Monday, August 31, 2009Manny Behind Bars: How's He Doing? An Insider Report, Plus: Lingering Questions In Aftermath Of No Indictment Day![]() FIRE FOURATT? ![]() ...diGenova called Fouratt's letter "stupid" because it makes allegations of corruption after the case is over. "That letter is an outrage and the U.S. Attorney who wrote it should be fired. The case is closed. If he had charges, bring them. Otherwise, he should shut up. He's being a politician now, not a prosecutor. Now that the CDR case will not result in indictments, it is less complicated for the Democratic White House to get on with appointing a new US Attorney. That unusual letter from Fouratt would seem to make it even easier. KEEP FOURATT? Greg Fouratt ![]() Greg Fouratt, is something of a hybrid: Republican-appointed during the last throes of the George W. Bush administration, he was merit-selected by a panel of federal judges. Fouratt managed to nail former state Sen. Manny Aragón and some cronies in a separate bribery case. He should be kept in office. The Democratic White House keeping Fouratt is a long, long shot. And a case can be made that he does not deserve to be kept after the lengthy and expensive CDR probe and the above mentioned ethics issue, but if Fouratt were to be kept in office he should have his name submitted for confirmation by the United States Senate. That is the check and balance on the judiciary that was side-stepped by the rare circumstances under which Fouratt became US attorney. We've wondered here why the feds can't indicate to those being investigated when an investigation has concluded. In the Big Bill pay-to-play case, Fouratt not only did so, but according to former US Attorney diGenova, he crossed the ethical line. The AP ran a story that said those being investigated are not notified when a probe concludes because prosecutors want to have the option of re-opening the case in the future. That seems to answer our question, if not the matter of how fair that is to those who have been subjected to investigation. TO THE TUBE We explored the big pay-to-play story with KOB-TV anchorwoman Nicole Brady and veteran reporters Stuart Dyson on the Sunday morning broadcast "Eye On New Mexico." We covered a range of other political issues as well. The program is posted here. It is lively. WHAT MATTERS MOST? ![]() The decline in the number of jobs is the worst the state has experienced since 1954, when jobs declined by an even greater 3.6 percent at the lowest point. This 1954 decline followed a decade where job growth averaged more than 6 percent. Back in the 1950s, New Mexico had a much smaller economy and such variability was fairly normal. This kind of a drop in employment is unprecedented in recent times. CONSPIRACY CORNER This corner into political conspiracies? Perish the thought. But we couldn't resist this one from an avid reader:Do you want to give the conspiracy theorists a little bit of agita? US Attorney General Eric Holder is the honored guest at the Hispanic Law Conference in ABQ next month for judges and lawyers. And (former NM US Attorney) David Iglesias is one of the listed speakers for the conference. It would be fun to be a fly on the wall at that event. Maybe if David makes a good speech Holder will tell Obama and the Dems they have that "new" US attorney they're looking for. THE MAYORAL VOTE ![]() Early voting seems to get more popular each year and the campaigns will work hard to get those votes in the bank early. That’s where organization and experience pays off and that’s where incumbent Dem Mayor Chavez has excelled. But Republican contender Richard Berry can expecy some help from the NM GOP and Dem Richard Romero can seek to tap into the Obama organization to motivate the early vote. JANICE JOINS ABQ GOP State Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones joined the race for the 2010 Guv nod Sunday. TV coverage here. Her platform here. COLON SEEKS CASH Former NM Dem Party Chair Brian Colon holds his first major fundraiser for his campaign for the Dem nod for lieutenant governor today at the Hotel ABQ at 5: 30 p.m. Ticks go for $100 to $1000. Longtime Dem activist and attorney Cate Stetson is among those on the host committee. Colon, 39, is making his first run for elective office. MEET A MAYOR ![]() E-mail your news and comments, anonymously if you wish. (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2009 Not for reproduction without permission of the author |
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