Pam Anderson
The Hollywood types who lined up this year for TV face time to decry our state's fondness for cockfighting will have to beat the drums louder next time. Insiders at the Roundhouse tell me that for the umpteenth time the move to ban the sport will go nowhere. "(Senate Majority Leader Michael) Sanchez is using this one to keep rural senators in line. They already screwed him by lining up in support of the parental notification bill on abortion. He can hold them in check during the final critical days of the session by threatening to bring up the cockfighting ban and ramming it through," reported our tapped in wall-leaner.

The cockfighting ban passed the House this year. Actress Pam Anderson was among the notables lobbying Big Bill for the ban, but he never warmed to it as the sport appeals to rural New Mexican Hispanics as well as others in states where he may be seeking presidential nominating votes.

FIGHT FOR THE GLORY

Push the hot buttons and we get the mail from the bright bulbs of the NM political scene. It happened again Tuesday when we named Sen. Denis Chavez as the greatest U.S. Senator in state history. John Cordova, head of the Dennis Chavez Foundation, was all smiles about that calling our blog "a factual portrayal," but others we're quick to tell me to hold my horses.

"What about Senator Clinton P. Anderson?" Asked Sandia Prep school administrator Susan Walton. "Anderson was in both the House and the Senate, and he was a Cabinet Secretary. He started Medicare, worked quietly to contain the nuclear threat, and worked to save the nation's wilderness areas! His particular interests were in conservation, the needs of the West, and of the needy/hungry. Please, save some of your electric typesetting for My Political Hero, Clinton P Anderson! (or I'll send you more research on this wonderful guy!") Warned Susan.

Meanwhile, from up North another emailer said I got it all wrong on Chavez being the best. "I'm one of those Hispanics who bristles at the crap about protected class or discrimination. I find too many of my compatriots using that as an excuse for failure or as a substitute for performance. Exactly what doors did Chavez open for Hispanics that they couldn't open for themselves with hard work?" Screeched our correspondent. He also claimed Clint Anderson had more to do with getting Sandia and Kirtland started than Chavez.

Anderson served over twenty years in the U.S. Senate retiring in 1972. Pete Domenici took his seat. My writers are right. Anderson was a giant New Mexican and is a finalist, along with Chavez and Pete, on the all-time hit list.

MY RATHER BIAS

Tonight at 5 p.m. on KRQE-TV 13 Dan Rather will end his 24 year run as anchor of the CBS Evening News. To mark the occasion I am re-running my Rather retrospective from November. Click here for the column which received a lot of reaction when first published. Meanwhile, Goodbye Dan. You did good.

I welcome your e-mails on the latest political news, your thoughts and even your criticism, although I lose sleep over those kind so keep them brief. There's an e-mail link at the top right of the page. As always, thanks for tuning in. Let's do it again tomorrow.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2005
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