The crisis in the New Mexico Republican Party reached the breaking point Wednesday, leaving all to wonder who will pick up the pieces. The sudden resignation of Chair Ramsay Gorham after a ten month political melodrama that pitted her against the forces of John Dendahl, the chairman she ousted just last year, served only to heighten concerns that the party was hopelessly divided and, as a result, President Bush could be robbed of the state's precious five electoral votes in the coming election. I have the complete story with exclusive details from the very top sources in New Mexico.

GOODBYE RAMSAY, HELLO WHO?

As soon as Ramsay hit the exits speculation bordering on the ferocious began on who would succeed her. The names that bubbled to the top included former Light Guv Walter Bradley, Bernalillo County GOP Chair Ken Zangara, Ex-GOP Congressman Bill Redmond, real estate developer Tom Tinnin, Roswell oilman Mark Murphy and political fireman and longtime Domenici aide Lou Gallegos. Anyone who gets the top job will ask this question: "Will I be the next target, or will the impending presidential election deter any further coup attempts? One man who will not be seeking to regain the party chair is John Dendahl. In an e-mail to "NM Politics With Joe Monahan" he wrote:" She (Gorham) has acted courageously and in the best interest of the party. I am not the appropriate successor."

But that gracious response masked the no-holds-barred political warfare that has torn the party asunder and left a leadership vacuum that is unprecedented. "I don't know if anyone can unify this party now," worried one top Republican. "Events have simply spun out of control."

For now, GOP Vice-Chair Bill Humphries will man the gates, but will not seek the top post when the State Central Committee meets later this month to name the successor. State Executive Director Tom Carroll, fielding a deluge of phone calls from Republicans statewide, emerged briefly to tell me: "We need unity now. The party will continue to function, but we need unity,"

If chaos were unity the GOP would have it in abundance. The utter breakdown in the command structure has the fingers pointing from Raton to Roswell. Why hasn't Senator Domenici prevented this? What about the White House's vaunted political operation? And why could no one deal with Gorham?

DOMENICI: THE GODFATHER GIVES NO ORDERS

Pete Domenici holds a sacred place in the heart of the party faithful, but his inability, indifference or encouragement of the party strife has him taking heavy fire. "Pete had a chance to solve this years ago when Dendahl came out for drug legalization and Pete warned him it could cost him the chairmanship. But Dendahl was allowed to stay," said one embittered R. Another speculator said: "Pete lost control of Ramsay soon after she took over. The first sign was when she fired a fundraiser who was the wife of Pete's campaign manager. The second sign was her fight with the Republican National Committee over who would run the campaign here. He may have felt it best to have her taken out by the Dendahlites, rather than deal with it himself." Another R said: "Pete's staff could not stand Ramsay. He received no encouragement to resolve the differences between the factions, and he didn't."

It was a strange role for Domenici who, for nearly quarter a century, has been looked to for leadership on all key Republican issues in the state. Apparently that era has ended.

THE BLAME GAME

Others took aim at Republican National Committeeman, attorney/lobbyist and Dendahlite ringleader Mickey Barnett. "Mickey is a cancer on the party. Legalized drugs, legalized gambling and the primarying of Republicans; these all came from him and mean the slow but certain destruction of the party," said one Gorham backer in the heat of the moment.

As for Mickey, he was cool as a cucumber when I spoke with him from his ABQ law office. "I want to thank Ramsay and Frank for the countless hours they have devoted to the party," he murmured softly.

But Gorham wasn't sparing either Barnett or Dendahl. As she slammed the door she cited “lobbyists and special interests” as part of her undoing, and mentioning Dendahl by name, she said he and Barnett are "motivated by money," not the good of the party.

Insiders tell me Ramsay made her decision to get out over the weekend She “was worn out and felt the fight would never end,” said a friend who mentioned the call by the Dendahlites for a Central Committee meeting to oust her as the proverbial straw breaking the camel's back.

Those glad to see Gorham gone said she had a stubborn personality, could not work well with others and insulted the President's re-election staff. "Ramsay was clearly in over her head," said a Dendahlite sympathizer.

RAMSAY IN THE SENATE...STILL?

But Ramsay may not be gone completely. Party insiders were telling "NM Politics With Joe Monahan" late last night that Gorham, who announced she would not seek re-election to her state senate seat, should not be counted out completely. "Ramsay has to file a declaration of withdrawal with the Secretary of State. She has not done that yet, and some senators are urging her to stay in the race." If that happened, it would stymie the hopes of former Dendahlite GOP executive director John Ryan who helped force Gorham out when he challenged her right to run for the senate against him and still be party chair. Democrats John Hooker and Vic Raigoza, vying for the senate nomination, are watching it all from the wings. My experts in ABQ North Valley politics peg Gorham an easy re-election winner should she run, but Ryan a probable loser because of his move against Gorham and his past felony conviction for which he was pardoned by Governor Johnson.

CENSURE MOVE AGAINST DENDAHLITES?

Insiders close to the Dendahlites say they may have gotten more than they bargained for when Ramsay announced her resignation. "They wanted her senate seat for sure, but were surprised when she resigned as chair. That forces their hand. It could limit their influence with the new chair because if they make another power play the party rank and file will say enough is enough." Others deep on the inside told me there is talk of censuring Dendahl and State Senator Rod Adair and removing them from the Central Committee for their move against Gorham.

It's important to remember that the hardcore Dendahlite faction is today a relatively small percentage of the state GOP, but makes up with intensity what it lacks in numbers.

This turmoil and rancor takes place against the backdrop of a presidential election in which our five electoral votes could play a critical role. One Republican veteran said it may be time for the Bush White House to step up to the plate. "I think they will weigh heavily getting involved in the chairmanship issue, at least from behind-the-scenes. They must have someone who can keep this thing glued together for the next several months. It's the president who has the most at stake in this battle," commented a Bush backer. Scott Jennings, Bush re-election director here, was not returning phone calls.

MONAHAN'S TAKE

An old politico once told me: "Anytime you are arguing process, and the other side is arguing policy, you are going to lose." The process imbroglio that has engulfed the Republican party puts it on a losing path for November. The Bush White House may believe it can come in and create a unified party out of thin air with giant television buys, but the people on the ground and the party still matter and still make the difference in close races. Right now, the Republican Party is in need of major reconstructive surgery. The problem is there is no doctor in the house. Political surgeons like Colin McMillan, Joe Skeen and Edward and Manuel Lujan are either gone or retired. In years past they operated efficiently and put a damper on factional strife. Who will perform that role for this new generation? There's a patient in the emergency room who is in dire need of an answer.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2004
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