'08 Election

Si, se puede, says Albuquerque resident only to hear crowd of thousands join her

 Just when you thought New Mexico had no more speakers to showcase on Thursday night, Albuquerque resident Teresa Asenap stepped up on the platform and before she was finished a litle over two minutes later she had a roaring crowd chanting Si, se puede.

Asenap started out by telling the crowd at Invesco Field in Denver how her grandmother could never read or write, but she had earned a doctorate in education. "I owe them and my parents everything," she told the crowd. "Strong families raise strong students." 

Guv, far from serious, ignites the crowd

Gov. Bill Richardson spoke for more than eight minutes before a roaring crowd at Invesco Field in Denver. And far from being a serious, solemn speech that he had predicted, he gave what for him was a rousing speech that had some people in the field stomping and rattling the bleachers.

Richardson walked out after Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, who gave his own energetic speech.

Those who have heard Richardson speak again and again don't expect much in the way of oratory. But from the start, Richardson was more galvanized than he often is. And he offered a few money lines that sparked roaring from the crowd.

Here are a few examples.

After going through a litany of ways that GOP presidential nominee John McCain had changed his mind over the years, -- on torture, on the Bush tax cuts, on rebuking on the religious right wing then seeking out their support --  Richardson threw out this line: "America is ready for change. But John McCain has only changed his mind -- on taxes, on immigration, on global warming, even on torture."

Soon after that line came this doosy: "John McCain may pay hundreds of dollars for his shoes, but we're the ones who pay for his flip flops."

Richardson gets to groove with Stevie Wonder, Al Gore

A revised scheduled of speakers at the Democratic National Convention shows Gov. Bill Richardson speaking between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Invesco Field, just before music legend Stevie Wonder warms up a very big crowd with a live performance.

Other speakers lined up during that hour include former Vice President and Nobel laureate Al Gore, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine and Tom Udall's cousin, Colorado congressman and U.S. Senate candidate Mark Udall.

Poll of Western voters finds mixed signals

An independent poll of voters in six Western states including New Mexico paints a complex picture of the region’s mindset as the two major political parties prepare to battle for their votes in November. While many support green-leaning measures such as water conservation and renewable energy, they also want more oil and gas drilling on public lands and uranium mining to support nuclear power.

But the No. 1 issue for many voters is immigration, according to the poll conducted on behalf of three major Western newspapers earlier this month. Mason-Dixon Polling and Research found immigration to be the single-most important issue to voters in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico. It was of less importance in Utah and Wyoming, but in all six states more than 60 percent of voters said they support efforts to stop illegal immigration by completing a border fence and penalizing employers who hire undocumented workers.

A newspaper reporter finds freedom in blogging

Having spent my entire adult life as a newspaper reporter, I learned to accept certain rules of the trade. Editors told you what to write and often, just how to write it. Copy editors pored over every word and issued edicts on spelling and grammar. Reporters were to relate what they observed and report what others said. No opinions were allowed. And above all, there was never, ever any drinking on the job. I've been a blogger now for about four months, and it has been a revelation.

Bill Richardson previews big speech

In an interview with NMI on the floor of the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Gov. Bill Richardson talks about the speech he’ll give later today in front of a crowd of 76,000 at Invesco Field, about Barack Obama’s national security bona fides, even about his own run for the White House this year and why he thinks he didn’t prevail.

Lujan enters the Big Tent

Third Congressional District candidate Ben Ray Lujan stopped by the Big Tent at the Democratic National Convention in Denver Wednesday afternoon. The tent is serving as the central hub of all the blogging activity in Denver this week.

Lujan made his rounds away the tent, and got stopped several times. He was interviewed by Antena 3 TV, a Spanish news station. That's Spanish from Spain, not from New Mexico or Mexico. Lujan gave an interview in the middle of the Big Tent while bloggers and volunteers walked in the background and Maya Soetoro-Ng -- presidential candidate Barack Obama's sister -- addressed the blogging crowd.

Democrats look to Rocky Mountain West for victory

Nearly a year ago, Dick Wadhams, the chairman of the Republican Party of Colorado, was salivating over the possibility that Democrats would nominate Sen. Hillary Clinton. Wadhams, of course, was wrong about the Democrats’ ultimate choice. But as Barack Obama readies to deliver his nomination speech tonight at INVESCO Field, the senator from Illinois, along with Democratic Party leaders, would be foolish to ignore the issues of the Rocky Mountain West — a fact that has become crystal clear in recent months as Colorado in particular has emerged as a battleground state for the presidency.

Udall speaks at DSCC press conference

Four years makes a big difference

What a difference four years makes. I remember as a reporter watching John Kerry accept the Democratic presidential nomination in Boston in 2004. It was an attempt to use his Vietnam War service to inoculate his candidacy against cries from the GOP that Democrats were soft on security issues.

This time around, the Democrats are doing something different, writes Washington Independent's Spencer Ackerman.

Ackerman writes:

When last the Democrats decided to make national security a theme at their convention, biography was everything. John Kerry, the party’s 2004 nominee, was a bona fide war hero, and the campaign made sure everyone knew it. Starting with Kerry’s arrival at the FleetCenter from across Boston’s Charles River, to recall his Vietnam service aboard a Swift Boat; to the parade of retired generals and admirals declaring their support; to Kerry’s famous opening line declaring “reporting for duty,” the Democrats gambled that Kerry’s heroic service would invest him with the national-security bona fides to elect him president. 

TODAY'S TOP STORIES: A Democrat goes Green

A Democratic ward chairman has left the fold in Santa Fe to go to work for a Green candidate for the 3rd District Public Regulation Commission, the Santa Fe New Mexican reports.

Just when you thought the election in New Mexico couldn't get any more interesting, the corruption trial of a former top Democrat, a former court official and other defendants has been scheduled a week before the Nov. 4 general election, the Albuquerque Journal reports. Former Metro Court administrator Toby Martinez, his wife Sandra Mata Martinez, engineer Raul Parra, former state Sen. Manny Aragon and contractor Michael Murphy are charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and money laundering. The trial is scheduled to last six to eight weeks.

Some Billy the Kid enthusiasts have sued current and former Lincoln County lawmen they say are withholding public records about DNA evidence collected during an investigation into events leading up to the Kid's presumed death in 1881, the Albuquerque Journal reports.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain has pulled ahead of Democratic nominee Barack Obama in San Juan County, the Farmington Daily Times reports.

Dems come out swinging

The gloves came off. A line was drawn in the sand.

While the first night of the Democratic National Convention was about family, and the second night emphasized party unity, the third night is best described as a political beat down.

The list of Democratic heavyweights included President Bill Clinton, Sen. John Kerry and Barack Obama’s new running mate, Sen. Joe Biden. All three attacked the Republican Party, John McCain and America’s current direction.

Giuliani: White would make a superb member of Congress

Former New York City mayor and GOP presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani visited Albuquerque on Wednesday to help 1st Congressional District GOP candidate Darren White. And that he did. Giuliani touted White as the man to vote for, especially when his opponent -- Martin Heinrich -- is a liberal extremist.

Important job, but little interest

Jim Noel didn't have to beat too many competitors to win out as state elections director at the Secretary of State's Office. There was only one -- Bob Perls, a former two-term Democratic state legislator and a member of the Obama for President finance committee in New Mexico. The dearth of people interviewed for the position throws into question how extensive an effort the agency made to fill a vitally important position in the months leading up to this year's elections.

T. Boone Pickens hobnobbing with environmentalists?

“The fact that I am on stage with T. Boone Pickens just goes to show how absolutely dysfunctional our government has been,” Carl Pope, the executive director of theSierra Club said this afternoon in Denver. What he’s talking about is the idea that the Bush presidency’s fealty to Big Oil is now making for strange bedfellows. Translation: Bush and Cheney’s loyalty to their friends in Bush’s former industry has saddled America with a war in Iraq, a massive transfer of wealth to foreign crude-producing nations, and a multi-trillion dollar debt.

Tinsley's manager calls it quits

There’s been another change in leadership at the campaign of Republican 2nd Congressional District candidate Ed Tinsley.

Chris Collins, who Tinsley hired as his campaign manager a little more than a month ago, resigned today, Tinsley confirmed in a statement released by his campaign. Tinsley gave no reason for Collins’ resignation, and Collins said he had no comment.

Grant Hewitt, who served as Tinsley’s campaign manager during the primary and until Collins replaced him last month, will again fill the role of campaign manager. While Collins was running the campaign, Hewitt served as a deputy campaign manager.

Democratic Party confirms guv to speak at Invesco Field after 5 p.m.

According to a late Wednesday press release, the Democratic National Convention Committee has confirmed Gov. Bill Richardson will speak Thursday night. Democratic National Convention Committee spokeswoman Jenni Engebretsen said in a press release:

Giving even more Democrats and supporters an opportunity to hear from Governor Bill Richardson, his speech has been moved from this evening to a featured speaking slot tomorrow at Mile High. Because of such an enthusiastic audience response, the long-running schedule led the Democratic Convention to ask the governor if he would speak tomorrow and he graciously agreed. He will be speaking to 75,000 people and a nationally televised audience.

Udall attempts to link Pearce to President Bush

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Tom Udall used his two minutes as a speaker at the Democratic National Convention (DNC)tonight to try to link GOP presidential candidate John McCain and Udall'sRepublican Senate opponent, Steve Pearce, to President Bush.

Udall said Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will win New Mexico because, “in the West, we know Washington is broken and Barack Obama is the change we need. It’s bad enough that John McCain and my opponent, Steve Pearce, have supported every one of George Bush’s special-interest economic policies.”

Trick or Vote: Lucifer speaks at the DNC

OK, I think my lack of sleep and my stress is starting to get to me. I've been running around all day in the heat, sweltering in the Big Tent and generally running myself ragged. And then I walk outside the Big Tent for a breath of fresh air... and see Lucifer.

And an angel.

Turns out, I wasn't hallucinating. Instead, it was two people in costumes (a skeleton and Frankenstein are wandering around somewhere else in Denver) promoting the Trick or Vote movement, which encourages Democrats to vote on the Devil's favorite night -- October 31.  In New Mexico, New Mexico Youth Organized is organizing the event.

Just when you thought MAD Magazine didn't matter anymore

OK, OK. It's been 30 years and some change since I got my yuk yuks from reading Alfred E. Newman and MAD Magazine. But darnit if that self-proclaimed gang of idiots that puts out the mag hasn't pulled off an election year funny, specifically their September 2008 issue. The cover features Alfred E. Obama holding up a "Yes We Can't" banner.

But like cereal, the special prizes in MAD Magazine are always inside.