Tuesday, June 12, 2018Tale Of Two Guvs: One Makes The Peace With The Past As The Other Grapples With Her Present, Plus: Rating Tim Keller
He finished his gubernatorial terms at rock bottom approval levels but in the nearly 8 years since his departure Bill Richardson has shrugged off whatever resentments and frustration he had and has found contentment in his post political life. And success. The former UN Ambassador, now 70, is seemingly everywhere as the summit between the US and North Korea takes center stage. He has traveled there repeatedly to free prisoners as an off the grid diplomat and serve as an intermediary with he isolated government. In an appearance about the summit this week on the Today show Richardson displayed the confident, knowledgeable, affable personality that propelled him into the highest ranks of state and national politics. He probably still rues his fall from grace in the state he served as Governor and congressman, but if there is any residue of bitterness it is buried deep inside. This is a guy now completely comfortable in his own skin who has nothing to prove, but a lot to show. Will Susana Martinez who is also finishing her governorship with rock bottom approval ratings manage to find the serenity that Richardson apparently has when she leaves office at year's end? Perhaps, but judging by her most recent foray onto the political battlefield she has a long way to go. In the aftermath of State Rep. Yvette Herrell's big primary win of the southern GOP congressional nomination, Martinez stunned the GOP by openly dissing the woman who has a very good chance of taking the congressional seat in November: I’m certainly going to support our Republican (nominee). But I think there are some questions with reference to her ability to … represent New Mexico in a fair and reasonable way.” That Martinez and her chief political advise Jay McCleskey were all in for former Hobbs Mayor Monty Newman, Herrell's chief rival for the nomination, was well known. And Martinez has never dealt with defeat well. But the bitterness displayed there, coming as it did so close to her own exit, reveals that she has yet to make peace with her own downfall and grapple with her post-gubernatorial future. Richardson held grudges and in the end managed to let them go. Martinez has held even more grudges. Now this most warlike of Governors faces the daunting task of letting them go, if she is to eventually find peace within herself and a meaningful role in retirement. RATING KELLER  After six months in office the appraisals of ABQ Mayor Tim Keller are coming in. We noted the "C" grade awarded the mayor by Pete Dinelli, the former ABQ city council and 2013 mayoral contender who was defeated by Mayor Berry. That drew this response from Patrick Hoffman: I appreciate Pete Dinelli's service over the decades, However, I find his schoolmarm article awarding Mayor Keller an overall grade of "C" to be unfair. He obviously gave more weight to some "subjects" than others. In the area of public safety, the analogy of turning a large, heavy ship would to apt. It does not turn on a dime. A good teacher does more than pontificate on a student's real and perceived faults, failings and shortcomings. Giving fair weight to successes is needed. Encouragement and positiveness are essential. I see little to none of that in this rather spiteful article. And reader John reacted with this: The only change I have seen so far with Mayor Tim is that he has hung his portrait wherever there is a vacant nail. No denunciation of the ART boondoggle or rearrangement of APD. "New Boss same as the Old Boss." What a disappointment. I don't think the "only in office for six months" excuse has much traction since he knew from his announcement for mayor what the problems were with the past administrations. Tim, get out the bulldozers and flatten the ART stops, send the photo op buses back and cut our losses, and get rid of the old cronies at APD or I predict you will be a one hit blunder. THE BOTTOM LINES Reader Kim Switzer writes of Monday's bottom lines: Joe, you blogged: Reader Frank Gilmer has the final bottom lines for this edition: Joe, here's my prediction for Trump's reaction to the Deb Haaland candidacy: "She's no Native American, she's Dutch. Just look at that last name--Holland!" I spoke with Deb before the election and she told me her family name “Haaland” is actually of Scandinavian derivation, not Dutch which was my first thought since I am half Dutch myself with the surname “de Groot” and am aware of the “aa” in that language. She said “Haaland” is Norwegian. You can already see the yard signs: "Norwegians for Haaland." E-mail your news and comments. (jmonahan@ix.netcom.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here.   (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2018 |
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