And so it begins. Big Bill will visit New Hampshire, the first Prez primary state, as he undertakes his long and perhaps long-shot odyssey of becoming President Big Bill. The Manchester Union Leader notes that that our Guv will speak to Carroll County Dems June 8 and then take a side trip to Manchester where he will speak at a "Latino Summit." But the Guv's camp is not all that thrilled with New Hampshire nor first caucus state Iowa. They think those lily white areas may not be the most fertile ground for the man who hopes to be the first Hispanic Prez. They are working hard to get an early western primary to offset any disappointments they encounter in the first big two tests. But some politicos think the Big Bill campaign could be underestimating his appeal in the little two. "He is best at one-on-one and that's what these early states are all about. He could be blocked on the ethnic factor, but it is worth his while to invest time and effort there and see if the personality that has won him his races the West can warm them up there," analyzed one D.C insider following the embryonic 08'campaign.

Back here in River City, an insider R commented: "I have to give it to him. He has cleared the field for his re-election next year, letting him go to New Hampshire with little public heat."

BATTLE OF THE GUVS
Gov. Rendell
Besides clearing his re-election path here, the Guv managed to get himself elected chairman of the Democratic Governors Association (DGA). No small accomplishment, but it makes him a bigger target too. Evidence of that is the recent fit over his forcing out of longtime DGA executive director B.J. Thornberry, who reportedly clashed with Big Bill chief of staff Dave Contarino. Now, Pennsylvania Guv and possible 08' Dem Prez contender Ed Rendell is moving to place one of his own, Penny Lee, in the powerful post. It got so hot that Big Bill decided not to name a replacement as he is entitled to do but instead turn the matter over to a search committee.

A blog reading Gator at the upper levels of the Democratic National Committee chips in: "The Guv and his staff may have gotten ahead of themselves on this one. They got rid of Thornberry, but are set to lose on the replacement. That could mean Bill will not have as easy a time using the DGA as a tool for his presidential bid."

And so goes the behind-the-scenes, down-in-the-trenches warfare that is part of the chase for the biggest prize of them all.

THE CANARY CAPER

When we blogged last Thursday that ABQ cops would "song line canaries" if the investigation into alleged stolen evidence got tough, we ran a photo of what we thought were singing canaries. But the blog birdwatchers were out in force chirping away that the photo did not feature canaries. I won't argue with them, but I am running another photo here that shows many varieties of the canary. And if they are not canaries, I will eat birdseed. By the way, what kind of birds were those in Thursday's photo?

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2005
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