The race is not on the ballot, but a campaign is underway for the high-powered slot of US Attorney for New Mexico. It will be filled by Obama early next year with heavy input from Dem US Senator Jeff Bingaman. Many names are floating, but one informed and reliable insider details to us that Santa Fe civil rights attorney John Pound, 62, a co-chair of NM's Obama campaign, has emerged as the favorite.

Pound has longtime ties to Senator Bingaman and Bill Richardson. His law partner is Nancy Long, who is a close adviser to Richardson. Big Bill recently appointed her husband to the court of appeals (Tim Garcia). Pound was also an early state leader for Obama. Pound's law practice has...done a lot of work for the state. His highest profile case is the GOP lawsuit to get driver's license info from Motor Vehicles. His firm is defending the state...A review of his clients in federal court cases going back to the 1990s doesn't show any real potential conflicts with the federal government. The only thing going against him is that he is older and wouldn't be groomed for a political office. But the Dems have a very deep bench and don't really need the spot right away to "groom" someone for elected office.

The NM US attorney's office has been anything but a backwater in recent years. It burst into the national headlines when then-US Attorney Iglesias says he was pressured by Senator Domenici and Congresswoman Wilson to speed up the indictments in the ABQ Metro courthouse scandal so they would benefit Wilson's '06 re-election. And then there was the successful prosecution of the courthouse case this year that saw former NM Dem powerhouse Manny Aragon get prison time.

Current US Attorney Greg Fouratt who won kudos for the courthouse caper prosecution landed in the position through happenstance and was appointed by the state's federal judges. The new US Attorney will be named by the president and stand for confirmation in the US Senate. Insiders say Fouratt is likely to stay on as a prosecutor. A reminder of the power of a US attorney is the major political news story in the USA as politicos everywhere track the scandal involving the Illinois governor.

FAIR AND BALANCED?
Domenici
The 36 year old US Senate career of Pete Domenici--the longest in state history--comes to an end in early January and the press coverage of his tenure has been pretty glowing. That has caught the eye of Jim Hannan of Santa Fe who briefly ran for the Dem nomination for the Domenici Senate seat but got out when fellow Dem Tom Udall got in. Hannan fires at the press with his contrary take.

Yes, Pete was a good procurement senator. He managed to continue massive funding for two weapons labs that had largely lost their mission by the late 1960’s. He did bring, like every other Senator, water, sewer, and other projects to his poor state. But he also has a very disturbing 36 year legacy. As Budget Chair under both Reagan and George W. Bush, he is largely responsible for our current $11 trillion national debt.