Here comes the judge(s) but when? New Mexico is short two federal judges and that's a lot in a state that deals with pressing federal issues like immigration. Our Legal Beagles are on the case. First, one of them comes with an update on why two federal bench seats are gathering dust:

Joe, Senators Udall and Heinrich and Rep. Pearce sent a letter to the President in May to recommend candidates for the two vacancies on the U.S. District Court for New Mexico. The White House moved forward with vetting two candidates - Mark Baker for the Albuquerque vacancy and Greg Wormuth for the Las Cruces vacancy. The vetting has been complete for a couple of months, but the president hasn't nominated either candidate.

There are only seven district court judges in New Mexico, so two vacancies is significant. And there's soon to be a third vacancy as Judge Judy Herrera submitted her intent to retire in mid-2019. The home state senators have a significant role in who the President nominates for these seats, as they have the power to block any nominee from Senate confirmation. Udall and Heinrich need to use their influence to get these vacancies filled. 

Okay, so maybe Udall, Heinrich and Pearce can speed up the process but another of our Legal Beagles points to the Trump White House as the main problem:

My guess for the continued vacancies is that the Trump White House is truly dysfunctional – White House Counsel Don McGahn recently left, his replacement is not yet in place, and multiple people in the WH are heading for the exits. It is difficult to get work done when everyone is looking over his shoulder and consumed with gossip.

I do not think there is a movement against Baker or Wormuth. I think the simplest explanation is the correct one – Trump is focused on Mueller, and the Senate is focused on getting home for the holidays.

The best strategy to get these two confirmed is for NM Chief Federal Judge Chip Johnson to start yelling that the NM District is on the verge of implosion (it has the busiest criminal docket in the country because of Indian Country [the name which the feds use to describe the sovereign nations], and because of the border [drug trafficking and immigration]. If Chip wants to play a card which will resonate with the President, he should say that national security is being adversely affected because of the judge vacancies.

Good explanations on what's going on. Now we wait and see if the caseload becomes an issue and Chief Judge Johnson starts waving the warning flags.

WHOSE SPACEPORT?

We called it Big Bill's NM Spaceport Monday and we still think he is the one who deserves the lion's share of the credit (or blame) for the facility near T or C. But John Garcia, who served in the cabinet of GOP Governor Gary Johnson, differs:

Joe, Maybe I read this wrong, but it was Gary Johnson who started the “Inland Spaceport” project when NASA put out bids for an inland spaceport, not Big Bill! I was at an event this weekend and from the podium they announced that Richardson started the Film incentives; not true, again it was Johnson. I’m waiting for the report that it was Big Bill Richardson who finally tracked down Billy the Kid…legend has it!

Both Bill and Gary are not known for their shyness in touting their accomplishments. Right now, though, they are waiting like the rest of us to see if the Spaceport will ultimately go in the accomplishment column or the one filled with duds.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2018