Jennings & Sanchez
It didn't take long for top Senate leaders to push back at Big Bill after we hit with the exclusive news early Thursday that he was threatening to call them into special session to craft a health care plan smack dab in the middle of Primary Election '08. Majority Leader Sanchez and Pro Tem Jennings are now saying a Special should happen but not in May as the Guv is threatening, but in the fall. Leader Sanchez batted back the freshly tossed ball from the Fourth Floor this way:

"Several members of the state Senate have been meeting and will continue to meet in the coming months to help forge an agreement on the difficult question of how best to approach or pay for health care reforms. I expect that groundwork can be completed by the end of the summer and that a special session could convene as early as this fall."

Insiders report Senators expect the state's next fiscal report to be dour, and that could take the steam out of Big Bill's health plans. Richardson this week has been making it sound like the Senate is obstructionist and is against significant health care reform that would give an estimated 400,000 New Mexicans insurance. The Senators, even conservative ones, may be feeling his heat among their Dem constituencies.

Behind the scenes, the top Senators loathe the idea of a Special, but the power of the Guv to shape opinion--especially Dem opinion with a primary election pending--is keeping Sanchez and Jennings from going toe-to-toe. However, they are still not giving Big Bill what he wants. Who will make the next move? Stay tuned.

THE NUMBERS THAT MATTER

It's not the Tuesday night polling showing Democrat Tom Udall beating either Steve Pearce or Heather Wilson in a head-to-head Senate match-up that the Alligators care about. They already know that. What they want to know is what do the Rasmussen numbers mean for the contest for the Senate GOP nomination between Pearce and Wilson. Well, Udall beats Pearce by fourteen points---54-40--but trounces Wilson by twenty- 56-36. That means Heather's negatives are still at the top of the charts and that Pearce's are significantly lower--at least among the electorate at large. But don't think that her negs aren't also higher among R's who know both candidates. You can bet a dozen of your new New Mexico quarters that they are.

PILING ON

Pearce's conservative allies in the form of the Club for Growth are piling on Heather in this video making the rounds, but not yet airing on TV. It calls Wilson a "liberal." Heather a liberal? Now that is a conservative group. Let's see if they buy any time for this deal or are just teasing.

THE DAYS DWINDLE DOWN

We see a pretty big turnout for the May 9 GOP tribute for retiring GOP US Senator Pete Domenici. Former NY Senator Al D' Amato will be the keynoter.

The legacy of the longest-serving NM US Senator is a work in progress. Historians will have to reconcile a very strong Domenici tenure in the middle of his 36 years with a flat finish, marred by the US attorney scandal and the failure of the Iraq war. But there is no question that he was among the most effective lawmakers ever in safeguarding the large portion of our state's economy generated via federal funds. He also gets high praise for being the real deal. He did not fake his knowledge of the issues. He studied and then acted. Those who agreed with him celebrate his record. Those who didn't still celebrate the endurance of the public service given.

The Republicans will stake first claim on Domenici's retirement in this election year and use it for fund-raising. But we also anticipate several bi-partisan events later this year where Domenici's career will be noted not only as a political accomplishment, but to showcase the worth of a life dedicated to the public arena.

Ticket prices for the Domenici GOP tribute range from $75 to $5000 tables. The event will be held at the ABQ Marriott. Money raised will benefit the NM GOP's Victory 2008 fund which will be used to promote their US Senate and US House candidates. For further info call 505-298-3662 or e-mail hfuller08@gmail.com.

VINTAGE LA POLITICA

Speaking of Pete's historic stint, we take you back to a long ago chapter of our beloved La Politica. Here's a pic we snapped recently from the wall of Garcia's restaurant not far from downtown ABQ where I sometimes hang for the red chile. It shows a young ABQ GOP US Rep. Manuel Lujan and an even younger NM GOP US Senator Pete Domenici posing with Andy Garcia, owner of the restaurant. My guess is the photo is from around 1976 or '77 when Pete was in his first term. Lujan served 20 years in the US House and was first elected in '68. I believe he will soon turn 79. Domenici will turn 76 in May. It will be a long time before NM again accumulates that kind of seniority.

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WE HAVE A WINNER
David Odegard & Me
UNM junior David Odegard of ABQ is an enthusiastic student of NM politics who took the $500 prize we offered in our blog ethics essay contest for university students. The 21 year old, a grad of ABQ's Sandia Prep, made us think about the issue differently:

Ethics is not subject-specific, although it gets intertwined with subject areas that people are passionate about and reform never gets anywhere. Ethics reform can be covered without talking about money. ‘Ethics reform’ is the phrase that becomes a driver for finance reform and does not address the issue of what is ‘ethical’. Finance reform includes regulating and reporting money, and overhauling government campaign financing.

He also noted there is an interim legislative ethics committee that needs to be brought to life so the ethics heat can be focused, rather than diluted over the entire Legislature. More on that later.

Odegard is a double major--anthropology and political science. We had a spirited discussion with him and photog Mark Bralley at the local Starbucks. We didn't ask for his party registration, but we do know he is a fiscal conservative--he said he would use the prize money to pay his dues to several UNM honors' society. Well, maybe he'll party a little, too. Congratulations, David.

LET'S DO VEGAS!

How about a weekend running with the "Rat Pack" in swingin'' Vegas? Santa Fe's Jim Terr takes us there. Enjoy.



THE BOTTOM LINE....

is kind of complicated because we first blogged Thursday that the group putting out that attack ad on Republican Senate candidates Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce was a "527" group. In reality, they say: "Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund is organized under Section 501(c)(4) of the tax code. As such, it can lobby and engage in unlimited work to influence legislative action. Because of this, the Action Fund is not a charitable organization, unlike its sister organization, Defenders of Wildlife, which is a 501(c)(3).

Please do not make your weekend anywhere near that complicated.

E-mail your latest news and comments. I'm Joe Monahan, reporting to you from Albuquerque, NM.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2008
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The high-stakes health-care debate is getting hotter in Santa Fe and, according to a high-level insider, is threatening to spill over into the primary election. Would Governor Big Bill dare call a special legislative session in May, even as lawmakers are in the middle of their re-election campaigns?

Apparently the health of the relationship between the Guv and the state Senate leadership has taken yet another turn for the worse and a May session is now on the Guv's table. The Senate killed Bill's health care plan earlier this year at the regular session. Leaders then met with him to talk compromise and all agreed to a special session after the June primary, Now, our informed insider reports, the Fourth Floor is losing patience:

The Governor is increasingly frustrated with the Senate leadership because they have only met once on health care and there has been no progress toward a developing a consensus as agreed to earlier this year. Attempts for dialogue with the Senate have produced absolutely nothing. These Senators have thus far been disingenuous about wanting to find a solution to the health care crisis. Now, the Governor will reach out to the House to pursue negotiations, and he will contemplate a special session as soon as May.

When lawmakers facing contested primary elections get a whiff of that news they are sure to start pulling their hair out. After they get done, Big Bill hopes they will put pressure on the Senators to agree with him on a health -care plan that will keep everyone on the campaign trail and out of the Roundhouse until June. Still, calling a special, as the Governor well knows, is no guarantee of getting what he wants, but by threatening to do so in the middle of a campaign, he is making this a most interesting game of bluff.

CANDIDATE CASH CALL
White & Heinrich
Neither of the top-tier candidates for the ABQ US House seat blew the doors off with their first quarter fundraising reports, but Dem hearts are aflutter that GOP contender Darren White did not dramatically out raise Dem Martin Heinrich. They think it shows this could be a rough money year for the R's locally, as already evidenced nationally.

White reported he raised $233,000 in the first three months of the year. He says he has about $300,000 of cash on hand. White, the Bernalillo County Sheriff, has now raised a total of about $447,000.

Meanwhile, Democrat Martin Heinrich says he raised $200,000 in the first quarter and has inched ahead of White with $350,000 in cash on hand. Heinrich has been in the race since mid-2007 and has raised a total of $665,000, matching most expectations. Federal reports for the first quarter are due April 15. Heinrich and White put out summaries before the deadline.

Money is not easy to raise. We have a historic number of open congressional seats, an open US Senate seat as well as state legislators seeking re-election. The e-mail and snail-mail boxes of flushed donors are overflowing. They've been hit on more times than a platinum blonde at closing time. Also, the soft economy is keeping some checkbooks closed.

INSIDER ANALYSIS

Some Republican insiders think White missed out by not hitting the $500,000 total mark and show a more commanding edge. But the reasons listed above and a lethargic Republican party nationally and locally may be restraining him. The nationals won't let him twist in the wind, though. Groups like this will make sure White, who faces under financed primary opposition from ABQ State Senator Joe Carraro, will be among the first in line for important dollars as the R's work to keep the ABQ seat in their column.

If Michelle Grisham's court challenge to get former Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron off the primary ballot does not succeed, Heinrich may not have to spend all his cash before June 3, but some Dem strategists are urging him to do so because White is so far ahead in name ID.

Grisham has not come with her money totals. Remember, if she becomes the sole Hispanic candidate she may be able to count on a base vote of 20 to 25% without spending hardly a dime. That would mean a campaign budget of $200,000, combined with the absence of Vigil-Giron, could give her a shot at making the race competitive. And get this. Attorney Jon Adams who first ran against Heinrich for the ABQ House seat and then switched to become a Dem contender for the Northern House seat, has signed up as Vigil-Giron's lawyer! But as spring struggles to out muscle winter's loosening grip in our always entertaining land, a White-Heinrich match-up remains the most likely scenario

STEVE'S TRICKY VIDEO

They say politics is all about timing, and in the case of GOP US Senate candidate Steve Pearce it appears it was a case of bad timing indeed when he showed up at a veterans' pro-Iraq war rally in D.C. Tuesday. There he is, applauding this controversial line from one one of speakers:

"You can have your Tiger Woods, we've got Senator McCain."

You can't help what other people say, but the racially tinged line appeared to cross the line. Here is the tape that has to be giving the campaign of the Southern NM congressman at least a low-grade migraine.


Meanwhile, both Pearce and his rival for the GOP Senate nod, ABQ GOP Congresswoman Heather Wilson, are both coming under fire in the first NM TV ad from one of those "501 (c) 4" groups. In this case it is the Defenders of the Wildlife Action Fund. The ad is aimed at softening up the ground for Dem Tom Udall who will take on the winner of the GOP primary.


Pearce appears to have very few weaknesses in his quest for the GOP nomination, but this ad, analyzed one of our GOP Alligators, does reveal a significant soft spot for a fall face-off with Dem Tom Udall.

Steve can hardly hide that he's knee deep in oil. That's what keeps him from eating bologna instead of steak at night. He be an oil man! I mean, the guy is from Hobbs which is basically West Midland/Odessa. In the general election, Heather could say, "Yeah..the oils gave me some cash, but I fought for Valle Vidal while Udall wanted to close Los Alamos Labs. This is Steve's weakest point if gas is running $3.50 in October.

What kind of parties do those guys in Hobbs have when oil is at $100 bucks a barrel? Or do they need to build a place to party?

E-mail your news tips and comments.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2008
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You can forget about that announced April 25 summit featuring Big Bill and NM Dem Party Chairman Brian Colon where they were supposed to discuss the fiasco that was the NM February 5 presidential caucus. The meeting is off. Insiders say the Guv is of no mind to put more attention on the blunder, but officially party executive director Josh Geise says the "meeting was canceled for scheduling reasons."

So will the state ever learn just exactly what the computer problems and voting list issues were and who shoulders the responsibility? Geise says "no silver bullet" has been found, and that the party is now concentrating on the June 3rd primary. He says the problems are still being examined but "we don't have someone over here working on it 24 hours a day."

Insiders say the major problem appears to be a fouling-up of the voter and precinct lists compiled by the party, but no one is saying for sure. When the now canceled summit was announced, Colon said he was forming a committee with Light Guv Diane Denish to look into what exactly went wrong. It appears we are going to have wait a while to find out.

The caucus was a black eye for the party. Problems included long lines because of the lack of voting locations and the difficulty of getting the votes counted because of the many provisional ballots that had to be cast. The summit was to address whether Dems here still wanted to have a caucus, instead of the June primary, to vote on their presidential preference. That discussion is going to continue, says Geise, but it won't happen April 25 with TV news rolling video of the caucus debacle then panning to Big Bill and party chairman Colon for an explanation. Right now, Geise says, there is no deadline for finding out exactly what went wrong. Eventually, he says, there should be a written report.

BRIAN AND BARACK

Besides being chair of the Dems, Colon is one of the oft discussed superdelegates to the Dem national convention. He briefly greeted Hillary upon her ABQ arrival Sunday for her fund-raiser with longtime Dem Ed Romero. She asked for his support, but he told her he was still uncommitted. But it would be surprising to see Colon go for Clinton. His main benefactor is Big Bill who has backed Obama and Colon is expected at some point to follow suit. If Obama can put Hillary away in the coming months, it will make it a lot easier for all the supers.

IS THAT BROOKS BROTHERS?

Commenting on blog coverage of Hillary's ABQ Sunday afternoon fund-raising visit, Linda Siegle jabs:

Joe, Please tell us what the boys are wearing at any of their fundraisers. I am so interested! And it is Senator Clinton not former first lady.

Lighten up, Linda. There's still room for us old school types. Besides, you know and I know the fashionistas want to know. However, the next time Obama sets down here, you'll be the first to know whether it's Brooks Brothers or Hickey Freeman. As for Hill, she holds both heavyweight titles, so why not use both?

MAKE IT A HUNDRED GRAND
Sen. Lopez
ABQ Dem State Senate candidate Michael Padilla e-mails in to say his revised budget to oust ABQ Dem State Senator Linda Lopez in the June primary is half of the original $200,000 he said he might spend.

We’re willing to use about half of what you mentioned to make sure we get our message to every voter. Our number one goal is to visit every registered Democrat in State Senate District 11 as many times as possible between now and June 3."

Of course, the Valley Alligators are pouncing on Padilla's largess. Writes one:

Padilla does not understand the marginal utility of a campaign dollar. It hits zero awfully quickly in a state senate race and may in fact go negative as people get fed up with a candidate's clear waste of money. Money does not matter unless a candidate has a winning message. What is his?

As for Padilla's message to Distrcit 10 voters, he says: "Our area of the state has been forgotten; it's turning into roof top city, severely lacks basic services like roads, sidewalks, drainage, drinkable water, sewer systems, etc.

As for Lopez, she was first elected to the seat in '96 and is chair of the Senate Rules Committee. She has never been known for high-profile campaigning, but it hasn't hurt her. Don't look for her to spend a hundred grand.

YES, IT'S THE SAME GUY

A reader asks about the fella kicked off the ballot over the residency requirement in the Senator James Taylor-Eric Griego ABQ Dem primary face-off.

Is this Al Armijo the same guy who ran against Linda Lopez last time? How many make believe houses does he have anyway? Didn't he get kicked off the ballot last time too? As a South Valley voter (not an Alligator) I am tired of these corrupto tactics. The voters see right through it. Like James Taylor and his boys had nothing to do with it? Yea right!!

Yes, it is the same Al Armijo. But who told you Alligators don't vote? They do. Early and often.

LOVE AND POLITICS

Big Bill and ABQ Mayor Marty often profess to loving their jobs, but this correspondent wonders:

Isn't it interesting how Bill and Marty both LOVE their jobs while spending a lot of time trying to get new ones? Oh well...

Remember, love is a many splendored thing.

Your E-mail is welcome.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2008
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Wilson & Domenici
One of the more intriguing questions of Campaign '08 is what Pete Domenici will do when it comes to Heather Wilson. The conventional wisdom is that the state's senior senator will endorse the ABQ congresswoman in her fierce campaign with Southern NM GOP US Rep. Steve Pearce for the US Senate nomination. But in some quarters that wisdom is being questioned. Is it possible Domenici will stay neutral in the hotly contested race, despite having made no secret that Wilson is his preferred choice to succeed him?

Pearce sympathizers would like to keep Pete on the bench, or at least have any endorsement of Wilson play out in a low-key manner. They point out that the Senator has never been one to go out on a limb in backing a candidate. He likes as sure of a thing as possible and does not like to be associated with a loser. Since Pearce beat Wilson at the GOP pre-primary and a state GOP January poll showed him leading her by three points, Wilson is anything but a sure thing.

There is also the question of Domenici's legacy. Does the longest-serving NM US Senator want to back a losing horse as his last dramatic political act? When he made his unprecedented move to endorse Wilson in a competitive US House primary in 1998, circumstances were much different. Wilson had lesser competition and Pete's muscles were at their peak. But as with any lame duck, Domenici has suffered some atrophy. A bold endorsement with a news conference and/or TV ads could turn some R's off and make Domenici's involvement a campaign issue. That's the last thing he wants. If polling shows Wilson breaking away, Pete's decision would be easy, but such polling seems unlikely.

With uncertainly surrounding how much a Domenici endorsement is worth to Wilson and what it would mean for his own standing in history, it's no wonder Pete's positioning is being watched almost as closely as the campaign.

DOMENICI ON SENATE RACE

In his first meaty comments on the Wilson-Pearce race, Pete on Monday echoed the thoughts of many state R's and regretted the contested GOP Senate primary:

(Wilson and Pearce) may think it's a very good thing...Frankly, it's not the greatest thing when you have a party that is in the minority and means the general election will be less well-funded. They chose to do it anyway...They are in the middle of a real fight.

The Senator did not comment on Wilson's charge that Pearce voted to "mothball" Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis, but in his interview with radio reporters he didn't sound happy about the course the campaign has taken. Domenici said the base issue may "come back around" to him. Does that mean he will endorse Heather? Or not? Stay tuned.

HEATHER'S CHOICE

This is a fun year because we don't know the answer to many questions. For example, what will Heather Wilson take to TV against Pearce? She has been hammering him over a vote that she said supported "mothballing" Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis. It is a complicated matter and could be difficult to translate into a thirty second TV spot. It also does little to tug at the heartstrings of state R's. Emotional impact is the strength of TV. I've asked a number of strategists what they would do and none of them could come up with an obvious attack ad they thought would move the numbers Wilson's way. In the end, maybe it will be Cannon, presented in a way that confounds our expectations. The answer will be coming soon.

THE GOP SPLIT

The rush by NM national and party leaders to endorse Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White over his ABQ GOP US House primary challenger, ABQ West Side State Senator Joe Carraro, may be more of a net negative than a positive. Former NM GOP Chair John Lattuzio is now on the list of those who say the endorsement could violate party rules. Lattuzio fires the guns:

I am calling on Darren White, the Republican Party of New Mexico and the Republican National Committee not to spend any funds or distribute any research relating to this waiver until after the primary has concluded. I also believe that it is in Republicans’ interest statewide to see all the documentation behind this decision, including the letter sent to the RNC and the agreement signed between the RNC and Sheriff White and the RPNM.

Even though White is an odds-on favorite, party chair Weh and others felt a need to use the heavy hand and perhaps fuel even more division. White is obviously concerned with winning the congressional seat and is going to take any support he can get. But what if White broke out of the party cocoon and said he understands the hard feelings and believes the party should stay neutral in his race? Would it cost anything?

A TRAVELING ALLIGATOR

Here is a political road report for you from one of our traveling Gators:

I visited Southeastern NM the past few days....I traveled all through the tri-county area (Lea, Eddy and Chaves) and there were 4' X 8' signs for (Dem congressional candidate) Harry Teague everywhere. No other candidates had signs up in the tri-county area. (GOP US Senate candidate) Steve Pearce is up with at least two huge billboards on the Interstates. I have seen the one on the westbound side of I-40 at Moriarty and one on the southbound of I-25 in Socorro.

Appreciate that. E-mail in your road reports and help keep us posted.

FRENETIC PADILLA

Back to the ABQ South Valley we go to check in on the Dem primary action between State Senator Linda Lopez and her challenger and businessman Michael Padilla. Our insider reports there is some major cash going into this one:

"Padilla has bought 250 4X8" and 400 2X4 signs. He has also bought 1500 yard signs, plus 2000 t-shirts, and is doing 17 mail pieces."

Seventeen mail pieces? Michael, only the bloggers have that much to say. Padilla made his money setting up phone rooms for businesses. Padilla told me he might spend as much as $200,000 on the race.Lopez is not a favorite of Big Bill's, but she has managed a couple of elections to her district. Will the big money mean a big upset? We'll see.

KNOW YOUR GARCIAS
Sen. Garcia
Our insider at Sunday's ABQ fund-raiser for Hillary Clinton, or our hearing of him, had us for a time Monday engaging in the popular political pastime of confusing State Rep. Mary Helen Garcia with State Senator Mary Jane Garcia. It really was a comedy of blogging error. Both Garcia's are from Dona Aña County, but it was Senator Garcia spotted at the party, not Rep. Garcia, who later this month will challenge Mary Gail Gwaltney for the position of NM Democratic national committeewoman. According to this list, neither Garcia is a superdelegate to the Dem national convention. Gwaltney is.

Gracias to the Garcias for their indulgence. But please, no more Legislature in April!

OK. One more. GOP State Senator "Lightning" Rod Adair today will be the recipient of some munificence from a major patron of Big Bill. Santa Fe developer Gerald Peters will host a fund-raiser for Adair at the Rio Chama Steakhouse. Rod is in a hot primary race in Chaves County with former county commissioner Rory McMinn. Tickets are $500 a pop. What is a prominent Richardson Democrat doing supporting Rod? Remember, in Santa Fe the biggest party of them all is the "Lobbycrats."

E-mail your news and comments.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2008
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John Wertheim
The final pivots and positioning continued into the weekend for Primary Campaign '08, leaving us with some additional prospects to ponder. Topping the list was the effort by supporters of ABQ Democratic US House hopeful Michelle Lujan Grisham to kick former NM Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron off the ballot. Former NM Dem Party Chair, attorney and Grisham supporter John Wertheim filed the district court action late Friday on behalf of three Grisham backers, the final day for challenging petition signatures. The suit claims not all of Becky's signatures are valid and that she comes up 100 short of the number needed to stay on the June 3 primary ballot.

It could be a defining lawsuit. If Grisham were to win it, her candidacy could have new life. Her fund-raising has been hampered because the political classes see her dividing the Hispanic vote with Vigil-Giron, leaving former ABQ City Councilor Martin Heinrich the clear leader. Albuquerque attorney Robert Pidcock is also running.

A court hearing will be held in the next week or so. If Grisham were to prevail, it could free up campaign funds for her, marking a new phase of the campaign. If not, Heinrich will breathe a major sigh of relief.

We're also getting word that Grisham is trying to get her name changed for the June ballot. Her voter registration lists her as Michelle L. Grisham, but she wants the ballot to read "Michelle Lujan Grisham for obvious reasons. The secretary of state normally lists candidates as they are registered.

One other Grisham note, The former Big Bill cabinet secretary has made a small TV buy for April ($2560) On KASA-TV, the ABQ Fox affiliate. That kind of money doesn't go too far, but it may get her bragging rights for being the first ABQ congressional candidate on the TV airwaves and charge up her supporters.

IT'S TV TIME

The TV time we told you that Harry Teague was buying starts today. The Southern Dem US House hopeful has made a substantial cable TV buy. He will also be up on KBIM out of Roswell which covers a big part of the sprawling district, and El Paso TV which covers Dona Ana County. Teague is expected to stay on the air through the primary. The former two term Lea County commissioner and well-off oilman from Hobbs unveiled two 30 second spots. The strongest is this bio spot.

Teagues's other spot positions him against the Iraq war, but emphasizing financial grounds. He says money being spent on Iraq could be used for health care and education.

Teague, 56, who came to NM from Oklahoma when he was nine, is a good ol' boy with appeal in cowboy country and the oil patch. He is not a renowned public speaker, so the ads wisely keep him from delivering the message. The more Teague sticks to who he is and what values he has, the stronger he'll probably be. The Iraq spot seems aimed at preventing Teague's sole rival, Dona Ana County Commissioner Bill McCamley, from building a head of steam on Dem hot-button issues. Most important, the spots, while perhaps not appealing to more conservative elements, do not lose votes for Teague.

Some analysts think he needs to start running to the right in the Southern district as soon as possible. R's have held the seat for nearly 30 years. But in the early going, it appears Teague will apparently be pleased to secure the Dem nomination and make the turn to the right following the June 3 primary.

Both spots are serviceable and will present a challenge to Teague rival McCamley. It appears Teague's TV will largely go unanswered for the month of April because of Teague's financial dominance. If so, Teague should begin to move and be the polling frontrunner by the time early voting begins in early May.

BEN RAY TV

Late Sunday night Ben Ray Lujan circulated his first campaign ad of the season. The Dem candidate for the Northern Congressional seat joins Don Wiviott on the tube. Lujan's campaign did not say where they had bought or how much. You can see the ad here.

THRILLS WITH HILL

Now we take you to the far NE Heights ABQ home of former Ambassador Ed Romero where Sunday afternoon a fund-raiser was held for none other than Hillary Clinton. TV news informed that a crowd of several hundred showed. Tickets were going for either a Grand or $2300. Hill arrived shortly after 4:30 and stayed better than an hour. The national press that trails her cooled their heels across the street from Ed's spread, along with the local talent. They did get a photo op when the party ended. Hill stood at the entrance of the home chatting up Romero's family.

From the inside, we're told a reception line was formed and the dollar donors shook Hill's hand with many getting photos. She then milled about to the background sounds of guitar players strumming Mexican tunes. Johny Cope of Hobbs, one of her state fund-raising co-chairs, along with Romero, introduced the still hopeful Dem prez candidate on the patio of the Romero casa. Many of the NM Dem superdelegates pledged to Clinton were on hand, sipping wine and munching on the catered cocktail fare offered up as chow. They included Lady Di, Mayor Marty and Dona Aña State Sen. Mary Jane Garcia.

We are fully aware that what the former first lady wore is more important than what she said about Iraq and health-care. To that end, we are told:

"She was wearing a brown jacket, tailored in black with black slacks. She was tired but gave a great speech about why she was still in the race and the prospects. Lots of little girls were brought to the event by parents or grandparents to give them a sense of a woman leader. That was the best part for me...to see my granddaughter so anxious to meet her and then to watch it happen."

Was there any public joking by Hill about Big Bill and how onetime Clinton operative James Carville labeled him a "Judas" for backing Obama? "Not a peep," declared one who was there. Maybe Bill's stretch of national press over that tempest has finally petered out.

VALLEY LA POLITICA

Back to what we talked about at the top--the final positioning for the June 3 primary. A move by ABQ Dem State Senate candidate Eric Griego to remove Al Armijo from the ballot has paid off. Armijo who said he was from Tijeras could not prove his residency in court and was kicked off the ballot. That means Griego, a former ABQ city councilor, will alone face Dem State Senator James Taylor, holder of the seat once occupied by ABQ South Valley powerhouse Manny Aragon.

We blogged the Armijo candidacy and in doing so passed on the jokes the politicos were making that it was James who actually got Armijo in the race to split opposition votes. Just a joke, of course.

Taylor is a Hispanic with an Anglo last name, blurring the choice of some voters who perhaps want to vote along ethnic lines--not an unheard of reason around these parts. With Armijo gone, Griego may benefit, but Taylor a veteran of the State House, is nothing if not a crafty and skilled politician. He remains the favorite, but with a door-knocking tiger on his tail.

CAMPAIGN SCHOOL

Heads up candidates; school is in session. You're invited to join campaign professionals in ABQ Tuesday, April 29 as they discuss ways to sharpen campaign skills and present information on managing campaign strategies. This Campaign School, sponsored by the Credit Union Assoc. of NM, will provide information and training on working well with volunteers, communications, fund-raising, campaign and finance laws, writing a campaign plan and lots more. Presenters include: New Mexico Secretary of State Mary Herrera; yours truly, Joe Monahan; Richard Gose, CUNA Senior Vice President of Political Affairs; Ed Cafiero, Assistant VP, Grassroots, Voter and Constituent Communications at the Clinton Group; Trey Hawkins, CUNA Political Director; Mark Benson, President, APCO Insight®. The cost is $25.00 Register by going here or by calling Juan Fernandez at 505-338-4233 or email: juan@cuanm.org.

E-maiLyour news, comments and thoughts, and join New Mexico's #1 site for Campaign '08 for more tomorrow.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2008
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