Free Republic

Former Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron, Democratic Party consultant Armando Gutierrez and lobbyists Elizabeth and Joseph Carl Kupfer were indicted Wednesday on 50 counts each of conspiracy, fraud, embezzlement, money laundering over $100,000 and other charges for alleged acts occurring from 2004 through 2006.... The charges relate to the office’s use of federal election monies under the Help America Vote Act.

I absolutely love that outfit, and would buy a knockoff in a heartbeat. Could do without the midriff pockets, myself, but either way, I would buy it.

WASHINGTON - Rep. Heather Wilson is scheduled to arrive at Fort Bliss, Texas, today on her first, and quite possibly last, junket as a member of the House Armed Services Committee. The Albuquerque Republican said House Energy and Commerce Chairman Joe Barton, a Texas Republican, has refused to sign a waiver of House rules to let her stay on a second major committee. That comes after the Republican Steering Committee on Thursday rejected Barton's request to oust Wilson from his committee.

It's a rebroadcast of a speech she made on 11/15/04. Ann Coulter, Peggy Noonan and all conservative women have nothing to fear. This woman didn't even bother to comb her hair and she's definitely a better writer than she is a speaker.

The economy is one of the fundamental criteria by which the government's effectiveness is judged. Its effects are universal, yet they are determined and measured by percentages small enough to be influenced if enough people reduce their participation in it. Accompanied by an increase in activities that strengthen our families and communities, this is a powerful way to shape our society, and it will be noticed.What is bad for business is bad for the president. There are many ways to send this economic message. By opening this action with strong participation, we can send a very clear message even before...

SANTA FE— Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron on Friday defended her decision to spend nearly $2 million on radio and television ads explaining how New Mexicans could register for and vote in the Nov. 2 general election. Vigil-Giron said the federal Help America Vote Act required her to spend the money on voter education programs before the election. The Democratic secretary of state said Republican attacks of her decision were politically motivated. "If they have a problem with seeing my mug on television, well, then that's their problem," Vigil-Giron said.

Out of 13,000 provisional and in-lieu-of ballots, Bernalillo County Clerk Mary Herrera said today she has only qualified 3,000 as legitimate votes. "We have about eight boxes that didn't qualify," Herrera said today. "They were not registered to vote." Another 2,000, she said, were in a "questionable" category, and would be reviewed and certified today. Provisional ballots were the final hang-up for Bernalillo County in counting votes for the 2004 election. The paper ballots are given to people who show up on Election Day but whose voter information does not appear immediately on the voter registration lists. Likewise, in-lieu-of ballots...

I was shocked when I saw this on TV this morning here in Albuquerque NM. Even after all these months, I still hold on to the hope that there is some shred of human decency among the Democrats, but things like this ad make it very hard to believe that's possible. Carol Sheehan Crying Ad

Bernalillo County voters who registered through a third party and did not show identification when they registered will have to do so at the time they vote, a state district judge ruled in Albuquerque today. Judge Robert L. Thompson agreed today to issue a temporary restraining order that in essense challenges the way the secretary of state has interpreted a law requiring identification for all first-time voters, either at the time they register by mail or at the time they vote. "We're all finding that every vote counts," Thompson said this morning in disclosing his decision. The temporary restraining order...

After spending the last few hours in a screaming crowd of enthusiastic Bush supporters, I believe that Bush is gaining momentum in New Mexico and could even carry the state, despite the dominant position that Democrats hold among registered voters. President Bush is a strong leader who, as Congresswoman Heather Wilson said, provides a compass for our nation while the opponent offers a weather vane. I'll chose "true north" over "blowing in the wind" any day. If any of you have the opportunity to hear President Bush speak, I urge you to attend. Televised speeches, debates and interviews are good,...

SANTA FE— Every car sold or registered in New Mexico would have to have an alcohol-detecting device installed before 2009 under legislation approved by the House on Monday. New Mexico, always grappling for answers to chronic drunken-driving arrests and deaths, would be the first in the nation to require the devices, said Rep. Ken Martinez, D-Grants, the sponsor. The device is known as an ignition interlock, and drivers have to blow into them and pass the alcohol detection test before their cars can start. The measure, approved 45-22, headed to the Senate for debate. Gov. Bill Richardson said he would...

Albuquerque, NM – Congresswoman Heather Wilson at a hearing today compared Viacom, owner of CBS and MTV, to Enron for demonstrating bad corporate behavior by airing the Super Bowl halftime show that included indecent broadcasts. Rep. Wilson, a cosponsor of the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2004 (H.R. 3717), made the following statement at today’s hearing of the House Telecommunications and Internet Subcommittee: “I was visiting my mother when the Super Bowl was on and called home just before halftime. We are very restrictive about television watching at our house, but we have a sports fanatic fourth grader who asked...