New Mexico Republicans Saturday turned to a wealthy oilman to help them rebuild the state's minority party after one of its most far-reaching defeats ever in 2008. Harvey Yates, Jr., whose family started Yates Petroulem in SE NM, was elected chairman for a two year term. Yates is president of Jalapeno Corp., an oil and natural gas exploration and real estate company. He succeeds Allen Weh who held the post since 2004. Yates, who lives in ABQ, garnered over 50% of the vote in a three way contest. His chief rival was Farmington Dr. Allen McCulloch. Mike Meyer of ABQ also ran.

Yates does not have a political background. He is seen hiring a strong executive director--perhaps from outside the state--to help him run the day-to-day activities of the party. The new chairman formed a political action committee and heavily supported several legislative candidates in the past election, but with little success. In a letter seeking support from the 289 Central Committee delegates deciding the race, Yates said: "We are faced with an increased liberal majority in our state Legislature whose orientation is toward increasing the power of government and diminishing the rights of individuals." But it is Yates' ability to raise money that may be his chief asset. He drew a wide range of support, including former Senator Domenici and ex-US Reps Pearce, Wilson and Lujan.

Republicans brought back an old face to become the party's new treasurer. That contest drew attention because former Bernalillo County GOP Chairman Fernando C de Baca sought the post. This, after C de Baca last year had to resign his chairmanship after a firestorm erupted when he said many Hispanics would not vote for Obama for president because he was black. Bill Redmond of Los Alamos, who won a fluke election to the northern congressional seat back in the 1990's and served one term in the US House, was drafted to oppose C de Baca and was elected. Results of the vote were not made public.

Republicans meeting at the Hotel ABQ near Old Town Saturday also chose Nina Martinez as party vice chair and Rod Montoya as second vice chair. Robert Perea was selected as party secretary.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2009
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

Chavez
The camp of ABQ Mayor Marty Chavez is celebrating a year-end poll that they say puts the mayor in a commanding position to win his third term in a row and his fourth overall. The survey was conducted by Lake Research Partners and, if it's right, there apparently isn't much "Marty fatigue" out there. Let's go right to the money paragraph from the Lake polling memo circulating among top political operatives:

Voters continue to hold Chavez in high regard. Two-thirds (66%) say they have a favorable impression of the man, including 28% who have a very favorable impression of him. Only 27% have an unfavorable opinion of Chavez.

That is about as high of an approval rating we have seen for Chavez in recent years. It shows him better positioned than an automatic phone survey your blog commissioned back in October. That survey put the mayor's job approval rating at 45%. However, the poll was of voters in Bernalillo County. The Lake survey was taken among 400 likely voters within the city limits where the mayoral derby will be decided. The margin of error is put at 4.9% and was conducted Dec. 20-22. We do not have the wording of the questions.

There may be some debate on Chavez's job approval rating, but the Lake Survey also asked city voters whether the city is headed in the right or wrong direction. Those results mimic what you hear around town in casual conversation:

Nearly two-thirds (64%) say the city is headed in the right direction, with fewer than one-quarter (23%) saying things are off on the wrong track. Thirteen percent are unsure.

If voters don't think the city is headed down the wrong path, what reason will they have for tossing Chavez from his 11th Floor office at Government Center when they go to the polls this October? Well, that's the question that will have to be answered by Marty's foes. So far, former State Senator Richard Romero and City Councilors Michael Cadigan and Debbie O'Malley have announced they will challenge Chavez. All are Democrats.

We did not receive polling that pitted Chavez up against his foes, but an insider says some was done and all the potential challengers scored "in the single digits." The bad news for the challengers is they have a long way to go; the good news is that they have a long time to get there.

JOURNAL LAYOFFS

No one will be surprised to hear that the recession is now hitting the newsroom of the ABQ Journal, the state's largest newspaper, but what is worrisome is that the layoffs of seven newsroom staffers may be only the beginning of the job losses. KRQE-TV's Maria Medina informs us that four of the seven newsroom employees laid off are news reporters.The Journal joins papers across the country feeling the severe pain of an advertising crash and a loss of subscribers to the "dead tree" edition of the paper in favor of the Internet offering. They can sell ads on ABQJournal.com, but they can't charge as much and therein lies the dilemma facing the entire newspaper industry.

"The people affected are good journalists who have made valuable contributions to the Journal," said publisher Tom Lang of the family owned enterprise. And, we might add, to the city and state.

We don't yet have the names of the reporters who are out. Gene Grant, a Monday columnist for the paper, informed his readers recently that his column has been canceled. And it's not just the Journal hurting. KOB-TV laid off about 10 employees late last year. Insiders say the contract of reporter Shelton Dodson recently expired and it will not be renewed and he will not be replaced. The Santa Fe New Mexican has laid off a couple of dozen employees (But only one news reporter). The non-profit online news outlet--The NM Independent---cut four part-time workers only months after undertaking their venture.

REPORTING THE JOURNAL

The downsizing of New Mexico's only statewide newspaper doesn't include only reporters. Staff reductions have been announced in circulation, advertising, production and other departments. Also, the Journal confirmed what we have been getting in our e-mail: Distribution of the paper has been reduced in eastern and southwestern section of the state and the Rio Rancho and West Side Journal editions now go to Thursdays and Saturdays only. Also, the Thursday Business Outlook has been canceled. The Monday Outlook remains.

The Journal's local news hole has been shrinking in recent months as it cut back on printing costs and editorial employees. But the investigative wing of the paper--a long tradition--has been strong during the recent Big Bill pay to play story. Some will argue that many of the minor crime beat stories and other daily minutia are not critical to the function of the paper. But with last year's death of the ABQ Tribune, original local news coverage is taking a hit.

Journal Monday through Friday circulation for the period ending 9-30-2008 is 102,266, up a bit from Sept. 30, 2007 when it was 101,981. Journal Sunday circulation is at 134,110, down a lot from Sept. 30, 2007 when it was 140,395. Saturday circulation is 109,646, up a bit from Sept. 30, 2007 when it was 108,658.

Layoffs in the national press and big city newspapers are of concern to us but not as much as the local losses because there is so much redundancy at the national level. Original statewide coverage of New Mexico news is essentially limited to the Journal, a smallish AP presence and three television stations. And don't blame the blogs. The Journal news stories on the Web are being read by more people than ever, they just can't turn a big profit on those readers.

THE JOURNAL AND ME
Me
We didn't mean to diss the Journal on the day they delivered their personal bad news, but it turns out we did--inadvertently. One of our "Alligators" e-mailed in a cool photo of Big Bill and his chief of staff in a candid pose at a UNM basketball game and left the impression that he had taken the pic. We were quick to boast about it, and were so taken with the snap that we announced a "photo caption contest" with the winner getting free lunch. Well, we were too quick to boast. The pic--unknown to us when we posted it-- was actually lifted from the Journal's Web site. It is the fine work of Journal photographer Maria Brose. The Journal is being good-natured and permitted continued use of the photo so we can complete our contest which will end Monday. So take a look below and e-mail in your caption. We think you're going to have fun reading the submissions.

Adding to the weirdness of the mishap was our receipt of our advertising bill from the Journal for the ad our blog ran in their recent special section noting the retirement of Senator Pete Domenici. No, we were not trying to stretch our ad dollars by lifting their photo!

JUST PLAIN CRAZY, FOLKS

It's just been a crazy week around here. It started Sunday morning with Big Bill withdrawing his name for the commerce secretary post and has just gotten more intense with that political news and then all the other exclusive stuff we bombarded you with. So it's no surprise that among the thousands of words we churned out, we let a mistake go by. But this wasn't a little error and the resulting e-mails from the legal beagles had us red-faced, but being Irish we are always red-faced so it wasn't so bad.

But on to the correction. We said federal grand juries operate under secrecy and that we should not be surprised that Big Bill was not saying much about the investigation. We were only partially right as explained by this e-mailer familiar with the matter:

Civilian witnesses before the grand jury (non FBI) are not sworn to secrecy. They can talk or not talk to the media if they want....Very little actually gets done in front of the grand jury, the real action is in the conference rooms at the FBI and U.S. Attorney's offices. Only the prosecutors, federal agents, the grand jurors and court clerks and court reporters are sworn to secrecy.

So when Bloomberg news reported they talked to someone who appeared before the grand jury, it was not unusual and not a violation of secrecy. Thanks to those who straightened us out on this one.

SCANDAL FATIGUE YET?
Terell Prowling
So asks Steve Terrell. You read our mind, Steve. The New Mexican reporter tells of the news of a state grand jury probe into a regional housing authority. The news broke Thursday night. Terrell blogged it at the new address for his political blog which you will want to bookmark in time for the upcoming legislative session. (Reporter Kate Nash has a blog too, found at the New Mexican site.) Terrell's music blog remains here. One more: An old friend, noted science author and former New York Times reporter George Johnson, continues to blog about Santa Fe in a most interesting way. If we could remember half of what this guy has forgotten.....

THE BOTTOM LINES

It's Marci Youngmark, a small business owner, who is considering a bid for the City Council seat of Michael Cadigan. We mangled her name in the early editions of the Thursday blog....And a note for Congressman Martin Heinrich: The honeymoon is over--already. The new ABQ US Rep., sworn in Tuesday, issued a news release Wednesday under the headline:

Heinrich cosponsors fair pay legislation on 1st day as member of Congress

And then came the e-mail in reaction:

Joe, This bill allows trial lawyers to file retroactive claims years after the fact. So, Martin's first act was not to end the war, support the labs or Kirtland or to kill Bush's evil tax cuts for the rich. No, it was to pay back the trial lawyers for all their support. Welcome to day one of the 112th Congress. Please don't use my name.

Gee, Martin has barely had time to find a parking space. We almost feel sorry for him, but we can't--that would have the Alligators snapping at us. Good Luck, Congressman. And welcome to La Politica....

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

C de Baca
Can Fernando C de Baca be a "Comeback Kid?" He's going to try Saturday when he's nominated to become the next treasurer of the NM Republican Party. C de Baca was one of the casualties of Campaign '08 when he uttered:

“The truth is that Hispanics came here as conquerors. African-Americans came here as slaves...Hispanics consider themselves above blacks. They won’t vote for a black president.”

That quote was flashed around the globe as the nation prepared to elect its first black president and it cost the longtime politico his position as Bernalillo County GOP Chairman. But Saturday, when Republicans gather to elect new officers, C de Baca will make a play to become the party's new treasurer. Fernando's friends say he is considering having a black minister place his name in nomination. The seventy-something C de Baca suffered foot-in-mouth-disease when he made his off-color comments. Maybe he gets a stab at a fresh start Saturday, but not without sparks flying. The aftertaste from that sour quote is going to last a while. No other candidates for treasurer have surfaced , but negative e-mails about Fernando have started to fly. Opposition could surface in the form of a floor nomination.

STILL RUNNING

We aren't seeing Farmington's Allen McCulloch throwing in the towel in his bid to become the new GOP chairman Saturday, even though oilman Harvey Yates has lined up the support of ex-Senator Domenici and former US Reps Wilson, Pearce and Lujan. In fact, there is some negative campaigning going on against Yates. If Allen stays in, the Saturday meeting at the Hotel ABQ next to Old Town could get intense.

BILL'S WORLD: FISHING EXPEDITION?

Well, of course the Governor's inner circle is being quizzed by federal prosecutors. Duh. They are going after The Whale--Big Bill. But how are they going to harpoon this elusive catch? Bloomberg news reports that a person who testified before the federal grand jury investigating the CDR bond deal said prosecutors are asking if Dave Contarino, Bill's former chief of staff, told a state agency to hire CDR which donated $100,000 to Richardson's political committees.

Did Contarino or another Big Bill aide line up the contract for CDR after getting an explicit promise of campaign money and did Big Bill sanction the hold-up? Another top Richardson aide--senior political adviser Michael Stratton--worked for CDR as a consultant and reportedly lobbied the New Mexico Finance Authority to give the contract to the firm, sources told both Bloomberg News and Barry Massey of The Associated Press.

But do we have a fishing expedition here or the real deal? Pay to play cases are usually decided with wiretaps and paper trails. That's what happened when the Feds prosecuted the Metro Courthouse corruption case that snared Dem politico Manny Aragon as well as the corruption case against State Treasurer Vigil who was caught on tape.

Questions for this one: Were the feds wiretapping someone back in 2004 when the bond deal was being made? That seems unlikely. Did they suit someone up with a wiretap months or years after the fact and get a Big Bill aide to record the Governor admitting he was in on the deal? That seems far out. Did one of the Governor's aides outline the pay to play deal to CDR in an e-mail? That sounds pretty stupid. If someone came forward recently and testified that he took part in a pay to play scheme with the Guv, is there any hard evidence to back that up?

Yes, the Governor is a big legal target, but not an easy one to hit. Politically, the harpooners had an easier time as the Guv withdrew his nomination to be the president's commerce secretary because of the grand jury probe.

No one is going to underestimate the investigative prowess of the feds. They have two big notches under their belt here, but it's important to point out amid the frenzy that an indictment only requires probable cause that a crime was committed; a conviction requires evidence beyond a reasonable doubt. The old saw about a prosecutor being able to indict a ham sandwich is still true.

The Guv briefly defended himself again Wednesday: "In my view, the state and its officials have done nothing wrong. They behaved with the best of intentions and the best conduct."

THE PR ANGLE

This bigger than life politician can't be underestimated, either. There he was on statewide television last night, cracking a self-deprecating joke about the probe and in another segment offering sincere and high praise for former aide Contarino. The Guv is taking to heart advice that he not hide from the cameras and that he turn on his Old Warrior charm. It may not influence the grand jury, but it helps with the people of New Mexico who have bonded with him. If the worst case scenario unfolds and indictments come down, it will be the people of this state who will decide whether to stay by the Governor's side or tell him his governorship must end early.

CAPTION OUR EXCLUSIVE PHOTO--WIN A FREE LUNCH

Well, the governor may have been Mr. Public Wednesday, but the night before it looked as if he was Mr. Incognito. Here he is in this very cool ABQ Journal Maria Brose photo from one of the Alligators taken at the UNM-UTEP game at ABQ's Pit Tuesday night. We believe that's Chief of Staff Brian Condit whispering in his ear. What's he saying there?

It's definitely time for a blog caption contest with a free lunch to the winner and their guest. E-mail in your captions and let's have some fun.

VOX POPULI

We'd like to see a poll on how this deal is impacting New Mexico public opinion. Believe it or not, it may not be as compelling as insiders and media types think. The electorate is so bombarded with alleged political wrongdoing, they seem to glaze over and dismiss much of it until it is proven very serious--such as the indictment stage. At least that's what NM pollster Brian Sanderoff has told us over the years and we've seen his take borne out in a variety of political campaigns and in the lackadaisical attitude toward campaign reform in D.C. and Santa Fe.

Richardson won re-election in 2006 by the biggest margin in state history. His popularity has ranged from around 50% to the 62%, according to polls from last year. The 62% was among likely voters who most closely follow the news.

THE IMPACT
If there was a crime committed it needs to be prosecuted, but that doesn't mean it isn't worrisome to have this issue hanging over the state. our reputation is getting a daily black eye nationally. And It sure isn't helping economic development. We can only hope that we get resolution--one way or the other--and soon.

BLAGO AND BILL

One of the Gators sent this one in--Illinois Governor Blago gave $20,000 to Big Bill's political coffers in Nov. of '06. It's Blago's pay to play over the Illinois US Senate seat that has turned the attention up on Bill's problems. Please, let this be the only Bill-Blago connection.

NAMES IN THE NEWS

We asked for and we received possible names to take Michael Cadigan's ABQ West Side city council seat now that he is giving it up to run for mayor. Three possibles emerged from the Alligators, including Robert Aragon, a former state legislator and ex-brother-in-law to Mayor Marty Chavez. The two once practiced law together. Lance Milford is another name making the rounds. His family is well-known for advocating for tough DWI laws. And Robert Doucette, the assistant to Republican Bernalillo County Commissioner Michael Brasher, is another possible contender. Ok, now a fourth one comes in as I wrap up the blog--Marci Youngmark. In October city voters will choose a mayor and councilors in five of the nine city council districts.

E-mail your news and comments, and don't forget to enter our caption contest for your chance at a free lunch.

Senator Tom Udall (D-NM)
They're all new and all blue, but can New Mexico's four new members of Congress deliver? Well, one thing about Democrats--they like government. And, like it or not, the era of big government is back. The Dems also happen to be in the majority in Congress and since all five of our delegation members are Dem, NM should be able to get a decent seat at most political tables. (The AP has the story on the swearing-in of our new members. KOAT-TV's Shelly Ribando has video and a wrap of the delegation's oath-taking.)

As for our new members, Senator Tom Udall, shown being sworn in by VP Cheney with wife Jill at his side, has excelled at making friends in politics. This aspect of his personality should serve him (and us) well in the Senate where personal relationships are critical to success. What we don't know yet is whether he will be forceful enough when the time comes to stand up to his colleagues on behalf of the state. In other words, can he deliver a sharp elbow with a smile?

ABQ Dem Congressman Martin Heinrich has shown skill at forging compromise and bringing people together. Politics needs more of that. He also seems not to hold grudges which should make his work easier. He also has a streak of cautiousness. How long will it take him to get up to speed and earn the respect of his colleagues which will benefit this state?

Congressman Ben Ray Lujan has politics in his DNA. He wants to be where the action is, not just warm a chair. We think he will be results oriented. However, a man in hurry can sometimes step on the toes of others. Will Lujan know when to hold them and when to fold them?

Congressman Harry Teague brings maturity, the personality of an avuncular uncle and the shrewdness of a fox to his new office. He has a track record of success in the private and public sectors. He has the makings of a deal maker for New Mexico. But this is a new level of play for Teague. Can he read the D.C. cards as well as he reads those in Lea County? (We had Teague assigned to the House Financial Services Committee for a few hours yesterday. He has not been assigned to that committee, but is on House transportation. Committees that Senator Udall will serve on have yet to be finalized.)

Presiding over the delegation is our new senior Senator, Jeff Bingaman. After a quarter century in the Congress, he has won respect locally and nationally. But the state is now asking a lot from him--perhaps too much--as it puts on the field its greenest congressional team ever. Being leader of the pack is coming late in Jeff's career, but it could reinvigorate the lawmaker. When you know you are taking some of your last shots, you make them your best.

COMMITTEE JOCKEYING
Rep. Heinrich
We share a bit of the concern of our friend and University of New Mexico poly sci professor Lonna Atkeson that none of our three House members has been named to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, but Heinrich on House Armed Services means he will have a say in the bill that sets the spending levels for Sandia Labs' defense work, Los Alamos Labs and military outposts around the state. And Lujan on Homeland Security is relevant to NM. He had hoped for energy, but the House leadership isn't going to put a newbie on energy. Why? Well, one rather course reason is that members of that committee are showered with campaign money by energy and business interests. A committee slot is a real plum.

Gosh, we remember back in the old days when then-Congressman Bill Richardson scored a seat on energy and the dough rolled in even though he rarely had a serious re-elect challenge. They didn't call it pay to play either. Back to today, Senator Bingaman is chairman of Senate energy and with or without a NM House member on that chamber's energy committee, it will ultimately fall to him, as it did Senator Domenici before him, to safeguard the state's billions in national security funding. But hey, no pressure, Jeff.

BIG BILL UPDATE

Bloomberg News hit with a piece today bringing former big Bill Chief of Staff Dave Contarino into the pay for play scandal: 

Romero & O'Malley
An impending split in the ranks of ABQ liberals could bolster the re-election chances of ABQ Mayor Marty Chavez. City Councilor Debbie O'Malley checks in with the blog to announce that she is getting ready to hire staff and launch a mayoral bid, threatening to split ABQ's liberal voters with former State Senator Richard Romero who has formed an exploratory committee and is lining up support from progressive interest groups. And while West Side Councilor Michael Cadigan will announce his mayoral bid today with a tilt toward moderate and conservative voters, that Democrat is also seen attracting liberal votes. If no major Republican gets in the race, Chavez could claim the lion's share of conservatives and moderates, making it that much easier for him to attract 40% of the vote and avoid a run-off election.

O'Malley told me she wants to be listed as a "serious" candidate for the October election along with Cadigan, Chavez and Romero. When I asked her if she and Romero would not kill each other off by splitting the liberals, she said "things could change," indicating she thought only one of them would be around for the duration. She added: "I will have a strong group of supporters."

Romero, 64, is working to get Obama backers to his candidacy. He is expected to get third-party financial support from nonprofit groups that have been active in area politics and drawn controversy because they don't fully disclose who donates to them. The NM attorney general is challenging them.

Rather than try to convert Chavez voters, friends of Romero say he will attempt to attract new voters to the polls, a difficult task for a low-turnout city election. But O'Malley, a popular North Valley politico, will make Romero's task of consolidating the progressive vote difficult. Will one of them blink before the campaign begins in earnest? Stay tuned.

MORE NEW MAYOR STUFF
Chavez
Meantime, beleaguered R's, hammered at the polls in November, have few players to turn to for the mayoral battle. City Councilor Brand Winter carried their banner four years ago, but was trounced. Does he have the heart for another battle? Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White, beaten handily by Dem Martin Heinrich for the ABQ congressional seat, is saying he is a no-go for the mayoral derby.

I ran into Mayor Chavez at my local Starbucks Monday afternoon. He was meeting with one of his consultants and indicated all systems are go for his effort to secure another four years. He chuckled over reports circulating that he could be the next Commerce Secretary to replace Big Bill. He was not an original Obama backer.

Chavez and the rest of the mayoral field will rely on the new public financing system. A new city law basically makes it impossible to not to go that route. It says a candidate for city office can take no contributions from anyone who does business with the city. Candidates who qualify will each receive about $325,000.

If liberals can't settle on one standard bearer and no major GOP contender emerges in the next month or so, Mayor Chavez could find the path to a fourth four year term may be strewn with pebbles, but no boulders.

BILL'S DAY

Supporters of Big Bill were relieved not to see him in a subdued and affable mood at his first news conference since announcing Sunday he is withdrawing his nomination to become Obama's Commerce Secretary. (Raw video here.)He read a statement essentially repeating the written statement he sent out Sunday that emphasized his belief that there was no wrongdoing in the awarding of a state contract that is the subject of a federal grand jury. That investigation prompted Bill to get out--some say he was pushed--and return to his Governor duties. He told reporters he "was hurting" over the weekend. He adopted a more conciliatory tone than the one he had at a mid-December news conference where reporters shouted out questions at him about the FBI investigation.

Meantime, the AP confirmed our December 17 blog report about Bill hiring high-powered ABQ defense attorney Peter Schoenburg to represent him in the case. Richardson is not known to be a target of the grand jury.

The Washington Post takes us behind the scenes to the dueling staff messages on whether Richardson was forthcoming enough about the grand jury probe while being vetted. This kind of infighting is going to do nothing to get the Guv back on the national stage.

And Bill is absolutely manhandled in the liberal Huffington Post--another downside of national politics--they kick when you are down.

Here's a five minute interview we did with KRQE-TV and anchor Kim Vallez on the latest with Big Bill.

The Guv now awaits what we all await--the report of the grand jury and any indictments. Until then, the Big Guy appears more vulnerable and weaker than usual. Putting on a smile amid that new atmosphere was not a bad idea.

THE "TRANSITION"

Lt. Governor Denish plans to keep her transition advisory teams intact until they give reports later this month. Those involved are citizen volunteers, but there are two highly paid transition staffers. Both of them have solid reputations, but several e-mailers point out that Denish only recently questioned the fat salaries of the hundreds of "exempt" employees on the state payroll. What happens to Chris Cervini, her communications transition director and Kathy Keith, her transition chief of staff? Both are drawing salaries of over $90,000. Cervini gave up his job at Lovelace Health to join Denish for what he thought would be a full time gig. Will Cervini and Keith join the ranks of state exempt employees, even though they were hired for a transition that no longer exists? We'll watch for an answer.

YES TO YATES

Oilman Harvey Yates has secured the support of former US Senator Pete Domenici, former US Reps Steve Pearce, Heather Wilson and Manuel Lujan and will likely secure enough votes at Saturday's ABQ meeting of the NM GOP Central Committee to win a two year term as the party's new chairman. That's from party insiders who admit that putting an oilman at the top of the party hierarchy may prove controversial, but it could also put the down and out minority party on steady financial footing. Getting Pearce and Wilson to agree on something might also be a good omen. Farmington's Allen McCulloch has also been campaigning for the post and making a positive impression by floating some new approaches for the party. But it may be Yates' promise to bring in the cash that will make the difference in this one.

The Yates family has major oil interests in SE NM and has been a target of enviros for its plans to drill on Otero Mesa in the south. Harvey Yates has a home in and lives in ABQ. He took part in the '08 election by financially backing a group of GOP legislative candidates, but had little success. Like the current chairman, Allen Weh, he is not experienced in politics. Party analysts suggest he will look to hire a strong executive director to manage the nitty gritty details while he concentrates on raising cash and recruiting candidates.

The GOP in '08 suffered one of its worst defeats in state history. Its losses in 2006 were nearly as devastating. (Sorry, Chairman Weh, but this is a no-spin zone.) Reformers are calling for new faces, but they are apparently in short supply. Yates, who is so low-key there are no photos of him posted anywhere on the Web, is already taking heat for hiring Roswell GOP State Senator "Lightning" Rod Adair as a consultant for the legislative candidates he backed. The reformers worry that Yates will continue to rely on Adair and others who have steered the party organization the past four years. They say if he does, the GOP will wander in the wilderness even longer than it is now destined to.

If Yates is to be successful as chairman he will have to reach out and find candidates that not only that agree with his conservative views, but match the moderate and varied make-up of the New Mexico electorate. Unlike Weh, Yates' supporters say he is not in denial about the disaster that has befallen the party locally and nationally. The promise of his leadership is that he will surround himself with fresh faces and welcome new ideas. Whether that promise is fulfilled is the question that hangs in the air.

ON THE HILL

You don't think of new ABQ Dem Congressman Martin Heinrich as the military type but he says he has been named to the House Armed Services Committee. At first glance, it may seem out of character, but this is a good appointment for the metro economy:

“I know that Kirtland Air Force Base and Sandia Laboratories are of the utmost importance to our District, and this was key in my mind when seeking my committee assignments. I am proud to serve on the Armed Services Committee and I look forward to the work ahead."

Serving on armed services could boost Heinrich's standing with more conservative voters who have yet to warm to the new Dem lawmaker.

Rep. Harry Teague has been named to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, a panel that is set to see a lot of action under Obama's stimulus plan. Rep. Ben Ray Lujan was named to the Homeland Security Committee.

The new Congress is sworn in today, including our three new congressmen--Martin, Harry Teague and Ben Ray Lujan. Tom Udall takes the oath as our new US Senator. We wish them all well and hope they have a healthy competition to outdo each other in protecting New Mexico's interests.

THE BOTTOM LINE

From a reader: "Bill Richardson, the hostage negotiator, now has himself for a client."

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

A placid New Mexico Sunday morning was both electrified and shaken as the state's dominant political figure delivered the most stunning news of his lengthy and eventful political career: Governor Bill Richardson was withdrawing his nomination to be President-elect Obama's Secretary of Commerce. As dusk fell the shaking had finally stopped and everyone settled in for the aftershocks. Some of them may be as powerful as the initial bombshell Bill set off and that sent political shrapnel flying far and wide. We got a bad vibe when Richardson refused to answer questions about a federal grand jury "pay to play" probe at a mid-December news conference following the release of this Bloomberg news story. We wondered whether it was the beginning of a media feeding frenzy that would take Richardson out. Frenzy or not, he is indeed out. New Mexico will not be represented in the cabinet of President Obama. That hurts because a cabinet seat could have made up for some of the influence we are losing in Washington with the departure of four incumbent lawmakers. Your blog goes long and deep on the big story, and it all starts now.

WHAT CHANGED?

When Obama nominated Bill in early December, the president-elect knew there was a federal grand jury probe involving the Richardson administration. What happened since to make that investigation turn politically deadly? Top political and legal sources suggest that someone may have "rolled" before the grand jury; that they admitted there was a pay to play scheme and that they were involved. If so, federal indictments in the case are much more probable. The new president doesn't need any of those floating around. Also, the recent notorious pay to play deal involving the Illinois Governor made the NM situation that much hotter. But maybe nothing changed. Just the level of scrutiny as the nomination hearings approached. That was Richardson's take and why he said he withdrew.

CNN says Obama's aides engineered Richardson's withdrawal, fearful of an ethics blowup. They say Richardson was "stunned." ABC News reported that Obama's aides claim Richardson was not "forthcoming" about the investigation. NBC's Andrea Mitchell, who broke the story, reports there was "heavy pressure" placed on Richardson by the Obama team to abandon his nomination.

ASSOCIATED PRESS: WASHINGTON (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has withdrawn his nomination to be President-elect Barack Obama's commerce secretary amid a grand jury investigation. Obama's transition office said Sunday that Obama has accepted Richardson's withdrawal.

Complete Obama and Richardson statements here.

ABC News says Obama transition team faults Richardson for not being forthcoming about investigation

Lt. Governor Diane Denish released this statement:

"Governor Richardson postponed taking a position in the administration to ensure that President Obama and the American people face no delays in getting to work to fix our ailing economy, and the President-elect said he looks forward to Governor Richardson joining his administration in the days ahead. In the meantime, Governor Richardson and I will work together, as we have over the last six years, to tackle challenges at home, to craft a workable budget with the legislature and to strengthen our economy to make sure that every New Mexico family has the opportunity to succeed."

Here is the stunning news, coming from NBC at 11 a.m. Sunday: