Teague Launches New Education Ad.: 
2nd CD Democratic candidate and former Lea County Commissioner Harry Teague hit the airwaves Tuesday with a new commercial promoting his education platform. The former Lea County Commissioner is campaigning to defeat Democratic challenger and Dona Ana County Commissioner Bill McCamley for the chance to become the first Democratic Congressman from the 2nd District in more than a generation. In a conference call with reporters yesterday afternoon, Teague stressed the connectivity between education and other critical issues facing the country, such as economic development and creating a healthier, more sustainable environment.
Specifically, the commissioner called for a reduction to class sizes, a substantial rise in teacher pay (his website issue paper on education calls for a state-wide minimum annual salary of $40,000 for teachers), and increased scholarship opportunities. Joining Teague on the conference call was Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish, who praised Harry’s real results in improving education and noted that he had provided college scholarships for the children of his employees. Both Teague and Denish stressed that it is real results such as this that distinguishes Teague from his competitors in the race for Congress.
Energy and Education:
Teague, who has spent years working in the oil and gas industry, also voiced excitement about taking his knowledge of the industry to the effort of creating renewable energy options. He said that in Washington he would serve as a liaison between lawmakers and leading oil companies and hope to bring both sides together to create sensible solutions to energy issues. The Hobbs native also stressed that New Mexico stood to benefit substantially from an upsurge in support for wind and solar energy research and production and that state school’s should work to educate children in a way that makes them competitive for new jobs in the new ‘green’ economy. Learn more about Harry Teague’s education platform by visiting http://www.harryteagueforcongress08.com/issues_education.html. Also, take a look at Bill McCamley’s plans for education by visiting his site at http://www.billmccamley.com/issues/index.php?id=10.
Clinton Scores Key Pennsylvania Victory:
After six weeks of campaigning, Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton concluded a long and hard-fought campaign battle in Pennsylvania, with Senator Clinton earning a solid ten point victory. Pundits had concluded that nothing short of such a convincing margin would have been enough to keep the former First Lady’s hobbled campaign afloat. Advisors for the Obama Campaign reckoned that a surprise victory could have pushed the Illinois Senator over the top. Though an average of polls showed Clinton holding a five point advantage going into Election Day, her effective close secured a win that had the beaming New Yorker claiming in her victory speech that the ‘tide [of the Democratic contest] was turning.”
A Fundraising Surge:
Looking to capitalize on the immediate momentum of her Keystone victory, Clinton appealed on her website for a rush of $5 donations. With many of her key contributors already tapped out at the Federal $2300 contribution limit, courting new donors is seen as instrumental to Clinton’s ability to remain competitive throughout the remainder of the Primary season, which concludes on 01 June with voting in Puerto Rico. Still, raising $2 million in one night and nearly $10 million over the course of one day since her victory certainly bodes well for the New York Senator’s chance to stay afloat.
Harsh Tactics Criticized:
Still, Clinton’s victory did not come without its critics. In a New York Times editorial this morning, the newspaper criticized the Senator for using tactics that were detrimental to voters, her party, and the 2008 election, more generally (take a look at the editorial, ‘The Low Road to Victory’- http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/23/opinion/23wed1.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin). The Times rightly claims that each contest in the race to secure the Democratic nomination seems to become more mean-spirited and representative of exactly the type of divisive politics that each candidate claims to oppose so strongly. Citing everything from the Cuban Missile Crisis to 9/11, the article argues, Clinton has looked to up the ante on Obama and portray him as inexperienced at best and insincere at worst. At a time when the Democratic Party needs to come behind one candidate to mount a successful campaign for the White House and get to work in undoing some of the disastrous wrong done by the Bush Administration, Hillary Clinton seems to be playing petty politics in order to claim victory. Kudos to the Times- for her party and for her country, Clinton must change her campaign approach or step aside for Senator Obama.
Aside from citing her questionable campaign tactics, pundits also pointed out that Senator Clinton has little chance of catching Obama in the race for pledged delegates (see MSNBC Political Chief Chuck Todd’s thoughts on the delegate race- http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/). Indeed, her only hope of securing the nomination is winning the overwhelming support of so-called ‘superdelegates’, which include party leaders and office holders from each state. Amongst these officials, too, Clinton’s margin has narrowed. At the outset of the race, it was a foregone conclusion that superdelegates would swoon to the Clinton campaign out of loyalty to the party’s ‘first family’. However, the recent defections of Governor Richardson and former Labor Secretary Robert Reich, both of whom served in the Clinton Cabinet and have had close ties to the former president and Hillary for years, Senator Clinton’s lock amongst superdelegates has become anything but secure. Just today, Obama announced the addition of two superdelegates to his total (Audra Ostergard of Nebraska and Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry), while Clinton added Rep. John Tanner of Tennessee.
Democratic Split?
Pundits speculate, and some Democrats worry, that if Clinton somehow won the support of enough superdelegates to overturn Obama’s still commanding lead amongst pledged delegates, it would earn the wrath of Obama diehards and split the party heading into November. While it remains to be seen whether or not such a turn of events would lead some Democrats to turn their back on their party’s nominee and risk another four years of a GOP White House, the idea of party elites reversing the will of the common voter would certainly reflect poorly on the party and its claims to represent the will of everyday citizens.
McCain’s Misstep:
If you didn’t catch news of Republic Senator and presumptive president nominee John McCain’s recent foreign policy blunder, I’m not surprised- further confirming the media’s adoration of the maverick lawmaker, news of the event went largely uncovered. Speaking to reporters during a recent trip to Iraq, McCain stated three times that it was common knowledge that Al Qaeda (Sunni) was receiving significant support from the Iranian government (Shia). Never mind that the comment was woefully inaccurate (animus between Shia and Sunni extremists is on par with that held by both sects towards the Western World), it came in McCain’s alleged area of expertise: foreign affairs.
Looking toward a potential Obama-McCain match-up in November’s general election, many have voiced concern over Obama’s perceived inexperience on the issue of foreign policy. Indeed, the Clinton Campaign has cited this issue as a powerful example of an area where the Illinois Senator would get pounded by his elder colleague from Arizona. The reality that McCain made such a basic, eye-opening mistake on three separate occasions before being corrected by Senator Joseph Lieberman, who is a McCain supporter and accompanied on his trip, indicates that the presumed advantage the Arizona Senator has over Obama on foreign affairs is much thinner than previously imagined.
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