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Dems protest McCain's appearance
Before John McCain and Sarah Palin's rally on Saturday night, the Democratic Party of New Mexico and others protested at Civic Plaza, on the corner of 3rd and Tijeras, well out of sight of the long line for those waiting to enter the McCain rally.
Three elected officials spoke at the event. Albuquerque city councilwoman Debbie O'Malley was up first and gave an at times sarcastic speech about Palin's experience -- or lack thereof according to O'Malley. The city councilor recounted her own elected experience, then said, "How can that experience possibly compete with the former mayor of Wasilla?"
Her most cutting line was a parody of a Palin line at the Republican vice presidential candidate's speech. "There is a difference between Dick Cheney and Sarah Palin," O'Malley said. "Lipstick."
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Former Bush speechwriter slams McCain's speech
Michael Gerson, former Bush speechwriter and current Washington Post columnist, called McCain's policy specifics in his RNC speech "very disappointing."
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Was RNC video tribute to 9/11 appropriate?
There's a lot of strong reactions coming from the 9/11 video tribute that was played last night at the Republican National Convention. Even the folks on Sean Hannity's forum are saying they are disturbed by the partisan nature of the video. Keith Olbermann apologizes on air for the video in his RNC coverage. You decide...
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How ad people can save newspapers
Declining readership is not the only reason the stench of death is wafting through some metropolitan newspapers. Seems that journalists are not the only people in newspapers who have to adjust to the world of new media.
According to Online Journalism Blog, newspaper advertising sales people should start taking a good look at how they are relating to the surge in online media.
The report says that ad people are not adjusting to online advertising and that's hurting papers' bottom lines. It offers ad reps 10 ways to keep their jobs -- and probably their managers' jobs and those of the editorial staff at their papers.
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ABQ charter review task force hears reasons for being
Member’s of the Albuquerque city charter review task force heard from several city councilors last night about why the task force was formed. The Mayor also gave his thoughts to the group about Albuquerque’s form of government. It was the second meeting of the task force, which is just getting under way for what looks to be a lengthy process of twice-monthly meetings.
Formed by the City Council, the task force will analyze the charter and make recommendations for revisions by April of next year. Albuquerque adopted its current Mayor-Council form of government in 1974, and this task force will be the third convened since then, the other two being in 1988 and 1998.
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Mr. 'Short, Bald and Honest' runs for county commission
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Medical marijuana hearing Monday
State public health officials will hold a hearing Monday in Santa Fe to gather public comment on proposed rules that will further streamline two aspects of the use of medical marijuana in the state: the licensure, distribution and manufacture of medical marijuana and patient identification cards.
More information about the hearing, which begins at 9 a.m. at the Harold Runnels Auditorium, 1190 St. Francis Drive, is available at this Department of Health site.
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Heart's Wilson sisters say Palin in "NO WAY" represents them as women
As John McCain wrapped up his speech at the Republican National Convention last night and was joined on stage by Sarah Palin and their respective spouses, I noticed that they were playing the song “Barracuda,” a classic 70’s rock anthem by Heart.
Not being up on every aspect of Sarah Palin’s life history, I couldn’t help but speculate on the meaning of that. This morning I found out: apparently Palin’s nickname as a star high-school basketball player was “Sarah Barracuda.”
I think that’s kind of catchy and can see the desire to use the song. But Heart's Ann and Nancy Wilson aren’t having it, in fact they’re outraged.
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Retired New Mexico general attacks McCain's judgment
While Michelle Obama steered clear of attacks on Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain during her visits to the state Thursday, that wasn't the case with retired Air Force Gen. Melvyn Montaño, who suggested that McCain's policy stemmed from a "lack of adequate psychological care" after his service in Vietnam.
In an Associated Press piece by Barry Massey that was picked up by the Air Force Times and numerous other outlets, Montaño, the former head of the New Mexico National Guard, recalled McCain's statement that U.S. soldiers could remain in Iraq for 100 years and said:
“I don’t understand his position. I can attribute it probably to some of the things we’ve talked about here — lack of adequate psychological care.”print
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TODAY'S TOP STORIES: State Fair opens today
"A Fair to Remember" is the theme of this year's New Mexico State Fair, celebrating its 70th anniversary as it opens today.
In addition to the state's finest and biggest produce, exhibits, Midway rides and rodeo entertainment, this year's daily "spectaculars" include Olympic diving and aerial feats at the Mermaids & Mariners show (Friday through Sunday).
The state Department of Health says New Mexico ranked 31 in the nation in child immunization rates, up from last year's ranking at 40, and says it has a plan to improve those rates, according to the Associated Press.
The switch from area code 505 to 575 will officially be complete a month from now, the Las Cruces Sun-News reports. On Oct. 5, 505 will no longer be in service for
three-quarters of the state.
The New Mexico Gaming Control Board is investigating whether a Las Cruces Internet cafe was being used as a gambling operation, the Sun-News also reports.
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No more tickets available for McCain, Palin event
If you don’t already have tickets to see John McCain and Sarah Palin in Albuquerque on Saturday, you’re probably not going to get into the event.
The Republican Party of New Mexico announced late Thursday that there are no more tickets available for the 6 p.m. rally at the Albuquerque Convention Center, 401 2nd Street NW. More than 6,000 tickets were handed out, which the state GOP said in a news release makes this “one of the most exciting campaign stops of this election.”
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Agreement? What agreement? Oh, that agreement
A nonprofit at the center of an election-year controversy didn't miss a state-ordered Sept. 2 deadline after all.
That's because the nonprofit had an agreement with the Attorney General's office to stay the deadline. But that answer wasn't easy to come by. It took several phone calls placed by this reporter, a bit of confusion at the Attorney General's office followed by a moment of clarity.
The quest started with a story on the front page of the Thursday's Albuquerque Journal announcing that New Mexico Youth Organized has missed a deadline to register as a political committee.
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Cheney's former Halliburton colleague admits guilt in bribery investigation
Albert Stanley, a former colleague of Vice President Dick Cheney, faces up to 10 years in jail and has agreed to pay $10.8 million in restitution as the result of a four-year bribery investigation by U.S. attorneys, according to a report from the Independent.co.uk.
The report goes on:
Mr. Cheney appointed Stanley to run KBR in 1999, when the subsidiary was created after Halliburton's acquisition of UK-controlled MW Kellogg, where Stanley had been an executive. There is no suggestion that Mr. Cheney knew at the time of the acquisition, or subsequently, that bribery was involved in the Nigerian contracts.
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'Daily Show' illustrates pundit hypocrisy
Jon Stewart took to task some of the pundits on the right in their crying foul over the intense media scrutiny of Republican Vice-Presidential nominee Sarah Palin.
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TODAY'S TOP STORIES: Palin impresses
Some of New Mexico's top Republican lawmakers are praising Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. Heather Wilson and Pete Domenici are both in Minnesota for the Republican National Convention and both had words of praise for the Alaska governor while talking to the Silver City Sun-News.
The New Mexico Independent also talked to delegates and found a similar sentiment among the party faithful in St. Paul.
A nonprofit at the center of an election-year controversy did not register as a political committee by a state-ordered deadline and the issue appears headed to court, the Albuquerque Journal reports.
Santa Fe Mayor David Coss spoke to nearly 300 people in his second annual State of the City address yesterday. The event took place at the soon-to-be-finished Santa Fe Community Convention Center, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican
A unanimous decision by the Albuquerque City Council struck down a "no-knock list" aimed at keeping unwanted door-to-door solicitors away, according to KOAT. "We just did not have a defined plan to enforce this legislation," City Councilor Ken Sanchez said in the report.
The New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department is trying to give back nearly $110 million in unclaimed property at this year's State Fair, according to KOB.
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McCain campaign: Palin coming after all
Sarah Palin will appear at a campaign rally with John McCain in Albuquerque on Saturday after all, McCain’s campaign says.
The Republican presidential nominee’s campaign confirmed today that Palin will be at Saturday’s rally at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
“Yes, she’s coming,” Ivette Barajas said today shortly after noon. “We put in a request and they accepted like half an hour ago, so she will be here.”
Barajas said on Tuesday that Palin wouldn’t attend the rally. That came after media outlets across the state reported that Palin would make the trip to New Mexico for the event.
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Remembering the way party conventions used to be, according to Dan Rather and Jim Lehrer
The American News Project interviewed veteran journalists Dan Rather and Jim Lehrer who compare today's national political conventions to those of yesteryear. Gone is the spontaneity of past conventions, as is a sense of excitement. Check out the interviews here.
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Lawyer questions suspected assassination plotter's release
Tharin Robert Gartrell, the man who was in possession of two high-powered rifles with precision sighted scopes when arrested in Colorado last Tuesday, was set to be released to a halfway house yesterday without any charges related to a possible assassination attempt on Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama. Gartrell and associates Nathan Johnson and Shawn Robert Adolph were found in possession of 85 rounds of ammunition, a bullet-proof vest, walkie-talkies, wigs, fake I.D.s, hotel reservations near the Democratic National Convention and a minimal amount of methamphetamines.
Lawrence Hewitt, who is a defense attorney for Jerry Blanchard, a North Carolina man accused of threatening to shoot Obama, questions why his client is being held in jail on charges of threatening to kill Obama for making similar statements to those made by the men in Denver, according to the Denver Post. On two occasions last month Blanchard was overheard saying that Obama was the "Antichrist" and that he needed to be "taken out."
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National Republican Senate arm leaves NM, forcing Pearce to fend for himself
The Associated Press reports some bad news for the Senate campaign of Steve Pearce:
Republicans' Senate campaign arm called off television ads Tuesday that were to air in New Mexico in the run-up to Election Day.
The move is an indication that it's leaving the GOP candidate, Congressman Steve Pearce, to fend for himself as the party braces for losses.
This is no surprise, really.
John Ensign, the National Republican Senatorial Committee chair, has said the Republicans "could" hold the losses this year to only three seats.
"If a race is going to win on its own, we're not going to play," Ensign said in July. "If it's going to lose and no chance to win, we're not going to play."
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Heinrich ahead of White, new poll says
The race to replace Republican U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson in New Mexico's 1st Congressional District may be closer than you think. A poll released today by Roll Call puts Democrat Martin Heinrich ahead of well-known Republican Darren White by a slim margin and hitting the critical point in any election — 51 percent.
White, the Bernalillo County sheriff who entered the race with support from the incumbent and from New Mexico political icon Sen. Pete Domenici, garnered 46 percent.
The automated poll of 631 likely voters by SurveyUSA had a four-point margin of error. It was conducted Aug. 26-28, when the Democratic National Convention was in full swing.
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Blog Posts
- Dems protest McCain's appearance
- Former Bush speechwriter slams McCain's speech
- Was RNC video tribute to 9/11 appropriate?
- How ad people can save newspapers
- ABQ charter review task force hears reasons for being
- Mr. 'Short, Bald and Honest' runs for county commission
- Medical marijuana hearing Monday
- Heart's Wilson sisters say Palin in "NO WAY" represents them as women
- Retired New Mexico general attacks McCain's judgment
- TODAY'S TOP STORIES: State Fair opens today
- No more tickets available for McCain, Palin event
- Agreement? What agreement? Oh, that agreement
- Cheney's former Halliburton colleague admits guilt in bribery investigation
- 'Daily Show' illustrates pundit hypocrisy
- TODAY'S TOP STORIES: Palin impresses