Some points of interest, for various campaigns:
It’s very odd: the farther he is from the Capitol, the less he believes in the concept. Via Glenn Thrush, an eyewitness to the current representative from New Mexico’s Second District’s discussion of the issues:
Only after the assembled citizens in the meeting room moved into the restaurant area and insisted that he answer public questions in a public forum did the congressman reluctantly stand and address the crowd. (I might add that the crowd consisted of people I recognized as both Republicans and Democrats.)
[snip]
One question that did get an answer was, since he had voted for legislation that would provide tax dollars to fight global warming, did he believe in global warming? His answer was, “I don’t know if I believe in it or not. I am not a scientist.”
Congressman Teague was also asked, if the cap-and-trade bill were put to a public vote in his district, did he believe the majority of the citizens would vote for it? He answered, “I believe they would.” This answer brought a resounding “NOOOO!” from the crowd.
I’d like to note also that the man’s been in the House of Representatives for barely half a year, and yet he’s already acquired the distressing Democratic habit of voting in favor of bills that he hasn’t bothered to read first. A sad condition, to be sure; and not one that’s apparently amenable to treatment, based on the way that it keeps breaking out among Pelosi’s and Reid’s caucuses. Fortunately, in this particular case there’s a ready enough alternative in Steve Pearce.
Moe Lane
Crossposted to Moe Lane.
Manny Aragon was one of New Mexico’s most powerful law makers and power brokers. A former Senate president, Aragon was this week convicted and given a 67 month sentence for lining his pockets and that of his co-conspiritors with millions in fraudulently billed state contracting money.
While his “iconic” status is mentioned and his long standing position as a “Senate leader” is dutifully chronicled, his status as a Democrat doesn’t seem to make the cut of a large portion of the stories on his sentencing. This is a common practice of the Old Media. The word “Democrat” never seems to escape the editor’s cut in a story about a criminal Democrat.
