ABQjournal: Wilson Hangs On Despite Trends By Jeff Jones And Michael Coleman

Brian Sanderoff, president of Albuquerque’s Research & Polling Inc., points to Madrid’s debate mistakes— and more specifically the way Wilson took advantage of them— as the single most important factor.

“This is going to become a classic, textbook example of one defining moment affecting the outcome of an election,” Sanderoff said.

In future elections in New Mexico, when not a single candidate is willing to participate in debates, don’t blame Bill Richardson, blame Heather Rove Wilson. Why would anyone risk a gaff becoming the defining moment of the entire election? It turns out Richardson’s selfish, cowardly act was a wise move — you know what a snake like Dimdahl would have done with any odd gesture or miscue.

Long before Madrid’s brain freeze, the GOP (god’s Own Party) sent out fliers designed to frighten voters. The funniest one linked Madrid to Hillary Clinton’s massive plan to socialize medicine in America (the last step before turning everyone gay!). Once Madrid handed The Party of Fear her own open-mouthed head on a platter, the fear factor was “can we trust her?” As if she would have a finger on the button, 500th in succession. As if the innumerable blunders, verbal and otherwise, by inarticulate Duhbya haven’t lowered the bar to ground level.

In two years, remember Wilson’s presumptive arrogance in declaring herself the winner 10 days before the facts came close. Remember the slap in the face to everyone who did not vote for her (the vast majority of voters in the district). Remember the Party of Arrogance and Fear. mjh

Most of us have come to expect arrogance from Republican leaders, as well as some disconnect from reality. Rod Adair seldom disappoints on both counts. In his latest column for the Journal, Adair explains that everything good is and always has been Republican and everything shifty and immoral is and always has been Democrat.

Adair writes about “our ancient foes in the Democratic Party.” That’s a healthy attitude. Listen to this: “Our opposition [is] to Democrat ideas, whether slavery, segregation, the Ku Klux Klan, poll taxes, Jim Crow laws and the like…” Yes, Rod Adair believes slavery is a Democrat idea and the KKK is a Democratic PAC. Which party supports unfettered private property rights and opposes an intrusive Federal government forcing change on those who would not have it?

Let’s be clear about one thing that Adair does not understand. The GOP is NOT the Party of Lincoln. They tell themselves that to comfort themselves, but in the early 1900’s, the Republican party became the party of the rich, the party of the landholder, the party of unchecked business, the party of the anti-progressive reactionary and the redoubt of angry white males — Adair being a case in point. Lincoln’s influence ended in the late 1960’s, when the Republicans began to appeal to white Southerners who resented Federal intrusion in their state’s rights. Since the 1960’s, the Party of Lincoln has not said, “You Dems are finally getting on board with desegregation and affirmative action.” Instead, they’ve said, “Those Dems are interfering with your time-honored ways.” Ways that include Jim Crow and lynching.

Adair claims, “We are the party that fought against slavery and won. Who opposed us every step of the way? The Democrats.” So Jefferson Davis was a Democrat? The last election shows the Republican Party has become the party of the South–perhaps Trent Lott’s return is another indication, scooping up all those former Democrats who despised Kennedy and King. So, while Adair wraps himself in the flag, he’d better make sure it isn’t confederate (like George Allen’s).

Adair writes, “We must admit that over the past 12 years, our congressional majorities and then our administration tried to out-Democrat the Democrats— pork-barrel spending run wild, copying Democrat ideas that legitimize illegal immigration, complete abandonment of fiscal discipline at all levels.” Everything wrong in the past 12 years is due to the GOP embracing the Democratic ideals. Yeah, right.

Finally, Adair beats the drum again against “the liberal media.” The very media that publishes him? The media that makes Lush Limbaugh an idol of countless ditto-heads? The media that burned Dixie Chick records? Fox News? Please, Rod. mjh

ABQjournal: Voters Hold Republicans to Higher Standard By State Sen. Rod Adair, Roswell Republican

mjh’s blog — Rod Knows Bigots
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Embittered Insiders Turn Against Bush – washingtonpost.com

Some insiders said the White House invited the backlash. “Anytime anyone holds themselves up as holy, they’re judged by a different standard,” said David Kuo, a former deputy director of the Bush White House’s faith-based initiatives who wrote “Tempting Faith,” a book that accused the White House of pandering to Christian conservatives. “And at the end of the day, this was a White House that held itself up as holy.”

That Merri Rudd won re-election as Bernalillo County Probate Judge comes as no surprise. An honest and open counting assured her victory. That, and having no opponent. Enjoy her public service while you can — term limits will eject her in four years as no opponent could.

I note that 125,201 people voted for Merri Rudd. That’s 20,000 more votes than Secretary of State Mary Herrera received. That’s 18,000 more than voted to elect the new County Assessor, Karen Montoya. That’s 4,000 more than voted for Bush campaign manager Sheriff Darren Oso White.

Moreover, Mer got 30,000 votes MORE than either Madrid or Wilson. Huzzah! mjh

Unofficial Election Results – Page 19 – Bernalillo County, New Mexico, USA

On the Republican noise machine’s gassy discharge regarding Gary King’s voting record, we need some information:

Do other legislators ever miss votes? What’s the average? Has Heather Wilson ever missed a single vote? How many votes missed are unforgivable? (Answer: one more than the those missed by whoever Republicans support.)

What was Gary King doing when he missed a vote? Was he in Scotland on a junket? Was he eating a free meal with Tom DeLay at Abramoff’s restaurant? Was he drilling for oil in the wilderness?

Which votes did he miss? The bills to name our state question, state dish, state dessert? The non-binding endorsement of apple pie and babies? The bill to write discrimination into the Constitution (aka the Defense of Marriage Act)? The “Only Republicans Know What Family Values Are” Act?

Inquiring minds want more than noise. mjh

swift boats scum to town

Well, we’ve hit a new low in supposedly local politics as those vile vets of villainy, the Swiftboat Bums, chip in their 2 million cents to attack Gary King and support the oh-so-squeaky-clean Bibb. To think I actually had some respect for Whitney Cheshire, his campaign manager, as a New Mexican-style Republican, which is to say not-rabidly-radical. My mistake in judgement.

wilson and responsibility

Heather Wilson says quite baldly that she can’t be expected to keep track of 435 House members; the echo chamber picks it up. Let’s see — Heather is on the Page Board. There are about 60 pages. Can she be expected to keep up with 60 pages when it is her job to do so?

Perhaps more importantly, haven’t the Republicans been thumping their chests as “THE Party of Personal Responsibility?” Doesn’t that include responsibility for your job on Capitol Hill? Apparently not.

Isn’t it interesting that other members of the Page Board will testify, but Heather won’t have to. I guess everyone knows her position on the board was meaningless.

Pobrecito Dendahl

Another interesting bit of nonsense conservatives tell each other is why John Dendahl can’t raise money. You see, it’s because Bill Richardson will remember the names of every donor to Dendahl’s campaign. It’s bad business to support Dendahl.

Understand — I don’t doubt that. However, isn’t that cowardice? To let Bully Bill shut you up? Aren’t the Republicans the Party of Balls and Principles? Let’s see them. Or does business sense trump principle for Republicans? Dendahl is simply a bad investment.

It is also interesting to hear the same conservatives object to Richardson’s war-chest and the fact that he is giving money to other candidates. They say those candidates will be in debt to Richardson. Hmmm. This from the same people who insist all campaign money is protected as free speech and handing wads of cash to Republicans doesn’t buy any access. Apparently, only Democrats are corrupted by the system Republicans endorse. Yeah, right.

baseball, football, nascar and narnia

No one expects any decent TV on Saturday night, for whatever reason. Yet, last night was a new low to me (and, I’m sure, a high for many others). Not only did we have baseball, which screws up all of October every year, but football and, omg, Nascar. Choose your poison.

So, we chose to watch the Chronicles of Narnia. When I was a kid, I loved Narnia and it made me aware of literature, and literary technique, in a way that was of necessity new to me. That said, I think I was oblivious to most of its Christian underpinnings. I’m sure I didn’t get the death and resurrection of Aslan in the way that is now obvious even to me. But I grew up believing the bible isn’t as interesting as Aesop’s Fables. And certainly, Narnia, if it is a reworking of Christianity, is much more appealing than the original.

Still, I had to pause the DVD and rail for a few minutes on the madness of war in the name of religion. And I am frustrated more today than at 10 by a story that elevates children to warriors and kings and queens. It is a twisted and stunted imagination that resolves the largest issues with warfare. Real creativity would paint a world in which peace flourishes. But that’s almost beyond conception, isn’t it?

crazy safe

This week, we took our friend, Kathleen to the airport for a flight to Texas and beyond. I sat in the observation area browsing the Web on my laptop. Merri gamely accompanied Kathleen through the gauntlet. Kathleen is 91 years old and nearly blind. It took an hour to get her through security. Her metal knees required a strip search and pat-down.

Kathleen, a kind and patient woman, endured the nonsense and apologized for burdening the insane system that regards her as a potential terrorist. This is the legacy of 9/11, where we turned our world upside-down with madness.

Mind you, I don’t think she should sail through security while “the usual suspects” are the only ones inconvenienced. I just think we need to find a better way to make air travel safer. Some way that doesn’t require groping a 90 year old. mjh

This is such craven and pointless slander; the finest advertising money can buy. Of course, the whole paternal “keep us safe” concept is pathetic. Still, I wouldn’t say Duhbya is too conservative to keep us safe; too rigid, too blind to facts, too indifferent to the views of anyone else, sure. (Oops, that is the definition of too conservative, isn’t it?) Is Wilson too conservative to keep us safe? No, just too mired in the mess created by her party. mjh