The Journal did a good recap of Governor Martinez's political fund raising travel. She has been out of state for an astounding 272 days since she was elected Governor. It is a lot more than I would have suspected. And once again I ask the question, how many days was she out of state on economic development trips? If she did take some of those trips she isn't saying so because it would probably show her as being highly ineffective at attracting desperately need jobs. I actually don't get real upset about her fund raising absences, but I go get pretty worked up about her total cluelessness on the state of our economy. What the hell does she do all day?
This story was was the result of legal actions by the Santa Fe Reporter, a solid weekly newspaper in the Capitol. They Governor's spokesman Enrique Knell could only respond that the Reporter was, " a left wing weekly tabloid." It is one thing for a blogger to say such things, but a state paid employee of our highest elected official will have that quote follow him for the rest of his career. It is typical for this republican administration where they always attack the messenger instead of responding to the issue.
On another item, I am very proud of Senator Martin Heinrich's decision to not attend Netanyahu's address to congress. This severe disruption of diplomacy by Speaker Boehner is very damaging. Now, one can only wonder why Senator Udall, Congresswoman Michelle Grisham Lujan, and Congressman Ben Ray Lujan are attending. Gee, do you think it has something to do with pro Israeli PACs? Shame on them.
This story was was the result of legal actions by the Santa Fe Reporter, a solid weekly newspaper in the Capitol. They Governor's spokesman Enrique Knell could only respond that the Reporter was, " a left wing weekly tabloid." It is one thing for a blogger to say such things, but a state paid employee of our highest elected official will have that quote follow him for the rest of his career. It is typical for this republican administration where they always attack the messenger instead of responding to the issue.
On another item, I am very proud of Senator Martin Heinrich's decision to not attend Netanyahu's address to congress. This severe disruption of diplomacy by Speaker Boehner is very damaging. Now, one can only wonder why Senator Udall, Congresswoman Michelle Grisham Lujan, and Congressman Ben Ray Lujan are attending. Gee, do you think it has something to do with pro Israeli PACs? Shame on them.
2 comments:
Israel, the 51st state
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.
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.
I think there's a connection between that issue and the governor constantly campaigning outside of New Mexico for vice president.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Post a Comment