Here. Not as bad as we thought.

Every NM Congress Critter threw a hat in the ring for Pete Domenici's seat. That's not quite as impressive as it may sound because we only have three of'em.

Here's a snapshot of how things look right now:

CD-01 (Tom Udall's seat will stay Dem)

CD-02 (Steve Pearce's seat is a toss up right now.)

The Democrat (Teague) has a name recognition advantage, but the district is pretty conservative. Even most of the Democrats in that CD would be Republicans in other states.

CD03 (Heather Wilson's seat is a toss up)

Although Martin Heinrich is the darling of the progressives he is an unknown quantity when it comes to his ability to organize and campaign. Darren White (R) is VERY popular with Republicans and is not hated by moderate Independents. White also has substantial name recognition because he is currently Bernalillo County sheriff and has served as the head of the state Department of Safety. If Heinrich can tie White to the Bush Administration (which shouldn't be difficult because he supports the war) then Heinrich will probably win in a close election. If he can't, White wins by 6+ points.

NM-Sen: The biggest gift of last night primary was Steve Pearce knocking off Heather Wilson for the Republican nod to be the sacrificial lamb to the Udall. Heather Wilson is a great GE campaigner. Unfortunately, with a low turnout yesterday, only the most fanatical members of the Republican base voted yesterday. In the southern part of the state she was considered a "librul" and Pearce is one of them. Game over.  Udall wins by 10+ even if he doesn't campaign well.

New Mexico will go for Obama and he will have very long coattails. Grassroot organizing has been strong here and several longtime Dem office holders were knocked out for better Democrats. Why you ask? My brother is voting for Barack Obama. That is a sure signal that either the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are about to make an appearance, or a seismic poltical shift has occurred since George H.W.'s son got himself appointed Idiot-in-Chief. I'm an atheist so my money is on the seismic political shift.

Keep your fingers crossed, but it looks pretty good right now. If Obama, and the fired up progressives here in NM keep momentum rolling it could be one hell of a GE for Democrats, and in particular for progressives.

I'll be out doing voter registration drives all this summer and keeping everyone posted about what I hear out in the field.

Have a good'un.

I want to go on record and thank Senator Clinton for running a spirited campaign. She made our nominee a better candidate and proved to be formidable when it came to her grasp of the issues.

Hillary Clinton is a great Democrat, and as Senator Obama said last night, will lead the charge for universal healthcare in the Senate.

Ted Kennedy became the Lion of the Senate after his failed bid to win the 1980 nomination. In my opinion Senator Clinton is the heir apparent to that legacy with her detailed knowledge and passion for the issues that matter most to Democrats.

Why not Howard Dean as the VP candidate? He has great progressive credentials, has proven leadership skills and is able to cut through a lot of bullshit with concise answers to questions.

The notion that we need another veteran or retired military officer on a Democratic ticket is misguided at best. John Kerry had the resume, but he was a mediocre campaigner. I am a vet and frequently find myself snickering at Democrats when they think they need Street Cred on the national security and the way to borrow Cred is to put a vet on the ticket. Bullshit! We need candidates who represent our values and not someone who supposedly has magical powers because they MIGHT mitigate a perceived weakness in the ticket or platform. Please stop insulting us!

Maybe its time to be liberals again? Its not a bad word and the message is as strong as ever. The American people know they've been had by these conservative thugs in the Administration and need to hear a powerful argument for why the Democrats should have their hands on the wheel that steers the ship of state. Howard Dean in the #2 spot would be a strong signal that being forthright and talking to voters like adults is going to be a priority.  Wouldn't a running mate with a reputation for straight talk, like Howard Dean, confirm Obama's message of change? 

This is no time for Democrats to over think this election. Its time for them to lead with a ticket that promotes the powerful message that they are going to DC and take back the White House from the war criminals. Who better to join the leadership of the Obama team than Howard Dean? Howard Dean is one of the primary architects of the 2006 election success and as a former governor and current Chair of the DNC understands the challenges in front of the American people.

The powerful political chops Howard Dean honed over the past four years would be a formidable asset to the Obama campaign.

Howard Dean for Vice President.