KING
They were starting to fall asleep down south. The Pearce-King congressional duel has so far been a recipe for Sominex with the incumbent lying low and the challenger unable to awaken anyone from their slumber. But now.....

Incumbent Steve Pearce's stiff-arm to Dem Gary King when it comes to televised debates in the southern NM congressional district has raised a few eyebrows among the alligators.

"I wonder how far Steve thinks he is ahead of Gary in order to completely rule out TV debates?" Wondered one.

Another comment: "King might finally be able to break through on this one, but he will need to take it to paid TV and raise hell. Otherwise, it could very well die." said an ABQ based R.

"Where's (Dem Party Chair) John Wertheim? He needs to help Gary get Steve out of his foxhole," offered yet another alligator.

Neither King or Pearce have yet hit the airwaves with paid media but it's safe to say King will trot out the old "empty chair" spot if Pearce continues to refuse a TV match-up (And no, debates not on TV don't count)

TO TUBE OR NOT TO

Pearce, seeking a second term in D.C., is following in the footsteps of his predecessor, the late Congressman Skeen, who traditionally refused to debate his Dem opponents. But Pearce is a relative newcomer and insiders say the media organizations that offered a big TV debate in Las Cruces are hopping mad about Steve's refusal. Is it worth the media grief just to stay off TV with King for an hour in a race you lead big?

Most campaigns ahead in the polls give in and allow at least one TV debate with their opponent, taking the issue off the table. By keeping it on the table, Pearce may actually generate some interest in the contest, not something an incumbent usually seeks.

MOPPING UP--DOWNTOWN STYLE

As we have to say often when reporting on NM politics: Folks, we don't make this stuff up. For example, a quote reported by the ABQ Trib's Ed Asher on the worthiness of efforts by the ABQ Downtown Action Team charged with reviving the economy in the city's core.

Nick Manole, owner of Nick's Crossroads Cafe, said of the Downtown Team: "When we come into work in the morning and find that someone coming out of the bars last night has puked in our doorway, all we have to do is call them, and they'll come and clean it up."

Downtown businesses are billed 600 grand a year to stimulate growth downtown. Who would not want to locate a business in an area that gets its "puke" cleaned up every morning? Beats me. Only in New Mexico!

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2004
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