The race for the White House in New Mexico remains nip and tuck, according to the latest Zogby interactive poll. It shows The Prez picking up 48.1%, Kerry with 47.7% and independent Ralph Nader at 2.1%. The first Zogby poll had Kerry leading Bush by five points, so Bush has closed the gap, but the race remains tight as the margin of error in the survey is pegged at 4.2%. Bush has a big lead among seniors, while Kerry maintains a large lead over the Prez among younger voters. In both Zogby surveys, the first of which was conducted in mid-May, Kerry is walloping Bush in vote-laden Albuquerque, while Bush maintains his strong lead in the rural areas.

Zogby Interactive respondents were invited to participate from panels of likely voters who have agreed to take part in online surveys. All surveys were completed between Tuesday, June 1 through Sunday, June 6.

PUBLIC TUNES IN TO COKE SCANDAL

U.S Attorney Iglesias
There was plenty of sniffing and snorting on New Mexico talk radio Tuesday, but the listeners were not high on coke. They were showing their anger and disdain over the cocaine scandal that has engulfed Bernalillo County District Court. 770 KKOB-AM Radio in ABQ, NM's largest news-talker, hammered away from dusk to dawn. Veteran Larry Ahrens lit up his phone lines and this web site as he quoted the questions we posed yesterday that cry out for answers.(see below)

Ahrens took a hard-line on Chief Judge John Brennan, arrested for coke possession and possibly DWI, saying Brennan, who has been on the bench for two decades, should lose his retirement benefits if he is convicted the crimes. Ahrens, and most of his callers, also urged a thorough investigation of Brennan and the other judges listed as coke users in a 1998 NM Department of Public Safety secret report which was leaked this week to KRQE-TV's Larry Barker. One caller said 'the feds" should do the job because other investigatory bodies here may be too conflicted. But U.S. Attorney David Iglesias, upon whose shoulders such an investigation could fall, along with the FBI, was not heard calling in to answer that one.

Later in the day, talk jockey Jim Villanucci continued the crusade urging listeners to call politicos and demand action. The
judges and defense attorneys said in that report to be regular cocaine users remain anonymous, except for Brennan who is now addressing his personal demons in rehab in California. One listener told me that an ABQ Metro Court judge called in to assure the audience she was NOT a drug-using judge. But official reaction, outside of GOP State Sen. Kent Cravens, remains eerily silent. Ahrens may have it right when he said voters have the ultimate power, and if officialdom doesn't use theirs, than the voters should and must use theirs.

We take a break here and will be back Monday. Be sure to join us as we are working on several stories you won't find anywhere else. Meanwhile, thanks for all your e-mails and news tips. Keep em' coming and we'll keep coming your way, Have a great weekend.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2004
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