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 Ben Ray Luján will face attacks from the National Republican Campaign Committee over his vote to raise the debt limit. Luján was one of 97 Democrats voting to raise the debt limit $2 trillion to avoid a default on the debt the United States government owes.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that Luján will face robo-calls from the NRCC on the vote. Luján doesn’t have an announced Republican opponent yet and is considered in a safe Democratic seat.
“The American economy is still in trouble,” the recording says. “We are drowning in government debt, owed to countries like China. The national debt is now $14 trillion, and Congressman Ben Ray Luján just voted for $2 trillion more debt, without any budget cuts.”
Luján spokesman Andrew Stoddard fired some political ammunition of his own, saying in Luján’s defense that “Republicans had no problem borrowing money to give bigger tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires.
No Republicans voted for the legislation.
In addition to Luján, Congressman Martin Heinrich also voted to raise the debt limit. Heinrich is a candidate for U.S. Senate.
David Catanese of Politico noted that the vote was a Catch-22 for Democrats. The NRCC attacked Democrats on both sides of the vote.
If you’re used to the political games in Washington, this isn’t anything that turns heads. Damned if ya do, damned if ya don’t.
But if you’re a logical person, you might ask: So what did the NRCC really want Democrats to do?
Perhaps they could chalk it up as a victory that so many Democrats crossed the aisle, changed their mind and joined the Republican mantra about the need for spending cuts.
Democrats warn that defaulting on the national debt could hurt the world economy in an already tough time. Republicans say that the high amount of debt shows that governmental spending needs to be drastically cut.
