tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11762382.post4740267798992546082..comments2023-10-24T08:13:45.842-06:00Comments on Only in New Mexico: TrippingJim Bacahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14019944863771287149noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11762382.post-5902881317605457612015-03-02T18:01:14.825-07:002015-03-02T18:01:14.825-07:00Martin Heinrich is indeed showing some courage. Th...Martin Heinrich is indeed showing some courage. The list of people who've said they are boycotting the Netanyahu has not grown very much and now includes only three senators, the first two of whom -- Bernie Sanders and Patrick Leahy -- are in much safer positions than Martin, as are most of the two dozen or liberal representatives not going.<br /><br />It's a shame that there will be no political cost to Udall, Grisham or Lujan for kowtowing to the Israeli lobby and throwing their president under the bus (and vice president, who will also boycott), which also means there can probably only be a downside for Martin. That's courage. The upside might be that he becomes known as someone who does the right thing no matter what.<br /><br /><br />I think there's a connection between that issue and the governor constantly campaigning outside of New Mexico for vice president.<br /><br />The question that comes to my mind about the governor is, why haven't New Mexico Democrats been all over this. They should have had that information.<br /><br />The connection, in my mind, between these two things, is the lack of a political cost for New Mexico Democrats for not doing the right thing.<br /><br />Democrats seem unengaged. They, we, sit back and do nothing when our elected officials vote to cut Social Security, Medicare, veteran's benefits, federal retiree benefits, Head Start, as all this current crew has done. Democrats should be upset and banging on their representatives' doors about these issues.<br /><br />They should give vocal backing when elected officials do the right thing. They should be making connections with the people and groups, and they do exist, who are passionate about issues like this and about social and economic justice in general and who could energize the party. Democrats should have a table set up near the campus all the time.<br /><br />They should be down at city hall demanding that things be named after Democrats, that a major thoroughfare be named after New Mexico Democratic senator Dennis Chavez who brought electric power to millions of rural Americans with his bill the create the REA, and who voted for the bill that created Social Security, instead of having a remote little stretch of pavement named after him whose main function is that it's how you get to Pajarito Mesa.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11762382.post-30903143821559085582015-03-02T10:57:40.503-07:002015-03-02T10:57:40.503-07:00Israel, the 51st stateIsrael, the 51st stateAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com