Karl Rove
Republican sources say the high-stakes battle over presidential power politics in New Mexico now has the full attention of the White House and GOP National Committee operatives and that "a truce is in the works." One operative close to the battle told me: "Five or six high-ranking Republicans outside New Mexico are making the phone calls to both sides, and I think in a few days this thing will be settled." I asked if any of those involved were from the White House and was told: "Yes." How do I spell K-A-R-L R-O-V-E? Yup. Him. He's the man, who along with John Dendahl, got John Sanchez to run against Big Bill and who presides over the Prez's political operation.

And why not Rove or a near-equal? New Mexico's five critical Electoral College votes could sway the outcome of the U.S. Presidential contest, and unless the infighting between GOP State Chair Ramsay Gorham, ousted Chairman John Dendahl and Senator Pete Domenici is ended, the Presidency could be lost. The stakes don't get any higher.

The "Gallegos Compromise," as I am dubbing it, is alive and well, according to sources. Said one: "Lou has done it all in politics and if he is appointed executive director for Bush in NM all sides to this bloody battle will be happy. "It's the smart thing to do, and usually people do the smart thing." A big factor working in Gorham's favor is the perception of regular Republicans that "outsiders" could be trying to dictate how New Mexicans should participate in the presidential election. A respected local voice who is not seen as a puppet would address that concern.

Meanwhile, Ramsay will up her public profile and take the "high road" in her effort to shore-up support of the Republican rank and file and show Senator Pete there is no hard feelings and also to show the Dendahl/Barnett/Adair forces she will not, as her supporters put it, rise to the bait. Her camp is determined, however, to send a message to the Dendahlites that if it is continued war they want, it is war they will get. Meanwhile, Domenici Chief of Staff Steve Bell was pushing buttons again late Monday making remarks that were interpreted by Gorham's camp as condescending. "Bell is playing with fire. I think Pete needs to put him back on his leash and let's get this thing done. There is no long-term threat to the Pete-Ramsay relationship, but Bell piling on has not helped. He is a brilliant guy. But he is not a public guy and he is not a diplomat," said one Gorham ally.

Also Tuesday, a spokesman for Gorham told me she "did not have a chance to connect" with Republican National Committee Chair Ed Gillespie. Monday I was told a phone meeting was being pursued. Maybe both sides at this delicate stage are like lawyers: neither wants to ask questions they don't already know the answers to.

The tell-tale sign will be the Bush executive director job. From the Dendahl faction young and aggressive Jay McCleskey is on the short list, but unacceptable to the Gorham camp. Former Gov. Johnson's favored PR man, Doug Turner, is Ramsay's choice, and above them towers the veteran Gallegos who can deal with both camps. It seems obvious that Gallegos, or a similar figure, is the way out of the mess. But egos need to be massaged at this point and Gorham wants assurances that any peacemakers tell the ousted Dendahlites to cool it, that she is the Chair and she needs to be dealt in.

Wild rumors have circulated that Pete would go toe-to-toe with Ramsay and move for her ouster. No one is taking that seriously, and equally bizarre rumors of having the State Central Committee meet to oust her can be readily dismissed as emotion driven. Pete was wounded by the closeness of the Permanent Fund election in September, a measure he supported and Ramsay opposed. And an additional wound was administered when the wife of his campaign manager lost her fundraising contract under Gorham. His support of moving the Bush re-elect away from Ramsay is seen by observers close to the battle as more of his long-established desire to control the party, not a lashing out personally at Gorham. One operative told me: "I think what happened here is that the RNC and Pete expected Ramsay to simply accept whatever was laid out. They did not account for her suspicion that Dendahl was behind it all and trying to pull off a coup. Whether that is true or not is incidental, but I don't think it was presented to her in the proper way."

On the other side of the coin a longtime associate of Dendahl let loose to me: "Ramsay has had huge turnover in the party staff, she has tried to micromanage the place and the RNC was justifiably worried that her involvement in the Bush campaign would be disruptive."

Of course, having the state party chair outside the tent would be far more disruptive than having some of her people get some of the presidential goodies that will be passed out in the next year. Insiders tell me the executive director of the Bush NM campaign will be named "in a couple of weeks;" that love and peace will be expressd in public between Pete and Ramsay (but not Dendahl) and "in a couple of days" this whole thing will be chuckled over. Republicans better hope so or it could be the Democratic Party that is laughing come November 2004.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2003
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