By Patricia H. Kushlis
Would someone please explain to me why the ultra-right wing Florida based 501(c)(4) organization named Freedom’s Watch has placed one of New Mexico’s three Congressional races, CD#1, in its bull’s eye?
Lucky us: we’re only one of six Congressional races in the country that this wonderful group with close ties to the Bush White House, that the neoconservative American Enterprise Institute and funded primarily by a big time, recent Republican convert as well as Las Vegas and Macao gambling tycoon has chosen to so ‘honor’ this November. The other races, according to Chris Cillizza of The Washington Post are Alabama’s 2nd, Illinois’ 10th, Nevada’s 3rd, New Jersey’s 3rd and 7th. But if you look at the statistics, New Mexico’s 1st and Illinois’ 10th are by far the largest recipients of Freedom Watch’s largesse.
This is a peculiar Congressional District. Although it contains more registered Democrats than Republicans, it has elected a Republican Congressional representative in every election since its creation.
A Wide Open Race
The race for New Mexico CD#1 is once again wide open: a well known Republican and now former county sheriff named Darren White is being challenged by – or is challenging Democrat Martin Heinrich a former Albuquerque City Council member. Now White had the greater name recognition going into the race. This normally helps in an election campaign – but Heinrich has been running a smart, well organized operation since before the Democratic primary in June which he won handily. At this point the polls are slightly in Heinrich’s favor.
Heinrich (on the right) is young, hard working, articulate, intelligent and has precisely the qualifications the voters in this district need to represent them in Washington. He’s particularly strong on the development of various alternative energy sources and is highly environmentally conscious. He is one reason why this city of about 600,000 people in the high desert is ranked the Number One Green City in America.
And he’s approachable. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee also considers his qualifications and expertise will be useful in Congress. Nancy Pelosi was here just last Tuesday to help support his campaign at two private, prestigious low-key fund-raising events attended by a star studded cast of party leaders – including Governor Richardson – and wealthy Democratic scions of the community.
Darren White: The Republican Stealth Candidate
Now I’m far less privy to the inner workings of the Republican Party of New Mexico and certainly not the White campaign. But the little I’ve seen thus far fails to impress me. In fact, I’ve seen so little that I have to wonder whether White (on the left) is expecting to win this election by osmosis.
This was not the case with Republican Congressperson Heather Wilson, the individual White hopes to succeed. Wilson was always up front and in the news. She never let an opportunity drop for self-aggrandizement – but she had strong supporters and everyone in the District knew who she was and what she stood for.
Maybe the National Republican Congressional Committee is having the same reaction that I am concerning White’s viability as a candidate as this election rolls – or lurches – into the final weeks. Late last week the Republicans withdrew two-thirds of their projected financial support for White.
This is surprising when the polls show the race is too close to call. But perhaps the Congressional Republicans are so cash strapped, and White is proving to be such a non-performer, that they know something from internal polling that those of us outside the inner circle don’t. Or maybe the problem really is the NRCC's shaky financial bottom line.
Perhaps they’re counting on Freedom’s Watch negative advertising aimed at Heinrich to be sufficient to do the trick election day. If so, it’s a bad idea.
Freedom's Watch
Personally, I am appalled by what I have been learning about Freedom’s Watch. The more I read, the more appalled I become that an organization like this one can have so much influence on the selection of the individual who becomes my next Congressional representative.
As a 501(c)(4), the organization is permitted to inform the voters on issues – and it is also permitted to keep much of its inner workings secret. Its activities here – parachuted in as if from the escape hatch of a passing super sonic jet – have concentrated on a blitz of negative television advertising against Martin Heinrich.
The ads, I understand, have thus far appeared on network, not cable, channels. Whether they will work – with almost no effort on the part of the White campaign to inform voters of his positives – is an open question. And it’s unclear to me whether there will be a debate between the two candidates – or not - that also could determine the election’s outcome in the final days.
What troubles me the most about Freedom’s Watch’s political activities in this state is that money rarely comes without strings. As a taxpayer and a voter, I’d like to know what those strings are likely to be for White. It’s clear that Sheldon Adelson, the Daddy Warbucks behind Freedom’s Watch, will only fund Republican candidates.
That’s fair enough but it can’t be done legally through a 501(c)(4). Wouldn’t it be better anyway for Freedom's Watch to channel funds into supporting those issues that White favors – whatever they are – than in aiming a barrage of darts at Heinrich?
It’s also clear that the Freedom’s Watch political agenda has a strong international dimension in line with Adelson’s personal priorities: a free pass for Chinese imports combined with support for multinational manufacturing plants in that country which do not work to US labor or local industry’s advantage. Combine this with a strong connection to the ultra-hard right (further to the right apparently than now meets AIPAC’s comfort zone) in Israeli politics where Adelson supports ultra-right wing candidates as well as, thus far unsuccessfully, presses to introduce gambling into the country. This story is particularly well documented in Connie Bruck’s must-read article in the June 2008 New Yorker.
But are Freedom’s Watch priorities also those of New Mexico? And if White is elected, how many chits will Freedom’s Watch be able to call in? And will those votes truly represent this District’s interests? I wonder.