Sheila Jackson-Lee Points to Wrong "ism"

Sheila Jackson-Lee

In a fit of predictable socialist frustration, Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee severely damaged her own credibility today. She did so when she trotted out the tired old charge of racism. "I do not understand what I think is the maligning and maliciousness,” said Jackson-Lee. A member of the Congressional Black Caucus, she added, “Why is he different? And in my community, that is the question that we raise. In the minority community that is question that is being raised. Why is this president being treated so disrespectfully? Why did the leader of the Senate (Mitch McConnell) continually talk about his job is to bring the president down to make sure he is unelected?” Why has the debt limit been raised 60 times?"

Armstrong Williams

In recklessly accusing elected officials who disagree with the president on policy of being guilty of racism, Jackson-Lee chooses to selectively ignore a growing swell of objections in the black community. Objections made by Herman Cain, Thomas Sowell, Walter Williams, Lurita Doan, Richard Steele, Armstrong Williams, Representative Allen West, Star Parker, Larry Elder, Deroy Murdock, and Ken Blackwell are also based on reason, not on race. And there are many other well-read African Americans who find the president's radical shift towards socialist policies and the complete lack of economic performance in the U.S. under his watch as compelling evidence of bad practices.

Star Parker

Many of these independent thinkers, in well written columns posted right here on News New Mexico, have pointed to a floundering U.S. economy that President Obama claimed would respond to previous debt issuances and mindless stimulus plans. And most of these columnists have accurately noted this dismal failure of policies came as no surprise, simply because they had already failed many times before throughout the course of economic history. 

Walter Williams

Still, a desperate Sheila Jackson Lee decided it was about time to pull out the political race card gun and indiscriminately spray intellectually dishonest bullets at all innocent bystanders. It was almost sadly comical today to see the veteran Congresswoman attempt to have her listeners believe that it is bigotry rather than thoughtful analysis that is behind genuine policy objections.

Ken Blackwell

Like all presidents that refuse to enact sound economic policies, President Obama is polling poorly. And fewer and fewer Americans support his efforts to make government bigger and mindlessly raise the debt ceiling. What is difficult for Jackson-Lee to concede is Obama's economic strategy is an obvious failure. And unfortunately, when there are no arguments left to be made for continuing the march towards socialism, people like Jackson-Lee fall back on what they are best at. And that would be to toss out the racism charge and see if they can make it stick. What Jackson-Lee fails to sense is that the vast majority of Americans despise racism much more than she does. And they are wising up to the trouble with socialism too. Both of these "isms" are unworthy.

Sheila Jackson-Lee Points to Wrong "ism"

NM Economy Outperforms - Martinez Effect?

Susana Martinez

KOB TV - SANTA FE, N.M. - A new economic forecast shows New Mexico's financial outlook is improving and more than $360 million in revenues will be available in the upcoming budget year. Members of the Legislative Finance Committee met Thursday in Socorro to review the latest revenue projections. The state expects to collect about $5.8 billion in its main budget account in the next fiscal year, which starts in July 2012. Read full story here: News New Mexico

NM Economy Outperforms - Martinez Effect?

Study slams NM's Medicaid fraud pursuit

From KRQE-TV.com - You’re not doing your job, a new Legislative Finance Committee report says about Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse investigations by two state agencies. The report was released Wednesday morning offering a scathing review for the Human Services Department and Office of the Attorney General and their inability to adequately prosecute cases and get tax dollars back. "My first knee jerk reaction is, why is this the situation in the state," said Legislative Finance Committee Chairman Senator John Arthur Smith (D-Deming). The report’s review says structural, functional and oversight issues need to be addressed in order to ensure effective use of state and federal resources. "Medicaid is a $4 billion price tag here to the state, with 75 cents on the dollar coming from the federal government. So we're not talking nickels and dimes. We're talking big time dollars," said Smith. Among the findings, New Mexico ranks 49th nationally in return on investment and total dollars recovered from Fiscal Year 2010. That means the state actually spends more money on investigating fraud than the money recovered. Read more

Study slams NM's Medicaid fraud pursuit

Pearce: A.G. Eric Holder is Abusing Authority

Steve Pearce

Washington, DC (July 14, 2011) Today, Congressman Steve Pearce condemned an announcement by the Justice Department that it would require gun shops in New Mexico, Arizona, Texas and California to report sales of certain rifles to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “The Justice Department and the ATF are recklessly abusing their authority for political gain,” said Pearce. “Attorney General Eric Holder has made it abundantly clear that he supports stricter gun control measures, such as reimplementation of the Assault Weapons Ban. This new directive from Washington smacks of partisan politics.”

Brian Terry

Recent investigations by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee have revealed the rampant dysfunction at the Justice Department and the ATF through the failed Operation Fast and Furious program, which allowed straw purchasers to send guns to drug lords and other criminals in Mexico. Evidence shows that some of these guns have made their way back to the United States, two of which were found last December near the body of murdered Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.

Eric Holder

“Attorney General Holder and the ATF have clearly demonstrated that they do not have the best interests of the American people at heart,” Pearce continued. “It is senseless to give broader authority to an agency that tragically mismanaged its last attempt at border policy. Holder should focus on bringing the responsible people within his own agency to justice, instead of deflecting the seriousness of the issue by forcing more federal intrusion into the lives of private citizens.”

Pearce: A.G. Eric Holder is Abusing Authority

Prosecutors Cause Clemens' Mistrial

Newsnm note (Spence) - In a resoruce strapped era is this case really a priority for the U.S. Department of Justice? CBS - New York - The judge presiding over Roger Clemens’ perjury trial has declared a mistrial over over inadmissible evidence shown to jurors that could have prejudiced them against the former Yankees star. “In the United States of America we try to ensure that everybody that comes into our courthouse is treated fairly,” U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton said. “I have no alternative, despite the tremendous loss of time, effort and money.” Walton scolded prosecutors for twice violating his orders not to reveal certain evidence to the jury and said it put the whole case at risk. He took a short recess Thursday morning to consider how to rule on a motion for a mistrial from Clemens’ attorney Rusty Hardin. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Prosecutors Cause Clemens' Mistrial

Stossel Balances Budget in Five Minutes

John Stossel

Townhall - The Congressional Budget Office says the current year's budget deficit will be a record $1.5 trillion. It also says that over the next decade we're on track for annual deficits of "only" $768 billion. I suspect the CBO has hired Rosy Scenario to do the bookkeeping, but let's take that number at face value. I'm now going to balance the budget, with the help of some experts. Read full column here:

Stossel Balances Budget in Five Minutes

Voter Fraud Investigation Gets Hearing

Dianna Duran

Santa Fe, NM – The Legislative Interim Courts, Corrections and Justice Committee will meet at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, July 15, at the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) Protective Services Office. Senator Peter Wirth (D–Santa Fe–25) and Representative Al Park (D–Bernalillo–26) serve as co-chairs of the committee. Friday’s meeting focuses on voter and election issues. Secretary of State Dianna J. Duran, along with Thomas Dow, General Counsel, Office of the Secretary of State and Bobbi Shearer, Director of the Bureau of Elections, will discuss a comparison of voter registration and Motor Vehicle Division Records. In reference to the Secretary of State’s upcoming testimony, Senator Peter Wirth stated, “The committee is very interested in hearing the legal basis for the Secretary of State’s decision to engage the State Police in election matters and why she believes New Mexico has been violating federal election law.”

Following the Secretary of State’s presentation, Steven Robert Allen, Executive Director of Common Cause New Mexico and Josephine Porter of the League of Women Voters of New Mexico will present on proposed legislation to address the reporting of independent expenditures and public financing of elections. The committee welcomes and encourages public attendance and input. Time for public comment will be allowed each day. For more information and the most current committee agendas and calendars click here: News New Mexico

Voter Fraud Investigation Gets Hearing

UNM: BYOB for Cheap Seats

KOB TV - The University of New Mexico vows to stay small-time in the booze business with its new liquor license for the Pit and University Stadium. That means there will be strict limits on where beer and wine are sold and who can buy it. Only people in the club seats and luxury suites at the Pit will be able to buy alcohol during Lobo basketball games and only fans in the End Zone Club, the Zia Club and the suites will be able to do that at football games. "It's elitist as hell," said Lobo fan Johnny Gonzales. "I'm not gonna go up there. I don't know anybody, probably couldn't afford it. But if I'm sitting in the stands and I would like to drink a beer, fine. But for them not to allow me to do that, I think that's wrong." UNM Athletics Vice President Paul Krebs said he has heard the complaints, but the university is determined to keep booze sales limited. Read full story here: News New Mexico

UNM: BYOB for Cheap Seats

With Debt on Creditwatch, Obama: "Don't Call My Bluff"

Bloomberg - President Barack Obama may summon congressional leaders to a Camp David summit this weekend after the latest round of White House negotiations on the deficit ended on a tense note and Moody’s Investors Service warned the stalemate could jeopardize the U.S.’s credit rating. Obama told the lawmakers they have until tomorrow to decide whether they can reach a deal to cut the deficit or settle for a way to raise the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling before U.S. borrowing authority expires Aug. 2, two Democratic officials said. The increasing tension between Democrats and Republicans was underscored by dueling accounts of a White House meeting that ended sourly. Obama “got very agitated” and left the room after House Majority Leader Eric Cantor suggested a vote on a smaller deal, Cantor said in an interview. “Don’t call my bluff; I am going to the American people,” Obama said, according to Cantor, a Virginia Republican. Read full story here: News New Mexico

With Debt on Creditwatch, Obama: "Don't Call My Bluff"

DA: Saggy pants, no big deal

KRQE-TV.com - A California District Attorney says there are bigger issues to deal with that carrying out charges against a University of New Mexico football player arrested after he refused to pull up his sagging pants. Lobo defensive back Deshon Marman was arrested last month after he refused to pull his pants up as he boarded a US Airways Flight in San Francisco. On Wednesday San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe dropped the charges against Marman, which included suspicion of trespassing, battery of a police officer and obstruction. “We have more important things to deal with in our criminal justice system here, and it is my belief that he spent a night in the county jail and has had to deal with all the publicity with this and I don't think any further action is called for,” Wagstaffe told KRQE News 13 Wednesday. Protesters gathered with the NAACP in San Francisco Tuesday to rally around Marman. His arrest sparked a national debate over appropriate airline attire, although many believe he was unfairly targeted because of his race. Wagstaffe says those claims are unwarranted. “The first two people to deal with Mr. Marman were two women, long-term employees of the airline, older women, who know the business, and both of them African-American. And so for people who don’t have awareness of the facts to throw out the issue is racism at the heart of what’s going on here are people I think are working without knowledge of the facts,” Wagstaffe said. While charges have been dropped against Marman, the case may not be over. Marman’s attorney in San Francisco says his client was falsely arrested and considering filing a lawsuit against US Airways because no apology has been issued. Read more

DA: Saggy pants, no big deal