Last week Rep. Heather Wilson (R., NM) voted against a House budget that endorsed tax cuts for the wealthy and cut social services.
That’s right, she and Tom Udall were on the same side!
Today’s Albuquerque Journal reports that Wilson wants the Administration to brief Congressional intelligence committees more extensively where President Bush’s domestic eavesdropping is concerned.
Now neither of these votes makes Wilson a liberal, of course, but it’s easy to see that she is putting space between herself and the Republican Congressional leadership (budget) and the White House (eavesdropping).
Can anyone here say "Patricia Madrid"?
Yes, Rep. Wilson is trying to establish a defense against what Madrid will charge in the race for her House seat.
So why haven’t we read this, or some other analysis of her votes, in our local newspapers?
Because our local newspapers get around to this sort of thing when the spirit moves them and not a moment earlier.
Come election time, newspapers regularly examine campaign ads to sift what is true from what isn’t.
They ought to do that earlier in the campaign - daily, if possible, weekly if that’s more convenient