I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Sen. Jeff Bingaman wasn’t informed of President-elect Barack Obama’s choices for secretary of interior or secretary of energy before they were made public.
Bingaman is the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which will have the confirmation hearings for both Ken Salazar, Obama’s pick for secretary of the interior, and Steven Chu, Obama’s choice for the secretary of energy.
Bingaman isn’t the only committee chairman who wasn’t told about the choices, according to the LA Times. The most prominent case was that of Dianne Feinstein, the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee who was not told about Obama’s choice of Leon E. Panetta for head of the CIA.The LA Times says the committee’s staff “pestered aides on the Obama transition team for clues as to whom the picks might be, ultimately ferreting out the names through their own efforts.”
“Did Bingaman receive a phone call from Obama, Biden or [transition co-chairman John] Podesta? No, he did not,” a committee aide said. “We were very curious and wanted to keep our chairman informed. At our initiative, we pressed these [Obama staff] guys pretty hard. And through breaking news and leaks and our own undisclosed sources and through our own people working on the inside, we did know in advance.”
