Thursday, July 01, 2004No Holiday For NM Prez Campaign, Chasing the Vet Vote Down South, And: Bloggers: What Impact Do We Have? The Fourth of July week is one of the lowest watched TV weeks of the year, but that isn't stopping the Kerry campaign from putting up a TV ad just for NM that stresses the senator's foreign policy experience. Kerry and Bush have both been dark in the key battleground states, which includes NM, but because an anti-Kerry group has bought $150 k of TV bashing the soon-to-be Dem Prez nominee, the Kerry camp felt it had to go up on the air holiday or no holiday. Here's the details
WANTED: VOTING VETS  If there is any chunk of votes Gary King will have a hard time peeling away from GOP Congressman Steve Pearce it's the veterans. Pearce served in Vietnam as a fighter pilot, is a staunch supporter of big appropriations for the various military installations scattered in the southern NM congressional district and is an ardent fan of the Prez whose strongest support here is in the southeastern counties.
Democrat King knows he has to get some of that vote to have any chance so he is hitting early and on this fourth of July holiday with this "Veterans for King" group. NM is home to close to 200,000 vets. King points out that veterans in the big district often have to drive over 200 miles to Albuquerque or El Paso to get medical care. However, he does not say specifically what he would do to correct but will "fight for the very best healthcare for our veterans." By the way, one of the co-chairs of the King vets group is, like Steve Pearce, a Vietnam vet. BLOGS ARE US Those of us who write political blogs have come under a lot of scrutiny of late as this new media shows its muscle. ABQ Tribune political reporter Shea Andersen, representing the new generation of journalists, is an avid blog watcher and e mails in this interesting piece from American Journalism Review analyzing the impact of the political blogosphere. LET FREEDOM RING!  Happy Birthday, America. Is there a better place to be than our beautiful Land of Enchantment for a summer holiday? I hope you find time to relax and enjoy the birthday celebrations with family and friends. I plan to do so and will be absent from this corner for a couple of days. I will pick things up sometime next week. If you want to join a public festivity, here's the details on the big July 4th bash sponsored by the City of Albuquerque.
 And for those of you with travel plans in the weeks ahead, let me get a plug in for our sponsor Enterprise rent-a-car. They have the best rates in NM and great service too. To make your reservation just click on their icon on this page for their phone number.
If you are in need of a political hit this holiday feel free to browse my archives. And, again, Happy Birthday to America where we are thankful each day that freedom still rings. Make our site---www.joemonahan.com--one of your 'favorites.' Bookmark it now and send a link to interested friends. Want to advertise to NM's large political community? E-mail me or call 505-243-4059 for details. And thanks for e-mailing me your news tips and comments. There's a link at the top right of this page. (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2004 Not for reproduction without permission of the author Wednesday, June 30, 2004Heather's Declaration of Independence; Breaks With GOP Leaders On 3 Votes; Positions For Fall Brawl With Romero; And: Clash of the W's; Wertheim & Weh "I almost choked on my bagel," exclaimed a veteran Republican when he learned of Congresswoman Heather Wilson's vote to cut CIA funding by 25 per cent until the Bush Administration turns over all documents dealing with the treatment of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan.
He might want to stay away from the bagels for a while because sources in Washington report Wilson has cast two other votes this month that are clearly aimed at positioning herself as an “independent" voice for the ABQ district and not the "rubber stamp" for the Prez her Democratic opponent Richard Romero accuses her of being. "Heather was one of only three Republicans out of 220 to vote for the CIA cuts. It was a clear break with the leadership and came on the heels of her strong words condemning the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by our military. With Romero hammering her for being a tool of (House Majority Leader) Delay and the hard-core conservatives, she is clearly positioning herself so when she calls herself an independent she will have the ammo to back up the claim,” analyzed a Washington politico close to the action. The CIA cuts were rejected despite Heather being joined by NM Dem U.S. Rep Tom Udall. NM GOP Rep. Steve Pearce stayed with the winning pro-Bush position. WHAT RUBBER STAMP?  Wilson also broke party ranks and again joined with Udall to vote against a corporate tax relief bill; relief that included targeted tax breaks for the pharmaceutical companies which Romero claims have a tight grip on Wilson. Only 23 R's voted against that measure which easily passed the House. Heather's third vote against the House leadership was on a budget overhaul measure that passed easily, despite her opposition.
Washington insiders say Heather may not run into trouble with her GOP bosses over her votes because, as one of them put it, "they may very well be providing her cover. Her vote was not needed on any of these measures. They know what she needs to put Romero away and it would not be surprising if they are giving these votes their blessing. I also don't think these votes will damage her any with rank and file Republicans" Whatever the case, Wilson knows that the Iraq war and the President are not awash in popularity among swing voters in ABQ.She hopes her June declaration of independence will echo on the campaign trail come October forcing Romero to dig deeper in explaining his rubber stamp argument. Should we call her “Clever Heather?” CLASH OF THE W'S  NM Dem Party Chair John Wertheim and GOP Chair Allen Weh are starting to turn up the summer heat. Wertheim is turning the thermometer all the way up to 911. He has offered to provide free movie tickets to Chairman Weh to take in the anti-Bush documentary "Fahrenheit 911" so Weh can relieve "the stress' of being chair of the war-torn NM GOP.
Wertheim's ticket offer comes after Weh lashed out at a voter registration group that is supported by the D's and, according to Weh, has used convicted criminals to sign up unsuspecting potential voters. Greg Graves, executive director of the GOP, told me he would not "dignify" Wertheim's offer of a free night at the movies. But we say, lighten up Greg. How about getting John some framed front-pages of all those congressional races he lost! Then you'll be even....at least until next time. Make our site---www.joemonahan.com--one of your 'favorites.' Bookmark it now and send a link to interested friends. Want to advertise to NM's large political community? E-mail me or call 505-243-4059 for details. And thanks for e-mailing me your news tips and comments. There's a link at the top right of this page. (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2004 Not for reproduction without permission of the author Tuesday, June 29, 2004Fahrenheit 9/11: The NM Connection, Plus: Payne Free? And: Coke Scandal: Readers Speak When you go to see Fahrenheit 9/11, and you should go no matter your politics, take note of the NM connection. In one scene, President Bush is seen bantering with the owner of a Roswell restaurant and the national press following him around. The Prez orders some ribs and urges “Stretch" to do the same. The Stretch in question is tall NBC White House correspondent David Gregory, formerly of KRQE-TV in ABQ. In another clip, director Michael Moore shows candidate Bush refer to the Secretary of Energy as "being caught unaware." That Sec. of Energy at the time was none other than our own Big Bill.
“Fahrenheit” draws blood from the Bush team. The audience I saw it with gasped at times and gave a round of applause when an interviewee said Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld should resign. If nothing else, the film will galvanize the Democratic base, but I have a feeling it may do a bit more as it seeps into mainstream America where undecided voters are only starting to focus on the Prez contest. After watching the film I could not help but wonder where our national TV media has been. During the Vietnam years, the war coverage was much more critical and insightful. As a matter of fact, it was a lot like Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11. PAYNE FREE It appears likely that former ABQ City Councilor and Bernalillo County NE Heights Republican legislative candidate Greg Payne will be getting a free ride to the Roundhouse. He was opposed in the June 1 primary, but the Democrat running, labor leader Carter Bundy, has withdrawn from the race citing the need to attend to other business.
Insiders report Bundy was put up by the Democrats because they felt all the controversy surrounding Payne might cause him trouble. But it didn’t and Payne won in a landslide over his GOP opponent. The Dems could still name a replacement for Bundy in the coming weeks, but Payne's convincing primary win has them scratching their heads for a new Dem contender. Payne has had a teflon year. Despite his frantic efforts in support of ex-GOP Chair Ramsay Gorham, who was ousted by the GOP Dendahl faction, Payne largely escaped their wrath as they did little to support his primary opponent. Meanwhile, Payne reports he is relaxing with his wife and second child, Madison Grace, who arrived on Flag Day. COKE & COURT: READERS SPEAK  I received a bunch of e mail on our coverage of the arrest of Bernalillo County Chief District Court Judge John Brennan and the 1998 law enforcement report that contained the names of other judges who allegedly were involved in taking cocaine.
Here's how one reader responded: "It is interesting to go back to Scott Turow's best seller, ‘Reversible Error,’ in which an addicted judge is a central character. One of the serious issues raised there is how a "using" judge's decisions might bear on the convictions and sentences meted out in her court. Sounds to me like the Court of Appeals might have a long and busy season in this state." And, here's another reader take on the courthouse scandal: "The raging hypocrisy here belongs not only to those who judge drug defendants, but equally to those who write and pass these laws, and to those who enforce these laws, and to those citizens who support, even demand these laws. According to the gov't, illegal drugs are used by approximately 13 percent of the population, and this cuts across all demographics. This means that, chances are, 13% of our legislators and politicians, and 13% of our police and prosecutors, and even 13% of those citizens who support these laws(!), are themselves users." Thanks e mailers. I will try to run more as time permits. If you are new to this story just scan my web site for the month of June to get up-to-date. Make our site---www.joemonahan.com--one of your 'favorites.' Bookmark it now and send a link to interested friends. Want to advertise to NM's large political community? E-mail me or call 505-243-4059 for details. And thanks for e-mailing me your news tips and comments. There's a link at the top right of this page. (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2004 Not for reproduction without permission of the author Monday, June 28, 2004No Big Bill for VP... OK, How About Udall For Interior Secretary? As Senator Kerry's chances of taking over the White House have shifted from improbable to plausible and maybe likely if world affairs continue on their worrisome path, the speculation over who who would fill out his cabinet has taken on a more serious bent in New Mexico political circles. The consensus is that Big Bill will not be tapped as Kerry's running mate, but Secretary of State is not out of the question. But while Big Bill's future has been the favorite political parlor game for months, some politicos are already talking about the secretary of interior job and the chance that NM Congressman Tom Udall could be on a short list if Kerry turns out a winner.
"A couple of years ago New York Times columnist Bill Safire mentioned Tom as a possible interior secretary if Al Gore reached the White House. That talk is back again, but you have not heard much about it because of Richardson's high-profile, but it needs to be on the radar because it is not that far-fetched," e mailed one Dem insider and an obvious friend of Tom's. The interior job is not unfamiliar territory to the Udall family. The congressman's father, Stewart Udall, was tapped for the post after serving a couple of congressional terms out of Arizona. That's the same position the young Udall is in today. He was elected to the House from the North in 98' and is expected to win re-election to a fourth two year term in November. Also, Tom's uncle, Mo Udall, one of the towering figures in western congressional politics, served for years as chairman of the House Interior committee, now the Natural Resources Committee. Tom Udall is a current member of that panel. Udall's cousin, Mark Udall, also has a strong environmental background, and today is a congressman from Boulder, Colorado. BEYOND TREE HUGGING Tom Udall is not known as one trick pony on Capitol Hill, having concerned himself with health care, veterans issues and other matters besides the environment. He did help with legislation that led to the federal government taking over the pristine Baca Ranch up North, but is not perceived in the public mind as tied solely to environmental issues.  Udall, who served eight years as NM Attorney General, has pulled off a pretty good balancing act, serving as an Anglo congressman in a majority Hispanic-Native American district. He has made no major missteps, been a loyal Democratic soldier and has actually received mild criticism for not taking more of a national leadership role considering his family's heritage. I asked a Republican who has followed Udall for his take.
"I think he has the skills for the cabinet. He is not a divisive figure and that's important because you deal with extremes on both sides. On the other hand, he has not demonstrated he has the stature of the Udall's who came before him. It's probably not fair to judge him that way, but if this thing becomes serious his competition will throw it all out there." But Udall's friends retort that he has been busy cementing his ties to his district in which a popular Hispanic could emerge at any moment to challenge him for the Democratic nomination. (He ran unopposed June 1). They say it's Udall's reserved temperament, ability to give others credit and his demonstrated political agility that have his advocates waving his resume at Kerry. Don't count him out as he would be the third New Mexican to take the cabinet post. Albert Fall filled the job in the 20's and Manuel Lujan, Jr. kept the seat warm in the 90's. Of course, if Udall did leave his congressional seat to join a Kerry cabinet, it would mean one of the most spirited Democratic contests ever to fill his congressional shoes. For political junkies that alone is reason enough to hope Udall gets the call. Make our site---www.joemonahan.com--one of your 'favorites.' Bookmark it now and send a link to interested friends. Want to advertise to NM's large political community? E-mail me or call 505-243-4059 for details. And thanks for e-mailing me your news tips and comments. There's a link at the top right of this page. (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2004 Not for reproduction without permission of the author |
 
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