[box]Debra Haaland is the newly elected Chairwoman of the Democratic Party of New Mexico[/box]

The Albuquerque Journal has long been rumored to be a right wing newspaper, and the editorial board’s decision to attack only two prominent Democrats certainly seems to confirm that assertion (New Mexico’s AG, Auditor should take high ground, April 29, 2015).

As former state legislators who now serve in statewide office, Tim Keller and Hector Balderas have enjoyed impeccable reputations as committed public servants who have represented all the people of New Mexico with an eye towards doing what’s right and not what’s politically expedient. Apparently the Journal has now chosen to become the judge of what is proper in political discourse and in the process attempted to besmirch the reputation of two men who have served their constituents and this state with honor.

Attorney General Balderas and Auditor Keller are also leaders within the Democratic Party. They have stated clearly and consistently where they stand on the issues impacting New Mexicans. By implying that they somehow would use their offices to treat a citizen, who did not agree with them politically, differently in some way is petty and unprofessional, reflecting an obvious political bias on behalf of the newspaper.

Conversely, Governor Martinez is a leader in the Republican Party, but no mention is made of her efforts to aid candidates in her own Party or her partisan attacks on her Democratic counterparts. She has committed months of her time in the past four years going to out-of- state Republican events “scrounging” for money to further her party’s political agenda and increase her stature as a future national candidate. The Governor’s robust fund raising machine has generated enough cash to allow her to hand pick Republican candidates to run against Democratic leaders like Michael Sanchez and defeat others such as Mary Jane Garcia. That is a much more active and aggressive approach to partisan politics than sending out an email supporting one’s political party.

I have known Hector Balderas and Tim Keller for many years and their records and actions demonstrate that neither of them would ever allow partisan politics to get in the way of serving New Mexicans.

A press release that included a copy of the editorial in question was quickly distributed on letterhead by the Republican Party of New Mexico. As a mouthpiece of the Republican Party, The Albuquerque Journal has demonstrated their intentions to engage in partisan politics early and often.

I was reminded of the slogan of a certain Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper in New York City, but in the case of the Albuquerque Journal it’s, “All the news we see fit to print.”