Democracy for New Mexico

Iraq War Resolution

One of the best things about attending our ward-precinct meetings is that we can submit resolutions for approval that then go on to be considered for adoption at the county and state levels. In this way, we can let our Party leaders know what we believe on any number of issues, and have a chance to shape the Party platform.

Paul Stokes of Corrales (Sandoval County) has created a resolution regarding the Iraq War for consideration at his ward meeting and is encouraging other folks to do the same at their meetings. Click for a Word doc of his Proposed Resolution. I made it for Bernalillo County, but you can use it in any county by changing that.

You can use this format to create resolutions about other issues as well, and take them to your precinct-ward meeting for consideration. Resolutions come from the bottom up so they're an important part of grassroots input. Let's take advantage of this tool!

Reminder: Upcoming Democratic Party Meetings

This list replaces any and all previous lists and was just received from the State Party this afternoon:

Bernalillo County Precinct/Ward Meetings
Monday, March 28, 2005
6:30 – 8:30 PM

South Valley Cluster -10, 12 A, 12 B, 13 A, 13 B, 14 A, 14 B
Westside Community Center
1250 Isleta Blvd. SW

West Side Cluster – 16 A, 16 B, 23 A, 23 B, 29
Taylor Ranch Community Center
4900 Kachina St. NW

North Valley Cluster – 11 A, 11 B, 11 C, 15 A, 15 B, 17 A, 17 B
Raymond Sanchez Center
9800 4th NW

Sandia Cluster: 24 A, 24 B, 27 A, 27 B, 30 A, 30 B
Sandia High School – Media Center (Library)
Pennsylvania and Candelaria

Highlands Cluster -  18 A, 18 B, 19 A, 19 B, 25 A, 25 B, 26
Plumbers Hall
510 San Pedro SE

Mountain – 22 and 22C
Tijeras Community Center

Southeast – 20A, 20B,  21A, 21B -
Operating Engineers Hall
151 Pennsylvania SE

East Central – 28A, 28B, 31A,  31B
Mascarenas Insurance Agency
11321 Central NE

Bernalillo County Central Meeting
Saturday, April 2, 2005
Check-in - 9:00 AM
Meeting Begins – 10:00 AM

State Central Committee Meeting
Saturday, April 23, 2005
Macey Center
Campus at New Mexico Tech
Socorro, NM
Check-in - 9:00 AM
Meeting Begins – 10:00 AM

Shutdown for Bush Visit

From Stop the War Machine:

Traffic Alert: Presidential Visit to close freeways and local roads, impact airport, on Monday night and Tuesday morning (3-21, 3-22)

The President will arrive in Albuquerque on Monday night. Expect short but sudden complete road closures at and around the airport and on I-25 that evening, as Air Force One arrives at the Sunport and the Presidential Motorcade goes by. He will spend the night in town, at a secure undisclosed location. Previously, the President has stayed at the Marriott North at Paseo & I-25 or the Hyatt Regency Downtown.

Tuesday morning rush hour - expect lots of road closures on the freeways and downtown (2nd St NW, 3rd St NW, Tijeras Av NW, Marquette Av NW, Dr. Martin Luther King Av NW) around the Convention Center, where the President will speak at 9:30 am.  City Buses will be on detour routes downtown. Expect I-25 (MLK to Sunport) to close later that morning for the Presidential motorcade as the President leaves Albuquerque to fly to Crawford TX. The event is for ticketholders only.

Dems & AARP Hold Social Security Events

From the Democratic Party of New Mexico's Victory Line:
If one wants to hear the real deal on Social Security, Senator Bingaman will be speaking at the University of New Mexico law school on Wednesday, March 23 at 7 PM in room 2401. 

Earlier in the week we mentioned the AARP forum in Alamogordo on Tuesday, March 22, at 1 PM at the Otero County Fairgrounds County Extension Building, and at 7 PM at the First National Bank Atrium, 414 10th St.

Congressman Udall is doing his part too with the following Social Security town-halls:

MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2005
Rio Rancho - 10:30 - 11:30 AM - Meadowlark Senior Center, 4330 Meadowlark Blvd.

Albuquerque - 7:00 - 9:00 PM - TVI's Montoya Campus Auditorium (Juan Tabo and Montgomery) Sen. Jeff Bingaman also attending

TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2005
Española - Noon - 1:00 PM - Rio Arriba Senior Center, 410 Hunter Street

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2005
Taos - 12:30 - 1:30 PM - Taos Senior Center, 601 Lovato Place

Uh Oh

Just my personal opinion:
I wonder if the state Democratic Party will ever get it on progressive candidates and politics. Although many in the top echelons of the Party are claiming to be a "progressives" now that Howard Dean is running the DNC, the same old same olds seem to be their choices when push comes to shove.

We are now hearing that the powers that be are pushing Attorney General Patricia Madrid and/or Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron as possible candidates to run against Rep. Heather Wilson in CD1 in 2006.

I guess we'll be very busy working to get a candidate from the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party to run against one or both of these insiders in the primary for this race.

Over at Joe Monahan's site:

I interviewed with the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call (subscription) recently about the 2006 race and they threw out the names of Attorney General Patsy Madrid and Secretary of Sate Rebecca Vigil-Giron as potential Heather challengers. Both high-profile women would not rule it out, but Madrid sounded more interested, if not giddy, than Vigil. Freshman State Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino also had his name bandied about as a possible, but political junkie Brian Sanderoff said he doubts Pino will get in.

From the website of the State Party:

Democrats urge AG to consider running in 2006
By James W. Brosnan, Scripps Howard News Service

WASHINGTON - Top Democrats, still angling to oust Rep. Heather Wilson in 2006, are talking to New Mexico Attorney General Patricia Madrid about launching a campaign.

State Democratic Chairman John Wertheim said Thursday he is urging Madrid to run against the Albuquerque Republican and that Madrid was in Washington, D.C., for a meeting Wednesday with the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Rep. Rahm Emmanuel, an Illinois Democrat.

Madrid, who by law must leave office next year, is reviewing her options, including a race against Wilson, and will make a decision in a few months, said Caroline Buerkle, special projects director for the attorney general.

Buerkle said Madrid's primary reason for being in Washington was the annual meeting of the National Association of Attorneys General.

Sarah Feinberg, spokeswoman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said Wilson is one of the group's top targets and "we expect a lot of Democrats to be very interested in the seat."

Wilson first won her seat in a 1998 special election, followed by a general election. Both times, she beat Democrat Phil Maloof. In 2000, she beat Democrat John Kelly. In 2002 and 2004, she beat Democrat Richard Romero.

That record has convinced Wertheim his party needs to nominate a woman.

Wertheim said Madrid would be an "extremely formidable" challenger, because she has impressive credentials and an established record.

Greg Graves, executive director of the New Mexico Republican Party, said Madrid would probably be a tougher challenger to Wilson than Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron, who also is barred from seeking re-election. But, Graves added, he's not sure Madrid can win a Democratic primary.

Sunday Bird Blogging

Bosco the peach-faced lovebird decided to join me for Sunday blog browsing this afternoon after we returned from a political rendezvous at Flying Star.

Bosco, like me, is a big fan of Daily Kos as you can see from the photo above. I'm pointing at the Kos logo to take Bosco's attention away from the face shot of Bug Man Delay down below. Every time Bosco sees that mug, he starts ranting and raving. Just like me. I guess you could say Bosco and I have alot in common, eh? (Click on photos for larger images.)

Planning Meeting Set for Social Security Protest at Bush Event

Bush will be conducting a pseudo-town hall meeting dubbed  "A Conversation on Strengthening Social Security" on Tuesday morning, March 29, at the Kiva Auditorium in the Albuquerque Convention Center.

Santiago Juarez, who heads NM PACE from Espanola and Revisioning New Mexico in Albuquerque, is coordinating a planning meeting to discuss plans for a demonstration to counter Bush's visit and his Social Security plan. The meeting will be at Noon at the Albuquerque Peace and Justice Center at the corner of Harvard and Silver. All activists are welcome.

Watch for Dem Ads on Bernalillo County Ward/Precinct Meetings

The Democratic Party has purchased two ads to announce the upcoming ward and precinct meetings on March 28 at locations around Bernalillo County. You may recall that Eric Elison of NM Democratic Friends spearheaded a drive to raise money for this after seeing a Republican Party ad in the Journal announcing their county meeting. Prior to this fundraising drive, the Party had plans to run only tiny print legal notices in the legal section of the newspapers.

Thanks are also in order for Jane Ronca-Washburn, who first asked for people interested in working on getting an ad at a meeting of the Democratic Party of Bernalillo County and who created the ad, and for Marvin Moss, who was also instrumental in getting the job done.

The sizeable ad appears in the business section of the Sunday Albuquerque Journal today, and will be in the Albuquerque Tribune on Monday afternoon.

Many DFA-DFNM members donated generously to this effort at our last Meetup, along with members of NM Democratic Friends and other progressives. More than $2200 was raised to purchase the ads -- people power in action. Thanks to all who contributed to this truly grassroots effort, and let's hope we have a terrific turnout at the meetings and that we can elect many progressives as ward and precinct chairs.

Discuss Medicare With Heather Wilson

You Are Cordially Invited To a Medicare Town Hall Meeting and Health Fair

Special Guest:  Congresswoman Heather Wilson, (R-1, NM)
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
March 29, 2005
National Hispanic Cultural Center
1701 4th Street SW
Albuquerque, NM 8710

***Please RSVP by calling (505) 459-4516 or e-mailing: wilsonevent@dwturner.com

FREE lunch will be provided for all attendees.

An Important Medicare Town Hall Meeting!

Congress created a new prescription drug program, provided substantial new funding for Medicare health plan benefits and expanded choices for beneficiaries. This new law dramatically improves the Medicare program for beneficiaries. Attend this special Medicare town hall meeting to find out:

• What the new Medicare law means to you
• What to expect from the new prescription drug coverage program
• Why Medicare health plan members are already seeing improved benefits
• How to ensure that Congress continues to support Medicare choices and benefits

Plus a Health Fair--Get Your Free Health Screenings! Millions of seniors choose Medicare health plan coverage because these plans offer wellness and preventive care programs. Presbyterian Health Plan and Lovelace Senior Plan will be available to answer questions for seniors.

DOMA's Dead in NM Legislature!

From Equality New Mexico:

Senate Bill 597 is DEAD! House leadership fought off Republican attempts to roust the so-called "Defense of Marriage" bill out of House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee in the last days of the 2005 session, and the bill died a blessedly natural death buried with other bills that never made it to the committee's hearing agenda.  

This is a sweet victory, but our work has just begun.  We've got less than ten months to do the intensive state-wide public education and in-district lobbying that will be essential for fending off still other "defense of marriage" bills again next year.  Stay tuned: check www.eqnm.org for the latest information and action strategies.

SAVE THE DATE

A celebratory DOMA IS DEAD potluck is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, March 26, at Albuquerque's Morningside Park, from Noon to  3 PM.  Join us for a springtime celebration of marriage equality!