Former Bernalillo County Commissioner Les Houston, hanging out at the Barelas Cafe on 4th street, comes up with this one:

"The big question in California is: What does Arnold Schwarzenegger know.........and when's he going to know it?"

Houston stopped by our burrito laden table and laid a couple of other ribald ones on us that we're sure the Kentucky native will pass on to you when you run into him. Houston is one of the more colorful political personalities in recent NM history.

To say his political career was volatile is an understatement. He was a Democrat for the longest time, seeking the Lt. Governor nomination back in the 70's and then the Dem gubernatorial nod in '82. He went to the State Senate from Bernalillo County and ran for the GOP nomination for governor in 1990.

In the late 1980's, as a GOP'er, he joined forces with Democratic Senator Manny in a bizarre coalition that had them sharing the title of Senate President Pro Tem. The State Supreme Court threw out the arrangment and retired what I had dubbed: "Manny Houston."

History has repeated itself with Richard Romero winning the title with the help of Republicans. And, like Les Houston, Romero at one time was a member of the opposite party; in Richard's case the Republicans. And, again, like Les, Romero has had to contend with Senator Manny.

Who said: " The more things change, the more they stay the same?"

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