The fiction adhered to by die-hard Dem deniers--that the conservative coalition comprised of Republicans and Governor Martinez Democrats is not firmly in charge of the state Senate--has once again given way to cold, harsh reality.

A handful of Martinez Democrats publicly broke with their Senate Majority leader Michael Sanchez Thursday and joined with Republicans to vote down Sanchez's amendment that called for a minor increase in the amount that the state contributes to PERA--the state employee retirement fund.

And the fact that the state's largest government employee union--AFSCME--would not go to bat for Sanchez and supported the coalition was another sign of just how disunited, disorganized, rudderless and lacking in leadership the New Mexican Democratic Party has become.

We have received loads of pushback from  Dems since we reported to the New Mexican public--exclusively--on the opening day of this session that the Legislature was going to be controlled by the conservative Senate coalition of Susana Democrats. They have argued with us--sometimes bitterly--but our senior analysts called it for what it was: Once the mainline Dems lost the Senate President Pro Tem battle on the session's first day, the die was cast for the entire session. They were more than right.

To see the Senate Majority Leader Thursday nearly humiliated by upstart freshman Dem Senator Clemente Sanchez was almost too much. It was "cringe-inducing" said one of the Dem Alligators. Clemente told Leader Sanchez he was sorry about not being able to support "his majority leader" but he could not.

Of course he could not and would not because Sanchez and the Democratic caucus won't smack him on his behind and tell him to get in line.

And why didn't the majority leader hand off the amendment to another Senator if he knew he didn't have the votes and spare himself the belittlement?

(The amendment failed 18-24 with Democrats Clemente Sanchez, Phil Griego, Cisco McSorley, Mary Kay Papen, John Arthur Smith and Munoz joining Republicans in the vote. McSorley is the outlier--not a Martinez/coalition Dem as are the others. The overall pension reform bill--minus Michael Sanchez's amendment--passed. Details here.)

With impunity, Martinez Democratic Senators John Arthur Smith and George Munoz joined Clemente in arguing that the leader's amendment, which would cost a couple of a million a year, could not be afforded--even as Senator Keller pointed out that state is running a nearly $600 million surplus and Senator Padilla--a businessman who has employed thousands--noted that state employees have not had a pay raise since 2008. And this way anything but a pay raise.

It was so little money, it was merely symbolic, but in many ways the Democratic Party has become symbolic in the Senate. It raises the flag, has party caucuses and sings an occasional fight song. But it is pretend politics. John Arthur Smith, the Governor's handmaiden, and his band of anti-Robin Hoods rule the roost. And that's a fact, Jack.

ELECTION '13

It appears to be a steep climb for the Dems in their quest to take back the ABQ Mayor's office from Republican RJ Berry, but their chances of reestablishing their majority on the ABQ city council seems less so. The experts say Dem chances hinge on Council District 7 in the ABQ NE Heights.

The seat is held by Republican Mike Cook who may not run again and if he does he is seen as vulnerable. Dem Diane Gibson announced her candidacy this week for the October election. She says she has worked as a Sandia National Laboratories prototype machinist, an environmental safety coordinator and tax professional.

Republican Louis Schiffman tells us he too will run for Dist. 7. ballot for City Council District 7. He says he has two paralegal degrees, an MA in special ed and worked as a research and trial paralegal.

Look for the battle in this district to get the most attention of the council races. The nine member panel currently has a 6-3 GOP majority..

BELOW THE RADAR

There are a number of other quite complicated matters before lawmakers in the crush of the final days of the session. Alternative media is following a number of them:

...Two important bills that generated intense controversy were heard in committee: Senate Bill 547, the ban on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, went “down in flames” in the Conservation Committee, while Senate Bill 440, the Lower Rio Grande water bill, glided through Judiciary, on to the Finance Committee...

COURTSIDE

It seems the annual basketball game between the House and Senate generates as much intensity as the argument over repealing driver's licenses for the undocumented. We get a completely biased report from courtside:

The House Aggies defeated the Senate Lobos 40-33 last Friday night in a charity basketball game that raised over $20,000 for the UNM Cancer Center.  Reps. Bill McCamley & Zach Cook lead a balanced attack with 8 points each. (Video here
 
The Senate was a heavy favorite  as it acquired the House’s best player in newly elected Sen. Bill O’Neill.  The election additions of Sens. Mark Moores (6’5”) & 27-year Cliff Pirtle (6’1”) added to the trio of 30-somethings Sens. Howie Morales, Tim Keller & Sapien.  

 The Senate jumped out to early leads. That’s when Rep. McCamley came alive with a deep three to awaken the House which closed the gap to 23-20 at halftime....The wheels fell off the Senate squad as the House reeled off 14 straight points. Rep. Antonio “Moe” Maestas contributed by controlling the tempo in the fourth quarter and had ice in his veins at the line.  

Rep. Carl Trujillo (who took Sen. Sapien up on his bet for the loser to wash the winner’s car on the steps of the Roundhouse) was not to be denied as he epitomized the House’s “refuse to lose” attitude....

The House has won 13 of the last 14 games.

Maestas had "ice in his veins?" You don't suppose he was the author of this dispatch, do you?

5th & 4th Floors Meet 1st Floor

McCleskey, Martinez & Alford (Facebook)

More basketball news for you as we catch this pic of the ""Fifth Floor" and "Fourth Floor" smiling it up with the "First Floor" of state basketball. If you're new to the game, let us explain....

Guv political adviser Jay McCleskey has earned the moniker "The Fifth Floor" because of the extraordinary influence he has on the "Fourth Floor" of the Roundhouse where Governor Martinez has her offices.

And the "First Floor"  is, of course, the UNM Lobos who have been on a tear this year under the tutelage of Coach Steve Alford.

Alford and Susana have both have had winning seasons of late. But what of the future? Well, that's what makes the game so much fun to watch. 

Thanks for stopping by this week. This is the home of New Mexico politics.

Reporting to you from Albuquerque, I'm Joe Monahan

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The great disconnect of New Mexico from mainstream USA continues unchecked and will be the defining story of the first part of this century, long after this legislative session is over and forgotten.

Even as the U.S. stock market made record highs this week and neighboring states continued to report economic recovery, New Mexico was not invited to the party. The new economic reality of the Land of Enchantment for the foreseeable future is what you see is what you get.

There will be more pain--not a rebound--as the drip, drip, drip of federal spending cutbacks take hold without a sizable private sector economy to absorb the ongoing shock.

The state did not plan for this and we are paying the price.

In going over the numbers in news accounts, we've calculated that Los Alamos National Labs now has a permanent staff of just over 7,100, down from 7,600 a year ago. There are about 2,430 contract employees after a loss of 800 in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. And they are losing more as we write. That's about 9,500 jobs at Los Alamos. That number was 12,000 as recently as 2007. And the shrinkage is set to continue.

In ABQ, Sandia National Labs struggles to put its best spin on things, but that nuclear facility reports flat employment at best and says it spent $400 million on goods and services from local firms in FY 2012. That is barely up from up from about $387 million in FY 2011.

Then you have the population stagnation here as people move out of the state and a shrinking workforce that makes the unemployment numbers not look so bad. And for how long? Economists say we are still in recession here.

We know we're supposed to be talking about driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants, but we thought you should know.

FEAR AND LOATHING

Then there is that multi-year fear and loathing over the repeal of the aforementioned driver's licenses. What is left to say that hasn't already been said with millions of campaign dollars and reams of newspaper copy? As the kid said of the ghosts in Poltergeist "Make them go away, mommy!" But it won't. 

The faux drama continued Wednesday with no resolution and none in sight. The very limited compromise backed by the Guv remains stuck in the House. The Senate is not moving on anything either. The blow-by-blow on the bizarre House events are here.

Winners and losers in this? Oh well, we suppose any day that is not spent talking about the crumbling economy is not an exceptionally bad day for the Guv--even if she is seemingly unable to go along with a compromise that would make her look good on the national stage that she craves. Maybe her hardcore supporters got to her and told her to hang tough.

Loser? Well, new Dem Los Alamos Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard was singled out for punishment on the Twitter feed of Guv operative Adam Feldman. She flip-flopped during the course of the debate. Stephanie, get ready for another visit from Jay and the boys in 2014. 

THE PARLOR GAME 

With no transformative economic plans making the rounds in Santa Fe, the session has become a parlor game of who is up and who is down. It's one we engage in with regularity, albeit without much guilt. Wednesday the pundits put Susana on the high horse. We said their slogan for the session could be "It's good to be Guv." Today another pundit/Alligator tries to take the saddle from under her:

"Good to be Gov?" Why? Because the front page of Wednesday's newspaper reads “License bill tabled by committee, Martinez dealt a major blow?” Because her 3rd grade retention bill has crashed and burned? Her tax incentive based “jobs plan” is going nowhere? Her lighting rod of a nomination for Sec. of the PED,  was just dragged though a bruising confirmation hearing, only to be  left out to dry afterwards? Good to be Gov because her own party’s only recourse to attempt to pass anything of her very shallow agenda is hijacking bills and subbing in the bills she wants, that had no chance in committee? And even then, they go nowhere?

It is amusing that the word out of Albuquerque is it’s good to be Governor. The rumor in the Roundhouse is the Governor has been yelling at the member of her party for their failure to get anything from her agenda done. The Governor is the Executive of the state, her record is much more relevant in 2014 than the collective action of the legislature. If having nothing to show for your years in office is good for re-election, than it might be good to be gov.

The debate seems to come down to this: If you think the Dems squashing the Guv's agenda makes them the winner, then the session is not going too badly. If you think the Dems have to do more to pull down the Guv's over 65% approval rating, then they are losing because they are not able to pass anything to her desk and force her to make controversial choices.

Here's how Susana is playing it as she sets up the '14 election: "They don't want change," said Martinez. "They just talk that they want compromise. When we give it to them they change and move the target again." 

Sounds like someone has a focus group working for them. 

After watching two Governors in a row get re-elected, we think it takes a full-court press on a chief executive to shake their standing.  

COUNTING THE VOTES

Most of us are waiting to see if there will be a legal challenge to the city's decision not to count thousands of mail-in votes in the March 11 special election--some 4,500 so far--that the ABQ city clerk says can't be counted because the voters failed to sign the oath on the outer envelope. We hear there will be a legal challenge. Meanwhile, the prospect of thousands of voters not having their voices heard has given critics of the decision a reason to rally, and they will:

Mayor Berry and his Republican allies have been doing everything they can to stop city voters from holding this election. That’s because it changes the city’s charter to require the Mayor to get 50% of the votes to win an election.  He only received 43% last time so he’s thinking about his next campaign, not fair city elections. Voters have been confused by the unorthodox mail-in ballots and forgot to sign their ballots. For weeks they have been able to come downtown and fix it.  But  they suddenly changed the election rules and now say they won’t count any of those votes – even for those voters who already fixed their ballots. This is election rigging 101 and we won’t stand for it in our city.

A rally sponsored by the progressive group Progressnow New Mexico will be held at 10 this morning at Civic Plaza to protest the decision not to count the ballots.

STREAK ENDS

Mayor Berry told TV news recently how pleased he was that the city had gone six months without a fatal police shooting. But the streak ended when city police shot and killed a suspect this week. Chief Ray Schultz says this was another bad buy with a long criminal record who was killed and his officers acted as they should have. The federal Department of Justice is investigating APD for civil rights violations because of the numerous police shootings here in recent years. The incidents are part of the backdrop of the '13 mayoral election. A TV news producer recently opined that Mayor Berry's popularity has not been impacted so far by the shootings because the public perceives them as "good kills" in which bad guys got what they had coming.

And we welcome the national media into town and to this story. The CBS Evening News came with this piece Wednesday on the shooting of mentally ill suspects by ABQ police. It's fair and insightful. The more sunshine on APD, the better.

THE BOTTOM LINES

Thanks to our readers and to the Washington Post for naming us the best political blog in New Mexico in their annual ratings. We appreciate it. We think it may be due to fewer typos...

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Governor Martinez and the conservative coalition that rules the state Senate is running out the clock on Legislative Session '13 and they're doing a pretty good job of it. Nothing about the session has yet captured the public imagination or generated widespread interest. And that's good for the Guv who sports high approval ratings and low public expectations.

Some insiders think the Dems will come alive in the final hours of the session, throwing all kinds of curve balls at Susana, but...

The Dems had a shot if they had come with a clean bill on a minimum wage hike of a buck an hour. Instead, they came with a very watered down version that will probably float up to the Fourth Floor where it will be easily vetoed.

The measure exempts all employers who have fewer than 11 workers. It would apply to places like Wal-Mart and McDonald's--but most of them already pay the proposed $8.50 minimum or more. And then there is the proviso that employers would not have to pay new workers the new minimum for their first year on the job. What a mess for the Dem base...

The coalition will not allow the Dems to lay down a marker on the minimum that would put Susana on the spot and send a message to the rank and file Dem voters that it might be in their interest to pay attention to Santa Fe and, yes, even get excited about voting.

We're now starting to wonder if a compromise on driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants will see the light of day. The way things are going it doesn't seem as essential for her local political career as it did at the start of the session. She will have a number of small potatoes issues to trumpet at the end and if the license matter disappears into the ether, so be it. To advance on the national scene she could soften her immigration rhetoric and let the driver's license issue be put on the backburner.

As it is, the Dems continue to fight their battle mainly on Susana's turf. The slogan of this session thus far is: "It's Good To Be The Guv." Dems have limited time on the clock to do a rewrite.

POUNDING CONTINUES

Sen. Smith

Aggressive political analysts and Alligators of the Dem variety reporting in here continue to pound away at the Dems for what is coming out of Santa Fe--or isn't coming out: 

The people of New Mexico ask, "What was the point of the session?" but Democrats in particular should ask themselves, "What was the point of the 2012 elections?"

Last November, Democrats were targeted and smeared by the Governor and her adviser Jay McCleskey--and the Democrats won. There were hopes legislative Democrats would call for  McCleskey's ouster; that hearings would be held on the charges of bid-rigging and influence peddling at The Downs at ABQ; that the political positions created for spouses and friends of the Governor's inner circle would be de-funded.
 
When Democrats do show some backbone, they draw the ire of fellow Democrats. Already there are threats the 16 House Democrats who voted "no" on the state budget will be punished for refusing to go along. Where will the retribution take place? In the State Senate by fellow Democrats where, the spin is spun again and again that Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez is firmly in charge?

Republicans may be in the minority but are serious about getting what they want and don't care how they do it. Democrats, who have majorities in both chambers of the Legislature, don't appear equipped to counter them. Which brings to mind Will Rogers: "I'm not a member of any organized political party. I'm a Democrat."

A prime piece of legislation for Senate Majority Leader Sanchez is a constitutional amendment that would allow voters in 2014 to decide if they want to tap into the state's huge permanent fund to finance very early childhood programs in an effort to stop the state's social and economic slide. The legislation was approved by the House Appropriations Committee Tuesday. Senate Finance Committee Chairman John Arthur Smith will not let the Sanchez bill out of his committee. The coalition rules.

GETTING UNDERWAY

Gayla Brumfield

Following the legislative session potential '14 candidates will start the ball rolling--especially if you are running for Governor. The essential fund-raising forces an early start. The sole Dem in the race now is Attorney General Gary King. Will any other Dems get serious about joining the fray? Here's some news from a reader on the east side:

Joe, It appears former Clovis Mayor Gayla Brumfield is planning a run.  You might remember Brumfield was handed a rousing re-election defeat by David Lansford despite his belief in some very extreme things about President Obama. 

Brumfield blames her landslide loss on loyal Democrats not taking the Lansford threat seriously and failing to vote. She has been on the warpath since, and has told intimates that she plans a run for the Democratic governor nomination. A small-time mayor from the east side taking on Martinez? Not so improbable--our District Attorney Matt Chandler came out of nowhere a few years ago and nearly handed Attorney General King a loss and is right now prepping for another run for AG. Brumfield is owner/operator of Colonial Real Estate in Clovis...

Brumfield has been on the blog over the years, discussing economic development, among other things.

As for Chandler nearly handing King a loss in the 2010 attorney general race, not quite. King finished with about 54% of the vote to Chandler's 46%. But it was a decent run by Matt, even if '10 was a big wave year for the GOP.

And then we get this in on Brumfield that will slow her down if she does have any Guv plans:

Its not only the GOP who can be out of touch on elections. Brumfield was defeated yesterday in her run for re-election to the Clovis Community College Board by a virtual unknown,  Don Sharer,  (brother of Bill Sharer from Farmington).  Gayla has 100% name recognition, and ran a full blown campaign with signs, print and radio ads,  great newspaper coverage, robo calls, appearances at local restaurants and still lost to an unknown who only posted signs, knocked doors, and had a friend run radio ads on the last day.  This small election was a big upset for her.  Gayla will not be winning any elections on the eastern side of the state. It's not likely she can make a serious run for governor.  The link posted about Mr. Lansford's "extreme views" only shows how out of touch the Brumfield camp is to why she was defeated in the first place. 

LET THEM VOTE

Shouldn't the ABQ City Clerk be preparing to go to court to protect the rights of thousands of voters whose votes are not going to be counted because of a technicality? Instead, she is throwing her hands up in the air over the March 11 special election being conducted by mail. Things just got worse:

City Clerk Amy Bailey says she won’t be able to count municipal ballots signed after the fact.
About 4,300 people have returned ballots to the clerk’s office without signing the oath on the envelope. Initially, Bailey encouraged people to come in and sign the ballots if they forgot or refused to do so before mailing them. But a review of city ordinances shows that won’t be possible, she said. Voters must have signed the ballot envelope before returning or mailing it to the clerk.

Shouldn't those city ordinances that are preventing thousands of us from voting be challenged in court? Of course. We're waiting.

And why is every story coming out about this election centered on what a pain in the ass it is for the city to get the election done?

By the way, the issue at hand calls for having a run-off election if no mayoral candidate secures 50% of the vote on the first round. Political analysts say that would be a handicap for incumbent GOP Mayor Richard Berry. They also say that the lower the voter turnout the better the chances of the city charter amendment being defeated.

SURPRISED?

We're you kind of surprised by this? We were:

A poll released by the Drug Policy Alliance, which supports these initiatives, said that 52 percent of the 500 it polled support legalizing marijuana for adults, and 57 percent support reducing penalties for people caught with small amounts of the drug.

New Mexico has a lousy track record when it comes to mind-altering substances--rampant drug addiction and alcoholism and the associated costs. Not that legalizing marijuana would necessarily replicate that, but it will weigh on the public as this debate escalates in the years ahead.

A BUSH IS BACK

Interest may be growing in this year's NM GOP Lincoln Day Dinner. The guest speaker will be Geore P. Bush, son of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. Recently, Jeb has signaled that he may make a run for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. Politicos will be watching for more clues when George P gives his March 23 speech here. Dinner info is here.

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Manny Aragon

Pete Domenici

Okay, we have a solution for all the critics of former Senator Pete Domenici who want his name removed from the ABQ federal courthouse.

They say so because during his first term in the Senate he fathered an illegitimate son with the daughter of a fellow Senator (It was a a secret he kept from the public for nearly 35 years).

Remember when former Dem State Senator Manny Aragon was indicted and convicted on corruption charges? They removed his name from the torreón at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, satisfying a public outraged at his misdeeds.

 Now, fathering an illegitimate child and covering it up are not infractions that rise to the level of the serious allegations against Manny, but the critics insist they should not be over looked.

In the interest of brokering a compromise between Dems and R's we hereby propose to the presiding federal judge in New Mexico that the ABQ courthouse henceforth be known as:

"The Manny Domenici United States Courthouse."

Now everyone is happy, right? (We are kidding, aren't we?)

GOVERNOR '14

The national pundits are taking their first glance at the 2014 NM Guv's race and while they see Republican Susana in a strong position, the race is not one you shut the door on. University of Virgina forecaster Larry Sabato explains:

Gov. Martinez is a Hispanic Republican governor in a state that Obama won in both 2008 and 2012. But over the last few years, the Land of Enchantment has moved more sharply in a Democratic direction (though it did elect Martinez in the 2010 national Republican wave), making it less safe for a Republican incumbent at the statewide level...

Perhaps in recognition of this fact, Martinez recently came out in favor of a Democrat-sponsored bill that requires background checks at gun shows in New Mexico, winning plaudits from progressives. It appears that Attorney General Gary King (D), the son of former New Mexico Gov. Bruce King (D), will probably challenge Martinez. He may or may not get a clear shot at the Democratic nomination. While New Mexico has become bluer, Martinez is still a relatively popular incumbent, so this race is "likely Republican."

King has announced his candidacy, but no other big name Dems have shown interest yet in challenging Martinez. Her approval rating in a recent poll done in ABQ for former Lt. Governor Denish puts the Guv's approval rating in the city of ABQ at 66%. But that's before anyone has really made a run at her.

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?

Why is Santa Fe trying to fund 98% of the "unfunded liability" of the pension program for state workers known as PERA? Most professional bean counters say satisfying 80% of the future payments owed is satisfactory and sound financial policy. Maybe the numbers in the proposed reform legislation have changed since we last checked, but if they haven't we appear to be going too far.

Implementing changes that are meant to fund almost every cent that will be paid out to state employees decades down the road makes for higher costs for both today's employees and their employer--the taxpayers. Is it necessary for us today to worry about all the pennies in the state retirement checks of 2050? Will key lawmakers in this deal look at this? Can't future generations be expected to take care of 20% of the problem?

BEN RAY

From the Rothenberg Political Report in DC:

...Ben Ray Lujan represents the lowest percentage of Hispanics of any Latino Democrat in Congress.  His Santa Fe-based district in northern New Mexico has a Hispanic voting age population of 36 percent.

Lujan's district is also 20% Native American.

SCHULTZ OUT?

Is ABQ police chief Ray Schultz about to take a permanent break? Speculation runs rampant as GOP Mayor Berry begins his re-election campaign. ABQ GOP State Rep. Bill Rehm threw fuel on the fire when he made this statement on Schultz at a state House committee hearing:

I think the chief is on his way out.

Interesting statement from a Republican. Bill is retired from law enforcement so his statement was an eyebrow raiser.

DEBATING DINELLI

A reader chimed in here Monday that despite the high approval ratings of Republican ABQ Mayor RJ Berry, the '13 mayoral race could still be Dem Pete Dinelli's to lose. Pushback on that statement today--and from another Dem:

There is no magical "Dem money machine" to come to Dinelli's aid in a publicly-financed race. If there was, wouldn't they have organized behind a more viable candidate? There may be some 3rd party interest in growing Berry's negatives and making the race easier for Pete, but if Pete wants them to come into the race, he needs to show them something. Develop a real campaign team, get a message, spend your money wisely, get key leaders behind you and then you've got a campaign someone might take an interest in, but otherwise Pete is sitting watching the sand run out of the hourglass.

Dinelli will get $362,000 if he qualifies for public financing. Berry has decided to opt out of public financing. Educated guessers expect him to spend considerably more than that and also have third party financial support. 

VILLANUCCI REACT

Our report on the ouster of longtime KKOB-AM radio talk show host Jim Villanucci had readers reacting. Here's a sample:

When KKOB AM became "KGOP" with its divisive and right wing programming it alientated a large segment of the metro audience who used to tune in to the one time community station for pleasant, iconic personalities, music, news, weather, traffic and sports. Villanucci was an overrated, monotoned wanna be.  Radio as we knew it went in the crapper when Ronald Reagan deregulated it.  The nice, locally-owned radio stations were gobbled up by greedy conglomerates who could give a rat's rear about about the community--they were interested only in the bottom line. KKOB benefitted from hate talk, but I'm glad Villanucci is gone and that their ratings are dropping.

Another reader came with a different angle:

It came across that he was getting tired of the grind and format, but I still liked him and continued to listen. Villanucci did bring a forum for all to participate, left, right, center, and was good at keeping a balance. He did not come across as a wing nut of either stripe.  I wish him well and much success. 14 years is a long run in anything, and he was probably ready for a change. 

CARPOOLING

From Jay Leno:

Gas is so expensive, today I saw Bill O'Reilly and Bill Maher carpooling 

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Let's kick off this Monday by wishing good health to State Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez.

He was taken to the hospital from the Capitol Friday when he complained of dizziness. He was released after several hours of observation. It was the third health incident for the 62 year old in recent months. He had a heart procedure last July and on February 14 he was absent from the legislative session for several days as he underwent a heart angioplasty and stent operation.

It is nothing if not a pressure cooker in the final two weeks of the 60 day legislative session for lawmakers like Sanchez who are at the top of the food chain.

One of our wall-leaners told us:

"Michael is a devoted family man and routinely drives back and forth from Belen for the daily sessions. That's 90 minutes each way and I can't help but think that puts strain on him. He's not easy to approach on such matters so I am telling you.

Sanchez controls the flow of legislation in Senate and now is his busiest time. But it's also the time for him and his colleagues in the House and Senate to take some stress breaks as needed.

HANNA IN THE SENATE

Hanna Skandera

The most recent stress on Sanchez is the fight over the confirmation of Secretary of Education-designate Hanna Skandera.

After an emotional two day hearing before the Senate Rules Committee, educators across the state--a key constituency of the Democratic Party--are fired up and determined to see Skandera's nomination continue to hang in limbo or be voted down. (Video here and here). And according to our Senate insiders, they may get their wish.

Leader Sanchez notes that if the rules committee ties on whether to confirm Skandera there will be no vote by the full Senate. Does that mean there will indeed be a tie in committee? Our watchers say one committee Democrat appears supportive of Skandera. If that D joins with all the R's, the vote will tie and Skandera will remain in political limbo. The Senate has kept Skandera and Governor Martinez hanging for two years.

If Sanchez were somehow to lose control of this, it could blow up and hand a major victory to Governor Martinez--maybe even a victory with national implications. She could argue that the Democratic Senate had ratified not only Skandera but her controversial educational platform that draws so much ire from teachers.

We point this out because of the coalition that runs the Senate. If four conservative coalition Dems joined with the 17 R's, Skandera would be confirmed. It would mean a 21 to 21 tie in the 42 member body which would be broken in favor of Skandera by GOP Lt. Governor John Sanchez.

You can see why it is significant that leader Sanchez is pointing out there will be no Skandera vote in the full Senate if the rules committee ties. That certainly seems to be the best outcome for him and the Dems because when the pressure is on for the party to stick together not all Senate Dems can be counted on.

Thousands of emails from education interests have bombarded state senators urging a rejection of Skandera. Sanchez will be in need of a stress break when the Skandera situation is finally situated.

VILLANUCCI: THE BACKSTORY

Jim Villanucci

The owners of KKOB-AM radio say Jim Villanucci, their star talk show personality, wasn't fired, but he might as well have been. Radio insiders say Cumulus Media has made it a habit of offering well-paid talent take-it-or-leave-it offers to trim their payrolls and bolster their profits.

Villanucci told me he had already suffered a big pay cut from the previous station owner and it appeared another was in store as Cumulus continues the cost cutting. But it never got that far.

Villanucci, 50, had been at the station since 1999. His contract expired last week and his final show was Thursday. He said he was not offered a renewal. On Friday when the show came on at its usual time of 3 p.m. it was hosted by a substitute who never even mentioned that Villanucci was gone for good.

Villanucci told me over the course of several conversations before he was let go that he had grown tired of the conservative talk station. It is the home to national talkers Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity and still the #1 station in the ABQ market but far from wielding the dominance it once did.

He said the format had become too right wing for his tastes and that the callers and their viewpoints also had made him weary.

Critics of Villanucci said his show had lost its edge and that he was on "automatic pilot."

He called us Friday from Las Vegas, NV where he worked in radio before coming to ABQ. He said he would be spending the next several months there. In an earlier conversation he said he doesn't have any firm plans, but is eyeing a possible sports-talk show opportunity in ABQ.

The departure of Villanucci comes on the heels of the ouster of longtime KKOB general manager Milt McConnell. Of course, management does not refer to these departures as firings. but that's indeed what they amount to.

In recent years the station has also downsized its news department which continues to put out a good product, despite fewer resources.

Rush Limbaugh is central to the KKOB-AM format, but Villanucci told me he expects Limbaugh to also end his long run on the station. Limbaugh is syndicated through a rival radio group and Cumulus can save money by filling the 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. slot with one of their own syndicated hosts.

Billings for the Villanucci show were good, but not what they used to be--not by a long shot. He said the economic downturn caused revenues to plunge and then stabilize at a much lower level. But it was still a highly-rated program when Villanucci exited.

The station says program director Pat Frisch will take over the Villanucci show for the time being and keep flowing the conservative juices that fuel the station.

But Frisch and KKOB morning host Bob Clark are playing to a smaller audience as some listeners move away from the Limbaugh formula. Villanucci was attempting to be more centrist following the November election results, but he did not get any kudos from station management for doing so. The station may be less in the mainstream today,  but its core audience is what it shops to advertisers--even if it's a shrinking one.

The new manager of KKOB-AM, a 50,000 watt radio mainstay here first established in the 1920's, referred to its "iconic" status as Villanucci departed. Well, it's an icon in the history books, but years of stripping away its innards has left the station a ghost of its former self and vulnerable to competitors on both the radio dial and Internet.

As we say on the radio: "Stay tuned."

CARRUTHERS IN PLAY?

Our Alligators report that the name of former GOP NM Governor Garrey Carruthers is floating around in Las Cruces as the possible next president of New Mexico State University. He is currently dean of the NMSU business school. Carruthers, 73, served as Governor from 1987 to 1991. The schools Board of Regents hire the president. They are appointed by the current Governor.

MORE INTERESTED?

If you find yourself getting a wee bit more interested in the  2013 legislative session as it enters its final stetch, you can track the action to come in the final two weeks via this web page.

MAYOR '13 

We blogged last week that insider polling showing ABQ Berry's approval rating at 71% obviously puts him in a strong position as he begins his re-election bid but not all Dems are pessimistic over their chances of taking the mayor's office back. A reader writes:

With Diane Denish and the other potential candidates out, I think this is Pete Dinelli's race to win or lose. If the Dem machine gets behind him with their money, the public will sure be reminded of all those things Berry would like them to forget. If the Dems walk away, which would make no sense, it would be a tough climb but not impossible. Who would have thought Berry would beat Marty Chavez in 2009. Like Berry today, Marty's polling numbers were also high. Some good media spots is all it takes.

Dinelli, a former public safety director for the city, announced his candidacy in January. Margaret Aragon de Chavez, another Dem and former wife of ABQ Mayor Chavez, has not made an official announcement, but is collecting petition signatures. Retired ABQ police department Seargent Paul Heh,a Republican, and Berry have both announced candidacies.

This is the home of New Mexico politics.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2013 
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