Late last week, an amendment proposed by Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D), of New Mexico’s third district, attempting to alter a deal between the U.S. government and a major mining firm was voted down. Luján had been seeking to tweak the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2009, legislation originally introduced by Senators John Kyl and John McCain allowing for an exchange of land between the federal government and the Resolution Copper Co. Lujan had hoped to protect this land, considered sacred and of cultural and historical significance to Native peoples not just in Arizona and New Mexico but throughout the United States.

Luján stood staunchly against the bill in his proposal.“You have heard my colleagues on the other side of the aisle that their bill offers protection for the sacred, traditional, and cultural sites in the proposed area to be exchanged, but I don’t believe that to be true,” he said. “If it were true, then why is every major tribal organization in the country opposing this bill?”

Luján cited the National Congress of American Indians, the All-Indian Pueblo Council of New Mexico, the San Carlos Apache Tribe (whose 2,400 acres of land on the Tonto National Forest is most affected by the Act), and the Jicarilla and Mescalero Apache tribes of New Mexico, among many other U.S. tribes as having spoken out against the land swap. “We have a Trust responsibility to our tribal brothers and sisters, and those who oppose this responsibility will dismantle it piece by piece with a scalpel and not all at once with an axe,” he said.

Among those who voted against Luján’s proposed amendment were fellow New Mexico Representative Steve Pearce, who, according to MapLight, a website that tracks the voting records and campaign contributions of U.S. Congressmen, received $9,600 from mining interests. Similarly, Representatives Jeff Flake and Ben Quayle of Arizona also voted down the amendment, and received, respectively, $5,000 and $2,500 each from the mining industry.

Rep. Luján sent the New Mexico Independent this statement:

“It was unfortunate that my amendment to protect Native American sacred and cultural sites was not adopted.  Adoption of this simple amendment would have shown respect for the religious and cultural sites that are important to the many tribes in the region, in addition to recognizing that we have a responsibility to work with our tribal brothers and sisters on issues that impact their communities.  Opponents of my amendment will say that tribal consultation is part of the exchange, but frankly what is outlined in the bill is not sufficient to ensure protection of sacred sites.”

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) appeared on the Today Show Tuesday morning and was asked about his comments Saturday that there was “substantial evidence” that some forest fires had been started by illegal immigrants. A Forest Service spokesman told ABC News that there was “no evidence” for McCain’s claim.

On the program, he appeared to walk back his comments, saying “sometimes” “some of” these fires have been started by migrants — much less than “substantial evidence.” McCain has been much more sure of the fires’ causes than forest officials have been: Jim Upchurch, the forest supervisor at Coronado National Forest, told the Arizona Daily Star that “possibly” some of the fires could have been started by “illegal immigrants or smugglers.”

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) was asked at a press conference Saturday in Springerville, Ariz., about the Wallow Fire burning in Arizona and Western New Mexico. He answered:

First of all we are concerned particularly about areas down on the border where there is substantial evidence that some of these fires are caused by people who have crossed our border illegally. They have set fires because they want to signal others; they have set fires to keep warm; and they have set fires in order to divert law enforcement agents and agencies from them. So the answer to that part of the problem is: get a secure border.

A U.S. Forest Service official told ABC News that there is “no evidence” to support Sen. McCain’s claim of “substantial evidence” of the fires being caused by illegal immigrants. The Forest Service thinks the fires were started by an “escaped campfire.”

Justin Elliott asked Sen. McCain’s spokeswoman what he was referring to:

Buchanan says that McCain wasn’t referring to the Wallow fire, but rather some smaller blazes at Coronado National Forest near the U.S.-Mexico border.

She points to comments earlier this month by Jim Upchurch, forest supervisor at Coronado, who told the Arizona Daily Star that closing the forest was necessary because “the great majority, if not all the fires, on the Coronado National Forest (this year) have been human-caused. Causes of fires include ricocheting bullets, campfires, welding equipment and possibly ignition by smugglers or illegal immigrants.”

The Coronado Forest has been closed since June 6 for “extreme fire danger.” However, the Wallow Fire is not on the U.S-Mexico border.

A new NBC poll indicates that an overwhelming majority of Americans agree with the Obama administration’s decision not to release the photos of Osama bin Laden’s corpse.

MSNBC reports:

Fifty-two percent said they strongly believe the Obama administration should not release the photos, and an additional 12 percent agreed, although not as strongly.

By comparison, 24 percent said they strongly believe the photos should be released, and 5 percent more agreed not so strongly.

The complete results of the poll will be released later today.

The news may come as a surprise to public figures like Sarah Palin who have pandered to the so-called “deather” conspiracy holding that last weekend’s raid on bin Laden’s Abbottabad, Pakistan, compound was somehow faked. Last week, Palin used her Twitter account to command Obama to release the photos. She contended that releasing the images would scare would-be terrorists from tangling with the U.S. “No pussy-footing around, no politicking, no drama,” she said. “[I]t’s part of the mission.”

Other Republicans, including Sen. Lindsay Graham (S.C.) and Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), have also come out in favor of releasing the photos, though they both said it was out of concern that conspiracy theories surrounding bin Laden would create political fallout at home and abroad. DNA tests and an al Qaeda statement have since confirmed bin Laden’s death at the hands of the U.S. military.

Arizona’s John McCain, on the other hand, said, “My initial opinion is it’s not necessary. I think there is ample proof that this is Osama bin Laden.”

The policy allows the military to discharge members of the military found to be gay and bars openly gay recruits from serving.

Recent polls have consistently shown that a majority of Americans approve of allowing openly gay Americans to serve in the military.

The Phoenix New Times provides a comprehensive — and long — look at these criticisms in a piece today on border crossers who plead guilty as part of Operation Streamline.

The whole piece is worth a read, but I’ll break it down into the concerns it raises about Operation Streamline:

Cost: It’s unclear exactly how much Operation Streamline costs, because it pulls money from various involved agencies rather than having its own budget. But studies have found the program could cost as much as $1 billion per year. Arizona Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl, both Republicans,have argued for additional funding of Operation Streamline as part of their proposed 10-point border security plan.

Strategies: In part due to the high cost of prosecuting so many migrants, an Operation Streamline court in Tuscon, Ariz., only sees 70 of the 1,000 migrant apprehensions per day. The Phoenix New Times reported the group of 70 migrants is generally about 70 percent first-timers and 30 percent migrants who had been apprehended for crossing the border before — meaning they face felony illegal re-entry and misdemeanor illegal entry. The punishments for these offenses are very different: Misdemeanor illegal entrants can serve as few as three days, while felony illegal re-entry can earn a migrant up to twenty years in prison.

What happens to the approximately 930 migrants apprehended each day but not chosen for Operation Streamline hearings? They are sent back to Mexico, which means some migrants who re-entered illegally — the criminal illegal immigrants the Department of Homeland Security claims are its priority — are passed over by the supposedly “zero tolerance” program.

Operation Streamline courts also see a fair number of people who were apprehended on their way back to Mexico, which critics argue is a Border Patrol tactic to drive up enforcement data. “They’re boosting [the Border Patrol's apprehension] numbers,” Federal Public Defender Matthew Johnson told the Phoenix New Times, “by arresting the people going southbound.”

Effectiveness: The piece also points to concerns about the effectiveness of Operation Streamline as a deterrent. While proponents of the program argue it will keep migrants from crossing the border illegally, this seems to not fully be the case — at least anecdotally. The Phoenix New Times spoke to many migrants who were prosecuted under Operation Streamline who said they planned to return to the United States. While Border Patrol claims there is little recidivism, the possibility that migrants return without detection means actual data on illegal return is hard to come by. Overall, experts argue the program lacks consistent review and oversight to ensure it’s doing its job.

Justice: Operation Streamline courts usually operate through mass hearings, where a public defender represents a large number of clients and judges issue questions and decisions en masse.  Defendants sign away their right to an individual judge to enter Operation Streamline, because the process promises to be much faster: a couple of days in jail, typically, rather than months awaiting a trial. Still, critics argue the program creates criminal prosecutions without adequate defense (many defendants cannot communicate with their public defender due to language barriers) and unjust court procedures.

Fries helped fund conservative website, promoted controversial anti-Islam DVD

Foster Friess is he biggest individual donor to Martinez during the last period. He gave $200,000.

He has also given generously to, among others, Senator John McCain, R-Arizona, Senator John Thune, R-S.D, and the Republican Party of New Mexico.

But Friess doesn’t just donate to political candidates. He is also the source of $3 million in funding for the conservative website The Daily Caller, run by Tucker Carlson.

He also has promoted the controversial documentary Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West. DVDs of the movie, criticized as inflammatory, were mailed out to swing state voters and inserted in newspapers in advance of the 2008 election. Although the film was made in 2006, liberal groups cried foul, saying the producers were trying to influence the election in favor of John McCain.

Friess is also an advocate for school choice. Denish and Martinez have tangled over vouchers, which Martinez now says she does not support.

The liberal magazine Mother Jones did a short profile on Friess in 1997, listing him as 14th on the list of top political donors in the country on a federal level.

Hughes was largest donor to Rove’s PAC

B. Wayne Hughes, the founder and chairman of Public Storage, donated $100,000 to the Martinez’s campaign in July.

Hughes was the largest single donor to Karl Rove’s political organization, American Crossroads.

In July, Salon reported that Hughes had donated $1.55 million to the group. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Hughes’ donation to Rove’s group makes him the second-largest donor to a 527 group this cycle. (The largest donor was Carly Fiorina, the Republican candidate for governor in California, who donated $2.5 million to her own campaign.) Hughes also made the list of top donors in 2006 when he gave $500,000 to Progress for America, a 527 group that supported President George W. Bush.

Bleyzer, former Exxon executive, advised Rumsfeld on the privatization of Iraq

Another of Martinez’s biggest donors is Sigma Ventures, which donated $50,000 in early September. The head of Sigma Ventures is Michael Bleyzer, a former Exxon executive who also heads SigmaBleyzer, described on its website as “a private equity buyout group with $1 billion dollars in assets under management.”

Bleyzer has close connections to Republicans as well. After the U.S. invasion if Iraq, he briefed U.S. officials including Donald Rumsfeld on how to privatize Iraq’s oil and gas industry.

Bleyzer also has connections to Republican Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who appointed Bleyzer to the Texas Emerging Technology Fund Advisory Committee.

“If you enforce the law, people will obey the law,” Hayworth told the Thunder Mountain Republican Women, praising a strict new statute designed to curb illegal immigration. In a closely watched campaign increasingly defined by who can take the hardest line, Hayworth is a border hawk who called his book about immigration policy, “Whatever It Takes.”

And the thought of a Hayworth upset has some Democratic strategists drooling — with good reason. An April poll has Democrat Rodney Glassman, a relatively unknown Tucson city councilman, leading Hayworth by three points in a hypothetical matchup. (By contrast, McCain leads Glassman by 16.)

An internal polling memo out of Glassman’s office is hopeful that the anti-incumbency sentiment that uprooted GOP Sen. Robert Bennett in Utah will also extend to Arizona, noting the baggage Hayworth carries with him after a 12-year run in the House of Representative.

Let’s not forget — Hayworth was named one of the most corrupt members of Congress [by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington] … and lost his Congressional seat in 2006 in large part due to his corrupt record and his dealings with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Still, to be taken at all seriously in this election, Glassman better start raising some cash. The $0 he had in his war chest at the end of March isn’t likely to go very far.

Update: Glassman spokesperson Dawn Teo updates her boss’ finances: ”Rodney seeded the campaign with $250,000 [on] …. April 6th, with the goal of matching that with supporters’ contributions during the first month. We exceeded that goal within 3 weeks.”

In other words, they aren’t voting a certain way because of their party affiliation, necessarily, but because of something else.

The study, which is apparently no longer available online, shows that Bingaman is the sixth-most “maverick” politician in the Senate. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wisc., is first on the list.

It should surprise no one that Reps. Ron Paul, R-Texas, and Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, top the list in the House.

McCain, for what it is worth, did not make the Senate’s top-ten; while he was “mavericky” earlier in the decade, that has fallen off before his presidential candidacy in 2008 and his current tough Republican primary for Arizona Senate.

In the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., introduced the legislation, while Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., introduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.

“Stewart Udall was instrumental in the passage of virtually all of our nation’s landmark environmental laws,” Bingaman, the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said in a statement. “In the 161-year history of the Department of the Interior, there have been many exceptional individuals who have served as Secretary of the Interior. Stewart Udall certainly ranks among the best of them. In recognition of his lifetime of work pursuing the common good and protecting our nation’s public lands and waters, and in particular his achievements as Secretary of the Interior, I am proud to have introduced this legislation in the Senate.”

““His legacy includes the Wilderness Act, the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, the creation of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and the expansion of our National Park system,” Heinrich said in a statement. “Thanks to his work, those treasured public lands now belong to every American and will contribute to the spirit of our nation for generations to come.”

“Our nation is deeply indebted to him and today, on Earth Day, it is appropriate that we name this federal building the Stewart Lee Udall Department of the Interior Building,” Heinrich said.

The legislation is co-sponsored in the House by Reps. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M, Harry Teague, D-N.M., Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., Rep. Harry Mitchell, D-Ariz., and Rep. Ed Pastor, D-Ariz. The Senate legislation is cosponsored by Sens. Mark Udall, D-Colo., John McCain, R-Ariz., and Harry Reid, D-Nev.