Our recent polls revealing that Republican Governor Martinez and GOP ABQ Mayor Richard Berry are scoring high favorable ratings in this Democratic dominated state has set off some grumbling among the Dems. David Montoya, former chairman of the Sandoval County Democratic Party, comes with this blast:

Seems to me that this poll of the Mayor showing his approval at 62% and the Governor's poll showing her with 59% approval, says more about the weakness of the Democratic Party leadership and less about the job performance of either. 

Until the Democratic party is able to tie joblessness to Susana and police brutality and the poor economy in Albuquerque to Mayor Berry, they'll continue to enjoy strong approval. The state party has all the ammunition they need but they keep shooting blanks. An infusion of political Viagra would be my prescription!

Montoya ran against current NM Dem Party Chairman Javier Gonzales, but his discontent is echoed in many Democratic corners. There's also plenty of complaints about the softball approach to the administration by the mainstream media but you've heard all about that....

THE AMMO

Some of the possible Dem ammunition Montoya mentions could be the dismal performance of the ABQ Convention Center and the ABQ Convention and Visitors Bureau (ACVB). It's facing a $700,000 deficit as lodger's tax revenue here falls off the cliff. That prompts this Alligator strike:

It's total farce. ACVB is always in the middle of regrouping, revamping, reinvigorating, reforming and/or repackaging their marketing effort. 15 years ago they were blaming the tribal casinos for the decline in Lodger's Tax revenues. 10 years ago it was 9-11.  Five years ago it was because the Convention Center is outdated/hasn't had enough money spent on it...Until ACVB is put out for competitive bid--and an open and honest competition--nothing will change. The only thing we can count on from them are mediocre efforts, anemic results, squandered millions, a bottomless sense of entitlement--and the same dog-eared excuses we've been hearing for almost two decades.  

That sure sounds like a potential political issue for the Dems, but their members on the city council have been as quiet as a Republican drinking beer at a Rio Arriba County bar.

We'd call Susana and RJ "The Teflon Twins," but that would mean someone is throwing stuff at them that might stick, but no one's tossing much of anything in this somnolent summer of 2012.

NO MEDICAID EXPANSION

Not too many have spoken out but there are some who say New Mexico's Governor should not agree to the expansion of the federal Medicaid program for the poor, even though most of the expansion under Obamacare would be paid for by the Feds and this state is one of the worst when it comes to citizens having health insurance. Here's a controversial take from one of of our Senior Alligators:

Accepting the Federal Government's promises to fund an expansion of Medicare is a no-brainer only to left wing ideologues. Past history and the huge financial problems at the Federal level make rational people pause before getting into bed for any reason. Bait and switch is the Federal Modus Operandi. In this case the Obamacare offers to pay for 100% of Medicaid expansion for the first three years by borrowing yet more billions from the Chinese. Borrowing more from the Chinese is not a good thing to do given the trillion or so we already owe them. New Mexico has an alternative to pay for healthcare for the poor and disabled. Growing it rationally is a better alternative to Obamacare.

Growing it "rationally" sounds like limiting it, and we will be hearing much more about that in the months ahead. The state has a population of a little over 2 million and over 600,000 of us are covered by Medicaid.

CARRARO'S CHUMS

Okay, the Joe Carraro fan club seems to be in full swing.  Ever since we put up a blog about how Carraro, a former state Senator, is trying to get back to the Senate by running as an independent, we've been getting stuff like this:

 ...It really would be great if Carraro got back in the mix. The guy knows finance. He was chairman of the Legislative Investment Oversight Committee before he was thrown off for asking too many questions. Didn't seem to have too many enemies on either side except for leadership. The staff really likes him because he entertains as he debates. Ask anybody that works for the Legislature. We're adrift in attitudes. We need somebody to bring the love back. 

That's a lot love for joltin' Joe who faces Republican Senator John Ryan for the ABQ westside and Rio Rancho area district. No Dem is running But will the love translate into campaign money? This one will be a fun one to watch..

Okay, one more just because it's summer. From a Senior Alligator:

You'll recall, Joe, that Joe Carraro was a GOP Senator when the conservative coalition--the GOP and conservative Dems--first rose to power in Santa Fe. Under coalition rule, the Senate became a brutally enforced no-go zone for compromise. Joe broke ranks and announced he'd formed "a coalition of one," and his swing vote shifted by issue. Carraro has always had a sense of political theater, but in an era when ideology crushes all hope of getting anything accomplished, voters will likely see him as a breath of fresh air.

THE GUV RUN

Balderas

2014 is a long way off and as we mentioned at the top of the blog today, Governor Susana's popularity is quite high. Still, that isn't stopping some interested parties from seeking a challenger for the GOP Guv. A website called "Teachers For Balderas" has popped up, urging Dems to tap Dem state Auditor Hector Balderas as their 2014 gubernatorial standardbearer.. Take a look:

Hector Balderas is the only person that can take on Susana Martinez for Governor in 2014. He has the intelligence and integrity needed  to do a great job as Governor. Best of all, he would have the backing of all Progressives in New Mexico. As a Progressive, and a teacher, I  appreciate his stance on education, among all the other issues he embraces, such as corporate accountability, fiscal responsibility, and strengthening our social safety net.

Dem Attorney General Gary King has already announce his Guv candidacy, but Hector is holding his fire, as seen in this statement his office issued to us in reaction to those who would like to seem him join Gary:

Hector's flattered, but right now his primary focus is on his job as Auditor and cracking down on the most recent examples of fraud and abuse that have rocked our state. Beyond that, his only political focus is on helping Barack Obama, Martin Heinrich, and the rest of our ticket win in 2012.

Well, Hector shouldn't let it go to his head. While he enjoys the speculation about a Guv run, his ears are probably burning from criticism heard around the state that he should have been more out in front of the scandal at the New Mexico Finance Authority.....

THE BOTTOM LINES

Just about every pundit and political publications we've seen (The Hill, Larry Sabato etc.) rate the race for the open new Mexico US Senate seat as "lean Democratic," but Roll Call in DC is not among them. They rate the race a "toss-up." On Monday we blogged otherwise.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2012
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