Att. Pete Dinelli
You might call him "Demolition Dinelli" for all the tear-downs of eyesore ABQ hotels and motels he has supervised, but someday ABQ assistant city attorney Pete Dinelli hopes you might call him "Mr. Mayor."

"I expect to retire from the city by the end of the year and if Mayor Chavez does not seek re-election, I would seriously consider a mayoral bid," He said.

It wouldn't be the first time. Pete ran for mayor back in 1989, the year Ken Schultz lost his re-election bid and Louis Saavedra won in a run-off against Pat Baca. From 1985-89 Dinelli was an ABQ city councilor from the mid-NE Heights where he still resides. At 57, he is one of the NM Dem party's senior members who has a keen understanding of state political history. His passion for ABQ is similar to that of Mayor Chavez and the late Mayor Kinney. If he gets in the race, that alone could make him a player.

Mayor Marty took note of Dinelli's service to the city recently by holding a surprise roast for him at the balloon museum. Some 100 gathered to honor ABQ native Dinelli who, like Governor Richardson, had one Anglo and one Hispanic parent. The mayor had some nice things to say about his employee, but he didn't say anything about not running for mayor next year. Dinelli may also have to keep his eye on one of the vacant ABQ judgeships.

SHANNON'S BUDDY

We're not saying Big Bill is supporting veteran ABQ SE Heights State Senator Shannon Robinson in his Democratic primary contest with political newcomer and progressive Tim Keller. Well, on second thought, maybe we are. From the Guv's office:

Governor Richardson will be joined today by State Senator Shannon Robinson to make a traffic safety announcement at Highland High School at 1:30pm.

CHARDONNAY OR BUD?

Former NM First Lady Clara Apodaca (1975-79) is throwing her support behind the Dem congressional candidacy of Martin Heinrich. We've blogged that it appears the former city councilor already has a lock on the Chardonnay crowd. Maybe Clara served some blue-collar Budweiser at the house party she threw for Martin Thursday night. Meanwhile, is it Republicans saying Heinrich could be a possible '09 ABQ mayor candidate if his congressional bid comes up short? It sure isn't Pete Dinelli, Michael Cadigan or Richard Romero.

ROSWELL GATORS

Roswell Alligators are not letting go unanswered that endorsement of GOP State Rep. Dan Foley by the National Rifle Association. They point out that Foley primary foe Dennis Kintigh has been given the go ahead by the Roswell Police Officers Association. Foley had a highly publicized run-in with the Roswell cops when he interfered at a basketball game in which his son was playing. Charges against Foley were eventually dismissed.

BOB'S BACK

Bob Cornelius, former executive director of the Bernalillo County GOP and a short-time candidate for the Southern NM Congressional seat, says he's back on the circuit. "I will be sworn in as the new President of the New Mexico Republican Assembly, the "Republican Wing of the Republican Party" or as President Reagan once said "the conscience of the Republican Party," reports the 28 year old Lea County native who is also busy campaigning for GOP US Senate candidate Steve Pearce.

GAS GUZZLING

He's chairman of the Senate Energy Committee, but some observers thought US Senator Jeff Bingaman looked a bit helpless in a recent interview with the ABQ Journal in which he said nothing much could be done about the sky-high gasoline prices consumers are suffering under. Perhaps mindful of that, the chairman came with a stronger statement and some specifics on what can be done. Bingaman warned of political posturing over gas prices in this election year, but Bingaman is not up for election until 2012, and if we ever needed leadership on American energy policy, now is the time.

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Pat Rogers
Eyebrows are being raised in some GOP quarters at the notion that a key player in the US Attorney scandal, ABQ attorney Pat Rogers, could wind up in the prestigious position of New Mexico Republican National Committeeman. Insiders say former State Rep. and businessman George Buffett will not seek re-election to the post when the party meets in June and that Rogers is currently the only candidate.

Rogers, a shareholder with the well-known Modrall law firm in ABQ, has a long involvement with GOP politics, including his association with ABQ attorney/lobbyist Mickey Barnett. Both men traveled to Washington in '06 to meet with a top Bush Administration official in an effort to get rid of US Attorney David Iglesias. Iglesias said they wanted him out because he wasn't bringing voter fraud cases against Democrats. Iglesias says there was no evidence of such fraud. His eventual firing was part of the epic US attorney scandal.

Rogers is a noted election expert who has often contracted with the state GOP to handle court cases. Barnett has been controversial for primarying fellow Republicans in 2004. His critics also maintain that Barnett continues to exert considerable influence for lobbying clients through a number of GOP legislators and fellow lobbyists. In opposing Rogers, they say they want someone in the committeeman's post who is a "true volunteer," not someone who makes money from the party or advances Barnett's influence.

The names of a couple of other potential committeeman candidates are circulating, but nothing firm yet.

MOVING ON MCCAIN

A hard hitting ad from MoveOn.org is getting the attention of NM GOP Chairman Allen Weh who decried it as a distortion of John McCain's statements. The ad is airing here and other states and will be one of many this election year financed by third party groups who want in on the action. Says Weh: "(McCain) clearly did not mean that we're going to be fighting combat operations (in Iraq) for 100 years. That isn't what he said. I think it's absolutely disingenuous."

We have news, Mr. Chairman. The American people are telling the pollsters and politicans they don't want to be in Iraq for 100 years under any conditions--whether combat or "peacetime." That's why this ad seems likely to draw blood. Take a look.

CARRARO SURFACES

ABQ GOP congressional contender Joe Carraro doesn't have a lot of campaign cash, but what he does have he is putting to use. TV insiders confirm that Carraro went on the air Wednesday with a small one week buy of under $10,000. The thirty second spot touts Carraro's service as a state senator and questions the crime-fighting effectiveness of his GOP rival, Bernalillo County Sherriff Darren White. White is not yet up on TV, but is expected to be sometime this month. Here's Joe's spot:



Meantime, in the ABQ West Side State Senate district that Carraro represents, GOP candidate David Pyne came with confirmation of our Tuesday exclusive that he is getting out of the race, leaving Republican Sander Rue as the only candidate--either Dem or R--in the race. Friends of Pyne say the attorney is taking a job in Utah. Rue can start studying the state budget.

UNION MUSCLE

Candidates in a Democratic primary scramble for the endorsement of the big public employee union--AFSCME. Many of its 12,000 NM members are voters and the union can offer campaign manpower. Here are some contenders they recently backed:

Albuquerque Metropolitan Court Judge Benjamin Chavez for District Court Judge in Bernalillo County. AFSCME has also endorsed Judge Elizabeth Whitefield and Judge Clyde DeMersseman in their respective races.

In the Congressional races AFSCME has endorsed Martin Heinrich for CD1, Bill McCamley for CD2, Ben Ray Lujan for CD3, and Tom Udall for Senate. In Bernalillo County, Teresa Cordova for Commission District 2, Deanna Archuleta for Commission District 3, Maggie Toulouse Oliver for County Clerk, and Patrick Padilla for County Treasurer.

AFSCME says 4,000 of its members are in Bernalillo County.

GUNS FOR FOLEY

State House GOP Minority Whip Dan Foley has a primary fight on his hands in Roswell that has him working. Foley, facing off with retired FBI agent Dennish Kintigh, has come with an endorsement from the National Rifle Association. "I'm proud to receive the A+ candidate rating from the NRA. This high rating is an honor to receive." Said Foley.

ADAIR FOR HEATHER

Foley political ally, Roswell State Senator Lightning" Rod Adair continues to work it hard for GOP US Senate candidate Heather Wilson. Adair and State Rep. Keith Gardner are among those hosting Heather at a $500 a person at a Friday lunch at the Cattle Baron in Roswell.

DYSON ON THE SENATE

KOB-TV's Stuart Dyson is back on the campaign trail, so you know the campaign is entering the critical phase. We talked with him about the latest TV spot from GOP US Senate candidate Steve Pearce and how, of all things, he calls rival Heather Wilson a "liberal." Fun stuff to watch.

TAYLOR'S TRAVELS

That Dem State Senate battle between ABQ South Valley incumbent James Taylor and challenger Eric Griego is a pace setter. Taylor's campaign says he is on the door-knocking circuit in the Valley and also has visited Chilili, Bosque Farms, Meadowlake, Armijo, Pajarito and Kirtland. Griego seems to have a different event every day and is also knocking on doors. He had a "Healthy Communities" fund-raiser on Wednesday.

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The third time will indeed be the charm for Sander Rue. Rue's GOP primary opponent for the ABQ West Side state senate seat being vacated by Joe Carraro refused to confirm or deny reports Tuesday that he is about to get out of the race and take a job in Utah. There is no Democratic running in the sprawling district that extends into southern Rio Rancho, so if attorney David Pyne is getting out, then Rue will have four years in Santa Fe after winning the June 3 primary. (Pyne has now sent out a news release dropping out of the race. He said his employer frowned upon his candidacy)

.Rue has served on the Albuquerque Open Space Advisory Board and is currently a member of Albuquerque’s Board of Ethics.

Rue, 54, has previously run for ABQ city council and state rep. He lost both. He was also campaign manager for the '05 mayoral bid of City Councilor Brad Winter. He also lost that. But now it appears the perseverance of the pharmaceutical salesman has finally paid off. As for Pyne, saying nothing sometimes says everything. Hasta La Vista, David.

TO AND FRO

Who would have thunk it? Heather Wilson is a liberal! Only in a GOP primary would you hear that. The charge comes from Steve Pearce in this new TV spot as the back and forth in the intense race for the GOP US Senate nomination continues.



THIRD CD MUSINGS

A Democratic politico has some interesting analysis on the battle for the northern Dem congressional nomination where frontrunner Ben Ray Lujan is trying to fend off a stiff and well-financed challenged from Santa Fe developer Don Wiviott. He says our supposition that most of Wiviott's appeal among Santa Fe Anglo liberals is on the mark, but there is more to consider.

"A lot of folks in Clovis and other East side communities are not happy with Santa Fe politicians. Wiviott may be tapping into Anglo support there, too."

Lujan's father is NM House Speaker Ben Lujan. The race has flatlined in recent days. The crowd awaits a more aggressive comparative phase between the top two contenders. Harry Montoya, Benny Shendo, Jon Adams and Rudy Martin are also in this one.

BILL'S A GAS

You gotta give southern Dem congressional hopeful Bill McCamley points for having gumption. In the wake of the news that his rival, Hobbs oilman Harry Teague, has pumped a fresh $475,000 of personal money into the race, the Dona Ana County Commissioner announced he will lend himself $47.50 to fill his gas tank up to travel the district. That isn't going to stop Teague's money from being effective, but McCamley gets kudso for humor and also accuracy. We filled up the Honda tank Tuesday, and what do you know? The total came to $47.00.

FOLLOWING THE MONEY

ABQ Dem congressional contender Rebecca Vigil-Giron was given a hard time by our Alligators when she listed on her report a cash balance of minus some $9,000. There is no such thing as a minus cash balance. Vigil-Giron says her report has been revised. It shows she had a cash balance at the end of March of about $1600 and a debt on her American Express card of $15,000.

STILL BIG

Think the Iraq war won't be a big issue in the fall? Only if the New Mexican electorate isn't heartbroken by this kind of news:

Senator Bingaman joined in cosponsoring legislation to help prevent suicide among active duty members of the military. The Armed Forces Suicide Prevention Act would direct the Department of Defense (DoD) to create a comprehensive suicide prevention program within all branches of the military, including National Guard and Reserves. The program includes annual training for soldiers...

CBS news recently reported on the armed forces suicide epidemic among soldiers who have served in Iraq.

THE BOTTOM LINES

ABQ GOP State Rep Richard Berry is getting a free ride this election year, but that didn't stop him from attending the NM Credit Union Association campaign school Monday. We spoke to the gathering of politicos and it was a fast-paced, cover-it-all session. Berry, a contractor from Four Hills, is going for term #2. He told me he has come to appreciate the diversity and flavor of New Mexico as a freshman member of the Legislature. He may be there a while if he attends campaign school even when he is unopposed...

Also on hand was ABQ GOP State Rep. Jimmie Hall, who has one of those infectious personalities that has made him friends on both sides of the aisle. He has no GOP primary opposition.

Democratic Secretary of State Mary Herrera was one of the presenters. We both wondered aloud about how low-key the campaign has been compared to what we expected at this stage, but neither of us were backing off our predictions of a record turnout in November.

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$120 bucks a barrel is starting to talk. Hobbs oilman Harry Teague gave a big shout-out Monday as he dumped $475,000 of his own cash into his primary campaign for the Dem nomination for the southern congressional seat, bringing his total personal contributions to near $700,000. The cash dump sets Teague on course to close out the race against Dona Ana County Commissioner Bill McCamley who had $235,000 in cash at the end of March, but not the personal resources or fund-raising ability to counter Teague. By going over $350,000 in personal money, Teague triggers the Millionaires Amendment which allows McCamley to take donations of up to $6900 instead of $2300, but good luck getting them.

Teague, a former Lea County commissioner, has been on TV three weeks, but like McCamley, who is a Dona Ana County commissioner, he started the race with little name ID. If he spends the nearly half-million fresh dollars he is putting up, his name ID will not only be formidable for the primary, but if he secures the nomination, it could make a difference in his match-up with the Republican nominee in the fall.

MONTY MONEY

Speaking of the Republicans, one of their candidates for the Southern CD nod, Monty Newman, may be getting some third-party support from the National Association of Realtors. Newman's campaign says he welcomes their endorsement, but can't confirm reports that the D.C. based group could come with as much as a couple hundred thousand dollars of TV ads for the former Hobbs mayor. We'll see.

WHAT ABOUT ED?

While Teague is moving to dry up support (and hope) for McCamley, wealthy restaurant owner Ed Tinsley, supported for the GOP Southern CD nod by the national and much of the local GOP establishment, has held off on a similar big move. Is he being too cautious? If he is positioning himself for a narrow win in the GOP primary, maybe not. But if he is looking ahead to the general election, he could find himself starting off well behind Teague who, if he wins the nomination, could represent the Dems best hope for this district since the 1970's.

JEFF IS TIRED

Jeff Bingaman has contracted Clinton fatigue, a key factor, insiders say, in his decision Monday to throw his support to Barack Obama and not Hillary. "He has grown weary of the direction of the Clinton campaign and is concerned what direction a Clinton presidency would take the country," related a source familiar with the Senator's thinking.

Bingaman joins Big Bill in endorsing Obama. The other unpledged NM superdelegate to the August nominating convention, US Rep. Tom Udall, is also expected to go for Obama.

Bingaman is an unabashed liberal and his endorsement of Obama is not surprising on that level. But some observers noted the close relationship Bingaman's wife, attorney Anne Bingaman, has had with the Clintons. President Clinton named her head of the Justice Department's anti-trust division in his first term. Anne first met Hillary when they were both working with the Children's Defense Fund. Whatever the status of their relationship today, it wasn't enough to keep Jeff on the sidelines until the conclusion of the primary season.

(This 1993 New York Times profile of Anne Bingaman is still an interesting read today.)

Politically, Bingaman may be of best use to Obama in the conservative rural areas of the state where Hillary dominated the NM Prez caucus and which helped her score a narrow win. Bingaman has demonstrated small-town appeal. Some Dems fear Obama could end up losing NM to McCain the same way he lost to Hillary--he scores landslides in Bernalillo and Santa Fe counties, but gets kicked hard almost everywhere else. If Bingaman can turn his endorsement of Obama into something other than a one day news release, all the better for the Illinois Senator.

ALMOST MARTY

Alligators monitoring the weekend Democratic Party Central Committee meeting come with an amusing tale. They say when it came time for the NM delegates selected to attend the August national convention to pick a chairman, they picked NM Dem Party Chair Brian Colon by just one vote. ABQ Mayor Marty Chavez ran aginst Colon, but Chavez left the meeting before the vote to fly to LA to pick up an award being presented to the city. If he had stayed to vote, he might be leading the NM delegation to Denver. Chavez will go to the convention as a superdelegate supporting Hillary. This has been a tough political year for the mayor. He withdrew from races for both governor and US senator and now this.

COPS FOR PEARCE

GOP US Senate candidate Steve Pearce made official what sources were telling us last week. The union for ABQ cops--APOA--came with an endorsement of the Southern NM congressman Monday. ABQ is the key to the Senate battle. If Pearce can hold down the winning totals of rival Heather Wilson here, his strength in the south and north could be enough to hand him the nod.

Meantime, Heather wasn't letting Steve go unanswered. She announced that Colorado GOP US Senator Wayne Allard is backing her bid, citing her electability over Dem Tom Udall.

SEDILLO QUITS

ABQ Metro Court Judge Frank Sedillo, citing "a variety of family and personal reasons," announced Monday he will not seek nomination to a district court seat and is urging fellow Democrats to support Elizabeth Whitefield, the family court judge he was challenging. There is a little problem, however. Sedillo's withdrawal comes too late to remove his name from the ballot, although one supposes word will get around that he is backing Judge Whitefield. Sedillo made his withdrawal official in a letter to the Secretary of State. There is no Republican running, so once Whitefield wins June 3 she will be on her way to a six year term.

IT'S ALL IN A NAME: PART II

In the know blog readers were taken aback by the ruling of ABQ District Court Judge Geraldine Rivera that allowed Dem Congress candidate Michelle Lujan Grisham to be listed on the June ballot under that full name, instead of the name recorded on her registration--Michelle L. Grisham. We're told the judge ruled that Grisham signed her certificate of registration using her full name and that was good enough. The first e-mail details the law:

I read your entry re: Grisham ballot name and wonder how that decision could have been made.

NMSA Section 1-10-6. ...In the preparation of ballots: A. The candidate's name shall be printed on the ballot as it appears on the candidate's certificate of registration that is on file in the county clerk's office on the day the governor issues the proclamation for the primary election....

Now this from a NM election official:

...that name is the way the candidate prints it at the top of the registration. That is the way it is entered into the voter file and the way it goes into the roster at the polling place. That is the person's name for candidacy and voting. If we started using signatures, you could never be sure you had it right because handwritten signatures are not that clear. I think someone was grasping with this interpretation.

No one is yet challenging Rivera's ruling, but it would be nice to have some clarification for future elections.

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Pearce & Wilson-Happier Times
Heather Wilson easily won her debate with GOP US Senate rival Steve Pearce in Los Alamos Friday night, but her prize for the victory may be akin to the five dollar stuffed animal you win at the fair after spending twenty bucks going after it. (See it here.)

It was the second clash between the two hopefuls, but the first major one because live streaming on KRQE-TV gave voters their first look at the two contestants together. Wilson moved early to establish the story line that would be picked up by the AP and major papers and hand her the win. Pearce, she charged, had voted to cut the budget of Los Alamos Labs and he doesn't have a very good explanation. In return, the southern NM congressman failed to deliver a spirited defense of the Labs and seemed caught flat-footed.

Despite Wilson's win, there appeared to be no major damage inflicted on frontrunner Pearce. He will lose Los Alamos County to Wilson, who is closely tied to Senator Domenici, the financial godfather of the nuclear facility. But Democrat Marty Chavez tried to make the Los Alamos a statewide issue in his short-lived campaign for the Dem US Senate nomination against Tom Udall and it went nowhere. Voters know that all members of the congressional delegation, including Pearce, have, in the main, worked to pump big money into the labs. While Wilson won the "gotcha" game with Pearce, it's unlikely there was much collateral damage. She needs something more relatable to voters at large to move the numbers her way. (See my special Saturday update for analysis of Wilson's first TV ad of the campaign.)

While putting away Los Alamos, Wilson may have done a favor for Udall, who has taken considerable heat for going along with the Dem congressional leadership in slashing the labs budget and prompting hundreds of layoffs. If Pearce is the nominee and questions Udall's effectiveness over lab funding, he better have a more convincing answer about his own votes.

DEBATE NOTES

News reports spoke of a "sparsely attended" debate, which is not good for Wilson who may need a larger turnout to counter the hard-core conservatives who are determined to vote for Pearce.

Wilson was at her most convincing when citing a particular vote and then sticking the knife in. She was at her worst when over emoting. Think Susan Hayward. Pearce was most persuasive detailing his down-the-line support for conservative causes like right to life. (He picked up the national right to life endorsement on the day of the debate.) His gruff and unapproachable TV personality is his downside. Think of the uncle you were afraid of. Pearce is going to have to work to become likable to voters, a quality not to be an underestimated in the epic battle to come this fall.

PROBE OR NO PROBE?

The New Mexican's Steve Terrell did a little legwork on whether there is an investigation into Heather Wilson's role in the US attorney scandal. We blogged last week of the House ethics committee questioning of former US Attorney David Iglesias about the 2006 phone call Wilson placed to him asking about the status of a corruption investigation against prominent Democrats. Reports Terrell:

Wilson also called Iglesias during that period to ask about the case. Iglesias said last year that he had been questioned about Wilson's call by the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. A spokesman for the committee said Friday that he couldn't comment on or verify the existence of a similar investigation of Wilson's call to Iglesias.

GOP Senator Pete Domenici was given a slap on the wrist last week by the Senate Ethics Committee for a similar phone call he made to Iglesias.

The ABQ Journal's Michael Coleman also looked at the issue of whether there is an House investigation of Wilson who says she has not been notified of any probe. If she gets the GOP Senate nod, the majority Dems in the House could move to make it a lot clearer whether Heather will be subjected to additional scrutiny.

COLLARING BLUE COLLARS

ABQ Dem congressional candidate Martin Heinrich, already the love-child of the Chardonnay sippers and the left wing of his party, made a swerve to where the election will be decided when he interviewed for the Sunday Journal's candidate profiles. Said the former city councilor of his Missouri parents:

"(They're) middle class, blue collar. They were the people who took a shower when they came home from work at night, not before they went to work."

Heinrich can capture his party's nomination by consolidating the Obama liberals, but it is working class (read Reagan) Democrats who have kept the GOP in control of the ABQ seat for 40 years.

Heinrich isn't the only one, however, with a personal narrative that could connect with key swing voters. His likely GOP opponent, Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White, said in his profile, that he once drove a taxi and that "every politician" should drive one to learn of people's problems.

THE LIBERAL QUESTION
Heinrich
Another interesting twist in the Journal Q and A for the ABQ congress candidates was how Michelle Lujan Grisham gave a more liberal answer on the Iraq war than Heinrich. She said she would vote to cut off money to the war even if there was no specific timetable for bringing the troops home. Heinrich said he would not cast such a vote, but said "we must immediately set a timeline and bring our troops home." That may be a smallish opening for Grisham with hard-core anti-Iraq Dems, but it doesn't get her where she needs to go--to moderate and conservative D's--the ones Heinrich made a pitch for with that slightly toned down Iraq answer. Candidate Robert Pidcock agreed with Grisham. Rebecca Vigil-Giron agreed with Heinrich.

LOPEZ VS. PADILLA

Supporters of ABQ South Valley State Senator Linda Lopez think they have some ammo for her spirited primary contest with businessman Michael Padilla. Two women who worked at the city of ABQ's 911 center have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit claiming they were transferred out of the city's Emergency Communication Center and relocated after they complained Padilla subjected them to sexual harassment. Padilla was the the call center manager. Padilla resigned from the city amid allegations of making insulting comments toward women. He told me the charges are completely false, but that he expected them to surface in the campaign. The timing of the federal suit does just that. Padilla says he could spend upwards of $100,000 to oust Lopez, chair of the Senate Rules Committee who has often clashed with Big Bill.

HE'S BACK

Big Bill arrived back from his hostage-freeing message to Venezuela late Sunday, saying he "sees some hope." How about talking baseball with dictator Hugo Chavez? "We both like baseball. He's an old pitcher. I told him I thought my curve ball was better than his. He disagreed." Well, it's all in a day's work. Here's complete audio coverage of his news conference at ABQ International.

WHO IS SHE FOR, REALLY?

Is that "unpledged" delegate picked by state Dems Saturday to go to the national convention really neutral in the race between Obama and Clinton? If she isn't for Obama, why did the Clintonistas take the gloves off in trying to stop her from being selected? You don't need a Larry Barker investigation to figure that one out.

E-mail your latest news and comments, and thanks for tuning in.

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