It's certainly not news that legendary NM Senator Dennis Chavez has passed, but for political junkies like us coming across an actual edition of the newspaper carrying the breaking news of his November 1962 death is a rare find. The aged yellowed pic of the front page ABQ Journal posted here is from the desk of Rose Diaz, director of the University of New Mexico political archives. I dropped in there Thursday for a briefing on how we are sorting and saving for the scrutiny of future generations the papers of our most prominent past politicos and some present ones as well. When I saw that old newspaper and the headline, I just had to take a snap of it for you.

Rose sent me off with the thick PhD. dissertation she authored on Democrat Chavez who served nearly thirty years in the senate. I will scour it for political nuggets and sprinkle them around here in the weeks ahead.

ERROR OF MY WAYS

What is it about ABQ City Councilor Ken Sanchez that we keep calling him a CPA? We mistakenly did it for the second time in the past year on Wednesday's blog. Sanchez is an "enrolled agent" who practices before the IRS, but is not, repeat is not a CPA. City Councilor Don Harris, facing an October 2 recall election, told us he will use Sanchez to keep his campaign records straight. Sanchez, who is mulling over a run for Mayor in 2009, is a Democrat. Harris a Republican.

And State Senator John Ryan is a Republican, not a Democrat. Duh! We lumped him with Dem
Senator Dede Feldman in blogging Thursday on the Guv's ethics task force. These two are as philosophically apart as you can get, and we received a number of emails pointing out the error of our ways. One of them came from probably the most liberal member of the Senate, ABQ's Jerry Ortiz y Pino: "

"Joe, I missed the official announcement that Senator John Ryan has switched parties, but since you listed him as a Democrat in this morning’s blog, I suppose I have to accept it as fact. I’ve been subtly trying to influence that switch (we sit next to each other on the floor) but didn’t realize I was getting anywhere. Good news!"

Very funny, Jerry. We're glad we could provide you some jollies at our expense. As for Ryan, we are more than aware that he is a Republican, having had him as a guest analyst on our KANW-FM radio Election Night broadcasts. But if he wants to come on as a Democrat, he is welcome, as long as Ortiz y Pino assumes the Republican role. Now that would be a ratings grabber.

GUV NOT GAY OVER DEBATE

Big Bill, only now recovering from a controversy involving the gay community, stepped back in it Thursday night at the Dem debate on gay issues. From USA Today:

"New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, asked whether being gay is a choice or people are born that way, said it's a choice. After the forum, he reversed himself. "I do not believe sexual orientation or gender identity happens by choice," he said in a statement.

It's queer how the Guv is getting his signals mixed on gay rights issues. Among the Prez candidates, he has one of the most progressive records on such matters. But he is 59, not 29, and this is not an issue politicians of his generation are used to grappling with in public.

THE BOTTOM LINES

We also blogged Thursday about the ethics task force proposal requiring lobbyists to wear badges while working at the Roundhouse. We labeled it "silly." Some readers saw it differently, including Matt Brix of Common Cause.

"The Secretary of State's website already has a listing of all registered lobbyists and their respective clients. And, up until this year, the SOS printed laminated identification cards for lobbyists to carry with them during the session. All the ethics task force is saying is let's take the current system and bring it more into the open."

Maybe so, but we still find it silly and even a bit creepy that you would be required by the government to wear an identity badge in the capitol, even though Brix says some other states already require lobbyists to sport badges.

We welcome your news, comments and political musings. Send them from the email link at the top of the page.

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

Chavez
With open hostility threatening to cast a pall over his fledgling campaign for governor as well as stopping city legislation in its tracks, ABQ Mayor Marty Chavez moved Wednesday to make the peace with an increasingly combative and restive city council. The Mayor has asked the nine councilors to meet with him-- three at a time--over a weekly lunch. Initial reaction from Council Prez Debbie O'Malley was subdued. The problem, she argued, is Chavez's predilection to want to run everything, not his openness.

But the Democratic Mayor, haunted by a losing 1998 bid for Guv against Republican Gary Johnson, does not want to see the dream slip away again. He faces a formidable opponent for the Dem nomination in Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish. And there could be more candidates to come. If his relationship with the council stays rocky, it will be argued that Chavez lacks the executive skills to lead the state, even as he criticizes Denish for her lack of executive experience.

My insiders say the animosity of several councilors toward Chavez has never been greater. "It is the way he has treated them behind the scenes, basically telling them 'my way or the highway.' It has enraged them, and there is major repair work to be done," said one source at city hall.

Chavez sympathizers argue the council critics, more liberal than those in the recent past, are frustrated by the poularity of the more conservative Chavez.

His Honor's not so quiet support of the October 2nd election foes of of Councilors O'Malley and Winter has added fuel to the fire. The flames jumped high at Monday's council meeting over a relatively innocuous piece of environmental legislation. That came on the heels of a rare override of a mayoral veto over jail funding that showed the council can, if pressed, muster the six votes to block what has been a powerful Mayor.

The public often sides with the executive in disputes with a legislative body because he is the known quantity, has the bully pulpit and commands media attention. While Chavez, 55, has been called every name in the book behind his back, his image with the public has been largely untainted. But that may be about to change, thus the mayor's new slogan, "let's do lunch."

A final thought. When he sits down for caviar and crackers with Republican Winter and green chile chicken enchiladas with Democrat O'Malley, will Chavez offer to lay low in their re-election bids? That might go farther than a fine luncheon in healing the open wounds in city government that have the red stuff trickling and the Alligators circling.

HARRIS WINS ONE
Don Harris
The best chance for Chavez to tip the council balance of power back in his favor is the recall election facing Republican Don Harris. Incumbents O'Malley and Winter look safe. (O'Malley safer as Winter won by just five points four years ago.)If voters toss Harris out, Chavez would get to name a replacement, but Councilor Harris received some good news Tuesday, perhaps giving his campaign to keep his far NE Heights seat a bit of a boost.

The city's ethics board on a 4 to 1 vote rejected having a hearing on one of the allegations leveled against Harris by the group seeking his recall. The board must still consider other charges filed against the freshman councilor.

Upset citizens collected enough petition signatures to force a recall of Harris, only the second in city history, and it will take place in District Nine along with the regular city election October 2nd. Another ethics allegation Harris faces is faulty campaign finance reporting. He said he has made "mistakes" but "it was noting intentional." He told me he has hired fellow councilor Ken Sanchez who has an accounting business to handle the funds for his recall campaign. "That should stop me from making the same mistake twice," chuckled the lawyer lawmaker. Whether voters will be pacified by such explanations remains to be seen.

ETHICS FORCE LAPSE?

Would a proposed $2300 limit on NM campaign contributions, modeled after federal limits, have any unintended consequences?

"Legislators get few campaign contributions in the $2300 range. If the limit is put there, it could push them to have donors give the maximum allowed. That would mean more big money in legislative races, not less, " reasoned on veteran analyst.

Interesting point. The big statewide races like Governor and Attorney General do attract many donations over $2300, and limits where there currently are none would have a tangible impact. But legislators hang more with the below the thousand dollar a pop crowd. Shouldn't the ethics panel deal with that discrepancy?

The task force is asking for a special session of the Legislature to consider a myriad of proposals, some of them downright silly, like having lobbyists wear name tags.

"Hi, My Name is Tim and I am Here to bribe you..."

SPECIAL ETHICS

If the Guv and Legislature agree to a special, how about having it immediately following the 30 day 2008 legislative session? That would save taxpayers boatload of money. The chairman of the task force, former Guv Carruthers, agrees. Besides, Big Bill is off campaigning for Prez and way too distracted to preside over a special session that could quickly get out of hand.

And as the mainstream media has tirelessly pointed out, the system for disclosing NM campaign contributions and expenditures over the Internet via the secretary of state's office remains in shambles. If they can't enforce current ethics rules, how are we going to enforce a fresh batch?

WALK THE WALK

The politicos talk a good game when it comes to ethics, but when we asked for just one of them to step forward last year and voluntarily limit the size of their campaign contributions, the answer was the "Sounds of Silence." Diane Denish and Marty Chavez are already on the way to raising millions for the 2010 Governor's race. Denish is a member of the ethics task force. Could she and Marty lead by example and set a limit--even a high one---on how much they will accept from one contributor? OK. You can stop laughing now.

Other elected officials on that ethics task force are Dem Sate Treasurer James Lewis, GOP State Senator Ryan and Dem Senator Feldman; Dem State Reps Kenny Martinez and Jeff Steinborn and R State Rep. Don Tripp.

Will any of them announce that they will voluntarily limit the size of contributions they will accept?

The politicos argue that if they did a limit and their opponents didn't, they would be at a disadvantage. Voters might ask whatever happened to putting your money where your mouth is?

MY BOTTOM LINES

As expected, Rio Rancho Deputy Mayor and City Councilor Mike Williams was chosen by the council Wednesday night to fill out a portion of the unexpired term of ex-Mayor Kevin Jackson who resigned in disgrace over ethical and legal violations over the use of his city credit card. Willams' term runs until March of 2008 when city voters will select a mayor to fill out the final two years of Jackson's term. Williams could run for election then. Insiders say if former Dem Mayor and State Rep. Swisstack enters the race, as he is indicating he will, Williams might not.

Breaking the big political stories and having fun doin' it--This is the home of New Mexico politics. Send your news scoops from the e-mail link at the top of the page.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2007
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Rep. Swisstack
State Representative and former Rio Rancho Mayor Tom Swisstack appears to be ready for a return to city hall. The three term Democratic lawmaker told me Tuesday he is giving "very serious consideration" to running for mayor in Rio Rancho's March '08 election and will make a final decision "within a week."

Politics in New Mexico's fastest growing city has lately taken a turn toward the Byzantine. The ethically and legally challenged Kevin Jackson has resigned as mayor. Deputy Mayor Mike Williams, a city councilor, is expected to be named today by his fellow councilors to fill the portion of Jackson's term that runs until next March. There will be a regular March election for city council and to fill out the remaining two years of Jackson's term. That's where Swisstack comes in.

The New Jersey native, who has called Rio Rancho home since the mid-80's, said if he ran for mayor he would stay in the Legislature until the election. If he won, he would resign and the Democratic controlled Sandoval County Commission would name a replacement who would also presumably be the Dem's June'08 primary candidate. If Swisstack lost for mayor, he would keep his legislative seat and consider running for it again. His record makes a loss seem unlikely, if he pulls the political trigger.

THE SWISSTACK FACTOR

Swisstack's seat is important to note because it has been a lean Republican one with Swisstack winning it from an R in '02 by only seven votes. He expanded his margin of victory in his two elections since, but the R's would have renewed hope if the popular Democrat were to leave the Roundhouse for city hall. However, Rio Rancho would again have a Democratic mayor as it did from 1994 to 1998 when Swisstack served a term. He did not seek re-election.

Democrat Williams sought the mayor's job, but lost it to Jackson in '06. Observers say he could be expected to step aside if Swisstack were to make the run. Former GOP Rio Rancho Mayor Jim Owen is the other well-known name poised as a contender for the '08 battle and who also ran and lost against Jackson.

Swisstack, 59, the longtime director of the Bernalillo County Juvenile Detention Center, says he is nearing retirement and would be a full-time mayor. He says Rio Rancho, with a population of around 75,000, needs a leader who can restore confidence in local government and one who has "measurable goals" when it comes to flooding, education and growth. He also points to what he calls his well-respected term as mayor and a productive tenure as a legislator. City of Vision voters could again have the chance to take the measure of Swisstack as they look to put the troubled Jackson era behind them. Stay tuned.

BETTING ON BILL
Big Bill
We keep an eye around here on the "predictions market" at Intrade.com. It's where real money is wagered to set the odds of a particular candidate winning the '08 Presidential nomination. Big Bill has held steady the last three months, with traders recently pegging his chances of winning the Dem Prez prize next year at just 2.5%. By contrast, Hillary is given a 50.8% chance and Obama a 32.8% chance. If Richardson starts to make a move, those who bought contracts on him at current prices stand to trade them at a nice profit. If he goes down, the contract price falls. If you think the market is undervaluing or overvaluing your candidate, you can open an account and start trading. Even for non-traders, the site is worth keeping up with as some argue the large pool of players and real money at stake increases the predictive power.

Some of you are frustrated by the individual state polls in Iowa and New Hampshire. They are volatile, and often disagree with each other. One way of getting a handle on how Richardson or the other candidates are doing is to take a look at the average of all the current polls. That's what the political pros do by checking in at Real Clear Politics. There's a permanent link to the site at the top of this page.

THE BOTTOM LINES

Our Tuesday blog exclusive on Los Ranchos Mayor Abraham's hosting of President Bush for a Senator Domenici fund-raiser later this month was picked up by a bunch of media with the electronic ABQ Journal and KOB-TV leading the pack. We appreciate the credit when credit is due...Dem congressional contender Martin Heinrich will announce today he has the support of several prominent Dems in his primary battle with Bryon Paez. State Senator Pino and State Rep. Maestas are among those throwing their support to the ABQ city councilor who is seeking the right to take on GOP US Rep Heather Wilson...

For all you policy wonks, here's Big Bill's freshly unveiled universal health care plan...And here is even more policy wonk stuff featuring Senator Pete and Senator Jeff and their squabble over the future of nuclear power. I wouldn't advise reading them in one sitting, unless you have plenty of Starbucks on hand..

In case you were wondering, we are paying off our lunch prizes awarded in the recent blog contest. This week we pulled out our thin wallet to treat former Gallup Mayor Bob Rosebrough. We lived it up at Seasons across from ABQ's Old Town, but the New Mexico native and UNM Law School grad went easy on us. The tab came to $22.40. Who said Democrats can't be fiscally conservative?

We head to Santa Fe soon to award prize winner Santiago Sandoval his lunch. We may have to collect contributions to finance that one. Turns out that Santiago's dad is the clerk of the NM House of Representatives, Steve Arias, and he wants to join us. That's fine, Steve. But could you hit up Ben Lujan or Kenny Martinez for a sawbuck or two? We don't have a campaign treasury to tap.

Breaking the big political stories and having fun doin' it--This is the home of New Mexico politics. Send your news scoops from the e-mail link at the top of the page.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2007
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Mayor Abraham
The village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, estimated (population 5,416) is abuzz with the news of an upcoming presidential visit. My insiders confirm that when President Bush appears at a high-dollar reception for the re-election bid of NM GOP Senator Pete Domenici August 27th he will do so at the home of Los Ranchos Mayor Larry Abraham.

"I am honored that the President will be coming and that I am able to help Pete," commented Abraham when reached late Monday, He deferred further comment to the White House. (The Domenici invite is here.)

An interesting twist is that Abraham is not a Republican. He is an independent who was elected mayor of the enclave, located in the heart of Bernalillo county's North Valley, in March of '04. He has announced he will seek a second term in '08. Abraham says he has no higher political ambitions other than winning re-election as mayor of the village which counts many self-described Democratic liberals among its residents.

Intentional or not, having an independent host a Domenici fund-raiser isn't a bad idea as it is independents and Democrats who have defected in droves from the senator's camp, sending his approval rating down to a historically low 51% before rebounding to 55% in the latest Survey USA poll. Some Republicans, however, may not be ecstatic that their host is not of the party of the elephant.

MORE INSIDER DETAILS

Abraham and his wife will host the President and Pete at the mayoral home located on an affluent stretch of Rio Grande Boulevard. Entry to the event is for the stock option crowd, with a price of $5,000 for one ticket that includes a photo with the Prez. For $1,000 you get a ticket, but no Kodak moment.

The White House has not said yet if Bush will have any other official or political events while in the ABQ area.

It is rare that the President goes to an individual New Mexican's home when here for political or official purposes so those attending the Domenici reception are going to share a more intimate atmosphere with the chief executive. That won't matter much to the anti-war protesters who these days follow the President everywhere. They are sure to be part of the bucolic North Valley scenery when a presidential motorcade makes its first ever stop in the little village of Los Ranchos.

A final thought. Having the President at a private home rather than a public site means tight media management. TV exposure can be kept to a minimum. And with Bush's unpopularity, Domenici wants to raise money, not his profile as a longtime friend of the Prez.

ANOTHER "PRESIDENTIAL" VISIT

It seems Los Ranchos is the area hot spot this summer. Not only will President Bush visit there later this month, but on Monday Hollywood delivered a fake President to the village as famed actor-director Kevin Costner was there for his new movie "Swing Vote." A scene featuring a presidential motorcade was filmed on Rio Grande. Actors Kelsey Grammer and Dennis Hopper play presidential candidates. We presume their popularity ratings remain high.

THE NUMBER TWO'S VISIT

Meanwhile, USA Vice-President Dick Cheney made his Monday visit to the Duke City somewhat of a stealth one. He gave a morning speech at the ABQ Marriott to a Marine group and jetted out of town immediately after. Cheney urged the Marines to support of the no-end-in-sight Iraq war. In large measure it has been the war that has sent Cheney's approval rating plummeting to 28%, replacing Dan Quayle as the most unpopular vice-president in recent history.

It was an official visit so there was no politicking on the part of the Veep, although our Alligators report NM GOP chair Allen Weh was among those greeting Cheney at the airport, but did not attend his hotel speech.

RECALL SET

For only the second time since the modern form of government was adopted in '74, ABQ voters will be asked to vote in a recall election of a city councilor, and it will happen at the regular city election October 2nd.

There was no late night hanky-panky and the council voted shortly before 11 p.m. Monday to have the recall of District Nine Councilor Don Harris at the regular election, allaying concerns of fiscal conservatives that the council would move for an expensive special election.

Voters in the far NE Heights district will be given special paper ballots to decide whether Republican Harris should be recalled and the remainder of his term filled out by a mayoral appointee. The councilor has promised a vigorous fight to keep his seat in the face of a campaign that accuses him of ethical violations surrounding his campaign finance reporting.

SANTA FE: IT'S A CRIME

Santa Fe residents have more reason to be nervous about their city's leadership and its commitment to breaking the back of a crime wave that has seen an outbreak of all sorts crime and a downright epidemic in residential burglary. So why is Santa Fe Police Chief Eric Johnson still trying to spin downward the harm being caused?

Commenting on the dramatic spike in residential break-ins in one city neighborhood, Johnson told the New Mexican: "Percentages can be deceiving... Five hundred fifty percent sounds really bad, and it’s higher than we want, but it’s really not that significant. It went from four to 26.”

From four to 26 is "not that significant?" That raises the questionsof how much crime Chief Johnson and Mayor David Coss are willing to accommodate. Isn't their job to intimidate and drive out the criminal element, not coddle it?

Coss won credit for acknowledging the depth of the problem in his recent state of the city address, but unless there is a change in the head-in-the-sand attitude throughout Santa Fe's governmental hierarchy, our historic capital remains in peril of becoming not only a permanent high-rent district but a high-crime one, too. That's a bleak future for residents there and not a happy legacy for a mayor or a police chief.

A CLEAN-UP COUNCIL?

Some would argue that the Santa Fe city council is part of that somnambulant hierarchy. City elections are slated for March of next year. One incumbent has decided not to run, guaranteeing one new voice. Will there be others?

Fortunately, an in-depth look by the Sunday New York Times at Santa Fe and how it is changing did not include any mention of the current crime wave. But it did contain insights on how the City Different is shedding old ways as it begins another century as an international tourist destination.

We're the home of New Mexico politics. Send your news, comments and political gossip from the email link at the top of the page. Interested in advertising here? Drop us a line.

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

Boo birds heckled Bill Bill at that gathering of bloggers in Chicago over the weekend. His offense? The Guv told the hard-core liberals that he favors a constitutional amendment to balance the budget. The boo birds think that will constrain funding for their pet causes like education and health care.

Richardson may not have pleased the liberal Dems, but others say his support of a balanced budget appeals to independents who can vote in the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries. A recent poll showed the Guv especially strong with Iowa's independents.

And in case you forgot, the NM Constitution requires our Guv and Legislature to balance the budget each year, so when you hear them bragging about how they've done it, take it with a grain of salt or a pinch of chile...

Hillary also had a boo bird chorus at the confab. You can read about that here.

BILL & BARBARA...AND RHONDA
Mr.& Mrs. Big Bill
He didn't mention any special plans, but the Guv did send out a news release Sunday taking note of his 35th wedding anniversary.

"Barbara and I have been together since we were teenagers. We have practically grown up together. Over the past 35 years Barbara has been my wife, best friend and my number one advisor. She has stood by my side through it all and on this special day I thank her for her love and devotion. Truly, there is no luckier man. Barbara, here's to another beautiful 35 years."

Spoken like a true romantic. Maybe Bill can pass it on to his state transportation secretary, Rhonda Faught. News was dropped on Sunday morning doorsteps that the secretary's ex-boyfriend, an architect, went along on an expensive state plane ride to Dallas for a planning session on building a new transportation department headquarters. He was said to be "tagging along" with an engineer who would soon be indicted in the Bernalillo county Metro Courthouse corruption scandal and who also apparently had no official reason to fly. It all sounded very fishy, and smelled the same.

Rhonda said she never gave any thought to how traveling with her ex on the state plane would be perceived. Hello? And she added this knee-slapper: "Faught said she didn't recall who invited" her former lover. Well, maybe she's not the jealous type and doesn't keep track of such things...

The planning of the DOT headquarters is stinking to high heaven, with the involvement of the same cast of characters who have been indicted in the Bernalillo county Metro Court construction scandal also apparently trying to suck off the Santa Fe teat.

The Guv says he will ask for a "process assessment" of the malodorous affair. The Legislature needs to get its oversight glasses out on this one and call in Secretary Faught for some Q and A. If they do, she would be well-advised not to bring her ex-boyfriend along.

WORKIN' FOR THE WEEKEND

Dem congressional contender and ABQ City Councilor Martin Heinrich informs that he will be returning part-time as the state's Natural Resources Trustee. He took a leave of absence to get his campaign off the ground. Big Bill named the previous trustee, Jim Baca, as Heinrich's fill-in. Heinrich says he is returning to his ABQ office half-time because "I'm not independently wealthy."

Federal rules allow Heinrich to pay himself out of campaign funds, but Heinrich has decided not to dip into the nearly $200,000 he has raised. The councilor is father to two young boys. His wife, Julie Hicks, works at the Middle Region Council of Governments and previously worked for Baca when he was ABQ mayor.

Heinrich is not endorsing anyone to succeed him in his ABQ SE Heights council district which he will leave December 1 to pursue the congressional seat. He says that Rey Garduno is impressing a lot of the progressives who helped put Heinrich into office in 2003. Garduno, a retired UNM employee, has been working it hard, but he ran into controversy when he used a university e-mail account for his campaign. He since has stopped using the account.

Heinrich also took note of the campaigns of Blair Kaufman and Joan Griffin, both of whom have the skills to breakup Garduno's early momentum. The Republican running in the race is Kevin Wilson.

Garduno supporters are noting that Griffin changed her voter registration from Republican to Democrat shortly before getting in the council race. Griffin supporters wonder if Garduno sent that word out on his UNM computer.

THE PERILS OF PAULETTE
de'Pascal
Speaking of computers and the October 2 city council election, Paulette de'Pascal says she has dropped plans to lease $3,000 worth of Apple computers she purchased for her campaign with funds from the new taxpayer financed campaign system.

The District Four candidate, running against incumbent Brad Winter, pledged to lease the computers after taking hits for buying expensive equipment that could later be converted to her personal use. The purchase was not prohibited under city campaign rules. She now reports, "My bankruptcy record means I can't be approved for a lease. I will continue using the computers for the campaign, but afterwards am considering donating them to a victims of domestic violence group or a community center."

de'Pascal also says she has requested Winter's phone records from his city council office as well as from his office at Albuquerque Public Schools. She is looking for evidence that Winter has used the phones for campaign purposes. But de'Pascal has more trouble of her own. She's been busted for misrepresenting how long she has lived in the district she seeks to represent on the nine number council.

In announcing her candidacy, she told us she lived there ten years, but it turns out the Tanoan neighborhood home she shared with her now ex- husband from 1999-2005 was not in Winter's council district She asserts the misstatement was not intentional. "I was surprised to learn the home was not in the district," she said. The council seat for District Four was on the ballot in the '99 and 2003 while de'Pascal resided at Tanoan. de'Pascal says she now lives in the district.

REPUBLICAN HERESY

And the NM GOP has a little consistency problem when it comes to the city council races. They rail against the new public financing system as well as de'Pascal's computer purchases, but Republican Kevin Wilson of District Six not only is having his campaign publicly financed, but has also bought a computer with the money. Why wasn't he criticized by the GOP? "It was probably an oversight," said a party spokesman. Yeah, you might call it that.

THE BOTTOM LINES

It's not every day that a staid utility stock like PNM plunges 16% in one day. But it happened Friday as NM's big monopoly utility came in with disappointing earnings, sending the stock to a nealy three year low. Over the decades the company has had a foot in both political parties. Here's some of its federal activity from the '06 cycle and here's a look at its state contributions.

We're New Mexico's non-partisan political blog--www.joemonahan.com. Send your news and comments via the email link at the top of the page.

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