The NM GOP is warming up the Greyhound and hitting the road for a week-long tour with the catchy title of "No Sleep 'Til Tuesday." But some R's on the inside say who is driving the bus is as interesting as where it's going. They say State Rep. Dan Foley, who has been more out front for Bush-Cheney than GOP State Chair Weh, is eyeing a bid for U.S. Senate in two years and that the bus tour and other high-profile events he has been involved in are aimed at that ultimate goal.

The seat that Foley, a hard-right R from Chaves County, would be eyeing belongs to Jeff Bingaman who has held it since 82'. But there have been rumblings that if the Dems stay in the Senate minority, Bingaman just might decide to retire. Of course, if the Bingaman seat does open, there will be a lot more R's, many of them better known than Foley, who will jump into the fray.

DAILY PREZ TRACK

Bush remains ahead in NM, according to the Zogby tracking poll. But Kerry, down by eight yesterday, is now down by five. Zogby has it 48% for Bush, 43% for Kerry, 6% undecided and 3% for others. He is still giving Bush over 40% of the Hispanic vote and Kerry just 45%. That's too high for the R, say the polling experts here. Kerry visited ABQ last night. Clinton comes this weekend. The Kerryites say undecided women are special targets in the closing days.

SOME COUNTING RELIEF

Some welcome relief came for beleaguered Bernalillo County Clerk Mary Herrera Tuesday. She has been given the go ahead by state officials to start opening the outer envelopes of as many as 75,000 absentee ballots at 12:01 a.m., instead of 7 a.m. when the polls open. The extra seven hours to unseal the absentees and get them ready for the vote-counting machines means we may, and I emphasize may, get the absentee results about 1 a.m. Wednesday.

WILSON-ROMERO WINDS DOWN

If the Wilson-Romero ABQ Congressional race seems to have fallen off the radar it's because it has. Voters are burned out on the negativity. That may work to Heather's advantage because it could cool voter passion for change. Insider D's say while the race is still a race, Wilson's financial advantage over Romero is coming home to roost. The other problem is that Kerry's Bernalillo County win, if he does win here, will apparently not be overwhelming, making a Romero victory more difficult. But the Washington Post listed the race this week as one of 10 House contests in the country to watch. Of course, there are few districts in play anymore in the gerrymandered Congress.

Insiders tell me it's Wilson's heavy support among seniors that may put her over the top. Romero, they say, should try to break some of those off in the closing days. The feel of this one is somewhat anti-climatic. It reached a fever pitch over the controversy over Romero's ad linking her to Osama bin Laden, but since has sputtered. Wilson remains the favorite, with Romero needing a big spike in turnout to get close or eke out the upset. Both sides are closing with the usual, and not very believable positive ads, after spilling gallons of blood on each other. Mr. and Mrs. New Mexico are hoping for a merciful end.

PROVOCATIVE PAMELA

Pamela Anderson is against cockfighting. There I said it. And no dirty jokes please. Providing a welcome diversion from Campaign 04' the buxom actress wrote to Big Bill urging him to outlaw cockfighting in NM, one of only two states that allows it. Anderson made her statements in a letter released by people for Ethical Animals. Big bill had no immediate comment, but his male staffers are probably working overtime to arrange a lunch with Pamela so they can get a personal briefing on this most urgent matter.

ELECTION NIGHT ON KANW 89.1 FM

We will start early Tuesday, Nov. 2 to bring you the important East Coast results. Top NM lobbyist Scott Scanland and other experts will join me for rapid-fire results and analysis on 89.1 FM. It's all made possible by Pfizer, Enterprise rent-a-car, Bill Campbell Realty & NM Legislative Reports. Be sure to join us as we call all the NM races.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2004
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