DEMS CHALLENGE NADER PETITIONS

As published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
Sept. 16, 2004

Nearly two thirds of the 31,000-plus signatures to put Ralph Nader on the state ballot are “defective” and shouldn’t be counted, according to a legal action filed Wednesday by a group of Democrats — and one Green Party maverick — in an attempt to sink Nader’s candidacy in New Mexico.

Filing in state district court in Albuquerque, the anti-Nader group claims Nader isn’t qualified to run as an independent because he is running as the Reform Party presidential candidate in some states and as the standard bearer for other minor parties in other states.

“They’re making a sham of the whole election,” Nader’s New Mexico coordinator Carol Miller said. “If by some horrible desecration of New Mexico law they succeed in keeping Ralph Nader off the ballot, I predict those votes will go to the Green Party, the Libertarian Party and to George W. Bush, not to Kerry. There will be a backlash.”

A spokesman for the state Democratic Party said the case will be heard Friday morning by state District Judge Wendy York.

The suit was filed after more than a week in which Democrats examined the thousands of pages of petition signatures submitted by Nader backers last week.

“As is the case here, when the Republicans hijack a candidacy, as a means to distract from Bush’s record, it takes a lot of effort and energy to bring honesty into the process,” said state Democratic Party spokesman Matt Farrauto.

Democrats claim Republicans are behind Nader’s effort here — a claimed based on the fact that a Republican state senator distributed some Nader petitions, a petition collection company with Republican ties helped gather signatures and because Republicans have aided Nader in other states this year. Miller disputes that claim.

The common wisdom is that Nader takes votes from Democratic John Kerry.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are Vanessa Alarid, the executive director of the state Democratic Party; Abe Gutmann — who founded an organization called Greens for Kerry; Moises Griego, chairman of the Democratic Party in Valencia County; and Richard Kirschner and Laura LaFlamme of Albuquerque.

Named as the defendant was Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil Giron, whose office last week certified Nader to be on the ballot. She will be represented in court by the state attorney general’s office.

Miller said lawyers working for Nader will attempt to intervene to make the Nader campaign part of the case.

The suit was filed after ballots for at least six New Mexico counties have been sent to the printer. State Election Bureau director Denise Lamb said this week that absentee ballots have to be sent to New Mexico members of the military by Saturday.

The suit argues claims there are more than 19,000 defective signatures.

According to the suit:
*10,852 names do not appear on the secretary of state’s voter rolls.
*At least 4,598 signatures are identified to addresses for which no voter is registered.
*At least 2,580 signatures are illegible
*At least 850 signatures have been termed “suspect” by a handwriting expert.
*212 people who signed live in different counties than the one listed on top of the petitions they signed.
*At least 78 signatures belong to people who signed more than once.
Nader needs 14,527 valid signatures to get on the ballot.

Miller said she stands by her petitions.

“I predict next week we’ll all be in a room passing pages of signatures around to lawyers, handwriting experts, tea leaf readers and who knows who else,” she said. “Is this what elections have come to?”

Ralph Nader is on the ballot in 33 states plus Washington D.C., according to an online newsletter that keeps track of the progress of minor parties in the country.

According to Ballot Access News, the states that have placed Nader on the ballot are:

Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa. Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

But, the site notes that in several of these, court actions filed against Nader could remove him from the ballot. Those states — all considered battleground states by Democrats and Republicans — are Arkansas, Colorado, New Hampshire, Ohio and Wisconsin.

Democrats in New Mexico Wednesday filed legal action in an attempt to remove Nader from the ballot.

In addition, there are seven more states in which Nader’s future as a candidate rests with judges. These are Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas.

In Florida it’s been topsy-turvy for Nader.

On Wednesday, Circuit Judge P. Kevin Davey ordered that Nader’s name be removed from the November ballot, finding that the Reform Party — which nominated Nader — isn’t a legitimate party under state law. Davey also ordered that four counties that have already mailed absentee ballots listing Nader send out amended ballots without his name.

Davey had issued a temporary order last week keeping Nader off the ballot, but his ruling was suspended Monday after Florida Secretary of State Glenda Hood filed an appeal. Davey’s ruling on Wednesday reinstates his original decision.
Florida’s Supreme Court has scheduled a Friday hearing on the appeal.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

HIDING MOUNTAIN SPIRITS

As published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
Sept. 14, 2004

When you enter Milner Plaza on Museum Hill, there’s no way you’ll miss the striking 18-foot bronze statue of an Apache mountain-spirit dancer near the entrance of the Museum of American Arts and Culture.

Unless maybe you have campaign workers hold tall political banners to block the view of the huge statue.

That’s what happened Monday morning at the campaign appearance of Democratic Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards.

As Edwards spoke and took questions from crowd, campaign workers held big Kerry-Edwards banners that obscured the view of the 1995 work by San Carlos Apache sculptor Craig Dan Goseyun.

A local volunteer who helped set up the area for the Edwards stop said someone from the campaign told him that the statue should be hidden behind the signs because people from other parts of the country viewing photos or footage from the rally might think the hulking figure was a “war dancer.”

The items the dancer holds in his hands could be interpreted as weapons, the volunteer said he was told.

“I argued that they should show the statue,” the volunteer said. “This is the Southwest and it’s a beautiful statue.”

But that’s an argument he lost to the campaign higher-ups.

Ruben Pulido, a spokesman for the state Kerry-Edwards campaign, said Monday that he thinks the campaign put the banners in front of the statue because “it’s just good sign placement.”

“I agree it’s a beautiful statue,” Pulido said. “I just think (the campaign) just wanted to frame the shots.”

Dody Fugate, assistant curator for the state’s Archaeological Research Collection, said Monday that the Apache Mountain Spirit is not a warrior, but a healer.
“It’s a spirit from the mountain that produces rain and dances at healing ceremonies, and dances at girls’ puberty rites,” she said.

The tablita the dancer holds in one hand and the bull-roarer held above the dancer’s head represent lightning and thunder, Fugate said. “They’re weapons of healing,” she said.

More coverage of Edwards visit CLICK HERE

TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAY LIST

Sunday, Sept. 12, 2004
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
Now Webcasting:
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays MDT

Annual Labor Show
Host: Steve Terrell
Co-host Stanley "Rosebud" Rosen


OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Plenty Tough and Union Made by The Waco Brothers
Joe Hill by Paul Robeson
There is Power in the Union/No More Layoffs/Public Workers Stand Together by
The Solidarity Singers
Then Workin' Man Can't Get Nowhere Today by Peter Case
Workin' Man's Blues by Merle Haggard
Working Man Blues by Louis Armstrong & King Oliver

In Every Street Down With the Police by The Jewish Labor Bund
The Wreck of the Old 97/San Quentin by Johnny Cash
Union Fights the Battle of Freedom/The Memorial Day Massacre by Bucky Halker
King Harvest Has Surely Come by The Band
Bread and Roses by Brooklyn Women's Chorus

Pie in the Sky by Stanley "Rosebud" Rosen
The Unwelcome Guest by Billy Bragg & Wilco
(excerpt from a Howard Zinn speech)
Sad State of Affairs by The Descendents
The Greatest Bulb is Burned Out by Billy Bragg
Rich Man's War by Steve Earle
Corporate Me by Kito Peters
Decolores/We Were There by The Brooklyn Women's Choir

Turn Back the Hands of Time/Trust in Me by Eddie Fischer
Sweetheart on the Barricade by Richard Thompson
If Jimmy Didn't Have to Go by Charlie King & Karen Brandow
Solidarity Forever by The Solidarity Singers
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis

THE SANTA FE OPRY PLAYLIST

The Santa Fe Opry
Friday, Sept. 10, 2004
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM
Now Webcasting
10 p.m. to midnight Fridays MDT
Host: Steve Terrell

OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens & The Buckaroos
Cash on the Barrelhead by Gram Parsons & Emmylou Harris
The Buck Starts Here by Robbie Fulks
Where's the Money by Dan Hicks & The Hot Licks
Busted by Ray Charles
Black Magic by Betty Dylan
If You've Got the Money, I've Got The Time by Lefty Frizzell
Brother Can You Spare a Dime by Odetta & Dr. John

Nowhereville by Ronny Elliott
Fiesta by The Pogues
Mezcal Road by Joe "King" Carrasco
Una Mas Cerveza by Billy Bacon & The Forbidden Pigs
Tijuana Waltz by Jenny Kerr
Volver Volver by Jon Dee Graham

Hear Jerusalem Moan by Tammy Faye Starlite
You Were Always On My Mind by Eric Ambel
Fall on the Rock by Buddy Miller
Reprimand by Joe West
Home to Houston by Steve Earle
Curly Toes by (unknown)

The Virginian by Neko Case
Where Has All the Money Gone by Junior Brown
Man in Black by Johnny Cash
Sweethearts Together by The Rolling Stones
Goners by Michael Hurley
Liver by Desdemona Finch
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets

Steve Terrell is proud to report to the monthly Freeform American Roots
Radio list

BURN HIM

Last night was the annual burning of Zozobra, one of the world's most ultra-bitchen community celebrations of all time. I went with my son, which is what I've been doing nearly every year since 1995 when he was three.

For those who don't know, Zozobra is a massive 40-50-foot monster puppet who is ritually burned to symbolically burn our gloom of the past year. Last night was the 80th burning. (CLICK HERE FOR MORE ZOZOBRA INFO)

I'd seen Zozobra a few times before we moved here in 1968. Since then, I've only missed twice.

In 1973 my friends and I got to drunk and didn't make it in time. We arrived at Ft. Marcy Ball right when the lights came on.

Then last year I missed it because of the Democratic Presidential debates in Albuquerque where seven or eight candidates did their best to burn Howard Dean.

What amazes me is how the Zozobra ritual has grown and evolved. When I first saw it I was probably about three. Back then Santa Fe was so small, people drove their cars into the ballpark and watched from right outside the cars.

All I remember is that I was terrified.

But in a good way.

For years the ritual was just one guy (Harold Gans) moaning with a crude drum beat in the background. The Fire Dancer danced, torched Old man Gloom and then the fireworks went off.

Now it's grown into an impressive and elaborate pseudo-Pagan spectacle with several dancers -- The Queen of Gloom and her court -- fancy syncopated drums and eerie music. Still a lot of moaning and fireworks and they still have a Fire Dancer.

This was Katy Lilienthal's first year and she was beautiful. Her dad Chip did it
for 30-plus years. (His mentor Jacques Cartier did it for 30 years or so before that.) Katy got the job only after some controversy. (Check my August archives, Aug. 11 post)

My only disappointment this year was that there was no "Gauntlet of Jesus" afterwards. Usually there's a line of folks the Potter's House with bullhorns berating the crowd and passing out those cool Jack Chick comics where people go to Hell for cussing etc.

A few years ago when that kid got killed on the Plaza in a gang shooting, the shooter's family was up with the Potter's House screaming bloody Christ at the crowd. (It was after that when they moved the burning from Friday to Thursday, which I still feel is a shame. I know many disagree -- especially my police friends -- but I liked it when the crowd was crazier and there was someplace to go after the burning.)

A few years later the Potter's House folk got too pushy with the cops and lots of them ended up getting pepper-sprayed in the face. It was sad how many free-speech liberals applauded what many of them would call "police abuse" if the victims had been different. (I can't believe it: My original story on that incident is still on the web! CLICK HERE)

Sure, the Jesus screamers are annoying but they've become part of the tradition and I missed them. This year they had a band on a traffic island -- I'm pretty sure it was a Jesus rock band -- but no bullhorns and no Chick comics. Now if we all go to Hell for seeing Zozobra without repenting NOBODY WARNED US!

Otherwise, Viva la Fiesta!