Despite calling it "the most productive session" in state history, NM Governor Bill Richardson wants more, and is going to take a gamble and call the Legislature into special session starting at noon Tuesday. By most accounts, the past 60 days in Santa Fe were productive with a lengthy list of accomplishments for the Guv and the lawmakers to brag about. But the Governor wants remaining items on his agenda approved and will risk a special session where the politics can be unpredictable. All this to get what he wants before taking off on the 2008 presidential trail. More later...

Domenici
You don’t hire a high-powered criminal defense attorney for nothing, so it's no surprise to hear that NM Senator Pete Domenici's defense is swinging into action and will soon be noticeable at a newsstand near you. At the heart of the debate, as we have repeatedly blogged, is that phone call Domenici made to then-U.S. Attorney David Iglesias and whether it was a call in which Pete pressured Iglesias to speed up federal corruption indictments that might have benefited the re-election campaign of his protégé, ABQ GOP Congresswoman Heather Wilson. Sources say it will be Iglesias's version of that phone call he dramatically retold before the Senate Judiciary Committee will come under harsh scrutiny from the Domenici camp.

"There are several issues with the call; Iglesias's version of the timeline is one of them. Does Iglesias have that right? Maybe not. Also, his contention that Pete called him at home; it appears he was called on his Justice Department cellphone. Domenici didn't know where Iglesias was when he made the call." Reports a Senior Alligator of La Politica.

Those are just a few tidbits being strewn around for the Alligators to munch on as they await a meaty defense and the effort to turn the tables on Iglesias. The effort to paint him as a bumbling incompetent will continue by Republican operatives, but critics are asking whether it matters if it was a bumbling and incompetent U.S. attorney who was unethically pressured by a U.S senator or one with a stellar performance record. In the end, if Domenici can't call into question the veracity of Iglesias's version of that phone call, he is going to take a hit.

Until now, the main point casting Iglesias's testimony on the phone calls from Domenici and another from Rep. Wilson into doubt is that he did not report them to his superiors at Justice. He said he fetlt loyalty to Pete and friendship toward Heather and did not want to hurt them with allegations that they crossed the ethical line.

HEATHER'S CALL

Heather also made a controversial call to Iglesias. There is no word of her hiring a lawyer yet, and no word either on any member of Congress filing an official complaint against her as is required to get an ethics investigation going. The Senate Ethics Committee has begun a preliminary inquiry into Domenici's actions.

Some insiders are saying Wilson may have been misled by campaign scuttlebutt into thinking there were already "sealed indictments" in the courthouse investigation case when she made her now famous mid-October call to Iglesias during a pitched battle with Democrat Patricia Madrid. In that call, Iglesias has testified that Heather inquired about "sealed indictments."

"Were there sealed indictments when she made that call? If there were none, why was Iglesias so freaked about her asking? In his senate testimony he compared sealed indictments to the secrecy of the military's nuclear launch codes, but if there were none at the time she called, Heather can make Iglesias out to be a hype artist.

But that still leaves on the table the issue of those phone calls and whether unethical pressure was applied by Domenici and/or Wilson to get the prosecutor to speed up the indictments said to involve at least one prominent Democrat, former state Senate leader Manny Aragon. Domenici's high-priced lawyer and his associates have begun chipping away at Iglesias's version of events, but they are absorbing political damage as the case refuses to get out of the headlines.

MORE ON MICKEY

Political observers were taken aback when GOP lawyer-lobbyist and former GOP national committeeman Mickey Barnett revealed that FBI agents had complained to him about the performance of Igleasias. What were government officials doing complaining to a private lawyer? Insiders are now wondering whether they were retired agents or active duty agents that Barnett was hearing from. Barnett could get to answer that question himself in the media and/or before the Democratic Congress.

ON THE HILL...

Thursday we blogged that '04 Bush campaign manager Scott Jennings would be one of those testifying before Congress on the Iglesias affair. He is now a deputy political director under Karl Rove at the White House. According to news reports, his testimony and that of other White House officials before Senate Judiciary are on hold. Meanwhile, there was new information on just when Bush political guru Rove became involved in the U.S. attorney firings and it seems a lot sooner that first indicated.

SMOKING GUN?
Attorney Rogers
One political veteran says he sees the proverbial "smoking gun" in the dismissal of Iglesias. He says it is the news that the Justice department did not add Iglesias's name to the list of U.S. attorneys who would be fired until November 2006, after the election.

"It's confirmed that Domenici, Barnett and (GOP attorney) Pat Rogers were in Washington in June '06 complaining about Iglesias and the complaining by Domenici goes back to 2005, but the fact that Iglesias's name was not added to the list of those to be fired until November 15, 2006, after the election, gives credence to the view that it was his failure to return the courthouse indictments that cost him his job. It's the smoking gun," contended our veteran.

Well, it may be a gun, but whether it's smoking or not will be a subject of contention in the weeks ahead. Pete can argue that he asked that Iglesias be fired well before he was placed on the list and well before his October call and that Justice did not get around to putting him on the hit until mid-November. Justice Department emails confirm Iglesias was not put on the firing list until November 15, 2006, after the Domenci-Wilson October phone calls.

VOTER FRAUD?

Was it really Iglesias's failure to address voter fraud that had his fellow Republicans ready to dump him. The New York Times doesn't think so.

READER BLOGGING PART II

Our readers continue to contribute their thoughts on this big political story via email. "To hear Heather say that she called Iglesias but didn't pressure him is like saying she put the joint in her mouth but didn't inhale," wrote one reader, reminding us of the brouhaha over Clinton smoking pot, but not inhaling.

Another reader is back with what some may consider outlandish speculation that evangelical Christian Iglesias will switch to the Dems and run against Heather in '08:"

"I was recently told to fully expect in the coming months to hear he is switching political parties and that Big Bill's political machine has already geared up the spin machine to make him a star and that he will either run for office or receive a significant appointment from Big Bill. If any of this is true I hope you and the other local media who have been making a big deal out of Heather and Pete will do the same with Iglesias. I won't bet on it however." Offers reader Gary Simpson.

Well, don't bet against us, Gary. Iglesias running for Congress as a Democrat seems a real longshot, given his conservative views. Would the Dems embrace him? But we're entertaining every possible angle, even if some of them seem straight out of the Twilight Zone. After all this is New Mexico politics.

LEGISLATURE '07

The frantic rush and down-to-the-wire action is underway at the Merry Roundhouse. We're on the eve of destruction, er, I mean adjournment...You think it would be more with the amount of the state surplus, but a tax cut package worth around $94 million is now on Big Bill's desk. And he's signed our state's new $5.6 billion budget, a nearly 11% increase over last year. Did yours go up that much?...You want a payday loan bill? You got a payday loan bill. How about a Tilapi fish bill? What in the name of Saint Andrew were they doing wasting their time on this with only hours to go in a session? It stunk the whole place up and the fish died.

I'll put a brief wrap up Saturday when the Legislature adjourns and have a complete report on Monday. Don't forget to email me your news and comments from the link at the top of the page. See ya' soon.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2007
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

Things could change radically in New Mexico politics in the coming months, or they could stay much the same. Most of it depends on one man, NM senior GOP Senator Pete Domenici. If he survives the uproar over the firing of U.S. Attorney David Iglesias , does not call it quits and his health holds, he will be on the he trail for another term in '08 and a likely winner. The betting odds are Pete will go for the repeat, but because of recent events they've come down and that has sparked fevered speculation over the future of the Pete Seat and whether NM Governor Bill Richardson just might end up in it.

The insider odds makers stake it out this way. Pete becomes a no-go in early '08 just as the Dem prez nomination is being decided in the first primary states. Bill is coming up short, abandons the prez trail and announces for senate. Any other Dem in the race or thinking about it clears out in favor of the Guv who, speaking of odds would be the heavy favorite to take the win against any R, including U.S. Reps. Wilson or Pearce.

But what about becoming vice-president or secretary of state? That is a problem. How could Big Bill know if he was going to be considered for such positions by the likely nominee early in '08? And if he had a shot at one of those posts, would he want to get involved in a senate bid? Well, we're not saying there's a perfect scenario, just a lot of them.

HOW MANY REASONS?

The Iglesias affair climbed all the way to the top of the political food chain Wednesday, with White House spokesman Dan Bartlett being pressed for reasons on why Iglesias was given the ax. Here's the Bartlett laundry list.

"They looked at his managerial responsibilities and what they had found in a review process that was undertaken at the Department of Justice, that they felt that he was not managing the office as well as it should be; there was issues about his lack of leadership on key committees that prosecutors, U.S. attorneys serve in capacity for the Attorney General. He served on a key immigration subcommittee, and they felt like he didn't possess leadership skills there and fulfill that job in a way that he should have.

"And, also, they took into consideration the complaints that they were fielding from local officials about the lack of prosecution of cases, and the fact that he had lost a high-profile case, (the trial of ex-Treasurer Vigil) when I think 24 or 25 counts were thrown out by a jury against the government. It was a devastating loss for the government."

Sounds like Bartlett threw in everything but the kitchen sink. But that phone call Domenici made in October asking Iglesias if indictments in the courthouse investigation would be coming still hangs heavy in the air. Did it or did it not cross the ethical lines established by the senate? Meanwhile, Iglesias told KRQE-TV Wednesday he considers the Vigil prosecution a success since Vigil was given a prison term of over three years.

SUBPOENA POWER

Scott Jennings, Bush's '04 NM campaign manager and now a deputy political director under Karl Rove at the White House, will be asked to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee. If he does not voluntarily agree, he could be subpoenaed.

IS IT A SCANDAL?

We've used the word "scandal" to describe the U.S. attorney story. Others have used the more mild "controversy." Here is a dictionary definition of scandal: "

1. A publicized incident that brings about disgrace or offends the moral sensibilities of society: a drug scandal that forced the mayor's resignation.
2. A person, thing, or circumstance that causes or ought to cause disgrace or outrage: a politician whose dishonesty is a scandal; considered the housing shortage a scandal.
3. Damage to reputation or character caused by public disclosure of immoral or grossly improper behavior; disgrace.

I think by this definition we are safe using the scandal label, but it is still a bit uncomfortable because there is no criminal activity alleged, at least not yet, and we often associate criminality with scandal. But the definition says that does not have to be the case. Is there a word between controversy and scandal we should use?

HELPFUL OR HURTFUL?

She may be right that politics is holding up passage of a bill in Santa Fe to reform the state's housing authority system, but is Lt. Governor Denish helping or hurting by getting involved? It might just harden House Speaker Lujan's opposition, but he could sorely use any kind of ethics victory in his column.

THE BLOGGING READERS

Some insightful emails lately from the blog readership, so let's get a couple out there. First, reaction on the state's tough new anti-smoking law and our quip that it could cause some bar fights. An ABQ reader says:

"Any bar owner is a fool if he really believes that some kid who is working his way through college won't be saying in court five years later that he and his friends deserve compensation because they were exposed to secondhand smoke in violation of the law, and that the bar owner made fun of the law and laughed about how it couldn't be enforced, and boasted that he would do whatever he pleased and no one could ever stop him, and that he didn't give a damn about health fears, etc. Over time, the smoking ban will ease into place-- bar owners who are too stupid to enforce the smoking ban won't survive in the modern litigious world. Around the country, that is the vision for real enforcement -- not calling the cops or starting fights in bars.

Here's an email from a politico aimed at supporting Heather Wilson's contention that she called U.S. Attorney Iglesias in October, not to pressure him into speeding up indictments in the courthouse investigation, but because she had received a phone call from a constituent who believed Iglesias was "intentionally" delaying such indictments.

"To get higher office, Iglesias would need some Dem support, or, at the very least, only mildly aggressive Dem opposition. Iglesias would be pilloried as rabidly partisan if he released indictments of prominent Dem's anywhere near an election. Therefore, he would hold the indictments until well after the election, then he could have the best of both worlds--Dem's would remember his forbearance and Repub's would see him as anti-corruption. He could (and would) hold onto his job no matter what--Bush would never fire a Hispanic Repub US attorney. (Senator) Pete and (Congresswoman) Heather had aggressively supported Iglesias, regarded this political calculation as a cynical betrayal, and called him and said so. Iglesias overestimated his support...He wasn't as invincible as he thought, and was publicly fired."

Iglesias has said he has no immediate future political plans. Right now he's looking for a job. And even if Iglesias was stalling the indictments for political reasons, it is still a problem for an elected politician to pressure him for action. Did Wilson pressure him? It's the salient question. Iglesias told KRQE last night he considered Wilson's contact with him "absolutely prohibited."

STILL MORE READER BLOGGING

Here's ABQ South Valley reaction to our Wednesday blog on the Dems trying to find a candidate to take on ABQ GOP Congresswoman Heather Wilson next year:

"Who's Terry Brunner? Has he ever been elected to anything? He may have the inside track with the delegation as a member of (Senator) Bingaman's staff, but he's not the Dem's strongest horse by far. There are other names that sound stronger --James Lewis, Kari Branderberg, Eric Griego, Martin Heinrich, and I am sure there are others. I hope the Democratic party doesn't try to pull an inside selection job like the GOP did with (Guv candidate) Dendahl. A primary might be good for the Democrats to get the best candidate instead of the insiders pick. In the meantime, the state party and current elected officials like the AG, Governor and party leaders should keep the pressure on Wilson and Domenici."

For the record, Terry hasn't been elected to anything, although he once sought a state legislative seat.

Thanks for the comments, Send them via the email link at the top of the page. You can let me use your name or not.

MY BOTTOM LINES

With an over-the-top writing style, sources known as my "Alligators" and a breathless approach to all things political, I am an easy target for satire. And a good dose of it comes from syndicated NM columnist Ned Cantwell...Want to be on national TV? Good luck...

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2007
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

Bush & Domenici
The Senior Alligator who told us that the U.S. attorney scandal was going to be like "Chinese water torture" had it right--only Tuesday it was more like a deluge. The story exploded with the Administration releasing to Congress emails that confirmed what most suspected; politics, not performance, played the crucial role in the dismissal of NM U.S. attorney David Iglesias and NM Senator Pete Domenici was up to his bocce balls in the scheming. If Democrats play it right, the emails could provide impetus to a just begun Senate ethics inquiry of Domenici as well as one that could begin in the U.S. House to examine the role of ABQ GOP Congresswoman Heather Wilson in Iglesias's firing.

The emails more or less prove that Justice had at least misled Congress when it said the prosecutors were let go for performance reasons. Congressional headhunters will be after offenders at Justice and the White House. But what about Domenici and Wilson? I asked veteran Democratic political consultant Harry Pavlides for his best thinking on the matter.

"It's all about the phone calls they made to Iglesias in October and whether they asked him to speed up the indictments in the courthouse investigation. The emails could pave the way to show that those calls were unethical--that they were meant to interfere with he course of a federal investigation. But the Democrats are in danger of getting sidetracked. The public isn't concerned if Domenici called the President or Karl Rove; they are interested in whether there have been ethics violations. If they stray too much from that message, it will benefit Wilson and Domenici. You might say, "it's the phone calls stupid." weighed in Pavlides.

That courthouse investigation Pavlides referenced is said to involve prominent Democrats who, if indicted in October, could have given a big boost to Heather's re-election prospects. The indictments remain pending.

Other Gators agreed with Pavlides that while the emails reveal that Domenici even talked to President Bush about Iglesias, to deliver maximum political damage it all has to be linked back to those famous phone calls of Domenici and Wilson that Iglesias testified before Congress about and prove, Iglesias charges, that Domenici violated senate ethics rules.

MICKEY AND STEVE: THEY'RE BACK
Mickey
The seemingly ubiquitous NM GOP lawyer-lobbyist and member of the U.S. postal service's board of governors, Mickey Barnett, made an appearance in email document dump. One shows him asking the White House in June '06 to set up a meeting with Justice so he could go after Iglesias. Barnett raised eyebrows recently when he revealed that FBI agents complained to him about Iglesias's performance.

Barnett was also a key player in that other recent NM Republican Movida. He, along with Domenici chief of staff Steve Bell, helped give birth to the Republican Guv candidacy of John Dendahl last year.

Barnett was excoriated by Republicans in 2004 when he fielded primary candidates against fellow R's in legislative races and was ousted by his party as GOP National Committeeman, but the Administration emails show Barnett and Bell continue to steer NM GOP politics as readers of this blog are well aware. Remember, we don't tell you how we would like it to be, we tell you how it is from the top political sources in NM and the USA.

As for Bell, the emails put his relish for political battle under the spotlight. After Iglesias was fired, the deputy White House counsel, William Kelley, wrote in a note that Bell was “happy as a clam.” Another e-mail said Domenici was “not even waiting for Iglesias’s body to cool” before getting his list of replacements to the White House. All this earned Pete another brutal editorial from the New York Times.

FRUSTRATED DEMOCRATS

Even as the emails gave Washington Dems new ammo, Pavlides, in the game for over 35 years, as well as other Democrats, continued to lament their lot regarding Rep. Wilson, expressing upset that there is still no Dem candidate running against her, or even a first-tier contender waiting in the wings.

"You can't brand a candidate with a cold branding iron; you need to strike when the iron is hot. By not having a candidate they have already let things cool down; the need to get the fire going. Heather should be worried about an opponent; right now she can say or do what she wants to. Democrats can't depend on Washington. They have to do it here. " Pavlides argued.

In an interview with the Capitol Hill newspaper, Roll Call, your blogger was quoted as saying that the NM Dem party "was not doing its job" when it comes to the 1st Congressional district. Party executive director Matt Farrauto fired back in an email saying, "It is candidates that are missing that opportunity, although there are a lot of people chomping at the bit to run. But the missed opportunity is not an albatross that should be tied around the Democratic Party's neck. Apply your logic to the national level. The (national Democrats) could be said to have not done their job because there was no presidential candidate in 2005 to capitalize on the scandals and policy failures of the Bush Administration."

So declared Director Farrauto who works for outgoing party chairman John Wertheim who was handpicked for the position by Governor Richardson whose chief political aides are Dave Contarino and Amanda Cooper. Just in case you disgruntled Dems need some names to call.

After 38 years of failing to win the Democratic majority district, Matt's argument was falling on deaf Alligator ears as they pointed to Wilson's Tuesday morning appearance on KKOB-AM radio where she said her phone call to Iglesias was "entirely appropriate," again claiming that a constituent had contacted her expressing concern about the pace of the courthouse investigation and that's what prompted her call to Iglesias. There was no Democratic candidate around, however, to challenge her and ask the obvious questions.

--Who was that complaining constituent? Will you ask that they allow their name to be released and also show their initial correspondence that prompted your call? How is it appropriate to ask about a case whose disposition could have a dramatic impact on your re-election chances? And do not House ethics rules prohibit the kind of contact you initiated?

Heather could have all the right answers, but the Dems can't be sure until they have a credible contender to press her. Perhaps they are content to wait for a House investigation which may or may not happen.

Besides not having a prominent candidate able to respond to Wilson and weave themselves into the news narrative, the critics, who see a political party's role as developing and recruiting candidates, also pointed out that a hopeful in the arena today could be raising thousands of dollars in contributions from the liberal blogs and others reinvigorated about taking Wilson out after her narrow '06 victory.

MORE WATER TESTING
Terry Brunner
In that Roll Call piece, Terry Brunner, state director for NM Dem U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman, said he is weighing a run for the Wilson seat. Here's a PDF of the article. Brunner told me Tuesday he received calls about the article, but he is not ready to commit. Lke the many other names being floated, he did not sound close to any decision.

Republicans are hoping the status quo will continue. One seasoned member of the party of the elephant took a shot at the Dems with this reasoning: "The Democrats can't get anybody to run against Heather because they can't find anyone in a position to challenge another candidate's ethics. They all have baggage and it would come tumbling out if they attacked her."

So what about Pete? He's up for a re-elect in '08 too. As we have blogged, the likely Dem game plan there is to wear the 74 year old down with investigations and more days like Tuesday that make him consider retirement. There are other scenarios as well which I will blog about soon.

A CASE FOR CANALES

Ask and you shall receive. In doing our profile of Robert Aragón and his candidacy for chairman of the Bernalillo county Dem party, we mentioned his opponent, Ana Canales, and reported we were unable to reach her. Today Ana emails in on her candidacy:

"I am a Hispanic woman originally from Texas...I decided to make New Mexico my home and have done so for the past 15 years. I am the executive assistant to Secretary Stuart Ashman in the Department of Cultural Affairs, was appointed by (Democratic) Chairman Wertheim to the Affirmative Action Committee and am serving as secretary of the Democratic Women of Bernalillo County. I was on Governor Richardson’s re-election campaign..In these three short years, I have been more visible than some people who have lived here all their lives...My goals for the party are...election protection, help the state House candidates and of course, fundraising. "

Thanks, Ana. By the way, Mel Aragón was Robert's uncle, not his grandfather as we initially blogged Tuesday.

LEGISLATURE! LEGISLATURE!

How's this for a modern twist. Big Bill signs a bill very tough on smoking tobacco in public places on the same day the House approves a bill that allows the medical use of pot. Hey, who is going to enforce that smoking measure? Are bar customers going to call the cops on each other? in some New Mexico saloons, they may have to hire more cops to stop the fights, not the smoking.

As for the rest of the Legislature, it is breaking fast in the final days. The hard working trio of Steve, Walt, Heath and others have you covered. Rumor has it they are kept going by a big pot of spaghetti and meatballs that Steve Terrell continuously refreshes with strong seasonings that awaken the senses. Just don't put any medical marijuana in it, fellas. There's enough hallucinating at that Roundhouse already.

THE BOTTOM LINES

Let's talk politics Thursday morning at 9 a.m. on the state's largest radio station, 770 KKOB-AM, as I join morning host Bob Clark for context, analysis and perspective on all things La Politica.

Email your news tips and comments to the link at the top of the page. I'm Joe Monahan inviting you to join me again soon.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2006
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They've seen the peaks and valleys of the political life, but there is one constant in the history of the Aragóns of Albuquerque--they don't give up. Today, even as the most famous member of their clan--former state senate powerhouse Manny Aragon--is threatened with a possible federal indictment--Robert Aragón, a cousin to Manny and a onetime state rep, has emerged as the favorite to become the new chairman of the Bernalillo County Democratic Party.

Speaking from his ABQ law offices where the soon-to-be 50 year old conducts "a small practice," Robert Aragón told me he is confident of victory when county Dems convene April 14 to elect new leadership, and he doesn't expect cousin Manny to be an albatross.

"I love my cousin. He is a good and decent man, but I am not Manny. Anyone who knows us is aware that that our politics differs. We are two different individuals."

Those political differences, Aragón said, are simple. "Manny is liberal and I am more centrist."

ROBERT'S ROOTS

The Aragóns are known as hardball political players, but they have been backbenchers since Manny left the senate. Robert's dad, Bennie Aragón, was a leader in the state House in the 70's. Robert's uncle, Mel, was an ABQ city councilor in the 70's and lifelong Democratic power broker. His sister, Margaret Aragón, was married to ABQ Mayor Marty Chavez. Last year, Robert's nephew, young Dominic Aragón, ran in the Dem primary for an ABQ West Side House seat, a race won by Moe Maestas.

At one time it was Robert who represented a new generation. He was appointed to the House in 1979 to fill the vacancy created when his father, then-Rep, Bennie Aragón, took a position in the administration of Governor King. Robert was barely 21 and became one of the youngest House members ever. His House career ran until '86 when he was defeated by fellow ABQ Dem Dan Silva who still holds the seat.

Aragón describes himself as having been "extremely active" in party affairs since his last political play--an unsuccessful run against the late GOP ABQ Congressman Steve Schiff in '92.

"I want to build a party of inclusion, to bring together the young and old, the progressives and the centrists. We won last November, but a lot of it was due to anti-Bush sentiment. I want to help build a party people vote for." He said.

Robert insists his days of seeking political office are over. But would he be a front man for his former brother-in-law, Mayor Marty Chavez, who he partnered with in practicing law and with whom he still has a close relationship?

"Party rules are clear, and I helped write them. A county chair will stay neutral in contested primary races. I will adhere to the rules," he asserted.

Aragón, of course, was referring to the nascent battle for the 2010 Dem Guv nomination brewing between Chavez and Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish. Has he talked to Di and asked for her support?

"I plan to talk with her after the legislative session. She is very busy. I am a longtime fan. You will see my name on her list of contributors." Aragon told me.

LOOKING AHEAD
Manny Aragón
While saying he would be neutral in a Marty-Di match-up, Aragón is taking sides in the race for NM Dem Party chair which will be decided at the end of April. That battle to replace John Wertheim features ABQ attorney Brian Colón and former Socorro state Rep. Mike Olguin.

"I think Brian is the frontrunner, but if Mike is successful I will work with him to build a strong party," He offered.

Ana Canales, a progressive Dem who was a Wesley Clark prez backer and later a John Kerry supporter, is also running for chair. While the well-known Aragón is the front runner, insiders point out that a couple of years ago state Senator Linda Lopez was ousted as Bernalillo county chair by the progressive wing, so don't count Canales out. Aragón is working the liberals hard, trying to persuade them his candidacy should not be anathema to them.

Like Colón, Aragón is tight with Big Bill, leading to speculation that he is supporting both of them in their bids, but the Guv is not expected to make any public declarations. Based on Aragón's musings, Denish would not seem prone to oppose him. She has worked hard to build bridges to Hispanic Dems and an open fight would not serve her well. Also, there is increased speculation that Mayor Chavez is not as committed to the Guv race as Di and that other offices could still attract him.

Some argue that the emergence of Aragón is a step back to the politics of the past and that it keeps the party shadowed by the ethical concerns of cousin Manny. But others maintain that the politically tested and pragmatic Robert Aragón will send the message that the majority party is serious about maintaining its grip on power, a subject that his storied family is well-acquainted with.

NEWS RATINGS IN JEOPARDY

The news is no match for Alex Trebek. The host of Jeopardy led KRQE-TV to a narrow February ratings victory over the 6 p.m. newscasts on KOAT-TV and KOB-TV. CBS affiliate KRQE also continues its domination of the important 10 p.m. news, garnering a 21% share of the audience watching TV at that time, compared to 14% for both KOAT and KOB.

A GRIPING LAWMAKER

Not everyone at the Roundhouse is impressed that things are running relatively smoothly. One veteran lawmaker emails in: "For the past four sessions the leadership was accustomed to having the Governor set the agenda and work hard with staff to see it delivered. With the Governor gone or preoccupied most of the session, there was never an agenda and very little lobbying or energy devoted to the significant issues like health care, education, water and spending."

Well, if you are running for the Dem prez nomination getting rid of cockfighting, increasing the minimum wage and sexy renewable energy legislation is significant. And so it goes...

Email your news and comments from the top of the page. I'm Joe Monahan reporting to you from ABQ NM.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2007
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Chair Saavedra
Nice try, Santa Fe. But passing a state budget with a whopping 11 percent increase and sending historic minimum wage legislation to the Governor is just not enough to get you the lead story on this little ol' blog or in those other places where they still use ink to spread the blues. The political news cycle has become all-U.S.-attorney-scandal-all-the-time. But because we're nostalgic types, for old times sake we'll start out this Monday covering the final week of the NM legislative session. We won't dither too long at the Roundhouse. Just below we re-enter the house of pain occupied by Iglesias-Wilson-Domenici and an ever growing cast.

Since Big Bill stopped being Big Bully, the wheels of the Legislature have been grinding away with unusual ease. It's like a prix fixe dinner where you know what's on the menu and exactly what you're going to pay. Still, it showcases the Guv's penchant for diplomacy and how it can work in Santa Fe as well as in distant lands ruled by dictators. This diplomatic mission still has five days left, but it appears the 112 hostages (legislators) will be released and there will be no train wrecks.

The turning point may have been the Guv's give on last year's veto of a slew of building projects for the lawmakers. They restored the projects this year and the Guv agreed, making sure to eat his crow out of sight. As we approach the end game, the aforementioned whopper of a budget has been approved, the minimum wage bill soon will be, the cockfighting ban is a done deal and a renewable energy bill has made it through. Quite a record. Maybe Bill should run for President more often.

The quote of the session came when House Appropriations Committee Chair Kiki Saavedra quipped, "I'm scared too" after GOP ABQ Rep. Justine Fox-Young warned that the big budget could mean a future tax increase if oil and gas revenues fall. Well, being scared and having the fear of God (or the electorate) put into you are obviously two different things. In the early rounds, young Ms. Young was joined by 19 of her R colleagues in voting against the$5.65 billion budget, but by this weekend that little yell had turned to a whimper and the House passed the budget without debate. Without debate? Mr. and Mrs. New Mexico could indeed come to rue the day of the too big budget, but they are not going to listen to Republicans or Democrats who cry "we told you so" because in the end none of them did.

THAT BOX OF PANDORAS
Chairman Weh
The U.S. attorney scandal continues to unfold, creating a state of blogging bliss heretofore only approached when Jeff Armijo tried to become state auditor. But Jeff turned out to be a piker compared to David Iglesias. The former and fired NM U.S. attorney has, to use the inimitable words of former NM Governor Bruce King, opened "a box of pandoras." In that Greek myth (and also Bruce's) greed, vanity, slander and envy are let out of Pandora's box and unleashed on the world, leaving only hope inside. But hope that this affair will end sooner rather than later seems as likely now as Hercules showing up at the Downs at Albuquerque to clean the stables.

A good scandal, like a soap opera, needs fresh characters. And this weekend we got a boatload. Among those making stage debuts were GOP lawyer-lobbyist Mickey Barnett, Republican attorney Pat Rogers, GOP Chair Allen Weh and ABQ attorneys Randi McGinn and Paul Kennedy. Mickey emerged in the Sunday New York Times which also featured an interview with your blogger. (Now I can retire.) He said that FBI agents had been complaining to him about the performance of Iglesias. That leads to the question of why the FBI would complain to Barnett and not Justice. Was it because he has long standing ties to Senator Pete Domenici and White House political guru Karl Rove and the agents wanted political pressure put on Iglesias? It seems it's a question for the bloodhounds on the Senate Ethics Committee who have started a "preliminary inquiry" into the Iglesias firing and whether Domenici and ABQ GOP Rep. Heather Wilson tried to have him speed up indictments of Democrats being investigated in connection with the construction of ABQ Metro Court.

Rogers, a longtime political associate of Barnett and Wilson, revealed to McClatchy Newspapers that he had lunch with Iglesias before the November '06 election and complained about the lack of indictments in the corruption probe; indictments that could have helped Wilson in her tight race with Dem Patsy Madrid. And Chairman Weh told McClatchy that he put the arm on Rove to fire Iglesias at an '06 White House Christmas party. But after saying that, Weh later told the AP the decision to fire Iglesias had already been made by the time he whispered in Karl's ear. But Weh also confirmed he had spoken with a "liaison" to Rove as early as 2005 about dumping Iglesias.(Late Sunday McClatchy reported that Rove says he may have forwarded such concerns about Iglesias to the U.S. attorney general.)

The Rogers-Weh-Barnett cameos in this affair point to an orchestrated political effort to speed up indictments and to get rid of Iglesias if he didn't. Democrats say the effort peaked with pressure filled and unethical phone calls to Iglesias in October by Domenici and Wilson. Pressure from non-government sources to fire Iglesias is not the big deal. They have no official power over him, although they will now probably be dragged into official inquires. For Domenici and Wilson, who are part of the government, the issue of how they responded to the complaining is all-important. Meanwhile, the Justice Department, which has been insisting Iglesias was fired for performance, not political reasons, is looking more and more like a guy with egg on his face, with a leading Democratic senator now calling for the head of Attorney General Gonzales.

INVESTIGATION NEWS
Attorney McGinn
Also via the NY Times, we learn that trial attorney McGinn is defending one of those being investigated in the courthouse probe. The article did not say who she was defending. Former Dem State Senator Manny Aragon is known to be a primary target. In yet another sign that things ain't what they used to be, Democrat McGinn showed no hesitancy in taking a poke at Pete. “It’s given the public a look under the halo of St. Pete,” said McGinn of the scandal, invoking the moniker often used to describe the state's senior senator.

As for the senator, he was in no mood to spar with anyone. By week's end when he conducted a news conference with NM radio reporters, he had settled on a brief statement explaining that he would not be taking questions on the scandal. You can hear the weariness in his voice, and you can hear the clip here.

While McGinn was poking Pete, GOP attorney Kennedy confirmed that he is the lawyer for an accountant who went to the FBI to report the alleged courthouse shenanigans and which implicated prominent Democrats. That was news to New Mexico.

And it is future news of the corruption case that R's are hoping will quell this disturbance for Pete and Heather. Their ray of hope scenario has the feds announcing big-name indictments in the case soon, detailing an outlandish rip-off scheme so shocking it has voters asking: "David who?" But with aggressive counselors like McGinn on the warpath, the courthouse caper case will be portrayed as a Kangaroo Court convened to give the bum's rush to a bunch of Dems. Somebody call Orville Redenbacher. We need extra popcorn for this one.

YES, THERE'S MORE

What else can we say? Plenty, but we know you have a life so just a little more. How about the story line that Iglesias is an ungrateful reprobate who turned out to be an incompetent? Well, Iglesias was given a big break by Domenici and Wilson, but Republican political consultant Jeff Gardner says the congress folks did not sink their hooks into him until well after he paid his own dues, making the argument that while Iglesias was groomed by the GOP bigwigs, he wasn't incubated by them.

How about some more on the political chess game this scandal has put into play? You would need Bobby Fisher to figure it all out, but I pulled up a chair anyway with New York Sun reporter Ryan Sanger to figure out whose kings are under attack and whether escape is still possible. One name we did not mention who may want to play is that of former U.S. attorney John Kelly who was pushed into political oblivion when he lost to Heather in 2000. But he came back for a visit Sunday in the pages of the ABQ Journal. Is Kelly's Irish up enough to try to corner the Queen again? He joins a long list of possibles.

THE ODD COUPLE

Did we forget Steve Pearce? You know him; the guy who is supposed to stand as much of a chance of replacing Pete in the U.S. Senate as Phil Griego does of stopping a cockfight. Well, a funny thing happened on the way to the future. The southern NM GOP congressman popped up with none other than Big Bill over the weekend, touring the ABQ veterans hospital and promising to ease the pain of those who fought for their country. Wasn't that Heather who also toured the hospital a couple of days earlier all by her lonesome? Just who is the front runner now for the GOP Senate nomination for Pete's seat? (If it becomes available, of course.)

Now, we're not saying Bill and Steve are knocking back shots together at The Bull Ring, but this is the second time the duo has been seen hamming it up for the statewide TV cameras, the first being earlier this year when they pledged to work together to fight the meth epidemic. What better way for an ultra-conservative Republican to soften his image than appearing with his centrist Governor in a bi-partisan lovefest? Hey, we're not going to hold it against them. After the news of late, we're glad to see a couple of fellas in politics actually having some fun.

MY BOTTOM LINES

Because you made it all the way down here, you deserve a juicy tidbit. Adam Feldman of Kentucky will be named the new executive director of the NM GOP, replacing Marta Kramer who recently left. What a time to come aboard!

Want in on the action? Drop an email from the link at the top of the page. Desea el politica vivo del la!

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2007
Not for reproduction without permission of the author