today, and an afternoon news conference, attacking Tom Udall's congressional voting record.
Pearce has accused Udall of supporting a $400 million dollar budget cut at the Los Alamos National Labs, but Democratic staffers are upset. They say Pearce "has conveniently forgotten his dismal record of voting against Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories.
Dems say Pearce has continually voted against funding "for the very labs he now wants to protect."
They claim Pearce voted four times "to cripple the Department of Energy Budget."
Pearce's primary opponent, Rep. Heather Wilson, also made Pearce's record an issue, telling supporters that Pearce voted to cut $1.3 billion from DOE.
Wilson says it was "an 8 percent cut in the operating budget for a department that ensures the nuclear weapons stockpile is safe, secure and reliable."
During her unsuccessful bid, Wilson also told the Los Alamos Monitor "that just doesn't make any sense ... New Mexico needs a senator who will fight for the contributions the national labs and bases make to the nation's security ... The work you do here is too critical to our country."
This afternoon, Democrats are responding to U.S. Senate candidate Steve Pearce's full page ad in the Los Alamos Monitor today, and an afternoon news conference, attacking Tom Udall's congressional voting record.
Pearce has accused Udall of supporting a $400 million dollar budget cut at the Los Alamos National Labs, but Democratic staffers are upset. They say Pearce "has conveniently forgotten his dismal record of voting against Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories.
Dems say Pearce has continually voted against funding "for the very labs he now wants to protect."
They claim Pearce voted four times "to cripple the Department of Energy Budget."
Pearce's primary opponent, Rep. Heather Wilson, also made Pearce's record an issue, telling supporters that Pearce voted to cut $1.3 billion from DOE.
Wilson says it was "an 8 percent cut in the operating budget for a department that ensures the nuclear weapons stockpile is safe, secure and reliable."
During her unsuccessful bid, Wilson also told the Los Alamos Monitor "that just doesn't make any sense ... New Mexico needs a senator who will fight for the contributions the national labs and bases make to the nation's security ... The work you do here is too critical to our country."
THE BERNALILLO COUNTY DEPUTY SHERIFF’S ASSOCIATION ENDORSES DARREN WHITE!
On Thursday, Bernalillo County Sheriff and candidate for the First Congressional District of New Mexico, Darren White is pleased to announce that he received the overwhelming support and official endorsement of the Bernalillo County Deputy Sheriff’s Association (BCDSA).
White was pleased:
Of all the endorsements I have received throughout our campaign to shake up Washington, D.C. – this one is the most special. This endorsement goes a long way in showing that my fellow Sheriffs’ deputies and police officers have faith, trust and confidence in my command and leadership of the Sheriff’s office, and wholly support my run for the United States Congress. In Congress, I promise to be a strong advocate for New Mexico’s law enforcement community and the working-families of New Mexico.The Bernalillo County Deputy Sheriffs Association’s endorsement of Darren continues the overwhelming support of New Mexico’s law enforcement community for Darren White’s campaign.
The Albuquerque Police Officers Association (APOA) and the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) previously endorsed Darren White’s campaign for real change and independent leadership in the First Congressional District.
Photo credit: MG Bralley
RFK Jr. Visits New Mexico on Friday
On Friday the son of Bobby Kennedy – and Arturo Rodriguez, President of the United Farm Workers, will headline a series of Campaign for Change events in northern New Mexico.They will travel to Las Vegas, Mora, Taos and Santa Fe to talk to New Mexicans about Obama's plan to rebuild the economy so that it works for working class Americans and his commitment to invest in our secure energy future.
Obama's New Mexico campaign staff tells us they will also talk to supporters about the importance of the this year’s election and encourage voters to participate in Early Vote.
Pearce To Hold "Urgent" News Conference on LANL and Economy
Steve Pearce place a full page ad in the Los Alamos Monitor today. His staff says the strategic media buy is aimed at reminding voters of cuts in LANL's budget.In June of 2007 a House Appropriations Committee cut more than $400 million out of the budget of Los Alamos National Laboratory. Tom Udall supported the cuts and Steve Pearce opposed them. Today, Tom Udall wants New Mexico voters to forget that he supported the cut to roughly 40% of the entire budget and put thousands of jobs at risk in the region. But they haven't forgotten and neither has Steve Pearce.
Pearce told voters that Udall's budet cuts that could have irreparably damaged northern New Mexico's economy and made the world less safe:
Tom Udall voted to cut Los Alamos National Laboratory by $400 million," states the ad. "That means jobs lost, real estate values in decline, a falling standard of living for Espanola, Santa Fe and Los Alamos and America's strategic nuclear deterrent put in jeopardy.
Before traveling to Farmington on Thursday (today), Pearce campaign staff notified us he's holding an urgent press availability at 7-Bar Aviation in Albuquerque at 1:45 pm to discuss the ad and set the record straight on which candidate is truly fighting for LANL's future.
Pearce, who sits on the House Financial Services Committee, said he would also discuss the financial crisis with reporters.
Photo credit: MG Bralley
Frienemies...Governor Richardson Says President Clinton Holding a Grudge
Governor Bill Richardson told an NPR reporter that despite helping Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) raised $250,000 to help retire her presidential campaign debt his former boss Bill Clinton may be holding a grudge against him for endorsing Barack Obama.Here’s what Richardson told Renee Montagne:
Have I heard from President Clinton? No. It could be a pretty much a permanent fissure. But that’s politics, that’s O.K. I did what I thought was best for the country. I’m still very fond of the Clintons. I’ve reconciled with her, but with him, he wants to keep a grudge, that’s fine with me. I move on. I’m governor of New Mexico, I’m happy where I am.
The New York Times political blog, The Caucus, has the all the details here.
Photo Credit: MG Bralley
FBI Investigating Voter Registration Fraud in New Mexico!
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the FBI is investigating possible voter fraud in New Mexico at the same time the GOP is renewing it's complaints against ACORN, whose offices were raided in Nevada earlier this week.
Bernalillo County Clerk Maggie Toulouse-Oliver has turned over 1,400 potentially fraudulent registrations and defeated State Representative Dan Silva's attorneys, Jason Bowles and BJ Crow reportedly have another 2,000 questionable registrations.
Wall Street Journal Reporter Evan Perez reports among a rash of vote-fraud complaints across the nation, one of the biggest instances of suspicious registrations can be found in Bernalillo County, where the Federal Bureau of Investigation has opened a preliminary investigation into 1,400 potentially fraudulent registrations.
That number represents an increase over the estimated 1,100 questionable voter registration cards reported in September by Bernalillo County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver, who told the Albuquerque Journal last month that she had notified state and federal agencies about the problem.
Toulouse Oliver told the Journal at the time that the number of potentially fraudulent registrations could grow because there was still a backlog of about 6,000 registrations that hadn't been entered into the system in mid-September.
The Democratic county clerk who is overseeing her first presidential election told the Wall Street Journal that her office's review of registration card works."That's 1,400 cards here sitting in a file; they're not entered into the system," Toulouse
Oliver told the WSJ.
More from the Wall Street Journal report:
Meanwhile, The Albuquerque Journal reported in August on a forged card for Rebecca Sitterly, a former state District Court judge from Albuquerque who had been voting in the same place for nearly two decades.That card was submitted by the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN, a controversial nonprofit organization that said it had handled 72,000 new voter registrations in New Mexico from January to mid-September, the Journal reported.
The Wall Street Journal reported today that ACORN and other organizations had registered nearly 80,000 voters in its drive focused on New Mexico's Democratic-leaning urban areas.
Bianca Brown, ACORN's quality-control manager, told the WSJ that employees check each application and have a call center to confirm the information with applicants and that such reviews have caught one person who registered as Batman and another who tried to register 70 times.
ACORN said it has fired about 80 workers in New Mexico since December 2007 over potentially fraudulent registrations, the WSJ reported.
Justine Fox-Young, a Republican state legislator from Albuquerque, told the Wall Street Journal that even if illegal votes are relatively rare, "every fraudulent vote cast cancels out a legitimate one. This is New Mexico, where every election is close."The Republican National Committee is renewing its complaints about registration problems in a year where millions of new voters are being added to the rolls, especially focusing on ACORN, the WSJ reported.
State election officials in Nevada raided ACORN offices on Tuesday over suspicious registrations -- a move ACORN interim chief organizer Bertha Lewis told the Wall Street Journal was a "stunt," saying the group itself had reported suspicious applications to Nevada officials.
Bernalillo County Clerk Maggie Toulouse-Oliver has turned over 1,400 potentially fraudulent registrations and defeated State Representative Dan Silva's attorneys, Jason Bowles and BJ Crow reportedly have another 2,000 questionable registrations.
Wall Street Journal Reporter Evan Perez reports among a rash of vote-fraud complaints across the nation, one of the biggest instances of suspicious registrations can be found in Bernalillo County, where the Federal Bureau of Investigation has opened a preliminary investigation into 1,400 potentially fraudulent registrations.
That number represents an increase over the estimated 1,100 questionable voter registration cards reported in September by Bernalillo County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver, who told the Albuquerque Journal last month that she had notified state and federal agencies about the problem.
Toulouse Oliver told the Journal at the time that the number of potentially fraudulent registrations could grow because there was still a backlog of about 6,000 registrations that hadn't been entered into the system in mid-September.
The Democratic county clerk who is overseeing her first presidential election told the Wall Street Journal that her office's review of registration card works."That's 1,400 cards here sitting in a file; they're not entered into the system," Toulouse
Oliver told the WSJ.
More from the Wall Street Journal report:
In New Mexico, there is a history of razor-thin election margins, magnifying the impact of any potential fraud. At the end of election night in 2000, George W. Bush led by four votes. After discovering a box of misplaced ballots, officials declared Al Gore the winner by fewer than 400 votes out of about 600,000 cast. And in 2004, President Bush beat John Kerry by about 6,000 votes in the state.Maggie Toulouse Oliver, the clerk of Bernalillo County, which includes Albuquerque, has turned over to law enforcement the 1,400 voter-registration cards that raised suspicions of fraud. Ms. Toulouse Oliver, a Democrat overseeing her first presidential vote, says her office's review of cards works.
"That's 1,400 cards here sitting in a file; they're not entered into the system," she said.A mile from Ms. Oliver's office, Acorn operates a major New Mexico registration effort. Young workers there worked late one night this week preparing to submit registration forms. Acorn and other groups have registered nearly 80,000 new voters in a drive focused on the state's Democratic-leaning urban areas.
Meanwhile, The Albuquerque Journal reported in August on a forged card for Rebecca Sitterly, a former state District Court judge from Albuquerque who had been voting in the same place for nearly two decades.That card was submitted by the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN, a controversial nonprofit organization that said it had handled 72,000 new voter registrations in New Mexico from January to mid-September, the Journal reported.
The Wall Street Journal reported today that ACORN and other organizations had registered nearly 80,000 voters in its drive focused on New Mexico's Democratic-leaning urban areas.
Bianca Brown, ACORN's quality-control manager, told the WSJ that employees check each application and have a call center to confirm the information with applicants and that such reviews have caught one person who registered as Batman and another who tried to register 70 times.
ACORN said it has fired about 80 workers in New Mexico since December 2007 over potentially fraudulent registrations, the WSJ reported.
Justine Fox-Young, a Republican state legislator from Albuquerque, told the Wall Street Journal that even if illegal votes are relatively rare, "every fraudulent vote cast cancels out a legitimate one. This is New Mexico, where every election is close."The Republican National Committee is renewing its complaints about registration problems in a year where millions of new voters are being added to the rolls, especially focusing on ACORN, the WSJ reported.
State election officials in Nevada raided ACORN offices on Tuesday over suspicious registrations -- a move ACORN interim chief organizer Bertha Lewis told the Wall Street Journal was a "stunt," saying the group itself had reported suspicious applications to Nevada officials.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
N.C. Sheriff Accuses Latinos of "Breeding Like Rabbits"
Sheriff Steve Bizzell
At around the same time Bernalillo County Republican Party Chairman Fernando C'de Baca was forced to resign by members of his own party for saying "Hispanics are Above Blacks," a North Carolina Sheriff came under attach after he was quoted in The News and Observer newspaper accusing Latinos of "breeding like rabbits," and calling Mexicans "trashy."
Sheriff Steve Bizzell in Johnston County, North Carolina:
The National Council of La Raza is outraged: "There no place in the sheriff's office or on the campaign trail for bigotry."
But reporter Brian Haney with the Dunn Daily Record say locals are more forgiving of the Sheriff's comments:
At around the same time Bernalillo County Republican Party Chairman Fernando C'de Baca was forced to resign by members of his own party for saying "Hispanics are Above Blacks," a North Carolina Sheriff came under attach after he was quoted in The News and Observer newspaper accusing Latinos of "breeding like rabbits," and calling Mexicans "trashy."Sheriff Steve Bizzell in Johnston County, North Carolina:
When people think about illegal Mexicans, you know the first thing they think of? Driving drunk and shooting.Now, a coalition of progressive groups in North Carolina has asked that the Johnston County commissioners push for Bizzell's resignation.
The National Council of La Raza is outraged: "There no place in the sheriff's office or on the campaign trail for bigotry."
But reporter Brian Haney with the Dunn Daily Record say locals are more forgiving of the Sheriff's comments:
A multitude of voices have echoed publicly in the month since Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell called Mexicans and illegal immigrants "trashy" and said they "breed like rabbits" in a Sept. 7 News & Observer article. Of those voices, few have actually come from within Johnston County.
Civil rights groups like the ACLU and NAACP have called for Sheriff Bizzell to step down. Several groups, including the NAACP and El Pueblo, held a prayer vigil this past weekend on the steps of the Johnston County Courthouse in Smithfield.
But what of the people of Johnston County? How do they feel about dozens of groups from outside the county involving themselves about a situation that mostly affects only the people within the county. How do they feel about Sheriff Bizzell?
The only group so far to speak out within Johnston County has been the county board of commissioners, who issued a statement of support for the sheriff.
FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE RIPS MARTIN HEINRICH’S NEGATIVE POLITICAL CAMPAIGN
Updated - 7:03pmThe President of the New Mexico Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Auxiliary Sharon Valtierra, and President of the Albuquerque Lodge #1 Auxiliary Linda Martinez have written a letter (posted below) to Darren White’s Congressional Campaign refuting charges made by his opponent in this recent television message.
White responded to the Heinrich ad with his own controversial ad featuring the parents of a slain Bernalillo County Sheriff's Deputy.
Valtierra and Martinez characterize the attacks as baseless and misleading. They say it's just more "deceptive personal character attacks that Martin Heinrich has used in his negative political campaign advertising. "
With over 327,000 members in the United States, and 2,500 members in New Mexico, the FOP and its Auxiliary “work to represent and support law enforcement officers who go out every day into their communities to serve and protect their fellow citizens.”
The Presidents write that they are “appalled” by Martin Heinrich’s “spurious, specious, and unfounded attacks against [Darren White],” and they call Martin Heinrich’s negative political campaign advertisements “blatantly false and deceptive.”
The letter references the FOP’s unanimous endorsement of Darren White for Congress, and cited some specific reasons for their support of their fellow law enforcement professional, including Darren White’s personal handling, command, and response to the national tragedy in New Orleans caused by Hurricane Katrina.
They support Darren because he “will stand up for the right things and defend the rights of citizens and law enforcement officers” in Congress.
Text from Letter:
Dear Darren,
The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) in New Mexico is the largest law enforcement organization in the state. There are more than 2500 members in the state and over 327,000 members in the country. The FOP and its Auxiliary work to represent and support law enforcement officers who go out every day into their communities to serve and protect their fellow citizens. These officers do this at great risk to their own personal safety and have the support of their spouses and families to be the shepherd dogs in their communities to protect all families from the wolves who prey on law abiding citizens in the cities and towns throughout New Mexico and especially in Albuquerque.
As wives of law enforcement officers, we are appalled at and take exception to the spurious, specious and unfounded attacks against you by your opponent. Clearly, Martin Heinrich neither understands nor appreciates the sacrifices that law enforcement officers and their families make each day. The reality of not knowing whether your loved one will come home after his or her shift places a great burden on the officers and his or her spouse, their family and loved ones. When Martin Heinrich attacks you, he is attacking every law enforcement officer who has taken an oath to do his or her duty of protecting and serving the community. The current articles and political advertisements that Martin Heinrich is using to try to discredit you are “old news”. These articles come from over ten years ago and do not have any basis in fact regarding the support and confidence that you enjoy from the law enforcement family in New Mexico, today. It is very clear to us that these advertisements are blatantly false and deceptive. We are particularly incensed by these attacks on your commitment and support of your law enforcement brothers and sisters and their families because at the 55th Annual New Mexico State Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Conference held this past June in Roswell the Albuquerque Lodge #1 delegation made a motion that the members of the New Mexico Fraternal Order of Police endorse you for the position of United States Congressman for District #1. The motion to endorse you was unanimously passed.
As the President of the New Mexico State Fraternal Order of Police Auxiliary and the President of the Albuquerque Lodge #1 Auxiliary, we represent the family members of the Fraternal Order of Police throughout the State of New Mexico and the Albuquerque Metropolitan Area. We would also like you to know that we respect and admire the way you have represented law enforcement officers and their families in this State, the greater Albuquerque area and the nation.
The following facts are indicative of the support and active interest that you have taken with regards to law enforcement officers, their spouses and their families:
· When Deputy McGrane was killed we saw you work tirelessly side by side with officers for days during the investigation until his killer was caught. No one wants to make a death notification especially to an officer’s family. Law Enforcement Agencies have Chaplains to deal with this type of tragedy. However, the fact is that you took it upon yourself to personally notify Deputy McGrane’s wife and his mom and dad. By your doing this, it attests to your compassion and concern for your officers and their families. You also traveled with the McGrane family to Washington DC to honor the memory and life of a husband and son at the National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service. We watched how you personally made sure that the family was taken care of.
· When the horrible catastrophic Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, you personally took command of a team of deputies and went to New Orleans to assist a seriously strained law enforcement community in need of help by subjecting yourself to the dangers of patrolling a lawless area and by you and your deputies protecting helpless citizens in need of help while witnessing the death and the devastation as you went from house to house.
· For years we have seen you stand up for the rights of officers and their families and not just for the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Department; but, for the entire law enforcement community including local police departments and the state police agencies.
· We have read your articles to the Editor of the Albuquerque Journal and other newspapers correcting misleading or inaccurate statements about the actions of law enforcement officers and their agencies. You have consistently provided a coherent and balanced approach to describing the obligations, responsibilities and duties of a law enforcement officer.
· You have shown us many times that you are not afraid of making your voice heard or signing your name to something and taking whatever responsibility comes from it. This fact has been noticed and appreciated by law enforcement officers and their families throughout the state.
In closing, we want you to know that you have the unequivocal support of the families in New Mexico that are proud to have a father, mother, son or daughter, brother or sister who is a law enforcement officer. You have the support of the families of New Mexico Law Enforcement.
We would be honored to have you as our Congressman in Washington DC representing us. We want you as our Congressman because you will stand up for the right things and defend the rights of citizens and law enforcement officers. We want you as our Congressman because you will not be afraid of being up front and honest, someone who corrects the facts when they are wrong, someone who has shown the respect and care for the people of this State. We want you as our Congressman because we know that you will represent law enforcement officers, their spouses and their families and fight for our issues and concerns.
Fraternally,
Sharon Valtierra Linda Martinez
President President
State Auxiliary Albuquerque Lodge #1 Auxiliary
Cc: Bill Standridge, State President
Toby Gallegos, Albuquerque Lodge #1 President
U-tube's "You Choose 08" feature's Pearce-Udall Debate Series.
Hey Peter,
I'm writing to you from YouTube, where we just completed a debate series between Steve Pearce and Tom Udall on our You Choose '08 platform. Voters submitted questions, and we posed the top 5 to both candidates, who answered them via their YouTube channels. We then put their answers side by side in order to let voters compare where the candidates stand on the issues.
You can see the series here:
http://www.youtube.com/youchoose08 <http://www.youtube.com/youchoose08>
We just launched this morning and thought you might be interesting in pointing to the page from What's the Word, since the program is targeted at New Mexican voters. Since this race has gotten national attention, we wanted to highlight it for all YouTube users and help voters connect directly with the candidates via YouTube.
Yours,
Steve Grove
Head of News and Politics, YouTube
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
BINGAMAN HOPEFUL DEBATE FOCUSES ON ISSUES.
Photo Credit: MG Bralley
We may have seen a preview of Republican John McCain's strategy for tonight's 2nd presidential debate tonight during his brief speech at UNM yesterday afternoon, but soon-to-be senior U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman says Barack Obama is ready and on his toes.
Sen. Bingaman just told us he hopes both candidates stick to the issues and present their ideas to help solve some of the country's more pressing issues.
John McCain will finally get his wish granted tonight in Nashville, Tenn., when he will appear with Barack Obama at a town-hall-style presidential debate at Belmont University.
McCain tried unsuccessfully earlier in the race to get the Illinois senator to agree to participate in a series of town-hall appearances prior to the formal debates organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates, but negotiations fell through.
The Arizona senator would seem to have an advantage heading in to tonight’s forum since he has long favored the more-relaxed atmosphere and direct interaction with voters—although as The Wall Street Journal noted this week, the McCain campaign has recently curbed the number of town-hall events as the campaign has intensified.
Tom Brokaw of NBC will moderate, but the questions will come from the audience. Each candidate will have two minutes to respond, and the forum is not topic-specific so viewers can expect a wide variety of issues to be covered this evening.
The tone of the rival campaigns has turned increasingly negative in recent days. McCain’s campaign has been doing its part to highlight Obama’s ties to former Weather Underground member Bill Ayers , and Obama’s campaign has released a Web ad noting McCain’s involvement in the Keating Five scandal.
We may have seen a preview of Republican John McCain's strategy for tonight's 2nd presidential debate tonight during his brief speech at UNM yesterday afternoon, but soon-to-be senior U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman says Barack Obama is ready and on his toes.Sen. Bingaman just told us he hopes both candidates stick to the issues and present their ideas to help solve some of the country's more pressing issues.
John McCain will finally get his wish granted tonight in Nashville, Tenn., when he will appear with Barack Obama at a town-hall-style presidential debate at Belmont University.
McCain tried unsuccessfully earlier in the race to get the Illinois senator to agree to participate in a series of town-hall appearances prior to the formal debates organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates, but negotiations fell through.
The Arizona senator would seem to have an advantage heading in to tonight’s forum since he has long favored the more-relaxed atmosphere and direct interaction with voters—although as The Wall Street Journal noted this week, the McCain campaign has recently curbed the number of town-hall events as the campaign has intensified.
Tom Brokaw of NBC will moderate, but the questions will come from the audience. Each candidate will have two minutes to respond, and the forum is not topic-specific so viewers can expect a wide variety of issues to be covered this evening.
The tone of the rival campaigns has turned increasingly negative in recent days. McCain’s campaign has been doing its part to highlight Obama’s ties to former Weather Underground member Bill Ayers , and Obama’s campaign has released a Web ad noting McCain’s involvement in the Keating Five scandal.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Barack Obama Called a "Terrorist" at McCain Rally in Albuquerque.
My colleagues at Democracy for New Mexico and NMFBIHOP heard our latest audio post following the John McCain at UNM on Monday. They point out that a supporter, or crowd plant?, shouted out an answer to a hypothetical question posed by the Republican presidential candidate, "Who is the real Barack Obama?"
The answer from this supporter: "Terrorist"
Watch the video above to hear for yourself. As a pool reporter, I was in the back of the room (behind the bleachers and camera risers) and was not able to distinguish the remark myself.
For more analysis on on this outrageous comment and the new tone of the campaign read the Talking Points Memo here.
It appears that with less than a month remaining in the campaign the political gloves have come off.
It's going to get much nastier, especially with the economy in a free fall and most of our 401ks turning into 201ks.
McCain Still Fighting for New Mexico's Five Electoral Votes!
With less than a month to go before America chooses a new president, the gloves are off between the two men who want the job. Republican John McCain rallied about 750 supporters on the UNM Campus in Albuquerque on Monday. He delivered his harshest criticisms yet of rival Barack Obama. McCain said he is the one who will deliver on change.Here's the audio from McCain's short speech which he begins by recognizing the long national service of U.S. Senator Pete Domenici.
“You don’t have to hope that things will change when you vote for me and Sarah Palin. You know things will change, because I’ve been fighting for change in Washington my whole career,” said McCain.
About 100 Obama supporters, standing just outside the Student Union Building, could be heard by McCain supporters inside the rally chanting, "Vote for Change...Not McCain."
Despite the chants, Arizona senator pressed on with his criticisms of Obama. He said he's not new on the political scene and America knows him and trusts him to put his country first.
"You need to know who you're putting in the White House, and where the candidate came from, and what he or she believes."
McCain told the crowd that Obama get's "defensive" when asked about what he has accomplished in government.
"My Opponent's touchiness every time he's questioned about his record should make us only more concerned. For a guy who's already authored two memoirs, he's not exactly an open book," said McCain. "There are essential things we don't know about Senator Obama or the record that he brings to this campaign."
McCain departed the city just after 2pm to head to Nashville to prepare for the 2nd national debate on Tuesday night.
No word when McCain will return to the state where he trails Obama by 5 percentage points in recent polls, but some people believe it may be as early as Thursday or Friday to shore up support in Southern, NM.
New Mexico Voter Guide Podcasts with Peter St. Cyr Debuts on 770KKOB.
Ahead of the 2008 General Election, I interviewed all seven candidates for the U.S. House and both U.S. Senate Candidates.
Each interview was limited to five questions, dealing with the U.S. Economy & Gas Prices, The War in Iraq, Health Care in the U.S., Education and the No Child Left Behind Act, and I also asked each why they wanted to represent New Mexico in Washington, D.C.
To hear the interviews with Tom Udall, Steve Pearce, Ben Ray Lujan, Dan East, Carol Miller, Ed Tinsley, Harry Teague, Martin Heinrich and Darren White visit the 770KKOB on-line Voter Guide here.
Or download from here:
Tom Udall
US Senate (D)
Time: 6:54 • File Size: 1:19M
Steve Pearce
US Senate (R)
Time: 6:31 • File Size: 1:12M
Carol Miller
US House District 3 (I)
Time: 5:42 • File Size: 1M
Sunday, October 5, 2008
John McCain in ABQ at UNM SUB on Monday.
DEVELOPING STORYA rally is being planned for John McCain at UNM’s Student Union Building at 1pm tomorrow.
Doors to the event open at 11:30am.
The candidate will arrive in the Duke City just after noon, and leave immediately following the rally to prepare for his 2nd presidential debate with Barack Obama on Tuesday night.
A recent poll shows McCain trailing the democrat in New Mexico.
770 KKOB will cover the trip and have more details as they become available.
UPDATE - 12:40PM Sarah Palin will not be with McCain on this trip to Albuquerque.
UPDATE - 1:00PM NM Democrats plan a protest rally at UNM before McCain's arrival at 11am. Details as they become available.
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