We had a great crew over for our Sunday night Dinner. We were all interested political types and two of our guests were employees of the Albuquerque Journal at one time....years ago. They had read my blog and were insisting that I not cancel my subscription because it was important for people to keep reading newspapers. I agree, but it is hard to swallow the front page news stories which are editorials in disguise as is the case in the Journal. The both agree that things had changed at that newspaper in recent years. I will ponder their request for not canceling!
All of us sat around the table last night consuming Gypsy Stew, Bobbi's home made jalapeno corn bread, and good wine. None of us even made an effort to turn on the debates last night. For us our minds were made up on most races. Even the moderates around the table said that Diane Denish was eminently qualified to be Governor and would be better at the job. Susana Martinez, if she wins, will be much like Gary Johnson was in office and will be able to offer little more than vetoes. She will have a tough time leading with a strong Democratic legislature. Santa Fe will begin to resemble Washington, DC where little gets done and when it does will inspire Newt Gingrich style hate politics. At least the democrats won't act like cowards in Santa Fe. There will be no big ideas in Santa Fe. Lack of money and courage will be the reasons, especially if a republican like Martinez is elected.
Interestingly most of our guests will not vote a straight ticket. I think Secretary of State Mary Herrera could be in trouble. I think Ray Powell will win now since his opponent's comments on "christian war" have made the rounds.
4 comments:
I agree with your friends. I enjoy reading your comments about the Albuquerque Journal than reading the Journal itself. Please don't cancel your subscription!
I'll bet dollars to donuts the Journal does not print my letter...
I think it is high time land commish candidate Matt Rush and others be reminded of the facts regarding the founding of our country in regards to so called “Christian principles”. These United States were founded by great men, a few of them Christian, but many more of them Deists who doubted the validity of the bible. They did NOT found a new nation based on “Christian” or any other religious principles.
This FACT is readily evidenced in Article 6, Section 3 of the Constitution of the United States, which specifies that "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States." Nowhere in the Constitution does it mention religion, except in exclusionary terms. The words "Jesus Christ, Christianity, Bible, and God" are not even mentioned in the Constitution-- not once. In addition, in 1796 in one of the earliest international treaties the young nation undertook it unequivocally states in article XI of the treaty with Tripoli, written under the presidency of George Washington and signed under the presidency of John Adams that, “the Government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion”.
If Mr. Rush would only bother to read the writings of those great men he so easily attributes to having Christian principles, he might know better. Benjamin Franklin wrote “In the affairs of the world, men are saved, not by faith, but by the lack of it.” The irrefutable FACT that the founders truly intended there be a clear separation of religion from politics, James Madison wrote “The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe in blood for centuries.” Thomas Jefferson who authored the Declaration of Independence wrote “I do not find in orthodox Christianity one redeeming feature”. In his Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, he wrote “No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever”.
And maybe even anticipating the very attitude we find in Mr. Rush’s call for a “war against Christianity’s enemies”, Jefferson wrote, “On the dogmas of religion, as distinguished from moral principles, all mankind, from the beginning of the world to this day, have been quarreling, fighting, burning and torturing one another, for abstractions unintelligible to themselves and to all others, and absolutely beyond the comprehension of the human mind”.
Before the likes of Matt Rush, Sarah Palin, Christine O’Donnell and their ilk begin attributing ideas, words or actions to the great men of enlightenment who founded these United States of America, perhaps they should read what those men actually wrote.
I disagree with your friends. I am disgusted with the Journal running negative ads as so-called news stories. If that's their idea of "reporting" why don't they report on Republican candidate Nate Gentry's DUI's? If a staffer for Richardson had a DUI it would be front page "news" but when a candidate has several it's not news in the Journal because the candidate is one they endorse. Let's admit it-newspapers are good when they are good but the Journal is no longer a good newspaper. Just get the NYT delivered and read online the New Mexico Independent and your and other NM blogs for local politics.
Jim, I think Mary Herrera will be in a lot of trouble. She is a poor administrator and an even poorer communicator - and it shows. Martinez and Denish may be a toss-up but I'm not so sure having a Republican reviewing the budgets sent up by a Democratic-ly run legislature would be such a bad thing. As a democrat myself, I see Martinez as a hedge against Lujan, whereas Denish would be a rubber-stamp. Like the blog, keep up the great posts.
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