Rep. Ponce
A State House contest down in Chaves County may become a test of strength between Big Bill and his chief political rival, Attorney General Patsy Madrid. The seat in question is Democrat Pauline Ponce's, the two term State Rep who crossed swords with the Guv over his food tax repeal. She voted against it, and the relationship has been downhill ever since.

Now, intrigue is developing with politicos in the area saying they see a possible move by the forces of Big Bill against Pauline and Democratic AG Madrid coming to her aid. Seems it's not just the GOP that is having it's intraparty squabbles.

In any event, I asked Ponce if she had heard of a possible move against her and she curtly replied: "Could be." She detailed how she successfully kept a fellow Dem off of the ballot in the recent primary by challenging his petition signatures. Now, that Dem, public school teacher Pablo Martinez, could be the vehicle to undo Ponce, according to sources in Santa Fe and Roswell.

"Martinez may run as a write-in candidate, splitting the vote with Pauline and allowing the Republican to take the seat," reported one source. That Republican is Candy Spence Ezzell.

AG Madrid
This scuttlebutt is apparently not setting well with AG Madrid, who sees a fellow Hispanic female Democrat under fire and may come to her aid. Meanwhile, questions arise whether financial resources from Big Bill's PAC, Moving America forward, which is designed to help Hispanics in political office, would be devoted to a write-in candidacy by Martinez. Also, would it be worth it to turn the seat over to the R's just because of Ponce's alleged disloyalty to the Guv? After, all Democrats are an endangered species in Chaves County and having any is a bonus.

Madrid has been fearless in her battles with Big Bill. She was elected on her own and is eyeing her own political future. The first clue of a possible Bill-Patsy duel will come August 31, the deadline for Martinez to file as a write-in candidate. Stay tuned.

THE COCAINE BLUES

I want to update the Bernalillo County District Court cocaine scandal because the latest developmentsdid not receive wide media coverage, a question that deserves a report all its own. But the Judicial Standards Commission has agreed to look at the claims contained in that 1998 report to the NM Department of Public Safety alleging coke use by four district court judges, including the arrested Judge John Brennan, plus an assortment of defense attorneys.

Also, the State Supreme's issued a statement saying they will "rule on complaints" resulting from the report. Big Bill earlier weighed in that the whole mess deserved an investigation.Some are trying to shoot down the 98' report, with Brennan's lawyer, Tim Padilla, calling it "crap"." Some crap, Tim. Your client was named in that report and he was arrested for coke possession and has checked into rehab. So far, this "unverified" information has a 100% accuracy rating.

The powers-that-be in the matter are saying the right things, after an outpouring of outrage from a variety of quarters. The question remains if the probe will be cursory or hard hitting. Certainly, restoring confidence in NM's judicial system is at stake. Unless, of course, you happen to be a judge at the district court where new presiding Judge William Lang brushed off the whole matter and said concerned citizens should file complaints with the state commission. What ever happened to cleaning up your own house?

The Supreme's indicated court actions could come out of this before it's over. Defendants could question whether they received fair treatment from judges who may have been violating the very laws they were sentencing others to prison for.

Surely, this is one of the saddest episodes in NM judicial history. But light of day has always been the antiseptic for any government wrongdoing. Why should the cocaine scandal be any different?

Thanks for the ton of e mail on the scandal. I will try to post some of it this week.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2004
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