Following our article on Conrad James a few weeks ago, the national Republican political operatives came to New Mexico and met with the former state representative. They also met with former Lieutenant Governor John Sanchez. We don't have reports of any conclusions reached by any of those involved. As far as we know there were no meetings with the only announced Republican candidate, Gavin Clarkson. 

Why not Susana? Well, We'll Tell You—And It's Not What You Think. 

Susana Martinez, in our view, should be a superb candidate for the US Senate in 2020. After all, she came into office when New Mexico was in the throes of the economic downturn that had begun in 2008. She faced a $450 million structural deficit and she had no choice but to solve that problem immediately, and she did—even with a hostile, uncooperative state legislature.

For eight solid years, despite being attacked every single day by a hostile, unrelenting, constitution-ignoring state senate in the hands of the most recalcitrant, self-centered, political hacks that any governor had to face in the entire US, she persevered. In doing so, she turned a net 53,000 lost jobs in the last three years of the Richardson Administration into a gain of 63,000 PRIVATE SECTOR jobs over the course of her tenure.

And all of this was accomplished during the sluggish, no-growth Obama economy—which, by the way, he said would be permanent, with it being "impossible" that there would ever be anything over 2% growth again. She overcame that too, as New Mexico unemployment fell by 41%: She had inherited an unemployment rate of 7.8%, but when she left office it stood at 4.6%.

Martinez accomplished this with New Mexico being the most dependent state on federal spending. That dependency is the result of decades of bad public policy in New Mexico and it means our economy pays a steep price when the federal government enacts policies like sequestration and government shutdowns.

Recognizing this vulnerability, Martinez was the first governor who truly sought to diversify our economy by growing the private sector, rather than just growing the government. Her bold reforms resulted in the achievements we describe.

She reduced the size of government, cut political appointees, vetoed $130 million in spending and vetoed over $1 billion in tax bills passed by Democrats, while overseeing a doubling of New Mexico's permanent funds to an astounding $23 billion.

She cut taxes and fees 61 times and reduced the corporate income tax rate by 22%, while reducing permit approval time for oil and gas drilling from 8 months to less than two weeks. As a result, the New Mexico oil and gas industry has boomed and Martinez left office with an astounding $2 billion surplus.

She attracted numerous private sector companies including billion-dollar investments from companies like Facebook and Netflix. Her "New Mexico True” state brand led to seven years of record-setting tourism growth in the state and helped create thousands of new leisure and hospitality jobs across the state.

She worked with the Governor of Chihuahua to develop a binational economic corridor around the inland port of Santa Teresa, to which she worked to secure a massive $124 million Union Pacific rail facility.

New Mexico's annual exports increased by over $1 billion during her tenure, and Ernst & Young named New Mexico the best state in the western U.S. for manufacturing, and the Cato Institute recently recognized Governor Martinez with an A+ rating (one of only 5 governors to receive an A grade or better) for:

“…her repeated actions of vetoing wasteful spending and commitment to keeping New Mexico’s general fund budget flat, (in addition to pursuing) tax reforms to make her state more economically competitive, including cutting the state’s corporate tax rate, and consistently rejecting and vetoing tax increases proposed by the legislature.”

With a Record Like That, Why Not Run?

Answer: Look no Farther than Steve Pearce and his Buddies, Yates, Murphy, Billingsley, et. al

Normally a Governor with Martinez's record would be an odds-on favorite, but she isn't. In fact, she isn't even thinking about running. 

Why is that?

We are continuously astounded that even Republicans—active ones who should know better—mutter inane, inaccurate statements about the Martinez Administration. When any of our correspondents ask where these perceptions come from the answer is always traced back to the Steve Pearce crowd.

Pearce, Yates, and the anti-Martinez "Republicans" began sniping (for reasons that are 100% personal and selfish) from the first day she entered the governor's office. Their small gripes have always been readily received by the (largely Democrat-leaning) press and opinion leaders.

But by dint of repetition, they've also taken deep roots with a lot of Republican rank-and-file. And in our continuous probing, they (the rank-and-file) cannot substantiate the gripes. Rather, they "just know [they've] heard them."

Even with our editor speaking to a great Republican crowd in Lubbock this past week, one of the questioners (an elected official no less) alluded to rumors and criticisms he had heard from Pearce.

John Sanchez will Probably Suffer Collateral Damage as a Result

What the Pearce/Yates crowd has done will probably hurt John Sanchez. A Democrat-sympathizing press, having memorized the Yates/Pearce "critique" will be all too happy to apply the same attacks to John Sanchez. True, it will be similar to the way in which Martinez tagged her 2010 opponent Diane Denish with the failures of the Richardson Administration...

BUT at least those criticisms were from a Republican to a Democrat—they were driven by genuine differences in political philosophy. What the Pearce crowd has succeeded in doing is have "Republicans" falsely accuse a Republican of having had a "failed" administration. In so doing they've simultaneously—and stupidly— tarnished John Sanchez as well.  

None of this was necessary. But this is what New Mexico now has.

For our part, because of the Pearce/Yates sniping, we continue to see Conrad James as the best possible alternative at this stage. Our previously-mentioned suggested CD 2 candidate, Claire Chase, could also emerge as a very viable alternative. But the Pearce crowd has probably done too much damage to the Martinez-Sanchez Administration for either the former governor or former lieutenant governor to survive what is sure to be considerable bashing by the Democrats and their opinion allies in much of the mainstream media.

Meanwhile, What is the Pearce Crowd Doing at the Republican Party of New Mexico?

As if leading the RPNM to the most catastrophic defeat in state history isn't enough, the Pearce-ites at party headquarters sit idly by, just watching political events unfold and saying nothing. Just this week the Albuquerque Journal reported that Governor Grisham is calling UNM regent Doug Brown to tell him to raise tuition (so it can help match her overspending).

If Martinez had called, say, Rob Doughty, the Journal and New Mexican would have been all over that like it was an impeachable offense. They would run articles about it for four or five consecutive days. There would be editorials condemning it as if it were an impeachable offense. That's what they, in fact, did do—about far less significant issues regarding Republican appointees.

Under competent leadership, the RPNM right now would be raising hell, at least pointing out the inconsistency in news coverage. They would also point out how Grisham's budgets are bloated and New Mexico students (and their parents) suffer collateral damage from her tax and spend carpet bombing of the state.

And Albuquerque City Councilor Pat Davis proposes giving away $250,000 to left-wing non-profits to "aid asylum seekers." That's outrageous, especially considering the needs of native New Mexicans—the homeless, at-risk kids, and myriad problems right here in the state. (In addition to the fact that no one coming from Central America actually meets the requirement for asylum.)

In the wake of these and countless other news items RPNM is silent—apparently, they're too busy concocting stories about someone spray-painting the HQ building. (Instead of speaking on behalf of New Mexico conservatives, RPNM staffers Anissa Tinnin, Stella Padilla, and Dinah Vargas, not unlike OJ, are out searching for the "real vandals.") Sigh.

And a catastrophic Pearce-engendered redistricting session is just around the corner while RPNM is broke. 

In short, the RPNM is being run just as it was under the incompetent Cangiolosi/Yates regime, as if it were nothing more than a "Steve Pearce for _________ Committee." (Who knows what?)

No money, no funding, no infrastructure, no guidance, no leadership, and no message—the same "plan" that led to the loss of the House of Representatives and the overwhelming Leftist majority in Santa Fe.

Meanwhile, the Democrats continue to implement their plans to establish a permanent Democrat majority. 

Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions and ideas.

Last month Fox News, surprisingly, hired Donna Brazile. This is surprising because in 2016 Brazile had extremely infamously established her non-credentials as a "journalist" when she was working for Fox competitor CNN.

In March of 2016, in advance of a Democratic Party primary debate between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton, Brazile obtained debate questions in advance. Though she was working for a cable "news" network, with—ostensibly at least—at least some vague responsibility to be fair, Brazile didn't give that a second thought. Instead, she quickly turned the questions over to the Hillary Clinton campaign.

THEN BRAZILE LIED ABOUT IT ON NATIONAL TV

When confronted by Megyn Kelly about leaking the questions to Clinton, Brazile not only lied like a dog, she whipped out an absurd faux "Christian" explanation in such mangled prose that no one the world could even understand, much less decipher or extract any kind of relevance from.

MEGYN KELLY: You're accused of receiving a debate question whether a CNN town hall where they partnered with TV One that you had this question on March 12th, that verbatim, verbatim was provided by Roland Martin to CNN the next day. How did you get that question, Donna?
DONNA BRAZILE: Well, Kelly, as I play straight up and with you, I did not receive any questions from CNN. 
KELLY: Where did you get it. 
BRAZILE: What information? Allow me to see what you're talking about? 
KELLY: You've got the Wikileaks showing you messaging the Clinton campaign at the March 13th CNN debate.
BRAZILE: As a Christian woman, I understand persecution. your information is false. What you're—well, for suggestive e-mails were stolen. You're interested and you're like a thief that wants to bring into the night the things that.

Brazile argued she will not "validate falsified information." Brazile said the e-mail is "altered."

KELLY: CNN' Jake Tapper said this was unethical. Someone was unethically helping the Clinton campaign. He said this is very, very upsetting. 

BRAZILE: I love CNN
KELLY: This is Jake Tapper: 'My understand is that the e-mails came from Roland Martin and said this is very upsetting and troubling.' That is your old colleague at CNN not Megyn Kelly. Who gave you that question? 
BRAZILE: Megyn, I'll say it on the record. I'm not going to try to validate falsified information. I have my documents. I have my files. Thank God I have not had my personal e-mails ripped off from me and stolen and given to some criminals to come back altered. I have my records and files. And as i said repeatedly, CNN, I never received anything.

EVEN CNN FIRES HER—BUT SHE MEETS THE STANDARDS OF FOX

On 31 October 2016, this was too much for even CNN, which was in the tank for Hillary Clinton and is still today an almost completely fraudulent outlet for the Democratic National Committee. They fired Brazile.

Now, to be fair to CNN, it almost certainly would not have gotten rid of Donna Brazile had the world not been able to read her emails. Not only was Brazile exposed as a leaker, she compounded that transgression by shamelessly lying about it. And because all of this was visible to the entire world, well, it was simply too embarrassing for the Cable News Network.

[NOTE: We are clearly making the point that it was the embarrassment of those revelations that provoked CNN's response, NOT the substance of the acts themselves. CNN was almost certainly very sad to be forced into the firing. After all, substantively, Brazile was (and remains) no different from the rest of their staff.]

BUT BRAZILE IS EASILY GOOD ENOUGH FOR FOX NEWS

We have defended Fox News (not to be confused with Fox Commentators) for some 19 years— as being the fairest and most balanced media outlet. This observation has been backed up by studies undertaken by the Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy.

After all, Fox News only exists for about one hour every weekday. That is Special Report with Bret Baier. The rest is of the network's shows are commentary. And Special Report analyzes all parties even-handedly. 

So how is it that Donna Brazile, a known fraud, is hired by Fox News. We have reached out to Brit Hume and to Bret Baier several times, but they change the subject. Our best guess is that the decision was made above their pay grades, and that they have to endure the fraud in embarrassed silence. 

Their lame response is that "Brazile will not cover any debates." 

That is like hiring Michael Avenatti as an analyst, but saying "He won't be doing our 'legal analysis.'" Lame. And stupid. 

As long as Brazile is at Fox, no opinion show at the network has a leg to stand on in criticizing CNN's use of the overtly fraudulent and unrepentant Al Sharpton—author of the Tawana Brawley hoax—as a commentator. 

HERE IS THE BRAZILE E-MAIL TO THE CLINTON CAMPAIGN

From:donna@brazileassociates.com

To: jpalmieri@hillaryclinton.com 

CC: balcantara@hillaryclinton.com, john.podesta@gmail.com, Minyon.Moore@deweysquare.com 

Date: 2016-03-12 19:54

Subject: Re: From time to time I get the questions in advance

Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions and ideas.

His dream is fulfilled—but Denied by Charlatans

Remembering MLK, just over 51 years after his death.

Meanwhile, the spokesman for New Mexico Coyotes said: (with a sly grin)

Everywhere we turn, the New Mexico media, punditry, and the Democratic Party itself are all talking about the next Democrat candidate for the US Senate seat being vacated by Senator Tom Udall. Almost nothing has been said about any potential Republican candidates.

The exceptions are a couple of newspaper columnists who speculated about former Congressman Steve Pearce's supposed ambition to give it another go. (Their conclusions are that that is a bad idea.) We'll leave that to them.

There is also the strongly-held perception in the state that New Mexico has become a "solid red state." (We hate that term, but it makes sense with the masses.¹) There is also some despair among Republicans.² 

We demur.

New Mexico Appears to be More Potentially Competitive than is Perceived to be Possible

It would probably surprise most voters, and most media and politicians, to learn that there are 35 states that are actually less competitive in presidential elections than New Mexico. That is correct: New Mexico would rank #15 in terms of the closeness of presidential elections. 

New Mexico is more competitive than Texas, where the famous "Beto" recently stunned the world by coming within 2.6% of beating incumbent Republican Ted Cruz. We are also only slightly less competitive than Ohio—where virtually anyone can win at any time. 

Additionally, no one can predict the national mood in October of next year. So much depends on the behavior of Trump, the direction the Democratic Party goes with their nominee, the state of the economy, and voters' perception of our national security posture, and perhaps that of our national sovereignty/control of our own borders.³ 

It is not out of the realm of possibility that the Democrats blow their national messaging and propose such an array of public policies that the public grows to perceive them as simply unacceptable. In any case, New Mexico could easily be in play.

Our Recommendation: A Candidate who can Sharply Contrast with the Democrat Candidate Model

We are proposing for voters' consideration, and for the Republicans of New Mexico as they consider who to nominate, former State Representative Conrad James of Albuquerque. 

(And no, we have not spoken with the former representative, and no, we do not have any idea what his inclination would be. We are only saying why he should attract the attention of GOP donors all over the country, and why they should get behind him.)

Here is What Wikipedia says about Conrad James

"Since 2002, James has been employed as a researcher at Sandia National Laboratories, where he develops biosensors. His work has included research into how immune cells respond to pathogens in the first minutes of exposure and investigating the performance of engineered neural networks. James' research has been published in Journal of Fluid Engineering, Applied Physics Letters, Neurochemical Research, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, Nanotechnology, and Biomed Microdevices. James also holds several patents."

New Mexico Legislature

"In 2010 James ran unopposed to represent District 24 in the New Mexico House of Representatives. In the legislature, he served on the appropriations committee and elections committee and received a "Spirit of Bipartisanship Award" from New Mexico First, a civic group founded by Pete Domenici and Jeff Bingaman. In 2012, James received a "Soaring Eagle Award" from the New Mexico Association of Counties for 'leadership in securing legislation vital to protecting and advancing county interests.'"

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Following the 2011 Redistricting, James's district was made to lean Democrat. As a result, and with Obama's strong showing in 2012 he lost the seat. However, he won it back in 2014. He did not seek reelection in 2016. He has a young family.] 

Background

"James received a B.A. summa cum laude in electrical engineering from the University of Notre Dame in 1996. He went on to earn an M.S. and Ph.D. from Cornell University, in applied and engineering physics. His doctoral dissertation focused on the fabrication of microelectrode arrays to monitor the electrical activity of in vitro neural networks as a function of network architecture."

More Important, Conrad James is an Articulate, Attractive Candidate

Sure, many people are skeptical of "credentials," so we won't dwell on that so much. It's just that Conrad James is someone who combines credentials with actual political skill and appeal. His background is in science. According to our sources who served in the legislature, he is rare commodity for that body:

"The most intelligent legislator I served with," said one. 

"Well read, well informed, extremely knowledgeable, logical, and articulate, a perfect statewide candidate," said another.

Such a contrast with the Typical Democrat New Mexico Pol

We hear from voters who are increasingly tired of the New Mexico Democrat model for politicians. Most Democrats in office today have never been in the actual workforce.

They come from career paths that had them being greeters or glad-handers at casinos. Many are out-of-staters who showed up in New Mexico to do highly partisan work for "non-profits" which are deeply engaged in political activities. In other words, the "community organizer" model is a major source of New Mexico Democrat pols.

Imagine Conrad James debating Maggie Toulouse Oliver, or Ben Ray Lujan, or Deb Haaland. If the Democrats chose to engage, they'd come off as, well, more or less pathetic. 

The "Beto" Thing

For whatever reason, Beto O'Rourke has women swooning all over America. He generates wildly enthusiastic crowds and responses because of his "charisma," "charm," and "remarkable good looks." Well, we decided to test the Beto thing against Conrad James.

We asked nearly one hundred women, all involved in New Mexico politics one way or another, which candidate, between Beto O'Rourke, was more attractive. Shockingly, the answer was overwhelmingly in support of Conrad James. An astounding 98.5% chose Conrad James. 

Now, we do not endorse such criteria for decision-making, nor have we ever. In fact we believe it is a silly criterion. But we are realistic and we recognize the increasingly emotional and mercurial "decision-making" process many voters go through as the electorate becomes less and less informed as the years go by.

The point is, whether you would be dealing with that part of the electorate that reads, thinks, and reflects on public policy questions—certainly a minority of the electorate—or that portion (and probable majority) of the electorate which is vastly more emotional, Conrad James would be a formidable candidate. Republicans would do well to look closely at him and encourage his candidacy.

NOTE: We are not Saying that there are no Other Republican Candidates

We realize there may be other highly qualified candidates in the Republican Party—former Lt. Governor John Sanchez comes to mind immediately. Also, there is former Governor Susana Martinez, who would be a superb US Senator. But as this publication has documented in detail, certain Republicans have worked overtime to present a false and defamatory narrative of Martinez, and their continued cancerous and malignant effect on the party unfortunately remains. 

As of now, they have not taken aim at Conrad James. (Though they are not above doing so, depending on their individual interests and desires.)

¹ The application of the color red to the Republican Party came about as a result of efforts by TV people at ABC News. They responded to some whining by Democrats. Prior to 2000, most networks assigned blue to the party, as is done world-wide: red is the color of left-of-center parties and blue is assigned to right-of-center parties. Many scholars and psephologists, including the extremely valuable resource Dave Leip, continue to use the valid colors.

² We are hearing increasingly growing awareness and an angry realization among the Republican rank and file that they have been betrayed by the Yates-Cangiolosi-Murphy-Billingsley-Pearce regime, which focused on attacking the Republican governor and on their own interests. This resulted in the party's most catastrophic defeat in New Mexico history.

³ While Trump has not been able to discipline himself, his administration continues to be highly successful. If he had discipline and could curb his ego, he would have about 51% to 52% of the electorate solidly behind him right now. If he continues to step on his message and his own administration's success, then the outcome in 2020 will depend on exactly what 2016 depended on: the choice the Democrats make, and the campaign they run, not Trump.

Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions and ideas.

New Mexico House Republican leadership became aware of what was happening in committee meetings and took corrective actions regarding the confusion that had occurred on the part of some of their membership regarding the issue of Same-Day Voter Registration. 

After a 9-0 vote in committee on Senate Bill 672 Wednesday, which made it appear Republicans were endorsing Same-Day Voter Registration, Minority Floor Leader Rod Montoya (R-Farmington) got busy on some amendments which were designed to make a very bad bill at least somewhat more tolerable. After all, with a 24 to 46 disadvantage on the floor, Republicans cannot actually stop anything.

Montoya Amendments

Montoya introduced a total of five amendments. They were crafted to provide some important elements crucial to maintaining at least a semblance of integrity in the New Mexico elections systems. They included changes to the bill that:

1) called for photo voter ID for people doing same-day registration and voting simultaneously

2) ensure that ineligible voters are removed from the voter file.

3) provide that individuals trying to vote at places where officials don't have access to the statewide electronic voter file must vote on a provisional ballot only—this would keep fake voters from having their ballots tabulated immediately.

4) require walk-up registrants and instant voters to sign an affidavit under oath that he or she has not voted in the election in this state or elsewhere

5) prevent the outright gaming of primary elections by prohibiting walk-up same-day registrants/voters from changing their party affiliation on the spot.

Still a Bad Bill

Montoya succeeded in getting all five amendments passed. By that time he had also made it clear to all Republican representatives that the bill was still a bad bill, as it always had been, but merely somewhat less onerous than it was minutes before. The House then passed the bill 45-22, with all Republicans now voting NO.

The Senate had already approved the bill 24-16, also on a party-line vote. Because of the amendments however, the bill had to go back to the Senate for concurrence, which took place last night. 

Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions and ideas.

The big news out today about the Republican Party of New Mexico being "vandalized" is almost certainly a phony story. 

Here is what KOAT has reported: 

"Traitors" — it's a bold word, spray-painted across the Republican Party of New Mexico's building.  The organization has been targeted before, but when members witnessed the latest vandalism this morning they felt it had a deeper meaning:  A personal attack against their newer members Stella Padilla and Dinah Vargas.

"There's a lot of reasons why I think they would be against us, simply because we're sticking up for New Mexicans rights," said Republican Stella Padilla.

In 2017, Padilla campaigned to become Albuquerque's Democratic mayor, but she was defeated by her opponent and her political views have since shifted.

"Stella, I feel you're a Democrat, you ran as a Democrat, your five past generations have been Democrats, well they're not the same Democrats," said Padilla.

Both Padilla and Vargas say because their Hispanic and South Valley natives' people don't like them because they support president Donald Trump. But they say it doesn't give people the right to attack them.

"We're not out there with Tiki torches trying to burn down the roundhouse, no. We're there exercising our fundamental rights," said The Republican Party of New Mexico employee, Dinah Vargas.

They two aren't sure who spray-painted the word traitor, but they feel bad for them.

"I feel sorry for them and they are cowards. They should be able to come to my face and dispute with me and after we disputed our differences I think they would flip," said Padilla.

The organization says the spray-painted word is the only damage to their building, but it will cost them a few hundred dollars to repair.  They've filed a police report with the Albuquerque Police Department and they are investigating to find out who vandalized the building and why they did it.

We are Calling HOAX. We Don't Believe a Word of This

No, we don't mean that the TV or radio stations have done anything wrong, nor do we mean the Party leadership has concocted the story. However, we do believe that the two women mentioned in the stories in the paper and on TV are almost certainly the perpetrators. If not, they would seem very likely to be in cahoots with whoever pressed the button on top the spray paint cans.

THREE REASONS WE BELIEVE THIS IS A HOAX

First of all, the women claiming to be the objects of the spray painting are simply too obscure to become the targets of some sort of high profile attack. They are not the equivalent of Justus Smollett.

Second, no one knows that they have been hired by the Republican Party of New Mexico. That's strictly inside ballgame stuff, known by maybe a couple of dozen people, at most.

Third, for the first two reasons no one cares who they are or what they are doing. Their names mean nothing to the average reader.

Finally, both women have a penchant for the theatrical:

• Stella Padilla heckled Pete Domenici during his last public appearance at the Albuquerque Museum, while Domenici was in a wheelchair, and Dinah Vargas was filming the scene. Padilla called Domenici a "traitor." Sound familiar? 
• Both demonstrated and heckled Donald Trump when he appeared in Albuquerque in 2016, and Dinah shouted "Fuck Trump." (It's on video.)
• Dinah went all the way to Ferguson, Missouri, with a man who is now in prison for murdering a homeless man. They particiapted in the "Hands up, don't shoot" fake news story. (See two photos of Dinah with Steve Kramer in this article)
• Dinah Vargas went on a crusade against Albuquerque Police Department, calling APD "Killer Cops," and making a fake coffin to demonstrate that the police were killers. 

The two women have a reputation for trying to sell themselves as activists and on-the-spot demonstrators for whoever will pay them. 

Until January of this year, just two months ago, they were Democrats. Not just Democrats, but radical, activists. 

Both were strongly anti-Susana, anti-fracking, in favor of raiding the permanent fund, pro-Black Lives Matter, Pro-Abortion. They demonstrated and heckled on all those issues.

Then they worked for the Jeff Apodaca campaign and lost. So they were on the outs with Michelle Grisham. 

Then they saw an opportunity, and knocked on Steve Pearce's door.

It appears that Steve Pearce foolishly fell for their sales pitch. Vetting anyone? 

Apparently, RPNM Chairman Steve Pearce perhaps (somewhat clumsily) saw these two women as potential identity politics tools—Hispanic women who could be used as props. But that is a mistaken approach: the Republican Party already has real, live, true, Republican women—verdaderas mujeres Republicanas— women who are educated professionals, sophisticated, women who are managing businesses and managing homes. The Republican Party does not need to recruit folks like this. 

These women foolishly filed a police report. Assuming the APD assigns competent detectives, the Albuquerque police should have this case solved in less time than it took Chicago Police to zero in on Smollett. 

Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.

What can they be thinking? Three Republican State Representatives, Greg Nibert (R-Roswell), Bill Rehm (R-Albuquerque), and Martin Zamora (R-Clovis) all went along with the majority six Democrats in the State Government, Elections & Indian Affairs Committee yesterday.

They all voted for Senate Bill 672 which not only institutes Same-Day Voter Registration, but also lays the groundwork for Automatic Voter Registration. Yes, the Democrats have an overwhelming majority in both houses, but one has to ask: Have Republicans simply given up?

The three Republican votes created a slam-dunk 9 to nothing vote FOR voters being able to drive into New Mexico and register to vote ON ELECTION DAY, and also during early voting. Not only that, with their support for a future structure for AUTOMATIC VOTER REGISTRATION they endorsed the concept of an automatic sign-up as a voter for everyone who visits a New Mexico state agency to get a driver's license, or to sign up for any kind of welfare.

One has to ask: Are they asleep at the wheel? 

Why are Republicans supporting legislation which will help turn what is already a majority-Democrat electorate into a landslide majority Democrat electorate? It simply makes no sense whatsoever.

IGNORING REPUBLICAN COUNTY CLERKS

The state representatives voted this way despite pleas from Republican county clerks that this is not only bad public policy, but also an unfunded mandate with no checks, no verification, and no assurances that anyone signing up is who they say they are.

An earlier version providing for this same bad policy at least had a provision requiring photo Voter ID for Same-Day registrants just showing up (possibly driving over from Texas) and expecting to vote. That requirement would have provided at least some safeguard—if the individual had no ID, he or she would have been required to vote on a provisional ballot. (A provisional ballot is set aside so the voter's eligibility can be verified prior to being tabulated.)

But that requirement was stripped from the bill, so now the Same-Day voter's ballot will simply go into the tabulator and be counted immediately. So there is no safeguard in the bill at all.

The bill will probably be on the floor of the House late this morning or perhaps in a late afternoon or evening session. 

In our view, Republicans are foolish to support this bill. 

Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.

The former soldier, “Chelsea” Manning—who first appeared in the news as Bradley Manning—is back in the headlines. You may remember that he was convicted of leaking 750,000 classified documents and was sentenced to 35 years in prison before Obama let him out. He is said to make his living through speaking engagements.

Our policy is to use accurate pronouns that refer to people in a way that recognizes the sex they actually were born with. We do not accept the nationwide, universal mandate that Americans MUST use pronouns or other references that are consistent with what someone “wants” or “demands” to be called.

We can do two things at NMPJ, while the dominant Left-wing media and the Trumpistas can only do one each. Example:

1) We can observe that Trump’s efforts with North Korea are to be praised and encouraged. The Left/media can only attack. The Democrats call us “Trumpers” for saying so. 

At the same time:

2) We can state that Trump’s remarks indicating that Kim Jong-un didn’t know anything about Otto Warmbier are either grotesquely ignorant or just plain brain-flatulence stupid. The Trumpistas call us “never Trumpers” for that.

But neither group is correct. The two major truths remain:

1) The Trump presidency is the most successful in modern history. 
2) Trump would be vastly even more successful if he could avoid saying dumb things that step on his successes.

These are both truths—and you know they are.

ANTI-SEMITISM at FACEBOOK as it CENSORS NMPJ

NOTE to READERS: ANTI-SEMITISM AT FACEBOOK

We have been contacted by Facebook and informed that they are blocking all our ads aimed at “Israelis” on Facebook. We have used this chosen demographic a number of times before.

NMPJ is pro-Israel and anti-terrorist. Though we seldom advertise, we have sometimes boosted a few of our articles, targeting a number of selected demographic subsets likely to support the state of Israel.