New Mexico Politics Considered National Bellwether

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New Mexico Politics Considered National Bellwether

This political season could prove fruitful for New Mexicans, America and the world. New Mexico's first Congressional District race between Heather Wilson and Patricia Madrid is considered a national bellwether race, and Madrid is leading by eight points in the polls. International Press services like the Czech daily Dnes, are running front page stories saying that the Republicans are going to lose. Although important documentaries like American Blackout reveal that the Republican electoral machine is perfectly willing to sabotage the electoral process through voting machine manipulation or minority disenfranchisement, eight points is hard to fake without getting busted. Keep an eye on elected and appointed electoral officials before, on and after November 7th.

No doubt about it, Heather Wilson has got to go. Patricia Madrid represents the peace-loving people of New Mexico while her opponent legitimises immoral wars, both foreign and domestic. Wilson, struggling against deserved eight-point deficits in polls, is desperately searching for anything to keep her balloon afloat. Witness her website where supporters throw around allegations about child predators and hot air, as if that was some kind of a national issues platform. They also appear to forget that Wilson was on the Congressional page oversight committee that failed to "oversee" Republican Rep. Mark Foley's own sexual predations.

Wilson has not updated her news section since September 1st, which I understand since all the news since then has been bad for Republicans. The Foley sex scandal made the headlines, but the unconstitutional suspension of habeas corpus and legalization of torture in the Military Commissions Act of 2006 - which Wilson supported - is even worse. Furthermore, a recent article by the San Francisco Chronicle states that her "campaign appearances are tightly controlled and often closed to the press." What does she have to hide? Perhaps it's those campaign contributions from disgraced House Leader Tom Delay and Rep. Mark Foley, as well as contributions from war profiteers Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.

The Chronicle article also notes importantly that the "New Mexico race is seen as a referendum on the makeup of the House," making it all the more important to support Madrid or get out and vote if you live in Congressional District 1 this year. A Democratic majority in Congress could begin to reverse the damage done to our nation and world by the Bush Administration, although the citizenry will have to drive that process themselves on a non-partisan basis.

In New Mexico's third district, Mother Media endorses Tom Udall for Congress. Udall is expected to win in a landslide, and we thank God for that, however we dispute the Congressman's recent public assertions that the chief challenge we face internationally is militant Islamic fundamentalism. Homegrown fundamentalism both religious and nationalistic is the real root cause of our foreign policy problems and collapsing international reputation. Congressman Udall should make every effort humanly possible to oppose militant American foreign policy and police state tactics at home. We salute his recent vote against the abominable Military Commissions Act of 2006. Senator Bingaman also voted against this "law" and we endorse his candidacy with the same request that we made of Udall: confront and disempower homegrown militant fundamentalism before all else.

David Bacon's Green Party candidacy for Public Regulation Commission (PRC) District 4 also deserves our full support. Bacon has developed a strong understanding of the problems facing New Mexico's consumers and the difficulties involved in properly overseeing the increasingly corporate public utilities of New Mexico. Voters must recognize just how important this issue is in New Mexico, especially given the problems we face with mercury pollution from coal-fired electric plants and the unfair obstacles to clean, renewable electric generation and heat that have been set up by the PRC and its corporate intimidators. Bacon, along with allies like Santa Fe non-profit Local Energy, will bring some much needed pressure to bear on the apparently compromised Democratic Party - PRC machine. The PRC must fulfill its responsibility to the people and the Democratic party representation on the PRC appears to lack the needed aggressive oversight capability.

Although Mother Media certainly endorses Al Kissling over Steve Pearce for New Mexico's 2nd congressional district, things look difficult for Democrats in "Little Texas." Although we're hopeful that Gary King wins the race for Attorney General, we would have liked to see him challenge Steve Pearce again down South.

Most of all, Mother Media endorses the growing sense among New Mexicans and Americans that it is time to get back into politics as a nation. We have squandered our heritage on recreational activities of all types, but now the party is over. If we want to retain our national reputation and the integrity that created it, we must get back in the driver's seat, or risk fatal consequences with the Bush Administration and its "globalist" supporters at the helm.