Leading GOP Contenders Come Out in Support of Extreme Arizona Immigration Law

Domenici Jr./Weh/Martinez side with the extreme right, fail to condemn racial profiling

Albuquerque, NM- The leading Republican candidates for Governor today came out in support of Arizona's controversial immigration law, siding with the extreme right over New Mexico families. In an Albuquerque Journal article published today the three GOP frontrunners praised the Arizona law and none of them took the opportunity to condemn racial profiling that may result from the bill. [Albuquerque Journal, 4/27/10]

The law has been widely criticized, world-wide, for going too far and creating an environment conducive to racial profiling and infringement on the individual rights of law-abiding citizens.

"It's shocking that in a state as diverse as New Mexico, the three GOP frontrunners would not immediately come out against this dangerous law. New Mexicans know racial profiling and fear is not the way to address immigration reform, but unfortunately the Republican candidates disagree," said Democratic Party of New Mexico Chairman Javier Gonzales. "Weh, Martinez and Domenici Jr. are showing their true colors, siding with the extreme right-wing instead of New Mexicans. Their extreme positions will not be forgotten on Election Day."

Stand up to the NM GOP and Karl Rove: Donate Today!

You may have heard the news.

In two weeks, Karl Rove – architect of George Bush's disasterous Presidency– is coming to New Mexico for a reunion with the Republican Party of New Mexico.

You can count on all the old Bush cronies, like Steve Pearce and Allen Weh, to be there along with the other Republican candidates for governor like Susana Martinez and Pete Domenici Jr. to stop by for the reunion.

Rove is here on May 1 to raise money for the Republican Party of New Mexico – so they can bring the same policies of the failed Bush presidency to New Mexico.
We simply cannot let that happen -- not here in New Mexico.

Click here to donate $25, $50, $100 to take a stand against the failed policies of the Bush administration and reject Rove's far-right schemes.

We could go through all the ways in which Karl Rove’s influence was destructive to our country, but you know the rap sheet. Scandals. Record budget deficits. An economy on the brink of complete collapse. Heck, we’re still cleaning up the mess that Rove helped create.

But that’s in the past – and our focus must be on the future. We must prevent Karl Rove’s favorite candidates for Governor and Congress from prevailing in November. We must fight to give New Mexican's policies that bring jobs, better education, and healthy communities.

Click here to give whatever you can to help stop the radical right from taking advantage of an upset electorate - an electorate that is upset because of the problems these same Republicans are responsible for!

It’s hard not to forget the last time Karl Rove made news in New Mexico. Rove and his “good friend” Allen Weh emailed back and forth about firing U.S. Attorney David Iglesias because Iglesias decided not to launch a politically-motivated investigation during an election. Rove and Weh chose to use their trusted positions to influence the outcome of criminal investigations. Think of what they'll do to New Mexicans if Republicans win this November!

Don't just let Karl Rove waltz back in to New Mexico, stand up and make a statement by donating today!

Send a message to Karl Rove and the right-wingers, and give whatever you can. Let's all send a message to Rove and all the other Bush Republicans: you are not taking back any power!

Sincerely,

Scott Forrester
Executive Director, DPNM

Weh: "20 New Mexicans Would Make Better Governors"

(We Agree)

Albuquerque, N.M. – In a rare moment of agreement, the Democratic Party of New Mexico today voiced its support for Republican candidate Allen Weh’s assertion that he doesn’t make the Top-20 list of New Mexicans qualified to be Governor. The Democratic Party of New Mexico calls on Weh to identify the 20 New Mexicans he believes would make a better Governor, so Republican primary voters can consider writing in their names on the ballot.

At a campaign event in Los Lunas yesterday, Weh said: “I like telling people, that there’s probably 20 people in the state that could be a better Governor than I could. But they’re not running.”

“Needless to say, Allen Weh makes a good point – many, many New Mexicans would make a better Governor. It’s the first honest thing we’ve heard him say in this campaign,” said DPNM spokesman James Hallinan.

Weh’s comments may remind New Mexicans of fellow Republican candidate Pete Domenici Jr.’s statement that he didn’t believe he could win. In case you forgot, here is that exchange:

Jim Villanucci: You obviously have a feeling on that. You said that…not all of you can win, so somebody can’t, and you think you can. So, who can’t?

Pete Domenici Jr.: Actually, I would even include myself in the group that can’t. Uh, I don’t think this is a sure thing by any stretch…it is gonna to be extremely tough. [Interview with Villanucci 770 KKOB, 2/17/10]

Domenici Fundraising Drops Following Last-Place Finish at Pre-primary

By Heath Haussamen, NMpolitics.net

http://www.nmpolitics.net/index/2010/04/domenici-fundraising-drops-following-preprimary-loss/

Republican gubernatorial candidate Pete Domenici Jr. has seen a noticeable drop in fundraising since he finished last at the GOP preprimary nominating convention in March.

Since winning the support of only 4.61 percent of delegates at the convention on March 13, Domenici has raised $4,492.22 – at least through Friday, when he voluntarily released new information about his campaign fundraising. Before the preprimary, Domenici raised about $140,000 from March 1-11, according to his campaign Web site.

In all, Domenici has raised $303,057.77 since entering the race in January. That includes a $50,000 personal contribution.

“I appreciate the continued support from people who see my candidacy for governor as an opportunity to solve the economical and ethical crisis that now confronts our state,” Domenici said in the Friday news release announcing the voluntary release of the contribution information.

“This support reinforces the strength of our campaign that we have seen reflected in all of the voter attitude polls of the Republican primary election released to-date,” he said.

That last quote is about two polls (here and here) that show Domenici leading the GOP gubernatorial primary field. Some analysts have said Domenici’s lead in the polls is attributable to the fact that he shares the name of his father, the former U.S. senator.

GOP Transparency?

RELEASE: Will Domenici Jr. Keep His Promise to File Monthly Finance Reports?

Weh and Turner Still Considering Whether to Run Transparent Campaigns?

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – More than a month after Pete Domenici Jr.’s campaign said that disclosing its campaign donors monthly “is just no problem” because “we want more transparency into campaign contributions,” the campaign continues to run in the dark, failing to disclose it’s donors or campaign expenditures. GOP candidate Allen Weh is still “considering” disclosing his campaign contributions andDoug Turner has said “maybe” to running an open and transparent campaign.

“The Republican candidates for Governor like to talk about openness and transparency, but when given an opportunity to walk the walk, the majority of GOP candidates continue to run their campaigns in the dark,” said Scott Forrester, DPNM Executive Director. “Everyone is left wondering what these candidates are hiding?”

The Facts:

Domenici Jr. Campaign Promised Bi-Weekly Or Monthly Finance Reporting. According to Pete St. Cyr, “After we originally published our blog we received an email from campaign coordinator Doug Antoon, who clarified the campaign’s plan for financial reporting. ‘I would like to shoot for semi-monthly or bi-weekly if we can handle the paperwork and have the people available to post everything on that timetable. But monthly is just no problem,’ Antoon wrote. ‘We want more transparency into campaign contributions, not less.’” [Blog, What’s the word with Pete St. Cyr, 1/17/10]

January 2010: Weh Campaign Said He Was “Considering” Voluntarily Releasing Campaign Finance Reports. According to the Heath Haussamen blog, “Republican gubernatorial candidate Allen Weh says he may join other candidates who have chosen to voluntarily release campaign finance reports this month. ‘We’re considering it,’ Weh spokesman Christopher Sanchez wrote this morning in an e-mail. He had no further comment. Weh joins Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Turner in not giving a definite answer (Turner said ‘maybe’ earlier this week) to the question I’ve been asking about whether gubernatorial candidates would voluntarily release a finance report this month for the fourth quarter of 2009. Weh is the last gubernatorial candidate to provide some kind of answer.” [The New Mexican Independent, 1/21/10]

Turner Said “Maybe” To Reporting Campaign Finance Early. According to the Heath Haussamen blog, “Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Turner doesn’t have plans to release a campaign finance report to the public until the next one is required on April 12 – but he’s also not entirely closing the door on doing it sooner. ‘I would imagine we’ll report in April when it’s appropriate,’ Turner told NMPolitics.net’s Peter St. Cyr…Turner was speaking at a tax protest outside the Roundhouse that he held with former Gov. Gary Johnson. ‘Maybe we’ll do it earlier,’ Turner said of releasing a finance report.” [Blog, Heath Haussamen on New Mexico Politics, 1/19/10]

Turner Said He Had No Resistance To Reporting Campaign Finance Early; Said He Would Self-Fund Significant Part Of Campaign. According to Heath Haussamen’s blog, “Meanwhile, three other gubernatorial candidates — Democrat Diane Denish and Republicans Susana Martinez and Janice Arnold-Jones — have already gone beyond what the law requires in terms of campaign finance transparency, and Republican candidate Pete Domenici Jr. says he plans to join them. ‘We don’t have any resistance to that,’ Turner said of releasing reports more often than the law requires. ‘It’s just that we haven’t been focusing on following every single campaign on, you know, who’s proving that they’re more transparent than the other.’ ‘I have started off this campaign acknowledging from the beginning that I’m self-funding a significant portion of it, and I will continue to self-fund significant portions of it even while I’m raising money,’ Turner said. ‘I’m raising money from oil and gas industry. I’m raising money from businesses that care about the future of this state. And when we report, we’re going to report and everyone will know about it.’” [Blog, Heath Haussamen on New Mexico Politics, 1/19/10]

Domenici, Jr. Says Opponent is part of another "demographic"

Audio: Domenici Jr. appears to say Martinez less likely to win GOP primary because “she’s from a different demographic”

For Immediate Release
February 19, 2010

Albuquerque, NM – In an eye-opening interview on KKOB 770AM earlier this week, GOP gubernatorial candidate Pete Domenici Jr. told New Mexicans that he used cocaine (considers it a “recreational drug”) and doesn’t think he can win in 2010, but the audio reveals a new disturbing insinuation.

Host Jim Villanucci asked Domenici Jr. whether he believed District Attorney Susana Martinez is at a disadvantage in the GOP primary because she’s not from the Albuquerque area.

Domenici Jr.’s response: “Well, I will just say she’s from a different demographic than the other four candidates. And I’ll leave it at that.”

In response, DPNM Chairman Javier Gonzales calls on Domenici Jr. to answer a very simple question: “What exactly did Mr. Domenici Jr. mean?”

Domenici, Jr. Admits Drug Use During 1970s-1980s

February 18, 2010

ALBUQUERQUE - Two prominent New Mexico law enforcement officials, Lemuel Martinez and Greg Solano, reacted today to news that Domenici Jr. used illegal drugs and classified cocaine as a recreational drug in recent radio interview.

The text of the letter is pasted below. A short audio clip of the Domenici Jr. interview can be heard here.

February 18, 2010

Dear Citizens of New Mexico:

Last night, a candidate for Governor said something on the radio that deeply disturbed us – and probably many other listeners as well. During an interview on KKOB, Pete Domenici Jr. admitted that he had used cocaine, but what troubled us more was the fact that he called it a “recreational drug.”

Cocaine is not a recreational drug, plain and simple. It’s extremely unfortunate that a candidate for Governor would downplay the harmful nature of such an addictive and deadly drug.

As law enforcement officials on the front lines trying to get drugs like cocaine off our streets, we’re outraged by Pete Domenici Jr.’s careless characterization. Today we call on him to do the right thing and apologize for giving New Mexico children the impression that experimenting with cocaine is acceptable. Needless to say, it’s not.

Furthermore, as law enforcement officials and as concerned citizens, we sincerely hope Mr. Domenici Jr. will be honest with the people of New Mexico and say when he last used cocaine.

Mistakes can be forgiven, and many New Mexico families are facing similar problems, but the people of New Mexico deserve to know the facts.

Sincerely,

Lemuel Martinez, District Attorney, New Mexico's 13th District
Greg Solano, Santa Fe County Sheriff

DPNM Calls on Domenici to Disclose Clients

Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Sues New Mexico Woman for $10,000 for Smoking in Her Own Backyard

For Immediate Release
January 25, 2010

Albuquerque, NM – After news broke that Pete Domenici Jr. is suing a New Mexico woman for $10,000 for smoking cigarettes in her own backyard, Democratic Party of New Mexico Chairman Javier Gonzales is calling on the recently announced Republican candidate for Governor to disclose all of his clients.

While the press has covered some of Domenici Jr’s high-profile cases – such as his defense of the infamous “drunk nurse” and legal representation of a long list of special interest corporations that have polluted New Mexico’s environment – the public deserves to know the other individuals and corporations that he has represented.

“If Pete Domenici Jr. will sue a woman for smoking in her own backyard, represent a nurse who was drunk on the job and defend special interest corporations that pollute New Mexico’s environment, you have to wonder if there’s anyone this guy wouldn’t represent in court?,” said DPNM Chair Javier Gonzales. “Now that Pete Domenici Jr. isn’t simply another special interest lawyer, but also a candidate for Governor, the voters deserve to know which corporations he’s defending and what other frivolous lawsuits against New Mexicans he may be pursuing. He should disclose all of his past and present clients to the press and the public.”

On Saturday, an editorial in the Albuquerque Journal chastised Domenici Jr. for bringing a $10,000 lawsuit against a woman for smoking cigarettes in her own backyard. The Journal wrote: “The bigger question is whether the full power of the legal system should be used to settle minor irritations between neighbors and dictate how a person can legally enjoy the use of his own property. This is one dog fight that shouldn't waste much of the court's time.” [Editorial, Albuquerque Journal, 1/23/10]