Desperate to end infighting that threatens a Bush re-election victory in NM, sources close to the White House tell me that Lou Gallegos, former Gov. Johnson Chief of Staff and right-hand fireman to Senator Domenici for over 25 years, may be brought in to extinguish the blaze that has engulfed the party. Under this scenario, Gallegos would be tapped to be the executive director of the Bush re-elect drive in the state and responsible for dealing everyone in. But the Dendahl faction is pushing for GOP consultant Jay McCleskey to get the job, even though McCleskey is coming off a losing city campaign for which he took heat for going too negative on behalf of the Citizens for Greater ABQ (CGA). As word spread that ousted former GOP Chair John Dendahl and other prominent GOP'ers were invited to a strategy session with Bush General Chair Marc Racicot Monday, but current GOP Chair Ramsay Gorham was excluded, (our exclusive, full story is just below) Republican elders looked for a way out.
Said one: "Both sides are out of control and the fight must stop. Lou Gallegos is respected by both factions, and he is the one able to end it." The bloodletting here has caught the eye of the White House and the Republican National Committee (RNC) which Gorham supporters see as being brainwashed by the Dendahl forces into believing she doesn't have the savvy to play presidential politics. But Gorham proponents continue to hammer Dendahl's faction as a bunch of "money-grabbers" who are upset that Ramsay has cut them out of lucrative consulting deals while she stems a flood of red ink at GOP Headquarters.
Another Republican who has seen it all told me: "Joe, this is one of the hottest party battles we've had. When Steve Bell, (Domenici Chief of Staff) publicly said there was a breach, but did not hold out an olive branch, Ramsay's supporters hit the roof. Now this meeting excluding her has turned this thing into a bonfire. They have to move Bell out and Lou in to protect the interests of the White House and Pete, and at the same time cut Ramsay into the action and put this thing behind us."
Ramsay is awaiting a phone confab with Republican National Committee Chair Ed Gillespie during which I am told she will tell him that the RNC must make clear to the Dendahlites that she is first in line on the re-elect. Said our source: "Ramsay is going to make it clear that it will not be possible to bring her into the fold, unless the Dendahl supporters are told that they have lost and she is preeminent. Once that is done we can deal." It was made clear to me that Ramsay CAN work with Gallegos.
Sources in Washington said late Monday the road map to peace is clear and that they believe the Gallegos compromise is the best bet; that Ramsay will be dealt in because her public withdrawal from the Bush effort would do incalculable damage with rank and file Republicans in New Mexico. "As the White House gathers intelligence it's becoming clear that continued warfare will endanger the President. The next stop after Gillespie is Karl Rove (White House political director). That's taking it too close to the President, so they are going to move this week to end it all."
As we have reported, presidential power politics isn't all about ideas. Consulting contracts, jobs and vendor business are all part of the big-time White House chase, and in a key swing state like ours a lot of money is going to be spent. But for Mr. Bush the treasure is New Mexico's five precious electoral votes, narrowly lost to Gore four years ago. They hang in the balance as the warfare here escalates and so may the Presidency of the United States.
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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2003
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