Monday, August 03, 2020Cabinet Fever: Now A VP Longshot, MLG "Expresses Interest" In Health Post, Plus: New Blog Feature: The Howie Watch For some of the long-shot (vice-presidential) candidates, talk has already turned to other potential roles in a Biden administration: Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, for instance, has expressed interest in the job of health and human services secretary, according to officials familiar with her thinking. One of our Senior Alligators broke that news back on May 6 and provided details. An excerpt: The real catch for MLG would be Secretary of the Health and Human Services Department. The position is a chance to hold the nation’s most important public health job. Public health is where she started and where she considers herself an expert. There’s a reason that Neera Tanden, former Clinton advisor and head of the liberal think tank Center for American Progress, came to New Mexico to visit MLG twice in 2019. It wasn’t to sample the chile. . . After basking in record oil and gas revenues, the next couple of years will undoubtedly be a slog through an economic nightmare. Similar to her approach to Congress, once MLG figured out she can’t bend the legislature to her will, the fight gets less appealing and it’s on to the next fight. For MLG, getting out of here doesn’t appear to be a difficult decision. As our Senior Gator noted the state's future prospects are dismal. And there's no questioning her passion for dealing with public health. Bringing that to the entire nation would seem irresistible.
Of course wanting it and getting it are two different things. There’s bound to be heated competition for all cabinet positions and any sore feelings MLG caused when she served in the US House are certain to surface as she vies for a post. Still those who competed for the vice presidency often do end up in the President’s cabinet.
Biden will pick his VP this month and if, as expected, MLG is not the choice, the cabinet speculation will go into a full gallop. Lt. Gov. Howie Morales, 47, will need a cardiologist between now and Election Night as he watches the Biden-Trump duel that could mean everything for the rest of his career. Whatever happens with MLG and Howie, you will likely hear it here first because, well, that's our shtick. THE HOWIE WATCH
Howie Watch is in effect until the Nov. 3 election or if Biden wins until the end of the year. It's a bit of deja vu, with Howie poised for the #1 slot if MLG departs as happened when Big Bill was Guv. In 2008 he was named Commerce Secretary by Obama and Lt. Gov. Denish was set to take over, until Bill had to withdraw because of a state financial scandal. Now onward with the watch: “Sami” Morales, a self-described activist for the millennial generation, says both sides of the story need to be told in regard to Lt. Gov. Morales’ request to remove the Chief Wahoo mascot from Howie Morales Stadium, home of the Cobre High Indians baseball team. “I feel like millennials are a generation that is ignored,” Sami said. She is a 2014 graduate of Cobre High School and says she does not agree with Morales. The Lt. Gov. is requesting the high school baseball mascot of Chief Wahoo be removed from the signage at Rominger Field where the stadium bears his name. The cartoon caricature of Chief Wahoo was adopted as a mascot by Cobre High Indians baseball program in the 1960s. Morales coached and headed the Cobre baseball program through the 2000s. Sounds like the Light Guv's effort to romance the progressive wing of his party fell a bit flat down in Bayard. The difference is it gets noticed. That happens when the fates of La Politica position you for the highest rungs on the ladder. That's Howie Watch. We now return to our regular programming. Speaking of programming, the June Nielsen radio ratings for the ABQ metro boosts public radio station and our longtime Election Night home, KANW 89. 1 FM. The ratings measured listeners from 6 a.m. to midnight aged 12 and over. They had the station scoring a 5.3 share to take third place. KANW's NM Spanish music format has been a popular favorite for years. And talker KKOB 96.3 FM is finally returning to the winner's circle. Like KANW, they had some help from a TV ad campaign and finished in the top spot with a 6.2 share. The ABQ metro ranks 69th in size among the nation's 263 markets. This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail your news and comments. (newsguy@yahoo.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here.   (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2020 |
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