Politics
McCain attempts to challenge Obama where he is strong: Online.
GOP presidential candidate John McCain appears to be trying to give Democrat Barack Obama a run for his money in an area of strength -- the Internet.
The Boston Globe's political blog reports today:
Trying to catch up with Barack Obama's online machine, John McCain's told supporters this evening that it has created "McCain Nation," a way for them to connect and organize.< /blockquote>
Joining forces
By Gwyneth Doland 07/24/2008
Activists from Equality New Mexico, the Human Rights Campaign and America Votes say this year they're doing everything they can to help elect candidates sympathetic to gay rights to the state House and Senate. And this weekend they're rolling out Camp Equality, an intensive political campaign training for local supporters. Domestic partnership legislation is on the top of activists' lists, but they hope that by electing candidates who support gay rights, they'll get more votes for other types of legislation.
Groups sue the state to block new law
By Trip Jennings 07/24/2008
Several groups have sued to block a new law restricting registration drives, The Associated Press is reporting.
The 2005 law limits organizations to 50 registration forms at a time, requires groups to record registrars with the secretary of state and provide information on them and give registrations to county clerks within 48 hours. Registering ineligible voters is subject to a $500 fine and-or up to six months in jail.
Advocates say the law has a chilling effect on registration dives and groups' ability to urge people to get involved in politics.
Obama Consolidates Hispanic Support
By Gwyneth Doland 07/24/2008
Hispanic voters prefer Barack Obama to John McCain by 66 percent to 23 percent, according to a nationwide survey of 2,015 Latinos released today by the Pew Hispanic Center. Hispanic voters say that education, the cost of living, jobs and health care are the issues most important to them, and they prefer Obama on those issues by as much as three to one.
Corporations buy influence and civic pride with DNC cash
By Naomi Zeveloff, J.C. O’Connell 07/24/2008
More than 100 sponsors, many of them corporations, are footing the bill for this summer’s Democratic National Convention in Denver Aug. 25-28. Of the 112 sponsors listed on the DNC host committee Web site, only 23 (a mere 20 percent) would reveal how much they had donated. Those who did disclose gave almost $14.8 million, or half of the current money haul. The "silent majority" that make up the remaining 89 convention donors contributed $14.2 million.
Tickets to Obama's acceptance speech come with a price: activism.
By Marjorie Childress 07/24/2008
Barack Obama's intriguing blend of electoral campaign savvy with a community organizing ethos is going to be on full display in Colorado.
Obama's rock star acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention is going to be open to 70,000 people at Invesco Field, and the Denver Post tells us that many of those will be recruited from throughout the U.S., with a focus on neighboring battleground states Nevada and New Mexico.
This means a few more New Mexicans may be making the road trip to Denver, or to a hotel within driving distance.
But if you get a ticket, in pure organizing style you'll be asked to do something.
Ad Watch: Pro-drilling group airs ads against Udall
By Matthew Reichbach 07/23/2008 | 2 Comments
A pro-drilling group called the American Energy Alliance is airing ads on both 770 KKOB-AM and 1350 KABQ-AM attacking Tom Udall's stance on drilling.
KABQ is owned byClear Channel Communications Inc. which also owns popular music FM stations. KKOB is by far the most popular radio station in the Albuquerque media market, is owned by Citadel Broadcasting and boasts a 9.4 share in the winter of 2008, according to Arbitron numbers. KABQ, a local Air America radio affiliate, has a 2.1 share.
"The U.S. is sitting on top of vast untapped oil reserves, estimated at about 2 trillion barrels, enough oil to last us for 300 years," the ad by the American Energy Alliance claims. However, the largest oil reserves in the world belong to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has an estimated 260 billion barrels of oil, or around one-fifth of the world's known oil reserves.
Netroots on the rise
By Matthew Reichbach 07/23/2008Progressive bloggers and online activists, known collectively as the netroots, gathered in Austin, Texas this weekend for a convention. The 2,500 attendees included former Vice President Al Gore and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. The netroots hit their stride in 2004 with the Presidential bid of Howard Dean. After four years the influence of the netroots is growing and has turned into a real political force for reasons beyond impressive fundraising.
Obama campaign unveils Spanish-language radio ad
By Heath Haussamen 07/23/2008Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is out today with his first Spanish-language radio ad, a personal look at his life in which he aims to relate to Hispanic voters. But he's behind Republican opponent John McCain, who has already aired one television and two radio ads targeting Hispanics.
Get on board, Congress.
By Heath Haussamen 07/23/2008 | 1 CommentIt’s no secret that, for two or three decades, the powers-that-be in America have ignored the looming energy crisis. Now, the emergency that could have been avoided has arrived. An Apollo-like program is what we need to solve the energy crisis, which is one of the most serious threats America has faced in decades. Enter T. Boone Pickens, an oilman who has the wisdom to understand that we can’t drill our way out of this problem, the guts to stick his neck out and the money to ensure his message is heard.
Richardson to McCain: Stop Whining
By Matthew Reichbach 07/23/2008
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Barack Obama supporter, has some advice for John McCain: Stop whining.
The advice comes after an op-ed by McCain was rejected by the New York Times op-ed page. The McCain op-ed was in response to one by his Democratic opponent, Obama.
Here's what op-ed editor David Shipley instructed McCain to change via e-mail:
The hidden costs of a 'maquiladora'
By benito aragon 07/23/2008 | 1 Comment
Last week ground was broken on the outskirts of Ciudad Juarez in what is set to be Mexico's largest 'maquiladora'. The Taiwanese manufacturing giant Foxconn started construction in Jeronimo, Chihuaha on a facility that will eventually span 500 acres with more than 1.2 million square feet of structures and employ 30,000 people. Foxconn is one of the largest manufacturers of computer components and electronics worldwide.
TODAY'S TOP STORIES: Monsoons arrive and people cut water use.
By Gwyneth Doland 07/23/2008
After an extraordinarily dry spring, the summer monsoons have kicked in and in response, Albuquerque water customers have cut their use, reports the Albuquerque Journal.
In today's Santa Fe Reporter, (and posted on the paper's brand-new Web site ) Dave Maass follows up on a brouhaha between Green Party Public Regulation Commission candidate Rick Lass and Jerome Block, Sr., the father of Democratic candidate Jerome Block, Jr.
Also today, The Daily Times of Farmington follows up on the controversy over the proposed Desert Rock Power Plant. Read more here.
UNM School of Medicine researcher Dr. H. George Nurnberg was the leader of a study released yesterday showing that Viagra may help women overcome the sexual side-effects of antidepressants. According to the AP, Dr. Nurnberg's study of pre-menopausal women found that it helped them achieve orgasm.
CD2: Teague, Tinsley say adios to campaign managers.
By Heath Haussamen 07/23/2008 | 1 Comment
The campaigns of both 2nd Congressional District candidates are undergoing changes in leadership this month.
Republican Ed Tinsley’s campaign already has a new manager. Chris Collins, who managed Heather Wilson’s unsuccessful primary bid for U.S. Senate, has taken over for Grant Hewitt, who is now deputy campaign manager. Meanwhile, Democrat Harry Teague has fired former campaign manager Brad Foster, who has not yet been replaced.
Bingaman, Domenici spar on energy
By Marjorie Childress 07/23/2008There's a big congressional fight over what can be done to bring down high gas prices. And New Mexico has a front row seat. Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman and Republican Sen. Pete Domenici are their respective parties' top lawmakers on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. And each at times has acted as an eloquent spokesman for his party's views on how to address the issue.
Teague, Tinsley to debate three times
By Heath Haussamen 07/22/2008
Democratic 2nd Congressional District candidate Harry Teague has agreed to three debates with Republican opponent Ed Tinsley, but he has thus far not responded to a challenge to make joint appearances in every county in the district.
According to the Teague campaign, Teague and Tinsley have agreed to three debates -- on Saturday in Mescalero, Aug. 7 in Las Cruces and Oct. 19 in Albuquerque.
But Tinsley said in a Monday news release that he is disappointed in Teague’s failure to respond to his challenge to attend joint town-hall meetings in every county in the district. His campaign sent a letter to Teague’s on July 14 making the request, but it has gone unanswered.
Heather Wilson, other NM vets attack Obama on Iraq
By Heath Haussamen 07/22/2008 | 1 CommentU.S. Rep. Heather Wilson and other New Mexico veterans joined today in the assault on Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s stance on the Iraq War a day after the candidate visited the war-torn nation. Wilson said Obama is “frighteningly inexperienced” on foreign-policy issues.
Pearce wants ‘at least’ three debates
By Heath Haussamen 07/22/2008
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Steve Pearce responded today to a challenge from Democratic opponent Tom Udall to attend three debates by saying he wants at least three.
“The Pearce campaign completely agrees that at least three debates made available to all media in New Mexico in a format that provides the widest discussion of ideas is essential for what is truly a historic election,” Pearce campaign manager John Billingsley wrote in a letter to Udall campaign manager Amanda Cooper.
What happens when two Udalls and a Shaffer (sic) walk into a bar...
By Cara Degette 07/22/2008
From the Colorado Independent
Salon recently gathered a bunch of big brains to talk about how Democrats may expand their majority in the U.S. Senate by half a dozen seats — including the prospects of Mark Udall here in Colorado, and his cousin Tom, who’s running in New Mexico. The Colorado-specific portion appears after the jump.
The players:
• Thomas Schaller, author of the Salon piece
• Jennifer Duffy, senior editor of the Cook Political Report
• Nathan Gonzalez, political editor of the Rothenberg Political Report
• Amy Walter, editor of the Hotline
Not registered to vote? Get ready. Total strangers may ask you why.
By Barbara Armijo 07/22/2008New Mexicans, get ready for an onslaught of voter registration and education organizations to set up shop, surround the grocery store parking lots with clip boards and pens ready to sign you up if you have not registered to vote yet. One already is preparing for what it calls a "massive community mobilization" effort in New Mexico and across many western states to get Latinos and others registered to vote. But the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project won't be the only ones gearing up before November's election, said one political analyst.
