Hold your horses Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce. Pete Domenici isn't ready for the rocker. In fact, he may take a look at an unprecedented seventh, six year term in the U.S. Senate. Pete told the AP's Leslie Hoffman at the GOP Convention recently in NYC: "Some mornings, I wake up and I've got no energy. Other mornings, I wake up and I'm full of it. We'll let the next election rest on that."

Two years ago Pete won big but said it was his last time around the track. Maybe he doesn't like the way apparent lame-ducks are treated. Whatever the case, Domenici, already the longest serving Senator In NM history, could put a lot of career plans on hold,, including Wilson's and Pearce's, on if he decides to try for yet another six years. Barring severe illness, the odds on his defeat are about the same as the Swiftboat Veterans endorsing Kerry.

CAN WE POLL THE POLLS?

You may not need a poll to know where Domenici stands, but you sure do when it comes to the Prez race in our fair Land of Enchantment. Trouble is, the polls are starting to walk all over each other, with the Zogby Interactive Poll now giving Kerry a nearly ten point lead, (53.6 to 44%) Veteran Journal pollster Brian Sanderoff giving the Prez a two point edge here. The polls were taken in and around the GOP convention. So what's a political junkie to do? How about looking at the "right track, wrong track" question?


Interestingly, that's where the two polls agree New Mexicans have a gloomy outlook on the future. Zogby and Sanderoff say most of those polled see the country as on the wrong track, with Zogby saying 56% see it that way and Sanderoff putting it at 45%, with just 39% saying things are OK. Many political pros see that as a key question and why those writing off Kerry may be counting their polls before they hatch.

STAGE FIGHT: TAKE THREE

Patsy wasn't kept off the stage at the recent Las Cruces visit of VP candidate John Edwards. She kept herself off the stage. At least that's the spin from friends of the Attorney General and arch-rival of Big Bill. We reported that insiders claimed the Big Guy said Patsy was not welcome in the limelight because of their recent tiff over the purchase of a state airplane. But Patsy's patsies say she voluntarily stayed away knowing her presence might set off another round in the ongoing battle. "We hope it will quiet down for a while now," said one Patsy admirer. Quiet down? Are they trying to punish us?

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2004
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