Some NM "Dems" Take Campaign Cash From GOPuke PACs

This is not unprecedented, of course. During the last elections, GOPuke groups have funneled cash to marginal presidential candidates such as Ralph Nader because they believed a vote for Nader was one which wouldn't go to a main-stream Dim opponent.

In New Mexico, this year, there are a handful of "former" GOPukes--folks with long, deep GOPuke roots--who are running in the Dim primaries, mostly for judicial positions.

Now, via NMFBIHOP's blog comes the news that GOPuke agents are taking an active part in state Dim politics, trying to move the party "to the center."

No, really! NO! Really!

Garth Simms heads the board on the New Mexico Turn Around PAC that gave money to Democratic challengers and is largely funded by the top-dogs at the state Republican Party.

The group's website says, "NMTA supports the transfer of control of the New Mexico State House to Republican control. Its goal is to help that transfer occur over the next two or three election cycles. Its goal, also, is to get you to help it in this endeavor."

Here is what he told Heath Haussamen while trying to play down the controversy:

"Our focus is just to get the Democrat Party representation mainly a little back more toward the center instead of just being controlled by the progressive wing of the party," Simms said. "That's where we're coming from. There's nothing nefarious about it."

Simms tipped his hand with the classic partisan Republican jab at Democrats by referring to the "Democrat Party." As usual, when I see this, I link to this piece from Hendrik Hertzberg on "the ic factor" -- or Republicans' reference to the "Democrat Party" instead of "Democratic Party."

This is no surprise, as Simms is a former Republican state legislator. And the money comes largely from Republican sources, including money from the state Republican Party chairman, Harvey Yates, Jr. and the company of Republican Party executive director Ryan Cangiolosi (who also sits on the board).

The front page of the committee's website features an article from Yates that criticizes Democrats (as one from a head of a political party would likely do).

They reprint articles from the National Review Online something Glenn Beck would write. They are teaming with groups heavily involved in the tea party for candidate training this year (though the timing is a bit odd since the conference comes after the primaries).

So why is a group that "supports the transfer of control of the New Mexico State House to Republican control" getting involved in Democratic primaries?