Journal Publisher T.H. Lang
An old fashioned war broke out between the Guv and the state's largest newspaper Wednesday with the ABQ Journal screaming across its front page: "Gov.'s Jet Leaves Kids Hanging" and the Guv replying with a news release screaming back: "Newspaper Report Wrong." The question of the moment: Will blind kids at a state school be denied plane trips home because of Big Bill's purchase of a $5.5 million jet? Without getting into the merits of whose right and whose wrong--both sides stretched this one--let's look at the more important issue, the significant change in tone in the media when it comes to New Mexico's premier political figure.

"There's been a turnaround in the Journal's approach to the governor. They have hit him several weeks in a a row in their Sunday edition. They questioned money spent for his ABQ office, another on the number of exempt employees he has hired and hits over the plane purchase and his speeding. I say a turnaround because the first couple of years Bill received some of the softest press of any governor I have ever seen," analyzed a Senior Alligator who goes back to the old days.

It's hard to argue with his thesis. The investigative approach to Big Bill has also escalated at the TV stations which are thriving on the speeding and plane incidents. "A lot of this is simply because they see he is indeed running for president. The media will build you up one day and tear you down another. When they see one of the crabs trying to get out of the barrel, it triggers the attack impulse," commented our Alligator.

Still, there's no denying that the Guv has given the press the ammo to rake him over the coals. And why is that? "There's been no effective opposition against this governor. He is used to getting what he wants and he has a big appetite for power.
The biggest mistake the Republican party has made is not having a candidate ready who could benefit from all this controversy. Unfortunately for them, the newspaper is not on the ballot," mused our politico who has no ax to grind against anyone.

PRESSURE ON THE PRESS?
Big Bill
My media insiders theorize that the press here may be under scrutiny outside the state for being too marshmallow in their coverage. "Our papers are going to be read widely as the presidential campaign progresses. There's a question of pride for the locals who do not want to seem feeble when the editors in New York and Washington look at their stuff," speculated one of our media mavens.

"Because the Guv has hired so many reporters and put them on his PR team throughout government, an event that has not gone unnoticed nationally, the pressure to show independence is there.

"It was pretty strange to se the governor consolidate all this power in his first couple of years and get no grief from the Journal or the other papers. But that kind of coverage rarely lasts because it's lazy and its boring. Newspapers need readers and its controversy that gets them, not stenography," bristled our onetime news scribe for a local outlet.

So, will there be a winner in this new war? "I think the smart thing is for the governor to let things cool down. An ongoing war with the papers, like Governor Anaya had, is not going to serve him well. Obviously, he feels shafted and wants to let them have it back. He's done that. Now it's time to retreat and reassess," suggested our Senior Gator. Of course, that assumes Big Bill does not give the ink stained wretches any more ammo to fire.

TICKETLESS SPEEDING

Back on that other thorny issue the Guv's spin doctors are saddled with-- gubernatorial speeding. The ABQ Tribune explains the special treatment the cops are devising when it comes to monitoring the Guv's car travel. I get the feeling this is another one we haven't heard the last of.

HAMBURGER HEAVEN

What's really important to you politicos is great food. Whenever I blog about it heavy email follows. Yesterday we posted GQ magazine's version of the best twenty hamburgers in the USA. New Mexico got two mentions: The Bobcat Bite in Santa Fe and the Buckhorn Cafe at San Antonio which is across the street from the world famous Owl Cafe.

Debbie Olguin liked the article, but noticed the Bob Cat photo we used and decided to send the Buckhorn photo we posted today. The Democrat Olguin family (former State House Majority Leader Michael Olguin is part of the clan) have owned the Buckhorn forever. Rowena Baca, prominent NM Republican, is the proud owner of the Owl. If there was an election over who has the best burger it would end up in the Electoral College. You could do worse on a summer Saturday night than to find yourself in either the Owl or the Buckhorn.

How's that for nonbiased blogging? Hey, I've been doing this a while. Thanks for your company today. Let's get together again soon.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2005
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

Big Bill
"Who will tell the Governor to eat his vegetables?" asked a veteran Alligator as
news spread of Big Bill's latest misadventure--another speeding violation that has taken reaction to his often over-the-top approach to the job from hallway snickers to the New Mexican public at large and threatens to brand him with an unwanted identity--King Bill.

"It's becoming obvious there is no one to tell him no. He has a competent staff but not one of them can walk into his office and tell him to cool it when it comes to some of these things," commented our Gator with top level experience.

"Some of these things" means the multiple speeding violations, the purchase of a $5.5 million state jet and the entourage approach to travel. "Pennies, nickels and dimes add up to dollars," cautioned our Alligator.

"He has conquered the Legislature, the Republicans, and won the public over. The speeding and other stuff is Clintonesque and he needs to rein it in or he could undo his national political ambitions," warned a campaign strategist. Heck, he might even encourage the R's to put up a decent candidate next year.

A top TV news insider emailed in asking why the Guv, with all the former reporters on his staff, could not "get out in front" on this latest speeding mishap. The answer is simple. They are out of ways to spin these incidents.

Not that Big Bill is of a mind to simply apologize and say once and for all he will slow down. No, instead the spinmeisters had their minions calling talk radio and defending the Guv's actions saying "he wasn't driving."

On top of that, "a direct line has since been installed so the state police can communicate directly with APD dispatch," according to one news report. What does that mean? The Guv can speed and not worry about getting busted? What about you and me? Is he setting himself up for even more trouble down the speedy road?

MUSCLE MAN NEEDED?
The Kings
Big Bill's predecessor, Gary Johnson, also lacked strong personalities to keep him in check. It was political suicide when he advocated drug legalization. The difference is that the current governor is running for re-election and then president or vice-president. Gary did not care.

Former Guv Bruce King, always conservative in his personal approach to governing, nevertheless had a strong first lady in Alice to keep him in check as well as chiefs of staff who ran the day to day operation and had the authority to tell it to him straight. In the 80's Garrey Carruthers tapped Marylyn Budke as staff boss, an experienced hand who, if need be, could also tell the governor no.

Politicos speculated last year that if Big Bill was really serious about climbing on the national political stage he would need personalities around him who could provide a check on his exuberance. Combine this latest mishap with the radio ads about his lifestyle the NM GOP is running here and in New Hampshire and that time may have come.

THE PLANE PAIN

And the sting continues over the Guv's jet plane purchase. Radio talker Michael Swickard of KSNM-AM 570 In Las Cruces is the latest to weigh in.

HOLD THE MAYO

Politicos love those out of the way hamburger joints where they can plot their latest moves and, according to one guy's national survey in GQ Magazine, our little state has two of the twenty hamburger joints you must hit before you go to your final reward. Just green chili and onion for me, please.

Our Web site address is www.joemonahan.com. Pass it on to interested friends. See ya' tomorrow.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2005
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

It won't come as a shock to you political addicts, but the respected Cook Political Report in D.C. is now upping NM Dem Senator Jeff Bingaman's chances of reelection in 06' from "likely" to "solid." For Cook that means Bingaman is a virtual lock. For some reason Cook and other Washington insiders were thinking that one of our House R's, Pearce or Wilson, would challenge Jeff. That was never taken very seriously down here, but once it became clear in D.C. they started to see the Bingaman reelect in a different light. The only announced challenger to Jeff is political gadfly and R Tom Benavidez who once ran as the Dem nominee against Senator Pete. Still, the Bingaman camp will be on high alert thru the Fall to see if a more serious challenge emerges. But for now, on this first day of Summer, the livin' is easy and the money pile is getting high.

A PLUM TO BE PICKED
McClure
It was interesting to note the 13 names in the running for the plum job of secretary of the new Higher Education Department. The name of Beverelee McClure, prez of Clovis Community College, jumped out because the Alligators reported to us in March to keep an eye on her. McClure served as co-chair of Big Bill's Higher Education Task Force which helped make possible the creation of the new agency. She was in the running to become the Guv's Secretary of Education but lost out to Veronica Garcia. No doubt McClure, who has friendly relations with some key legislators, is ready to make a move. She applied but was turned down last year for the presidency of Austin Community College. The smart money likes her for NM's Secretary of Higher Education. Stay tuned and see how smart they are.

AN EXEMPTION TO THE RULE

Where do you come down on the argument over Big Bill increasing the number of "exempt" state employees by nearly 50 percent? Those are employees who can be fired directly by the Guv. He started with 292, now there are 437. Is that bad? Not really. Politicians constantly complain about how unresponsive bureaucracy can be. Exempt employees have to jump when the Guv says jump. He can get things done fast that way. If they don't work out the voters can take it out on the guy who rules the exempt employees--the Guv. Now about that doubling in size of Big Bill's office staff. That one puts him back under the gun for being "imperial." Of course, Gary Johnson had little to do as Guv and Big Bill can and does argue he's a busy Guv who needs more staffers. OK. But no rides for them on the new airplane.

Thanks for stopping by on this first day of summer. Let’s meet up here again tomorrow for more on the intriguing world of New Mexico politics. Meantime, emal me your news and comments.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2005
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

For a small party New Mexico R's sure have a hard time getting on the same page, and we're seeing it again in the 2005 ABQ Mayor's race. While the party hierarchy is basically out of the closet and just about admitting that it's engineering the campaign of mayoral contender Brad Winter, R's are far from united in that position. In fact, three incumbent GOP city councilors, two of whom are up for reelection, are ardent backers of Dem incumbent Mayor Marty and show no signs of backing off. Sally Mayer, Tina Cummins and Craig Loy all follow the Marty line. Mayer and Cummins, both seeking another term in October, will do the same on the campaign trail. Both were spotted at Marty's reelection announcement. Actually, what they are doing is what was envisioned by the founders of our "nonpartisan" elections. But the GOP, starting a dozen years ago, began injecting partisanship into the city races and now "nonpartisan" is a fig leaf.

My talks with rank and file Republicans reveals the split, with many saying Marty is more conservative than Winter. Add that to the three R councilors backing the mayor and you have the making of yet another GOP split. No, it's not as toxic as the factional warfare of 2003-04 led by lawyer/lobbyist Mickey Barnett and ex GOP chair John Dendahl--those wounds seem to be healing slowly--but it shows the difficulty the minority party has in coming together to win the big ones.

Over the weekend, Chavez and Winter exchanged accusations over who is more in favor of voter ID, D Marty Or R Brad. Why do I have a feeling this kind of fighting for conservative votes is going to continue?

THE MAYOR AND ME

Here's some "full disclosure" for you as we blog the 05' mayor's race. I consulted the 93' Mayor's race with R Cargo, Baca in 97' and the 01' battle for Mayor Marty. I covered the first one in 74' for KUNM-FM. In 81' I was working in Washington, D.C. In 85' I covered for then KGGM-TV, now KRQE-TV. In 89' I was working for the city in PR. In 05' I'm blogging. Since 1989 I have anchored and produced live Election Night coverage for every major state and city election for KANW 89.1 FM in ABQ. We'll do it again this year with top NM lobbyist Scottt Scanland and my other experts on Oct. 4.

THE GALLEGOS OBSESSION
Gallegos
Former Bernalillo County Commissioner Steve Gallegos, a longtime target of the ABQ South Valley Alligators, writes in that he is indeed leaving the Department of Labor as we first blogged Thursday, but will not go to work for Bernalillo county. He says the law prohibits a retiring commissioner from doing that for a year. But he will take another job under Big Bill, at the Department of Transportation for $83 Grand a year, down $3 Grand from his deputy labor position under Secretary Conroy Chino. Both Gallegos and Chino are denying insider reports that they clashed. "I feel we have entered into a lifelong friendship," Steve says of Chino who, by they way, is not the only Native American Cabinet Secretary as we reported. Thanks to several readers for pointing out that Benny Shendo is Secretary of Indian Affairs.

For some reason Steve Gallegos has been a lightning rod on the blog, with his various job adventures and political interests drawing inordinate response from numerous rivals. But Gallegos keeps moving, the only way to avoid an Alligator strike.

LONG ROAD AHEAD

No one said it would be easy. Big Bill's brood had to be disappointed that a
recent straw poll, albeit among a small group of South Carolina Dems, had Hillary Clinton far and away the favorite for the 08' Dem Prez nomination, getting 44 votes to John Edward's 34. Virginia Guv Mark Warner garnered 32 and Sen. Biden of Delaware received 24. Everyone else, including Big Bill, was in single digits.

MONDAY CHUCKLE

From realtor Tony Olmi's newsletter: "Age most people stop believing in Santa Claus: Eight. Age most people stop believing in politicians: Seven."

Keep the politics coming. Email your comments, news, complaints or whatever else is on your mind. I look forward to hearing from you. Back at you tomorrow.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2005
Not for reproduction without permission of the author