Foley, who served in the legislature for ten years, is now trying to turn the tables on the Roswell cops who in effect ended his political career when they arrested him for disorderly conduct, obstructing an officer and resisting arrest during a 2007 basketball game his son was playing in. Foley was also accused of spitting tobacco on a cop.

A special prosecutor decided that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute Foley and the misdemeanors were all dismissed.

Foley, who achieved the rank of House Minority Whip, is now suing the cops who made the arrest, charging in a Federal lawsuit that they violated his civil and constitutional rights.

On June 24 2007, Plaintiff, (Dan Foley) was watching his son play basketball at a public tournament in Roswell...During the course of the game, Plaintiff's son became involved in an altercation on the court. Plaintiff perceived that his son was in danger, and rushed onto the Court to protect him. Without cause, and without any provocation, Defendants physically assaulted the plaintiff. Plaintiff was wrongfully arrested...

Foley is asking for money for the "anguish" he suffered, but he doesn't say how much. The full suit is posted here.

The mug shot of Foley taken after his arrest (posted here today) was used in TV commercials and mail pieces in the '08 GOP primary that Foley lost to Dennis Kintigh.

The other news Foley has made since leaving the Roundhouse includes a run-in with the law for sporting an official state license plate on his private vehicle that should have been turned in when he left office. He also tried to file in January for a Rio Rancho city council seat but did not have proof that he was registered to vote in Rio Rancho. He was denied a ballot slot.

Now the rumor mill has Foley, an insurance agent, making a play for the position of executive director of the NM Oil and Gas Association. We can only imagine the blogging joy that would result if he were to land in that slot.

PEARCE ON PRIVATIZATION

The congressional campaign of Steve Pearce says "it is factually untrue" to state that Steve Pearce supports privatizing Social Security. We blogged Monday that Dems are starting to unload on Pearce for supporting privatization as they did when he was the 2008 US Senate nominee. They think that's powerful ammo for Dem US Rep. Harry Teague who is being challenged by Pearce. Pearce's camp says:

Pearce...strongly believes that we must fulfill our promises to our seniors and make it solvent for current and future generations. Fixes do not include privatization.

But when Pearce served in Congress, he supported President Bush's proposal to partially privatize Social Security. Dems cite a February 2005 ABQ Journal article to back their contention. The Pearce campaign did not comment on that.

My mind wandered to the Teague-Pearce race again late Monday night while perusing national news on Obama's healthcare win. Teague voted no, but he did it without any swagger that would alienate Democrats who support Obama. They will stick with him.

The bear market is alive and thriving in Rio Rancho. The City of Vision was elated when housing construction boomed in the bull market, but that's a distant memory. That dependency on construction means city tax collections are going to be less than projected spending for at least the next five years.

Newly re-elected Mayor Tom Swisstack keeps saying the turnaround is coming, but what probably needs to be turned around is the structure of the city government so it is leaner and meaner.

SALLY MAYER BACK

When she gave up her ABQ city council seat Republican Sally Mayer said she would be moving to Chicago to help baby-sit her daughter's children. Instead she will be doing some political baby-sitting for ABQ Mayor RJ Berry. City hall insiders say Mayer has been hired to help out with constituent services at a salary of about $45,000 a year.

Mayer, a onetime real estate agent, said she was having trouble finding a job here which she gave as one of the reasons for the planned Chicago move. But that was before ABQ elected a Republican mayor.

NOT SO SPECIAL

The Roswell Daily Record editorializes about the recent special session of the Legislature:

We should have said Monday that Allen Weh is the first GOP Guv candidate to air TV ads since the important pre-primary convention. Candidate Doug Turner ran ads late last year and was the first GOP candidate to be on the air. Weh is currently the only GOP Guv candidate on TV. Meanwhile, Weh has launched another radio ad.

REMEMBERING IDA JO

Reader Julia Dendinger writes:

Hello, Joe. All the remembering of former Governor "Lonesome Dave" Cargo and his wife Ida Jo made me remember something that ran in the Valencia County News-Bulletin. It is the story of Ida Jo's adventure on Belen's west mesa. Also mixed in is her contribution to Cargo's campaign for governor. Here's a link if your readers are interested. Love the blog - it's the first thing I read in the morning.