Obama appeals to voters for more time
Susana blasts Bregman: “They’ll stoop to anything”; Bregman threatens to release entire tape
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| Prominent New Mexico Democrat Sam Bregman |
Ruidoso Downs Quality of Life tax sinks
From the Alamogordo Daily News - With a sparse turnout, a quality of life gross receipts tax was rejected by voters Tuesday in Ruidoso Downs. The uncertified results of the special election are, with a total 105 ballots cast, 66 opposed the tax with only 39 supporting it. The percentage breaks down to 63 percent against and 37 percent in favor. If the tax had been approved, the city's current GRT rate of 7.625 percent would have increased to 7.875 percent on Jan. 1, 2013. According to state law, the revenues derived from a quality of life GRT would have to be directed at cultural programs and related activities provided by the city or outside entities. The municipally owned Hubbard Museum of the American West was expected to be included as a beneficiary. Other organizations previously mentioned by city officials were the Boys and Girls Club of Sierra Blanca and the Rox Boxing Club. In May, City Attorney H. John Underwood said the tax was an opportunity to maintain the museum and expand it into a cultural events center for residents of the city. "Our primary revenue source in the city from gross receipts is Walmart," Underwood told the city council. "And I believe most of the studies have shown Walmart is at least a countywide, in some situations even beyond countywide into Otero County, as far as revenues they spend at Walmart and how it benefits the city of Ruidoso Downs. Together with our tourist industry, it is estimated that approximately 80 to 90 percent of the monies that are spent. Read more
Officials declare Enrique Pena Nieto final winner in Mexico
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| Mexican President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto celebrating in July |
State Dept. Again Refuses to Name Capital of Israel!
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| State Department briefing by Patrick Ventrell |
From the Weekly Standard - The State Department today again refused to name the capital of Israel, even after being questioned by the press and even after the Democratic party (President Obama's party) voted yesterday to add language to its platform stating that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.Here's the remarkable exchange from today's press briefing, with reporters and press secretary Patrick Ventrell:
QUESTION: On Israel?
MR. VENTRELL: Yeah.
QUESTION: Which city does the U.S. Government recognize as the capital in the – Israel?
MR. VENTRELL: Well, as you know, longstanding Administration policy, both in this Administration and in previous administrations across both parties, is that the status of Jerusalem is an issue that should be resolved in final status negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. So that’s longstanding Administration policy and continues to be so.
QUESTION: I mean, no city is recognized as a capital by the U.S. Government?
MR. VENTRELL: Again, I just stated our position, and it’s one we’ve said here many times before.
QUESTION: That means Jerusalem is not a part of Israel?
MR. VENTRELL: What it means is that the status of Jerusalem must be resolved in final status negotiations.
QUESTION: But you do have an Embassy in a city which is not Jerusalem.MR. VENTRELL: Our Embassy is in Tel Aviv, and we have a Consulate General in Jerusalem.
QUESTION: Right. But I mean, if you have an Embassy, usually it’s in the capital; so therefore, it would appear that you believe that Tel Aviv is the capital.
MR. VENTRELL: What we believe is that the status of Jerusalem should be determined in final status negotiations between the two parties. And currently, our Embassy is in Tel Aviv.
QUESTION: Are there any other countries in the world where the U.S. doesn’t know what the capital is or won’t say what the capital of a country is? What does the U.S. think the capital of Israel is? What do you --
MR. VENTRELL: As I’ve just said, we believe that the status of Jerusalem is an issue that should be resolved in final status --
QUESTION: I’m not asking you that question. I’m asking you what you think the capital is.
MR. VENTRELL: And my response is that Jerusalem is an issue that should be resolved in final status negotiations Look, this is something we’ve been through at this podium. Toria has been through it before. we’ve repeated it many times. You know that the position is. It hasn’t changed for decades.
QUESTION: Wait, I know that. And I don’t want to play the verbal game, I’m just very curious if you actually have a position about a capital of that country. And if you don’t, if – I just would like to hear you say you don’t.
MR. VENTRELL: Well, right now, Nicole --
QUESTION: Yes.
MR. VENTRELL: -- the situation is that we have an Embassy in Tel Aviv that represents our interests with the Government of Israel but that the issue of Jerusalem is one that has to be resolved between the two parties. That’s all I can say on this. Anything else? Thank you.
Sunland Park worker from El Paso gets probation for false vote
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| A TV crew in Sunland Park to cover the election witnessed police arrest Morales. (Courtesy photo) |
Swickard: The truth and nothing but the political truth
Commentary by Michael Swickard, Ph.D. - The truth about this election is that truth is in short supply. The media appears completely incompetent or dare I say evil when it comes to truth, as usual. At best people are distracted, if not lied to in news reports. Let us talk about the truth and nothing but the political truth. We are a Representative Republic as our founding leaders intended. Much of what the office seekers say on the campaign trail is not within the office seekers ability to effect. However, in the election to Congress there is one primary question: which party boss are you supporting, Nancy Pelosi or John Boehner? It is going to be one of those two who puts people on committees and decides which legislation will or will not be considered. In New Mexico that same question is central: which senate or house leader will you support? One person in each chamber decides the fate of bills. This last term in the New Mexico Legislature was run entirely by two men, Senator Michael Sanchez and House Speaker Ben Lujan. Read column
More Convention Humor
Jay Leno - It is day two of the Democratic convention, and apparently they had a huge lighting problem in the convention hall today. They worked all day on it. They still couldn't get President Obama out of Bill Clinton's shadow.
The stoner comedy duo Harold and Kumar are starring in a new promo for the Democratic convention alongside President Obama, which is pretty impressive. The only other person to go from smoking pot with buddies to the White House is President Obama.
President Obama's re-election campaign said that this year they'll knock on 150 percent more doors than they did in 2008. Well, of course they will. They have to. There's so many foreclosures it's tough to tell where people live.
They announced today that they are moving President Obama's speech tomorrow night indoors, from the 74,000-seat stadium to a smaller venue due to the possibility of severe weather. See, apparently the campaign is concerned about this well-known weather phenomenon known as empty seats.
DNC a Comedy of Radical Errors
Politico - Two platform planks sparked division at the Democratic National Convention here Wednesday. Things got so bad that President Barack Obama was forced to personally intervene, ordering language mentioning God and naming Jerusalem as the rightful capital of Israel be added.
While the campaign at first said Obama had seen the language prior to the convention, it later said he did not learn of the issue until Wednesday morning, when he became aware of seeing news coverage of the issue. Read full story here: News New Mexico
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