Friday, June 27, 2008Veteran Politico Carroll To Manage Pearce Campaign, Plus: GOP Shake-Up? And: Ira Robinson To Resign Bench
Tom Carroll
 Insiders report that political veteran Tom Carroll, a former executive director of the NM GOP who started his career as a Democratic consultant, will take the helm as campaign manager for Steve Pearce's bid for the US Senate. Carroll recently left his post as president of the DW Turner PR firm to open his own public relations outfit. He will keep that company running while working for Pearce, our sources report. Carroll was executive director of the GOP for several months, ending in April 2004, a time when the GOP was mired in turmoil. Carroll was hired by then-GOP Chair Ramsay Gorham who was eventually ousted by forces supporting Allen Weh, who remains chair today. Weh fired Carroll and several other staffers when he took over. Carroll also consulted one of the ABQ mayoral campaigns of Marty Chavez and, in 2001, the mayoral effort of Rick Homans who is today head of the state taxation department. Carroll, a native New Yorker, has a reputation for being a hard worker with a brusque personality. Carroll replaces John Billingsley of Lincoln County who served as Pearce's manager during the primary. He is expected to continue with the campaign in another role. Amanda Cooper, step-daughter of Rep. Tom Udall, is serving as campaign manager for her father's Democratic US Senate bid. GOP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RESIGNING? Ironically, while we were getting the news that a former GOP ED was coming back to politics, the Alligators were reporting that the current GOP executive director, 33 year old Alan Feldman, was apparently giving up the position. In 2007, Feldman was hired by Allen Weh from Kentucky when Marta Kramer left the post. Kramer is now back as director of John McCain's presidential campaign. Does her reappearance have anything to do with Feldman's apparent departure? THE GOOD SHIP OBAMA  She fought hard for Hillary, but Obama is the man and NM Light Guv Diane Denish, one of Hillary's most ardent supporters, made it clear she is now on board with the soon-to-be Dem prez nominee. This pic was snapped during Obama's ABQ visit this week. It says a lot about the future of NM politics. If Obama is elected President and appoints Bill Richardson to a government position, Diane Denish will become governor. If Richardson comes up empty, Denish will have to campaign as a non-incumbent in 2010. It makes you wonder if Di was telling Barack how great a guy Bill is as they paused for this handshake.FREEING THE MILLIONAIRES The US Supreme Court ruling striking down the "Millionaires Amendment" is worth noting, but it's not expected to have much impact. In NM, oilmen Harry Teague, Steve Pearce and Ed Tinsley would be the most likely to spend personal fortunes that could have triggered the amendment and allowed their congressional rivals to raise larger donations. Wealthy Santa Fe developer Don Wiviott was among the candidates here who triggered the amendment in the primary election, but no one is about to call him congressman. He was defeated by Ben Ray Lujan. IT'S OVER FOR IRA He's been around forever, it seems. Attorney, politico and NM Court of Appeals Judge Ira Robinson has run into trouble and will resign the bench, reports the ABQ Journal. STEVE SCORCHED GOP US Senate contender Steve Pearce knocked Dem rival and US Rep. Tom Udall this week for flip-flopping on votes funding Los Alamos Labs. "How soon we forget," responds the state Dem Party: "In addition to voting against the final budget that ensured no jobs were cut at LANL and Sandia last year [Vote 1171, 17-Dec H R 2764 2007], Steve Pearce voted four times to cripple the Department of Energy Budget. [1] CQ House Vote 522, 6/20/2007, [2] CQ House Vote 525, 6/20/2007, [3] CQ House Vote 524, 6/20/2007, [4] CQ House Vote 520, 6/20/2007 Could Steve and Tom please give us some more numbers to memorize? We just can't get enough. Thanks for making us the Southwest's #1 political blog. E-mail your news and comments. (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2008 Not for reproduction without permission of the author |
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