Bruce King
When former State Senator Manny Aragon was indicted on corruption charges earlier this year we said he was arguably the most powerful lawmaker in New Mexico's post WWII history. That brought interesting reaction that we are finally able to get to during the holiday lull. Was Manny Numero Uno, or are there other worthies vying for the title? One veteran Alligator lays out his list of venerable legislators, coming up with a top ten list of the most powerful from the past 60 years. On his list, Manny, who served as Senate president pro tem as well as majority leader, comes in at #6. Read on for our Senior Alligator's Legislative Top Ten--fascinating analysis you get only here...

#1. Sen. Aubrey Dunn (D-Alamogordo) -- powerful Senate Finance chairman, responsible for State Equalization Formula which set the standard for the entire nation in school funding. Aubrey trained Manny and changed his diapers when he came to the Senate.

#2. Rep. Walter K. Martinez (D-Grants) --The original Speaker of the House and head of the Mama Lucy Gang, the person who gives Manny spiritual guidance. Ruled with an absolute iron fist. Manny learned how to govern from these guys.

#3. Rep. Bruce King (D-Santa Fe) -- One of the most powerful Speakers ever who parlayed that experience into three Gubernatorial terms. Manny never parlayed his Legislative experience anywhere except to an ill-fated Highlands job and an impending federal indictment.

#4. Sen. Fabian Chavez (D-Santa Fe) -- I would like to hear from the Alligators as to who was the better and more effective legislator and majority leader -- Manny or Fabian??

#5. Rep. Raymond Sanchez (D-Albuquerque) -- He never seemed to get into the trouble that Manny did. Just as powerful on his side of the Capitol as Manny was on his turf. Held power longer than Manny. Retired on better terms even though he was beat at the polls.

#6. Sen. Manny Aragon (D-Albuquerque)--You described his accomplishments, not much more needs to be said, except the others on this list are not facing indictments and I truly think that has to count for something.

#7. Rep. Gene Samberson (D-Lovington)--He led the revolution against the Mama Lucy Gang and ruled the roost for a half-decade with a coalition of conservative D's and all of the R's. Ending the Martinez's rule was quite an accomplishment in 1979 that had a number of consequences for those who broke ranks with the Democrats in the state House.

#8. Sen. Harold Runnels (D-Lovington)--He parlayed his Senate University Investigation Committee in the Vietnam Era into a congressional career. This was one powerful dude and UNM still feels the reverberations of his experience in the NM Legislature to this day. (Love Lust poem incident)

#9. Sen. Ike Smalley (D-Deming) -- He served almost 50 years in the NM Legislature and was the longtime Senate President Pro-Tem. Manny couldn't get his career going until Ike was taken out of the way.

#10. (tie) Rep. Ben Lujan (D-Santa Fe) and Sen. Ben Altamirano (D-Silver City) -- Leaders of both chambers during the Richardson era and architects and whip crackers of Bill's "Two Ben" strategy to get his bills thru the Legislature.

That's one brilliant analysis of New Mexican legislative power and history. One question lingers. Will any of our current lawmakers, besides the two Bens, carve out legislative records good enough to make this list in the future? We welcome your comments on the top-ten list.

WILSON AND WIKPEDIA
Rep. Wilson
You've probably come across "Wikpedia," the on-line encyclopedia written by by volunteers. We've linked to the site and find it quite reliable, but not always. Take, for example, the most recent entry on ABQ GOP Congresswoman Heather Wilson.

"Currently, she is under a preliminary investigation by the House Ethics Committee over whether she made inappropriate contact with the United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico by inquiring, shortly before an election in which she faced a stiff challenge, on the status of a corruption investigation involving a Democratic politician."

That may be wishful thinking on the part of the Dems, but it isn't fact--at least not yet. NM GOP Senator Pete Domenici is indeed the focus of a preliminary investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee, but in the House a fellow lawmaker or lawmakers is required to file a complaint with the House Ethics Committee to launch a probe. So far, Wilson has escaped that action. Whether that continues to be the case is something we'll probably read about on Wikpedia.

This is the home of New Mexico politics--www.joemonahan.com

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

It's a Fourth that finds folks in a deep funk. If the polls are right, at least seven out of ten of you reading this are unhappy with the direction the USA is currently taking. With a no end-in-sight Iraq war, gas prices stubbornly stuck north of three bucks a gallon and ever-increasing health insurance premiums, there is no shortage of reasons for the sour national mood. But the nation has a long track record, and if it works as it always has, things will turn out like the weather. Don't like it? Hang around; it's sure to change. One thing that hasn't changed is our right to exercise our precious freedoms, including to read and write what we like. In that spirit, Happy Fourth of July. Now on to the action...

THE LOS ALAMOS LAMENT

Will the next Fourth see more fireworks over the billions in federal budgeting for Los Alamos and Sandia Labs? It appears Senator Domenici (and Bingaman) have staved off massive cuts for the next year, cutting a deal with a key subcommittee chairman. But it's only for a year. That means the debate starts all over again, and major cuts next year are a real possibility. The timing for Pete couldn't be worse. If his plans hold, he will be in the middle of his campaign for re-election to a seventh term just as the national labs budget debate flares anew.

A THORN FOR BILL

Not all of Big Bill's hometown press is glowing. Down Las Cruces way, Walt Rubel, managing editor of the Las Cruces Sun-News, takes this poke at the Governor.

"The problem with Richardson is, even when he does the right thing, one is often left wondering if he did it for the right reasons. Everything is a negotiation, a political give-and-take, often with an eye toward payback down the road."

We guess Rubel didn't get the "be nice" memo from Guv press secretary Pahl Shipley

HERE WE GO AGAIN

ABQ Journal blogger Bruce Daniels says we've done it again--gone off the conspiratorial deep end by highlighting on Monday a national media report on the US Attorney scandal and the involvement of ABQ GOP lawyer Pat Rogers as a "new development." You mean the Illuminati isn't running the show? In any event, whatever the merits of the McClatchy news report, the US attorney imbroglio is here to stay for Campaign '08. And that's no conspiracy theory. On second thought....

BILL'S NUMBERS

No big surprise, but the Guv's polling numbers are falling back in Iowa and New Hampshire, after his initial burst to the double digit level in some surveys following a big wave of TV spots. Richardson is at 5% in the latest ARG Iowa survey taken at the end of June, down from 8% in May. In New Hampshire he is now at 6%, down from 9% in May. The margin of error in the polls is 4%. "It's where he expected to be. He will need to start making his move in September and October," said pollster Harry Pavlides.

SANTA FE TRAIL

Reader Betty Hileman has thoughts on the crime wave shadowing her city of Santa Fe as we provide ongoing coverage.

"Part of being an open "sanctuary city" where illegals are so welcome is that many drug groups have also made themselves at home. The mayor--who I support-ties the hands of police when dealing with really bad types who happen to be illegal, and with even the lame efforts of ICE to get some of these drug runners/meth cookers out of our midst. I've been here about 30 years and it's never been this bad."

I've been watching it for 35 Betty, and I can't remember it being this bad either. One can only hope that the mayor and the city councilors care as much about their hometown as you do.

THE BOTTOM LINES

Another job for Rick Homans? Yep. He's leaving as executive director of the NM Spaceport Authority to take a job in the private sector which he will announce later this month. He took his present post after serving as state economic development director. Homans had been mentioned as a possible congressional challenger earlier this year, but that apparently would have been one job too many. If you like space, get your application into Big Bill.

Once again, Happy Fourth of July. Enjoy.

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

Speaker Lujan
It's double trouble at the Roundhouse. Dem State Rep. Richard Vigil of Las Vegas and GOP Rep. Dan Foley of Roswell are the ethics poster boys for the summer of '07 and that could mean trouble for both when the summer of '08 rolls around. House Speaker Ben Lujan has stepped in to apply a bit of discipline to fellow Dem Vigil, but state GOP lawmakers and their party have remained mum on Foley, leaving it to his hometown newspaper to admonish the temper prone solon and urge Roswellians to "think long and hard" before re-electing him.

First, the details on Vigil who is the brother of ex-NM Treasurer Robert Vigil who is doing prison time for corruption. Lujan says--at Vigil's request--he has removed him from the House Education Committee and the Legislative Education Study Committee. This, in the aftermath of the indictment of Roberta Vigil, Richard's wife. She's charged with fraudulently spending bilingual education money from the West Las Vegas School District. Some of that cash was made available to her in a special appropriation by none other than hubby Richard. Isn't that special?

Meantime, northern Alligators of the Gallinas River variety report that the name of Sam Vigil, no relation to Richard and who represented District 70 before Richard took him out in '98, is mulling over a possible primary challenge to Richard. Another possible primary name the Gators sent down the river is that of former San Miguel county District Attorney Jesus Lopez. Isn't he the son of the legendary Mama Lucy" whose named played a central role in the politics of the 70's? He is, says no less an authority than former NM GOP Guv Dave Cargo.

As for Speaker Lujan taking some action on Richard Vigil, House Majority leader Kenny Martinez may have run a lousy campaign to unseat the Speaker last December, but his harping on ethics may have played a role in getting Ben to take notice of Vigil. One Smiley Gallegos is enough for anyone.

FOLEY'S FUNK

On the Foley front, state R's may be quiet as church mouses about their wayward son, but Foley's alleged flying off the handle over the treatment of his own son at a Roswell basketball game, has the Roswell Daily Record stepping into the breach. The paper says spitting at a cop, disorderly conduct and obstructing an officer, are not endearing political traits to the good folks who populate cowboy country.

Foley's district should think long and hard about whether he is the best choice to represent them in Santa Fe...Elected officials should be masters of diplomacy...the art of compromise is the key to success. Predictions of political demise aren't the way to win over other legislators. Verbal assaults are no way to persuade the governor to rethink his policies. And failing to recognize the authority of police officers is no way to set an example for our community's youth.

There's a recipe here for a food fight in primary '08. That is, if any prominent R has the stomach for it. Hey, maybe a tobacco chewing Roswell cop will run and he and Foley can engage in that old western pastime-- who can spit their tobacco juice the farthest. Big Bill would kick in the spittoons for that one.

BIG BILL'S BILLFOLD

Not bad. After mismanaging expectations and floating the rumor that Big Bill was close to beating the fundraising totals of Dem Prexy rival John Edwards in the second quarter, NM Governor Bill Richardson recovered with the news that while he couldn't beat Edwards' $9 million, he has raised about $7 million, topping his first quarter total of $6.2 million. Edwards' six-month total was $23 million, compared with more than $14 million for Richardson, putting in perspective where the Guv stands.

Much has happened in Bill's first six months as a Prez candidate, but in reality not much has changed. He began his quest knowing that it would take a major error by one of the leading contenders if he was to break out of the second tier of candidates. That mistake has yet to come, but history says it might, and by raising a decent sized campaign kitty the Guv is able to stay in the race and wait for it.

While Richardson was spinning that it was a brand new day for his candidacy, his critics were less euphoric, as this e-mail from an Alligator deep in the South Valley of ABQ illustrates:

"The Guv got a late start during the first reporting period, thus the second quarter produced less money per day than the first which suggests a slowing of contributions. I admit to expecting less in total not just less per day. However, the amount will only prolong the death throes of the Billy delusion. The next report should show his fundraising finally relegating him to the dustbin of history."

"The Billy delusion?" Is that copyrighted?

Another emailer points out that Richardson has a total of 38,000 contributors, but Edwards, who the Guv hopes to displace from the #3 position, has 100,000. That seems to indicate the Guv is adept at hitting up big donors, but has work to do in exciting the grass roots about his candidacy.

Still, Big Bill lives to fight another day, and that surpasses the expectations of many pundits. If he keeps going, we may have to get the Honda road ready for a trip to Des Moines--Iowa that is.

MARTIN'S MONEY

It appears that ABQ Dem congressional candidate Martin Heinrich who, like the Guv, was sending out a flurry of "Help me" messages in the closing days of the second quarter will meet expectations for his campaign, but not blow the doors off. He's expected to hit the $150,000 level when he makes his report public at mid-month, according to insiders. Heinrich isn't talking yet.

We're told the ABQ city councilor had raised about $120,000 as of a couple of weeks ago, even though he did little fundraising in April. But will $150k or thereabouts be enough to discourage another Dem from getting in the race for the right to take on ABQ GOP US Rep. Heather Wilson? The answer is....drumroll please....maybe. Democrats seem more wary than energized by the too-close-to-call Wilson '06 win, and Heinrich has much to prove. But you already knew that.


US ATTORNEY SCANDAL UPDATE

Must reading from McClatchy Newspapers on a new development in the NM US Attorney scandal. NM GOP attorney Pat Rogers is back in the spotlight. Read all about it.

Have news or comments? Send them our way via the email.

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