New Mexico Mayor David Lansford's Obama Remarks Lead City Official To Resign, Consider Recall Effort

A city official in Clovis, New Mexico resigned Wednesday, citing incendiary comments made by the city's mayor about President Barack Obama.

Brent "Bud" DaBell, a local realtor who worked for Clovis' Planning and Zoning Commission, said he was considering pursuing a recall of Mayor David Lansford, who called Obama "the carnal manifestation of evil."

"Any belief that Mayor Lansford's position will not be a tipping point in future endeavors and government funding for Clovis ... can be nothing but naive," DaBell wrote in his letter of resignation, obtained by the Clovis News Journal. "I feel that my time can be spent more productively serving the city of Clovis by looking into the possibility of a recall election."

Lansford recently returned to the Clovis mayorship after a four-year break from city government. He was elected earlier this month in a landslide over incumbent Mayor Gayla Brumfield, marking his fourth term as mayor of the New Mexico city.

His re-election came just days after local news outlet KOB reported Lansford's affiliation with ATLAH Media Network, a New York-based religious and political group that holds controversial views on the president. Lansford reportedly traveled to New York for the group's mock trial of Obama for treason.

"It's a fact that the president's father was not an American citizen," Lansford told KOB. "He's not a natural born citizen."

The mayor also wrote several articles for ATLAH's website during his hiatus from Clovis' government. The articles outline some of Lansford's conspiracy theories about the president, including speculation that the CIA recruited Obama while he was a student at Occidental College.

"His background, language skills and physical characteristics made him ideal for the objectives of the CIA and it's [sic] role during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan," wrote Lansford. "The CIA trained and equipped Obama to use whatever means necessary to achieve the desired outcome. Obama was tasked with providing arms, logistics and money to the Taliban."

DaBell, the resigning city official, has yet to start a recall effort, but others in Clovis are already supporting the proposed movement. Bobby Sandoval, a city commissioner, said he planned to demand that Lansford sever his ties with ATLAH.

"I believe that the present mayor is putting us in jeopardy of losing state and federal funds because of his personal beliefs," he said, adding that he would support any recall effort.

Comments

[MarsAmbassador]

04:15 PM on 03/22/2012

"His background, language skills and physical characteristics made him ideal for the objectives of the CIA and it's [sic] role during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan," wrote Lansford. "The CIA trained and equipped Obama to use whatever means necessary to achieve the desired outcome. Obama was tasked with providing arms, logistics and money to the Taliban."

Uh...that was OSAMA, not Obama...

[MarsAmbassador]

04:08 PM on 03/22/2012

""It's a fact that the president's father was not an American citizen," Lansford told KOB. "He's not a natural born citizen.""

Uh...but his mother IS a natural born citizen, so his father could be from my hometown and President Obama would still be a natural born citizen. NEXT!

[Bud DaBell]

08:57 AM on 03/20/2012

http://atlah.org/2012/03/19/the-first-elected-official-to-convict-obama/

The above link is to a video of ATLAH's James David Manning praising David Lansford for becoming "the first elected official to convict Obama." The association continues at the expense of Clovis, NM. A recall election would be devasting to our community and would further divide our citizens. David Lansford should not be allowed to use our office of mayor to to further his radical platform. David Lansford's loyalties are either with ATLAH and James Manning or with Clovis, NM. It is time for him to decide.

[YankeeCanuck]

02:14 PM on 03/20/2012

That clip is deeply weird. An African American preacher on the side of birthers.
Even if Lansford claims he is with the people of Clovis, he is with a fringe group that is on the path of treason. He does not need this group to mis-use his office. He has already done that.

[WarriorLemming]

03:37 PM on 03/19/2012

The Repug/bagger Party is thick with this scum--this magical thinking by the extremist right wingnuts is just as much of a threat to our country as any terrorist. Maybe even more so because they are 'among us acting as one of us' and getting elected to various official positions of power.

[prdamericanmom]

03:10 PM on 03/19/2012

I think that ANYONE who runs for office, no matter how big or small the role, MUST have a full psychological evaluation before being allowed. Period. Seriously, all of these cockamamie stories that have surrounded our President since the last election should be proof enough.

[George Global]

02:54 PM on 03/19/2012

"Carnal" means sensual, voluptuous, etc...
Seems like somebody has a crush on Mr President!

[WarriorLemming]

03:38 PM on 03/19/2012

haha, good read between the lines there, George (love your avvy ;)

[Max Gear]

01:29 PM on 03/19/2012

I find myself more after reading articles or hearing about a certain issue in the media, digging further to try and understand the bigger picture. Partly to make sure I haven't been snowed by a one-sided view, but also to be able to speak intelligently on the subject should it come up amongst colleagues or friends. Having said that, I went to "ATLAH's" website and was surprised to find that the founder is an African-American, Dr. James David Manning, who has a strange view of the world! For example he believes that the hand of GOD began the TEA Party, and he evokes their name in the same sentence with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.! (see link below) As an African-American, that borders on blasphemy! My point is this. Mayor Lansford is not the root of the problem; he is just a branch of the tree. In order to affect people and organizations such as this, you need to get at the roots. Several people advertise on the ATLAH website, which is probably random depending on who their web service is through. But, I bet if they knew, they wouldn't advertise, thus killing the roots; and ATLAH appears ONLY to be online...just sayin'!!!
http://atlah.org/2012/03/15/the-tea-party-missed-a-dr-king-moment/

[JRCNSSWV]

12:28 PM on 03/19/2012

Hate, hate, and more hate, from people elected to postions where more responsibility should be shown, and less personal hatreds should be illuminated.

Put down Clovis, NM as a city never to spend one thin dime in.

[AirForceWx1701]

10:29 AM on 03/20/2012

I'm stationed here, I HAVE to unfortunately. Thanks, Air Force. But really, this place sucked before, it's a bleak, ugly backwater, so having such an ugly, ignorant leader is only fitting for such a place. I hope they close the base here, it's a giant waste of federal money one way or the other.

[zachari21]

03:34 PM on 03/21/2012

Says the guy using Beavis as his pic. With such intelligent Air Force personnel such as you I hope they close the base in Clovis too. Maybe it will improve the breeding pool around there to not have ignorant base apes knocking up all the 16 year old's then leaving.

[B4SHA]

12:54 AM on 04/09/2012

We don't want your dime...so just keep on moving

[American Person]

12:10 PM on 03/19/2012

I guess Mr. Lansford feels like hate is a terrible thing to waste!

[lifelongdemo]

11:23 AM on 03/19/2012

Unless this hatred is stopped, we are headed for trouble. I have never heard such openly bias, racist, disrespectfully insults. I was going to say since the civil rights marches. But then they weren't directed as much toward the President and other Americans in general. This is disgusting. But how are we going to set things on a different course?

[skeehanson5990]

10:10 PM on 03/20/2012

We have an election coming up.

[B4SHA]

01:05 AM on 04/09/2012

Well let's see .maybe get a new president...that would be good for starters

[Joe H Woods Menefee]

10:57 AM on 03/19/2012

Electing a black president has cause folks to lose their minds. What else crazy will they come up with??!! Appears the sky is the limits.

[MarianneEvans11]

12:15 PM on 03/19/2012

I predict that all this is being done NOW because many people are concerned that following Barack Obama will be the Rev. Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson. And, Gosh what would we do then? President Obama is handling all of the criticsm much better than any other President in history! Considering most of the criticism is coming from the Right and all the holding up os getting anything accomplished during his presidency is also coming from Republicans. I dare say "pay backs are a B- - - ch! And when it comes around to that time, I will be there to give back what they gave to President Obama.
Sign me, a grandmother of 5 grandsons, white Anglo-Saxon and a Republican!

[FakeAlvin]

03:38 PM on 03/19/2012

Actually, the possibility to have a black president caused folks to lose their minds. They can't see the TRUTH that Mr. Obama is a FRAUD.
I dare you. Look at the online birth certificate:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/04/27/president-obamas-long-form-birth-certificate
Zoom in and look at the Smiley Face on the "A" of "Alvin" on the bottom and try to explain how that's a valid document when FactCheck.org has the same signature WITHOUT the smiley face!
Then you can see the "serial number" that is of different shades, proving it was pasted together.

[Sophist FCD]

08:48 PM on 03/19/2012

Oh god, you're one of the "smiley face" people. You guys are hilarious. Pareidolia -- look into it.

[tim33ny]

01:17 PM on 03/20/2012

Yeah! And here's an idea....lets dedicate every waking moment of our lives to proving Obama is a fraud, and not an actual citizen. This is so important, we need to make it our only focus, the only thing we do, from here on....starting now. GO! And let me know how that works out.

[Sammmo]

10:46 AM on 03/19/2012

Another ignorant american , this guy is............

[sweetlilthing]

10:01 AM on 03/19/2012

We have work to do to return reason to the country. These can not be the people who represent us. Not one of theses wacky ideas were uttered pior to election. I'm sure voters thought they were getting fiscal conservatives not wacked out religious nutjobs.

[ShinjiIkari]

09:33 AM on 03/19/2012

It's called the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, you guys. As public servants you've sworn at some point to uphold, protect and defend the Constitution, which includes all of its amendments. If you don't get that, resign and find work in the private sector--you know, the place where the "job creators" live; have them create one for you and leave us Americans alone.

[Doug MacKenzie]

09:16 AM on 03/19/2012

I'm beginning to think too many people are spending way too much time in the hot southwestern sun. It's evident the convolutions in their dura matter are disappearing. This is why sunscreen is so important.

[Mabeline]

11:29 AM on 03/19/2012

LOL while I F&F...Thank you for that...

[Tanya OaksBrooks]

03:36 PM on 03/19/2012

Or in their case, a big aluminum foil hat.