National Dems Advertising in NM

The Democratic National Committee is targeting New Mexico as well as two other swing states, Ohio and North Carolina, with a new ad supporting President Obama's jobs plan. This is right before an expected Senate vote on part of Obama's plan that relates to hiring veterans.

It's a fairly low-key ad, focusing on an unemployed Iraq war vet. The only "finger-pointing" is the part that says " ...it's paid for by asking millionaires and corporations to pay their fair share. But Republicans have said no."

It looks like the Dems are playing to sports fans. Besides CNN, the ad will be running on ESPN and the NFL  Network.

This is the second ad the DNC has run in this state this year -- and the first one in English.

Here's the ad:

Roundhouse Roundup: The 2012 Attack Ads Are Starting!

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
Nov. 6, 2011

The 2012 negative campaign ad season is upon us. There are only 365 slandering days left until the general election.

Last week, a national group connected to the Democrats’ favorite right-wing billionaire boogeymen, David and Charles Koch, began exercising its right to free speech in New Mexico and other battleground states by launching a $2.4 million television ad campaign targeting President Obama on the Solyndra solar company scandal.

The 60-second spot is running here as well as Florida, Michigan and Virginia.

The group Americans for Prosperity announced this the day after U.S. Tom Udall announced his proposed constitutional amendment to allow the federal government and state governments to regulate campaign contributions and spending — including “independent expenditures” by groups such as Americans for Prosperity.

Udall, at a Washington, D.C., press conference, lamented the proliferation of campaign ads that are “overwhelmingly nasty, negative and mean-spirited” since last year’s “Citizens United” decision by the U.S. Supreme Court.

I later spoke with state House Republican Leader Tom Taylor of Farmington. While not endorsing Udall’s proposal, Taylor also spoke with disdain about the unwelcome barrage of attack ads by mysterious groups with generic-sounding names.

Just thinking about the inevitable wall-to-wall attack ads — which will have even political junkies like me pulling hair out — made me think that singer John Prine had the right idea 40 years ago in the song, “Spanish Pipedream:”

“Blow up your TV.”
The first shot: As far as attack ads go, “Obama’s Green Giveaway” actually is relatively restrained. The issue is bound to be embarrassing for Obama, but the delivery is not as vicious as many I’ve seen.

The Koch Bros: Beware those wealthy donors!

“Wealthy donors with ties to Solyndra give Obama hundreds of thousands of dollars,” the spot begins. “What does Obama give them in return? Half a billion in tax-payer money to give to his friends at Solyndra, a business the White House knew was on the path to bankruptcy, but loaned them the money anyway.”

The narrator continues: “What’s worse? The Obama administration has just approved a billion dollars in loans to solar companies who also donated money to Democrats.”

The implication: The contributions were the main reason for the loans. Plus, being “solar companies,” they’re bound to fail, just like Solyndra.

The ad concludes, “Tell President Obama you shouldn’t use taxpayer money for political favors.”

Good advice. Of course, the ad stops short of saying the government should stop subsides to oil companies that contribute big cash bucks to politicians.

A Washington Post blog in September reported that “evidence is mounting that there was something irregular about the way the Solyndra deal got greenlighted.”

The blog noted White House emails — some of which appear in the ad — from the administration pressing the Office of Management and Budget to approve the deal in time for a Solyndra groundbreaking ceremony in September 2009.

But the Post noted that Solyndra’s loan was initiated by the Bush administration and that several key investors were Republicans. The Energy Department’s loan guarantee program has made $38 billion in loans for 40 projects.

Here's the ad:

Roundhouse Roundup: Donaldson Recalls Old Segregationalists and Warns of Huns

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
September 29, 2011

ALBUQUERQUE — With all its partisan gridlock and people’s growing tendency to demonize politicians with whom they disagree, Washington, D.C., in recent decades has gotten worse in many ways, former ABC News White House correspondent Sam Donaldson observed Wednesday.

But Donaldson, speaking at the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government’s “Your Right to Know” luncheon in Albuquerque, said there’s one area that’s noticeably improved since he first went to the nation’s capital in the 1960s.

Access to government and public information.

He’s not looking at the world through rose-colored glasses. He said politicians are always promising open, transparent governments but backsliding once they get into power. President Barack Obama is an example, he said. Despite campaign promises to the contrary, “the Obama White House is as secretive as any,” Donaldson said.

But things really are getting better, he insisted.

“When I first went to Washington, a bunch of old guys ran the place,” he said. Speaking of Congress, Donaldson said, “Autocratic committee chairmen had absolute power.”

He gave the example of Rep. Howard Smith, D-Virginia, an outspoken civil-rights opponent who chaired the House Rules Committee in the 1960s.

Rep. Howard Smith, D-Virginia

“Nothing got to the House floor without his approval,” Donaldson said. Smith would hold up civil-rights legislation by leaving town and going back to his farm in Virginia, he said.

“The mark-up of bills was all done behind closed doors,” the former reporter said. “You didn’t know what the oil companies were doing.”

Then Donaldson joked, “But I’m sure they were doing wonderful things. I know where I am,” referring to the fact that the oil and gas industry, which is responsible for a huge chunk of state revenues, has enormous political sway in New Mexico.

Donaldson should know where he is. Born in El Paso, he was raised in Southern New Mexico and graduated from the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell. For years, he’s lived on his ranch in Hondo.

He made lots of comments on the current presidential race. He spoke with dismay how some audience members at recent Republican debates have applauded executions in Texas, yelled that a hypothetical young man without health insurance should be left to die and booed a gay soldier in Iraq asking about the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy.

Vote Atilla 2012

He said Republicans are in danger of playing too much to the hard-right party base.

But, because of the poor economy, he said, Obama’s chances for re-election are looking dimmer and dimmer.

It seems now that the only way Obama could get re-elected, Donaldson cracked, is “if the Republicans put up Attila the Hun.”

Sunday will never be the same: Since Thanksgiving Day 2001, this column has run Thursdays in this newspaper’s Local section — except during my vacations.

Well, just shy of its 10th anniversary, you won’t find this Roundup in this section more. Or anywhere else on Thursdays.

But don’t cancel your subscription. Beginning three days from now, this column moves to the Sunday Opinion section.

I’ll still be writing about politics inside and outside of the Roundhouse, laced with scuttlebutt and wisecracks. And I’ll still be doing it weekly — except for vacations.

See you on Sunday.

Crossroads GPS: Obama Will Crush a Little Girl with a Big Crate

Karl Rove isn't coming to New Mexico until next month, but his Super PAC, Crossroads GPS, is already here. They're running another ad on New Mexico television stations. (Last month they ran this ad in New Mexico and elsewhere.)

According to their news release: "In New Mexico, the ad will run on TV stations in the Albuquerque and El Paso markets, with buys totaling $101,305. The total dedicated to the effort nationally, including national cable, local TV, Internet advertising and production is $3.5 million over two weeks. ... The new spot is part of a $20 million advocacy campaign begun by Crossroads GPS in June to frame the national issues debate on the economy and national debt, as Congress negotiates a deal with President Obama."

I've been hearing a lot of Republicans lately criticizing Obama's "fear tactics" in the debt-ceiling debate. But this looks pretty scary too.

Roundhouse Roundup: Tiresome Champions

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
June 30, 2011

Last week in this column, I boldly took a bold stance against politicians overusing the word bold. This week, if I may be so bold, I'd like to talk about another word that politicians love to use but has become tiresome:

"Tireless."

At least he'll never claim to be "tireless."

It seems that everyone running for political office these days seems to think that he or she has to convince voters that they are tireless advocates, tireless champions, tireless workers, tireless fighters.

It's enough to make me bleary-eyed.

Former Albuquerque Mayor Marty Chavez is the latest major New Mexico politician to declare his tirelessness. In his 4 1/2-minute video announcing his candidacy for the 1st Congressional District seat, Chavez says if he's elected, he'll be a "tireless advocate of investments in education."

A quick Google Desktop search of my email shows that U.S. Senate candidate Heather Wilson, according to an endorser, is "a tireless worker, and she knows how to get things done"; former Lt. Gov. Diane Denish is "a tireless fighter for New Mexico families" who has "fought tirelessly for the children of New Mexico"; former Gov. Toney Anaya was "a tireless advocate for everyday New Mexicans" (that's from Judge Linda Vanzi in accepting Anaya's election endorsement last year). GOP gubernatorial contender Janice Arnold-Jones last year traveled the state "in a seemingly tireless effort to introduce herself to voters." Last year's Republican attorney general candidate Matt Chandler displays "tireless service on behalf of (crime) victims."

The list goes on.

Don't these people ever sleep? Do they ever blink or yawn? It's almost as if they want us to believe they are superhuman, that they don't need to slow down like lesser mortals.

Maybe someone should tell these folks to give it a rest. Until then, "tireless" politicians will continue to be a tired political cliché.

Poll talk: In the battle for New Mexico's five electoral votes next year, there's good news and bad news for President Barack Obama in a Public Policy Polling survey released Wednesday.

In the poll, Obama leads most potential Republican candidates by 15 percentage points or more. There are two exceptions. The president is ahead of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney by only seven percentage points. And, according to the poll, long-shot GOP contender and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson would lose to Obama by a mere three percentage points — which is within the 3.6 percent margin of error. Johnson actually leads Obama among independent voters and those in the 37-to-46 age group.

The bad news for Obama is that while he wins every matchup in this poll, his margins have dropped significantly from the last time PPP polled here — just four months ago. His margin over Romney, for instance, dropped by nine percentage points since February.

The poll found 50 percent of New Mexico voters approve Obama's job performance, while 44 percent disapprove. That's down from a 55-40 percent approval rating in February.

The company, which uses automated "robo" calls, surveyed 732 New Mexico voters between June 23 and Sunday.

PPP is a Democrat polling company, but no candidate or political organization paid for the New Mexico poll.

Despite its Democratic ownership, New York Times polling expert Nate Silver has found that, on average, PPP's 2010 surveys slightly favored Republican candidates. Molly Ball in Politico observed earlier this year, "Plenty of conservatives deride PPP as a liberal shop when they don't like its numbers, only to turn around and cite the firm when the results are more to their liking."

New Mexico Swings

The battle for New Mexico's 5 electoral votes is on. A conservative "advocacy organization" called Crossroads GPS is going to start running anti-Obama ads on TV next week.

Crossroads is a spin-off of the group fronted by Karl Rove and former Republican National Committee  chairman Ed Gillespie.

The basic message: It's the economy, stupid.

Who's paying for the group and its ads? That's none of your damned business. At least that's what the U.S. Supreme Court says. Why do you hate "Freedom of Speech"?

Here's a video of the ad:

Another PPP Poll ... But Wait ...

There's another PPP (Public Policy Polling) survey for New Mexico released today. This one shows President Obama way out in front of various Republican contenders.

Once again, PPP shows former Gov. Gary Johnson as the most possible Republican in the batch. Yesterday's poll showed Johnson as doing better than other Republicans against Sen. Jeff Bingaman.

But before we go one, one reader pointed something out to me.

"Their sample is way off," my source said. "55% Democrats and 29% Republican. A 26% gap" According to the Secretary of State's website. voter registration in NM is 49% Democrat and 32% Republican. A 17% gap."

Indeed that's a pretty big grain of salt to take the poll with. Also, remember, those surveyed are registered voters, not necessarily likely voters.

PPP is a Democratic polling firm. In fairness, they don't always bring happy news for Democrats. Last year Nate Silver rated the company the 13th most accurate in the country. (This was done before the general election. Not sure how they ranked after that.)

So do consider the sample here. And remember, like I said yesterday, this is way too earlier for anyone but the most shameless political junkies to give a hoot about. (Remember that great contest between Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani?)

According to the PPP news release:

New Mexico was one of Barack Obama's most surprising states in 2008- not that he won it, but that he won it by such a wide 15 point margin after George W. Bush had taken it in 2004. Obama remains popular in the state and if he had to stand for reelection today he'd take it by a similar amount to his previous victory.


Obama's approval rating with New Mexicans is 55% with 40% of voters disapproving of him. Most noteworthy are his very strong numbers with independents, 60% of whom are happy with the job he's doing to 32% who dissent.

According to the poll Obama would beat Johnson -- who is considered a longshot for the nomination -  51-36. Mitt Romney would lose 53-37. The other match-ups: Mike Huckabee would lose 55-36; 21, Newt Gingrich would get 35 percent to Obama's 56 and Sarah Palin would receive 33 percent of the vote compared with the president's 62 percent.


PPP Release NM Obama 0209513

Richardson Goes to White House

But only as a guest. According to a press release, Gov. Bill Richardson will attend a state dinner next week in honor of Mexican President Felipe Calderon.

He'll fly to Washington Tuesday and return to New Mexico on Thursday.

This will be the second state dinner for Richardson during this administration. He also went to President Obama's first state dinner last November, which was in honor of India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Iowa Flashback: There Really Was a Richardson/Obama Deal

Back in January 2008 on the eve of the Iowa Caucus, there was widely reported about a deal between the Barack Obama and Bill Richardson campaigns. According to such reports Richardson supporters would go to Obama in precincts in which Richardson didn't reach Iowa's 15 percent threshold for viability. In exchange, Obama supporters would go to Richardson at caucuses in which Obama had more backers than needed to win any additional delegates.

I was in Iowa, so of course I checked it out. Richardson's campaign spokesman Pahl Shipley vehemently denied the reports.

"We have not made any deals with any other campaigns," he told me. "We expect to be viable in most, if not all, precincts, and we are looking for a strong showing. You cannot tell Iowans who to support — they are very independent."

Obama's camp denied it too. But according to Ben Smith in The Politico this morning, Obama strategist David Plouffe in his new book has a different story.

"[State Director Paul] Tewes was also working with the Richardson camp to come up with a tacit agreement that in places where neither of us was viable we would make it clear to our supporters that each candiate preferred the other on the second run-through." (Disclosure. I cleaned up a whole mess of apparent typos in that quote. And thanks to my friend Mona who pointed out a stupid typo of my own in the first draft of this post.)

I'm shocked to learn that a campaign flack would not tell me the truth.

Of course, the participants in the caucus Don't always go along with such deals. In the Des Moines precinct that I observed, Richardson didn't make the 15 percent cut. Most of his delegates went to Obama, but some drifted to the Hillary Clinton and John Edwards fold. In fact, Richardson's precinct captain, who initially told me she'd vote for Obama if Richardson didn't make the cut, ended up voting for Edwards.

In Case Anyone Needs to Know ...

Here's my birth certificate:



UPDATE: Turns out I was born in the same country as state Rep. Brian Egolf. CLICK HERE

Just Like the Richardson of Old?

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
May 15, 2009

The governor was trying to be nonchalant. He didn't quite pull it off.

"This morning I was with the president of the United States," he told reporters at a Thursday news conference. "This afternoon I'm with Robert Redford."

It was almost like the old Bill Richardson. Back in the early years of his administration, it seemed he was always appearing beside Washington bigwigs and hobnobbing with Hollywood celebrities.

Had a few North Korean diplomats dropped by the Roundhouse on Thursday afternoon, the picture would have been complete.

President Barrack Obama was in Rio Rancho to talk about credit card legislation and take questions from New Mexicans about economic issues. Redford showed up at the Santa Fe news conference to announce his planned Sundance New Mexico training facility for young Native American and Hispanic filmmakers at the old Los Luceros hacienda near Española.

Meeting with Obama and Redford in one day is nothing to sneeze at any time. But in Richardson's case it seemed particularly noteworthy because for the past five months — since he withdrew as Obama's nominee for commerce secretary — Richardson has kept an unusually low profile. A grand jury investigation into possible pay-to-play dealings involving state bond funds apparently still isn't over.

Once a frequent guest on cable-TV talk shows, Richardson's shadow has almost never darkened the Capitol television studio in recent months. And except for one interview in The Washington Post a few weeks ago, the one-time presidential candidate has even shunned the national print media.

But it's far too early to say the clouds of scandal over New Mexico are lifting. About the same time he and his pal "Bob" Redford, (as Richardson repeatedly called him) were talking to reporters, Bloomberg News was breaking the story that federal prosecutors have subpoenaed documents from New Mexico's state endowment funds.

State Investment Council spokesman Charles Wollman told The New Mexican he couldn't discuss specifics of the subpoena, which was issued earlier this month. Wollman said his agency's lawyers haven't decided whether the SIC can release copies of the subpoenas to the public.

New Mexico state government's $11.8 billion in investments have made headlines in recent weeks because some of the same figures embroiled in a kickback scandal in New York have handled some of this state's investments — and contributed to New Mexico politicians — as well.

On Wednesday, Julio Ramirez Jr. pleaded guilty to securities fraud in New York's pension fund case. "Between 2005 and 2008 (Ramirez's former company Wetherly Capital Group) secured its money manager clients more than half a billion dollars in New Mexico state investments," TPM Muckrucker reported Wednesday. Ramirez, according to campaign finance records, has contributed $10,000 to Richardson political committees.

But Obama didn't mention any scandals or the aborted Cabinet nomination during his Rio Rancho appearance. He started his speech by recognizing Richardson, who sat in the VIP section with other state officials near the podium. Obama called Richardson "a great friend" and "one of the finest governors in the country." At one point the president said, "New Mexico's been fortunate partly because of some good administration from the New Mexico governor."

Thursday was the first time Obama and Richardson had seen each other since late last year when Obama announced his choice of Richardson as commerce secretary.

Obama and Richardson had what the governor described as a "very brief" meeting before the president's speech. Also at the meeting were other state leaders — including Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, House Speaker Ben Luján, Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez and Albuquerque Mayor Marty Chávez. Richardson told reporters that he and Obama didn't talk about the aborted Cabinet nomination. They talked about the state's economy, the federal stimulus package and problems along the Mexican border.

Richardson said he told Obama there should be more flexibility with federal matching fund requirements for the "green grid" program, which would improve the electrical transmission system to promote the use of renewable power.

Referring to Obama's public compliments, Richardson said, "I appreciate his warm words."

Obama Praises Richardson

The last time Barrack Obama saw Bill Richardson was the day he named Richardson as his Commerce secretary nominee.

A funny thing happened on the way to the cabinet meeting...

But they were together again at Obama's town hall in Rio Rancho. The president started his speech by recognizing the governor, who sat in the VIP section at the side of the podium. He called Richardson one of the finest governors in the country. No mention of scandal or the aborted nomination.

Richardson and other state leaders met with Obama immediately before the event. I was told it was all business.

More later.

IN CASE ANYONE MISSED IT

Obama is now president.

I think I'll go watch the speech with the folks in the Roundhouse Rotunda.