The political alligators jammed my phone lines last night exclaiming that they finally have a fight to watch. Whatever happened to boxing? Anyway, most of these Gators don't care who wins the race between Heather Wilson and her Dem challenger Richard Romero, they just want some entertainment.

They gleefully reported that Romero hit the tube late Wednesday defending the "junkets" Wilson says he took as a state senator. Romero rebuts that they were part of his job. His spot adds that Heather would know that if she wasn't so busy voting 94% of the time with the right-wing House GOP leadership. Interestingly, Romero did not address the over 1300 state senate votes Heather's TV ad claims he has missed. His spokeswoman said that's because the charge is "ridiculous" and voters know that as a legislative leader Richard was attending to other necessary business. They better hope the voters know because the Heather hit is well produced. (So is Romero's).

PUNCHES FROM AFAR

Meanwhile, the permanent slash and burn crowd back in D.C. got in the Heather-Richard act last night as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) hit with their own spot saying Heather has voted with Bush nine out of ten times. It's a bet that Bush isn't wildly popular in in Bernalillo County and, according to the polls, not a bad bet. Romero needs the DCCC independent ads to effectively fight Heather who has enough cash to make a good-sized down payment on a TV station all her own.

NM PREZ WATCH

Back on the Prez poll watch and this one, like Zogby's Interactive Poll I reported on yesterday, has it for Kerry. American Research Group (ARG), a solid independent polling firm, calls it 49% for Kerry to the Prez's 44%. Margin of error is plus or minus four per cent. It was taken Sept. 14-16, about the same time Mason-Dixon took their NM survey, which had Bush leading here by four points. The ARG mid-August poll had Kerry leading by seven.

ONE WORTH WATCHING
Hooker
The ABQ North Valley State Senate battle between R John Ryan and D John Hooker is getting some attention with Hooker's forces claiming a recent poll they did shows the race in play in the lean Republican district. The seat is being vacated by ex-GOP chair Ramsay Gorham who held it for the R's for eight years. Ryan needs to solidly his R support after he sided with the anti-Gorham forces in ousting her from the chairmanship earlier this year. Hooker needs to pull in his liberal horns to grab the swing vote.

POLITICO LANG CLAIMED BY DEATH

Former Sandoval County Commissioner, former State Senator and longtime NM lobbyist Edmund "Joe" Lang passed away Wednesday. he died of an apparent heart atttack at his Corrales home. Lang, 57, was the brother of Bernalillo County Chief Judge William Lang. He was a longtime political player with close ties to former NM House Speaker Raymond Sanchez. Lang served on the county commission during the time Inel expanded its presence to over 5,000 employees in Rio Rancho. Lang worked closely with Intel officials to make the expansion possible.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2004
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