Grant County Democratic Party
Welcome to the Grant County Democratic Party Page!
Welcome to the Grant County Democratic Party site!
We are engaged in organizing for involvement in the communities of Grant County and preparing for the 2012 elections as well. We encourage new residents, students, and long-time county members to contact the Chair or the Vice Chair and we will happily use your input and talents.
The Party is a great way also to get together with old and new friends and engage in the important discussions of our day.
Watch this site for news of our fundraising campaign starting this summer as well as for our calendar of community events. And please join us for our summer potlucks and meetings at the historic Union Hall in Bayard.
Mary Hotvedt, Chair and Magdaleno Manzanarez, Vice Chair
Grant County Democrats meet the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 5:30 for a pot-luck followed by a meeting at 6:30. Meetings are held at Sen. Howie Morales' office on Hwy 180 in Silver City, New Mexico
Make a Donation to the Grant County Democratic Party!
ICYMI: NY Times Editorializes on Filibuster Reform
In Case You Missed It:NY Times Editorializes on Filibuster ReformToday, The New York Times editorialized on filibuster reform efforts by Sen. Tom Udall in light of Majority Leader Harry Reid’s statements on Thursday.In “Not Too Late to Curb the Filibuster,” the editorial reaffirmed support for eliminating the filibuster for judicial and executive nominees and called for filibuster reform, claiming it will benefit both parties.Read the editorial here.“As Republicans engaged in yet another of their endless filibusters on what should have been a routine matter — reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank — Mr. Reid took to the floor and praised two senators for being right last year when he was wrong,” the Times wrote.“Tom Udall of New Mexico and Jeff Merkley of Oregon were prophetic in wanting to change Senate rules, he said. ‘The rest of us were wrong, or most of us, anyway,’ he added. ‘What a shame.’”“Since 2007, Democrats have been forced to try to break Republican filibusters 360 times— by far the highest rate in Congressional history. Ending them requires Democrats to get over a 60-vote hurdle. If Mr. Reid helped enact the proposal of the two senators, he would instantly make Congress more efficient and more democratic.”
New Obama for America Video “Forward” Highlights Challenges We Have Faced, Progress We Have Made
For Immediate Release
April 30, 2012
Contact: Matt Ross 505-263-4879
New Obama for America Video “Forward” Highlights Challenges We Have Faced, Progress We Have Made
Watch “Forward” here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WbQe-wVK9E
Albuquerque, NM – Obama for America released a new campaign video today titled “Forward,” which you can watch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WbQe-wVK9E. The video shows the challenges President Obama inherited when he was sworn in January of 2009 and demonstrates the progress we have made under his leadership.
Democratic Party of New Mexico Chairman Javier Gonzales released the following statement on the video and President Obama’s accomplishments during his first three years in office:
“When President Obama took office in January 2009, the United States was facing a once-in-a-generation economic crisis. The country was hemorrhaging jobs at a rate of 750,000 jobs a month – and even the iconic American auto industry was in trouble. Chrysler and GM were facing bankruptcy and the livelihoods of millions of American workers were on the line.
“What ‘Forward’ demonstrates is that the President, in the face of the worst economic catastrophe since the Great Depression, acted decisively to bring our economy back from the brink. The Recovery Act provided much-needed funding for infrastructure projects around the country and shored up local budgets, keeping construction workers on the job, teachers in our classrooms and cops on our streets. Instead of letting Detroit go bankrupt, President Obama put his faith in the American worker and invested in GM and Chrysler. Three years later, GM is once again the largest auto manufacturer in the world and the American auto industry is creating jobs again.
“At the core of President Obama’s decision-making during the economic crisis was his belief that we’re all in it together and that America does better when everyone, from Main Street to Wall Street, does their fair share and plays by the same rules. President Obama understands that we need an economy built to last ― one that creates the jobs of the future and makes things the rest of the world buys ― not one built on outsourcing, loopholes, and risky financial deals that jeopardize our entire economy and threaten the security of the middle class. Mitt Romney's economic scheme is familiar and troubling: more budget-busting tax cuts for the wealthy; fewer rules for Wall Street--the same formula that benefitted a few, but crashed our economy and punished the middle class.”
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New Poll Finds Romney Completely Underwater with New Mexico’s Hispanic Community with 61% Viewing Him Unfavorably
For Immediate Release
April 25, 2012
Contact: Matt Ross – 505-263-4879
New Poll Finds Romney Completely Underwater with New Mexico’s Hispanic Community with 61% Viewing Him Unfavorably
Far-Right Romney on the Wrong Side of Every Issue Important to New Mexico – Including Jobs, Education, and Health Care
Albuquerque, NM – A new poll from Project New West and Public Policy Polling (PPP) of New Mexico voters shows that Mitt Romney has not been able to erase his extreme far-right record with our Hispanic community. The poll finds Governor Romney with a 24-61 favorable/unfavorable rate, a sign that his extreme far-right primary record won’t go away.
Recognizing they have a serious problem with their presidential nominee, the Republican National Committee (RNC) recently announced it has hired a “Hispanic State Director” for New Mexico and five other states in a last-ditch attempt to shore up the Governor’s poor standing. A recent Fox News/Latin Decision poll found that Romney would receive only 14% of the Hispanic vote nationwide.
The choice for Hispanic Americans is between President Obama - who passed legislation that kept 2 million Hispanics out of poverty, provided 150,000 additional Hispanic students with the means to go to college, will make it possible for up to 9 million previously uninsured Hispanics to have access to affordable health care and Mitt Romney, who would slash funding for education, Medicare, and Social Security.
Full results for the poll may be found here.
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Yes or No, Heather Wilson: Do You Agree with Lisa Murkowski’s Criticism of the Republican Attack On Women?
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 9, 2012
CONTACT: Matt Canter, (202) 485-3129
Yes or No, Heather Wilson: Do You Agree with Lisa Murkowski’s Criticism of the Republican Attack On Women?
Wilson Raises $$ With Murkowski, But Refuses to Say Whether She Agrees With Murkowski’s Criticism of the GOP War On Women
Does Heather Wilson agree with her fellow Republican Lisa Murkowski’s criticism of the GOP War on Women? It’s a simple “yes” or “no” question and New Mexicans deserve an answer, especially considering Wilson will be raising money with Murkoswki and campaigning side by side with her tomorrow. The Alaska Republican is hitting the campaign trail for Wilson just days after Murkowski made national news, deriding her own party’s war on women.
“If you don’t feel this is an attack, you need to go home and talk to your wife and your daughters,” Murkowski said last week. Murkowski’s comments came after she said she regretted voting for the controversial Blunt Amendment that would have allowed employers to roll back healthcare rights for women. Like Murkowski, Wilson also initially supported the controversial Blunt Amendment.
“It’s a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question for Heather Wilson – does she agree with Lisa Murkowski’s criticism of the GOP War on Women?” asked Matt Canter, spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. “Heather Wilson has spent her entire campaign pandering to the Tea Party with the hopes that voters forget who she really is – a Washington insider who was named one of the most corrupt politicians in America by a non partisan watchdog group. She’s a typical, corrupt Washington insider who will say anything and do anything if she thinks it’ll help her score political points, even attack the health care rights for women in this country. Heather Wilson is the last thing New Mexico needs in the Senate.”
Tomorrow’s campaign event with Murkowski comes after Heather Wilson has spent the better part of her campaign tacitly endorsing every pillar of the extreme Republican agenda. Despite public pressure, Wilson has refused to stand up for seniors while her fellow Republicans have pushed a plan that would gut Medicare and increase healthcare costs by $5,900 for New Mexico seniors.
“Throughout her entire campaign Heather Wilson has sided against the best interests of New Mexico by tacitly supporting her own party’s extreme attacks on women’s healthcare, middle-class families, and seniors. The agenda that Wilson and her fellow Republicans are pushing would have dire consequences for New Mexico,” added Canter. “No matter how often she tries to duck the issue, the fact is that by refusing to stand up for middle-class New Mexicans, she’s showing voters exactly why they can’t afford to send her back to Washington to look out for their interests.”
BACKGROUND:
2007: Wilson Named One Of The Most Corrupt Members Of Congress. CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington) named Wilson to its annual list of the most corrupt members of Congress. They put her on the list because of her involvement in the US Attorney Scandal. [CREW Release, 9/18/07]
Wilson: “I Support The Blunt Amendment.” In a March 2012 column, the Albuquerque Journal’s Michael Coleman wrote, “Reps. Martin Heinrich and New Mexico State Auditor Hector Balderas – both Democrats running for U.S. Senate in New Mexico – said they would have voted against the Blunt amendment, as well … Wilson had a different view. ‘I support the Blunt amendment,’ she said.” [Albuquerque Journal, Michael Coleman Column, 3/4/12]
2011: Wilson Refused To Say Whether She Would Have Supported The Republican Proposal To Replace Medicare With A Voucher Plan. In May 2011, Bloomberg News reported that Wilson has refused to say whether she would have supported the Republican proposal to replace Medicare with a subsidy helping senior citizens buy private health insurance if she was in office. [Bloomberg News, 5/27/11]
2012: Wilson Again Refused To Say Whether She Would Have Supported The Republican Plan To Gut Medicare. In March 2012, the Albuquerque Journal reported that when pressed on her stance on the 2012 GOP budget, Wilson’s campaign “declined to elaborate on which parts of the budget Wilson opposed or to say whether she would vote for or against the document.” [Albuquerque Journal, 3/24/12]
292,009 New Mexican Seniors Would Be Forced Onto Vouchers When They Retire. Starting in 2023, all New Mexico seniors will receive a voucher to purchase either private insurance or traditional Medicare. There are more than 292,009 near-elderly New Mexicans who are now ages 47-56 who, instead of getting Medicare as we know it when they retire, would only get a voucher to purchase their insurance. Private insurance plans will aggressively pursue the healthiest, least expensive enrollees, thereby allowing Medicare – currently the lifeline for 316,973 New Mexico seniors – to “wither on the vine.” [CBPP 3/20/12, Census, accessed on 3/20/12; CBPP 12/21/11; KFF, accessed on 3/21/12; NCPSSM, 3/20/12 via Democratic Policy and Communications Center,3/22/12]
For New Mexico Seniors, Republican Budget Will Increase Out of Pocket Costs By As Much As $5,900 Per Senior. The Republican budget would cap these vouchers for individuals at growth levels that are lower than the existing increases in health care costs. In other words, seniors could be forced to pay higher premiums in order to access the same benefits they would receive under the current system. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the plan could increase out of pocket costs by $5,900 and lead to diminished access to quality care. [CBO, 3/20/12; CBPP, 12/21/11; CAP, 3/20/12 via Democratic Policy and Communications Center,3/22/12]
Republican Budget Will Force 27,023 New Mexico Seniors Back Into the Prescription Drug “Donut Hole.” The Republican budget would “re-open” the prescription drug donut hole and cost the average senior who falls into the donut hole approximately $11,794 between 2012 and 2020. The “donut hole” forces seniors to pay the full cost of their prescription drugs after their yearly drug expenses exceed $2,840, and full coverage doesn’t resume until total drug spending hits $6,447 for the year. Since health reform was signed into law, 27,023 New Mexico seniors saved $14,727,323.14 on prescription drugs. [HHS, 3/19/12; State level data compiled by HHS, 3/20/12 via Democratic Policy and Communications Center,3/22/12]
Budget Would Cut Taxes for the Wealthy and Raise Taxes on the Middle Class. According to the Center for American Progress, “Hidden in the document released today by House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) is a proposal to cut taxes for the wealthy and raise taxes for the middle class. Nowhere in the document does it spell that out. But it’s a matter of simple math. Any tax plan that purports to hold revenues steady while massively cutting taxes for the rich must make up the lost revenue by raising taxes on people who are not rich… The result would be a massive tax shift from the wealthy to the middle class, accelerating the income inequality that plagues our economy.” [Center for American Progress, 3/20/12]
Budget Would Slash Investments in Education, Pell Grants. According to the Center for American Progress, the House Republican budget slashes investments in education, infrastructure, and basic research, all of which are key drivers of economic growth and mobility. The budget slashes the Pell Grant program, which would deprive thousands of Americans access to college based on a misunderstanding of academic scholarship. The House budget plan proposes to cut Pell funding and refocus the program on “truly needy” students. [Center for American Progress, 3/21/12]
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Faces of Change: Free Screenings Saving Lives
WOMEN AND HEALTH REFORM
20.4 million women with private insurance now can soon get free preventive care. That means they can get life-saving cancer screenings like mammograms and can have their contraception covered without paying a co-pay or deductible. They’re living healthier lives while saving money at the same time.
Click on the photo to watch the video:
STATEMENT: RNC Chair Uses New Mexico Radio Appearance to Make False Claims About Obama's Record
Democratic Party of New Mexico (DPNM) Chairman Javier Gonzales Responds to Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus’s False Attacks on New Mexico Radio This Morning
March 20, 2012
For Immediate Release
Contact: Matt Ross; (505) 263-4879
Albuquerque, NM – Democratic Party of New Mexico (DPNM) Chairman Javier Gonzales today released the following statement in response to Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus’s false attacks on President Obama’s “all-of-the-above” energy strategy during an interview this morning on “News New Mexico”:
“This morning, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus falsely claimed that the President has ‘done absolutely nothing to get ourselves closer to being energy independent.’ Nothing could be further from the truth.”
“The President is focused on an all-of-the-above strategy to develop all of America’s natural resources – domestic oil, gas, wind, solar and biofuels – and encouraging fuel efficiency so that we can reduce our dependency on foreign oil over time. Oil and gas development has increased every year of the Obama administration and domestic oil production is now at an eight-year high – and our dependence on foreign oil is now at a 16-year low.
“President Obama’s all-of-the-above energy strategy is reducing our dependence on foreign oil and helping families save at the pump. He knows that rising gas prices are hitting families hard. As long as America has been dependent on foreign oil, consumers have been subjected to unpredictable price swings at the pump.”
“While the President is helping families save money at the pump, Mitt Romney is proposing the opposite. As governor, Romney increased a tax on gas by 400 percent and he opposes increasing fuel-efficiency standards that are helping hardworking New Mexico families get relief right away. Instead of spreading falsehoods, Chairman Priebus should look at the facts and scrutinize his own Republican presidential frontrunner’s record.”
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RELEASE: Wilson Plays Politics with GOP Budget Cuts; Was Silent on Ryan Budget
RELEASE: Wilson Plays Politics with GOP Budget Cuts; Was Silent on Ryan Budget
Refused to speak out against budget that would cut LANL 17%
For Immediate Release
March 14, 2012
Contact: Matt Ross (505) 263-4879
Albuquerque, NM - Rather than take a look in the mirror and at the leaders in her own party, Heather Wilson is doing what Washington politicians do best – finding someone else to blame. Wilson’s town hall this afternoon in Los Alamos will be a textbook display of politics at its worst – a pandering politician trying desperately to blame everyone but her own party for the proposed budget cuts at Los Alamos National Labs.
But one look at Congress today makes it clear she is living a lie: It was Republican demands for cuts during last summer’s debt ceiling negotiations that brought us to this point. And if Wilson and her Republican colleagues get their way, their philosophy of refusing to ask the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share will make more cuts in the future inevitable.
But Wilson doesn’t want to talk about that. Instead, Wilson will blame anyone she can, from President Obama to Senators Bingaman and Udall to Congressmen Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan – and she’ll do it because she knows how unpopular her own Party’s beliefs really are, and how badly this election will go for her if people find out what kind of massive cuts she has in mind for the future.
“When will Heather Wilson realize that her Party’s spending cuts are resulting in job losses here in New Mexico?” asked Javier Gonzales, the Chairman, DPNM. “Wilson is launching baseless, partisan attacks that ignore her Party’s record, and that’s a shame. If she had the courage to hold her fellow Republican’s accountable, we might not be in this situation at all.”
Wilson, who spends half her time demanding that Government spend less money and the other half complaining when her Party’s cuts hit New Mexico, was also shamefully silent in her defense of Los Alamos National Labs when Paul Ryan proposed a budget that slashed its funding by 17 percent, an even steeper cut than LANL faces now. She was asked time and time again, and given every opportunity to take a stand for the Labs when the Representative from Wisconsin was trying to shut down almost 20% of their funding – but she refused to stand against the popular view within her own Party.
In addition, Wilson, along with virtually every Republican running for office this cycle, has signed onto the Cut, Cap and Balance Pledge, a reckless plan that experts say could cost the economy 700,000 jobs. Clearly, Wilson and her fellow Republicans are more interested in pandering to the Tea Party than protecting jobs.
“The fact is, it was Democrats who fought spending cuts because drastic spending cuts can decimate communities like Los Alamos, Espanola, Taos and Chama,” added Chairman Gonzales. “If Republicans like Heather Wilson have their way, more cuts and more job losses that would prove devastating for New Mexico’s economy are sadly inevitable.”
“The idea that you can cut taxes on the richest 1% of this country and hand out billions of dollars a year in corporate subsidies and tax breaks for Wall Street and at the same time never have to make any cuts is the fundamental fallacy of the Republican Party. Wilson is being dishonest and cynical when she and her Party stubbornly demand cuts in spending and then hit the campaign trail to complain about those very same cuts.”
Wilson's Town Hall is Wednesday at the Best Western Hilltop Hotel in Los Alamos at 4:30pm.
NOTE: See the original release from DPNM in on Wilson's repeated refusal to take a stand on the Ryan budget here.
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DPNM Pre-Primary Convention an Overwhelming Display of Democratic Grassroots Enthusiasm
DPNM Pre-Primary Convention an Overwhelming Display of Democratic Grassroots Enthusiasm
3,000+ leave Convention Center ready to go to work on behalf of Democratic Candidates in all 33 Counties
For Immediate Release
March 10, 2012 Contact: Matt Ross (505) 263-4879
Albuquerque, NM – Today in Albuquerque more than 3,000 Democrats came together to celebrate an incredibly deep and talented slate of candidates and prepare to do the hard work necessary to re-elect President Obama, send a Democrat to the Senate to fill Jeff Bingaman’s shoes, hold onto our Congressional districts and give Steve Pearce a run for his money this November.
Candidates were campaigning for the votes of delegates elected at the county level from every corner of the state. A candidate needs at least a 20% share of the delegate count to get one the ballot – or face the prospect of having to collect additional petition signatures to qualify. Winners in each race also determine ballot order in the June primary election. On the ballot at the convention were candidates for the US Senate, the US House of Representatives in all three districts, and the New Mexico Court of Appeals. Results were as follows:
US Senate:
Martin Heinrich – 54.77%
Hector Balderas – 45.23%
CD-1:
Eric Griego – 40.72%
Marty Chavez – 33.33%
Michelle Lujan Grisham – 25.94%
CD-2:
Evelyn Madrid Erhard – 87.9%
Frank McKinnon – 12.1%
CD-3:
Ben Ray Lujan – 91.91%
Harry Montoya – 8.09%
Court of Appeals:
Monica Zamora – 62.65%
Victor Lopez – 37.35%
Upon adjourning the convention, Chairman Javier M. Gonzales, DPNM, said, “It’s clear from the excitement in this room today that New Mexico Democrats are fired up for 2012 and ready to take the fight to Republicans in every county in the state. GOP enthusiasm – especially at the presidential level – is at an all-time low. Meanwhile, after two straight years of jobs growth nationally and candidates who are exciting and passionate examples of Democratic values here in New Mexico, the ever-critical election year momentum is undeniable.”
He added, “And our candidates are perfectly poised to capture the enthusiasm that electrified the room today. Every single one of them showed they had the organizational chops to run smart, effective campaigns that are ready and able to win in November. Today was a great day to be a Democrat in New Mexico.”
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ICYMI: 8 Months Before November Election, NM GOP in Civil War
In Case You Missed It...the New Mexico Republican Party and their very own Governor Susana Martinez are in the midst of a very public Civil War.
We already knew Susana likes to have things her way. She's shown she's incapable of working across the aisle. Now it's clear she just can't take anyone disagreeing with her even within her own Party.
This story is just beginning, and you can expect the GOP's un-Civil War to last well into 2012 and beyond. Get the inside scoop from NM's Joe Monahan below:
Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - http://joemonahansnewmexico.blogspot.com/
GOP State Senate Intrigue: Team Susana Seen Hatching Plot To Oust Their Senate Leader
Martinez vs. Ingle
More today on the the dark twist the Governor's relationship has taken with some state Senators of her own party and also the travails of her chief of staff--Keith Gardner--in dealing with the chamber.
Today we have a report from a former Republican lawmaker still in contact with his Santa Fe colleagues who sheds light on how the power playing in your government is taking shape. And we add how the Governor's political machine appears to be taking on members of her own party as it seeks to oust the Senate minority leader. First, our politico:
Friends say Senator Clint Harden is leaving because the Guv found someone to run against him. One reason seems to be his friendship with Senate Minority Leader Stuart Ingle who (Martinez chief political adviser) Jay McCleskey wants out of that position. Two R's who had other candidates to replace Harden were told to butt out unless they wanted to get on the wrong side of the Guv and that a final choice had been made (A niece of GOP Public Regulation Commission Chairman Pat Lyons, Angie Spears, is the GOP Senate candidate favored to replace Harden in the east side seat).
Guv Chief of Staff Keith Gardner is persona non grata in the Senate except for a few on the Guv's side. His bullying this last legislative session was the last straw and they will never let it happen again.
McCleskey is said to have told Republican Senators that he will target R's who side with those not succumbing to the Guv. That caused two previous supporters of the Guv to tell her that she may be high in the polls, but you're the lowest you can get in the Senate. Republican Senators can't remember anyone from their own party ever informing them that members of their own caucus were being targeted. They expect more Senators to leave because of threats and future disruption of legislative process..
Another GOP Senator leaving this cycle is Vern Asbill of Carlsbad and ABQ's Mark Boitano announced this week he is retiring. There are a total of five Senators who have announced they are departing so far--not the four we initially blogged Tuesday. The two Dems are Feldman and Griego.
Senate candidates have until March 20 to file their required petition signatures.
MINORITY LEADER WHO?
There were rumblings that Sen. Ingle, in the Senate game since '85, could draw a GOP challenger drafted by the Guv's operatives but the talk has since died down. If our former GOP Senator turned Alligator has it right, the play could be to try to round up enough votes to vote Ingle out as minority leader. Let's go behind the curtain and once again to the top sources in state politics and outline what may be McCleskey's strategy on behalf of Susana...
First, the Guv sees Ingle as too willing to work with the likes of veteran Dem Senator Tim Jennings and not pushing hard enough for her agenda. They don't like the institutional independence that Ingle has shown. That is the premise for dethroning him. Insiders say it will take only eight Republican votes to topple Ingle.
If SusanaPAC flush with cash comes out strong for the winning GOP candidates in the three state Senate seats that will switch hands because of retirements, we assume the Guv will have their votes for a new leader. That's only five to go. Senators Rod Adair and John Ryan are seen as easy anti-Ingle votes. Now we need only three to get a more Susana friendly GOP leader. And there are lots of easy pickings.
Ousting one of your own is a brutal business but Susana's strategy is to have her team be more hard-hitting with the majority Senate Dems. But going after your own is never without consequence. Fielding a strong GOP opponent against Ingle could make the Republican natives restless. (There was political gossip about having State Rep. Dennis Kintigh mounting a challenge to Ingle, but nothing came of it.)
Taking the leadership post away from Ingle, but not his seat would be the safe way. So far, that seems to be the play and if the vote count above is right, there is no need for Susana to provoke a bloody, cannibalistic and intramural feud over Ingle. Like Caesar, the killing can take place on the floor of the Senate.
And if you noted that the three retiring Senators and Ingle can be described as easier going conservatives with some moderate leanings, you had it right. Compromise and working across the aisle are dirty phrases in gridlocked Santa Fe. With Susana and company seeking retribution for those who cross the line, don't look for a new mood swing anytime soon.