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.
Congressman Martin Heinrich and Senator Tom Udall, both Democrats, were among the members of Congress to accept what the Center for Responsive Politics calls “curious bundles of cash” from lobbyists connected to the health care industry since 2007. (Hat tip to SFReeper.)
From the Center for Responsive Politics:
Clusters of campaign contributions from lobbyists and their clients clearly illustrate the intensity with which health-related organizations are attempting to influence Capitol Hill. Ultimately, dozens of hired health care lobbyists and their clients have in recent years created a notable — and until now, largely unseen — web of campaign contributions benefiting members of Congress. This database aims to reveal how the campaign donations of individual lobbyists enhance the political power of the organizations they’re paid to represent.
Both Heinrich and Udall received $2,250 from clients which turned into $9,850 in campaign money for Heinrich and $22,700 for Udall.
Excluding Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, whose numbers are skewed because of his presidential campaign, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, has received the most campaign cash from these clusters, over $235,000.
Next was Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, Democrat of Montana, who received just over $200,000 from the clusters.
The Center for Responsive Politics outlined its methodology on how they calculated the money.
Sen. Jeff Bingaman and Reps. Ben Ray Lujan and Harry Teague, all Democrats, were not included in the list.
