Friday, October 18, 2013Friday Clippings From My Newsroom Floor The latest report shows the southern NM GOP congressman with $1,054,000 in cash. That's a total that will grow leaps and bounds in the months ahead. His chief Dem challenger, Roxanne Lara, is off to a good start, raising $100,000 in one month of fundraising. But that 10 to one money advantage of Pearce's looms large as the Dems try to take advantage of Steve's stumbles. Those stumbles and the tarnishing of the GOP image has the Cook Political Report in DC putting Pearce on its radar. It's changed the ranking of his '14 race from "solid Republican" to "likely Republican": Considering the sharp drop-off in Hispanic turnout in midterm years in southern New Mexico, any Democrat would still be a long-shot against Pearce in 2014. But Pearce's rhetoric and voting record are very conservative even by this district's standards, and Roxanne "Rocky" Lara is worth watching at least peripherally. DC Dems came with a 2 minute web ad scoring Pearce over the shutdown. Dona Ana State Sen. Joe Cervantes wrote a big check to his re-election fund in the recent fundraising period---big to the tune of $100,000. What's up with that? Well, Cervantes, whose family has agricultural interests, continues to weigh a run for the '14 Dem nod for Governor. That money could be switched to a Guv fund if Cervantes makes a move.... DIWORSEIFICATION A lot of the talk during the government shutdown was about how New Mexico should diversify its economy so it's not so dependent on what may be unsteady federal dollars in future years. But as the week ended the challenges the state faces in its quest to diversify were front and center. The news: Cardinal Health is closing its Albuquerque finance operation by the end of September, 2014, which will effect about 175 people. “After careful analysis and consideration due to the impact on our employees, we have made the decision to close our Albuquerque operation by the end of September 2014. We will be consolidating this operation into other Cardinal Health locations,” Cardinal said. The mayor and Governor recently announced the addition of up to 150 call center jobs over three years from Canon. Those are not high-paying jobs like those at Cardinal. We are diversifying our economy. Unfortunately it consists of adding low-paying jobs while losing high paying ones like those at Cardinal and Intel in Rio Rancho. GRAVITY  Experience the wonder, the awe and the sheer terror of "Gravity" in glorious surround sound and eye popping 3D. It is worth every penny. This magnificent masterpiece by Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron gets four out of five stars. Performances by Sandra Bullock and George Clooney are Oscar worthy. The astronaut characters they portray are convincing in “The Right Stuff’ sort of way, where any mistake may be your last. The cinematography and special effects are state of art. Not since Kubrick’s, "2001: A Space Odyssey" has the “Final Frontier” been so vividly, painstakingly and lovingly created for the screen. Gravity’s futuristic plot is summed up by the presence of a Chinese Space station (presently one doesn’t exist), with the Russians foolishly shooting down their own satellites and NASA inexplicably operating a Space Shuttle that is today a museum piece. Gravity will most certainly be nominated for Best Picture. There could be no better modern showcase for why humans would crave weightlessness, be allured by the dangerous nature of space than by experiencing Gravity. Gravity drives home the point to New Mexico that Sir Richard Branson & Virgin Galactic have the right idea in offering a unique space travel experience to a well-heeled public from the southern NM Spaceport. Enjoy Gravity! THE BOTTOM LINES Conan O’Brien: “President Obama has said the day after the budget deal is made, he’s going to concentrate on immigration. He says…he will start by deporting Ted Cruz.” Thanks for stopping by this week. This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail your news and comments. (jmonahan@ix.netcom.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here.   (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2013. Not for reproduction without permission of the author Thursday, October 17, 2013More Peril For Spaceport; Report Says Engine Issues Could Stall Launches Even More, Plus: Bashing Balderas; Reader Reports On Latest Push Poll, And: Rumblings Over Martinez Education Reforms; APS Board Member Korte Enters The Ring
The effort has already lasted nine years--one year longer than it took for NASA to land men on the moon. The vehicle has flown only twice under power for short durations at relatively low altitudes. Commercial service scheduled to begin around 2007 has now slipped into 2014.
Even that estimate is questionable. Sources tell Parabolic Arc that the rubber-nitrous oxide hybrid engine being used for flight test isn’t powerful enough to get SpaceShipTwo into space with any sort of payload. Alternatives are now under development, but it’s not clear whether or when they might be available for flight test.
Nine years of promises to give people the rides of their lives, and they still can’t get SpaceShipTwo all the way up to space and the engine only lasts for 20 seconds. That’s not a pretty image.
More on the matter of there being no provisional ballots in ABQ elections as there are in state elections. Here's reader Don Schiff, an ABQ Democratic ward chair:Are New Mexicans (and their government leaders) aware of these new difficulties that Virgin Galactic faces in getting tourists into suborbital space--tourists who are paying up to $250,000? Well, they are now.... BASHING BALDERAS ABQ Reader Cheryl Haaker reports being polled this week regarding the '14 attorney general's race. State Auditor Hector Balderas is the sole announced Dem candidate. Clovis area Republican District Attorney Matt Chandler is weighing a run. Reports Cheryl: I had to give my opinions of (Dem Guv candidate and attorney general) Gary King, Hector Balderas, and Matt Chandler. I had to rule on a series of positive campaign-style statements about Chandler and Balderas. I had to endure a long litany of the "crimes" of Auditor Balderas. After each one I was asked if it would "make me more or less likely to vote for him?" There was no similar list of Chandler wrongs, and frankly, I had a hard time believing most of the Balderas allegations, as they were new to me, and I'm a political junkie. Another part of the survey dealt with the teacher evaluation system, going through a long list of statements and "how convincing would you find this argument." It struck me as being a classic "push poll," possibly by Chandler, possibly by the Martinez campaign staff. Although these things can really be annoying, I try to make it all the way through, so they get at least one bleeding heart liberal response! THE ABC'S ON PED
Hi Joe, I have been an avid reader for many years but this is my first time writing. I think you should start paying attention to the movement to rally against the state Public Education Department in Santa Fe relating to teachers and students in public education. At best, this is a travesty against our public education system. At worst, this is becoming a full on war on teachers and families by the public education department. I have joined a few Facebook groups in support of this critical cause and I am actually sickened to see how many teachers are threatening to quit based on what's going on right now. Resources I have found include this this, this, and this. Thanks for that, Samantha. We're running a pic of ABQ public school board member Kathy Korte with this report because she is emerging as a statewide voice for those rallying against certain PED reforms, including mandated year-end student testing. Korte's firm opposition to the Martinez administration reforms drew the wrath of the ABQ Journal which came with a foot-long hot dog of an editorial raging against her and APS Superintendent Winston Brooks. They both argue that the reforms are destroying teacher morale. Anytime you get the foot-long treatment, you're hitting a raw nerve. By the way, Korte is an independent. IN THE HOUSE They're coming for the House. Governor Martinez's SusanaPAC has raised $313,000 in the recent 6 month fundraising period and is using much of it to try to pick up the handful of seats the GOP needs to take over the NM House of Representatives. Democratic House Speaker Kenny Martinez reports raising $171,000 in the last six months to fend off the Guv and keep his job . The Speaker's PAC reports about $121,000 cash on hand, with SusanaPAC reporting $129,000 in cash. All 70 House seats are up for election next year. A pick up of even two could give the R's a shot at forming a coalition with a couple of Dems and giving the gavel to the GOP. Last year a Martinez PAC spent over $2 million on legislative races while Dem interests dumped in $1.4 million. It's going to be intense again in '14 when a lower voter turnout helps the GOP cause. PEARCE PAIN The pain finally ended last night for southern NM GOP Congressman Steve Pearce when the Congress voted to end the government shutdown and also avoided a debt crisis. But Pearce. a member of the so-called "Suicide Caucus"--dubbed because of its hard-line stance during the crisis--only gets short term relief. The battle will be joined yet again early in the new year when yesterday's agreements expire. (Pearce was among those voting not to reopen the government). It's been a terrible time for Pearce who is an ultra-conservative in a district that is slowly changing. His efforts during the shutdown to explain himself led to a number of political bumbles that have him looking more vulnerable than when the crisis began. Will Pearce endure more damage if in early 2014 we repeat the sorry scenario of the past few weeks? PROVISIONALLY SPEAKING  There is only one reason to issue a provisional ballot in Albuquerque city elections: when the voter has not brought their photo ID to the polls. They must then bring their ID to the City Clerk's office within 7 days for their vote to be counted. Generally voters will go home to retrieve their ID if they can. However, at the end of the day some voters will not be able to return in time to vote. So they vote provisionally. 3 of 1045 voters at Bandelier Elementary, where I served as Presiding Judge, chose to vote a provisional ballot. All of them did so after 6:30 pm. THE BOTTOM LINES Agnes Maldonado is out, report several reliable Alligators. The executive director of the NM Developmental Disabilities Planning Council, had a chaotic rein which led to her ouster, they inform. Maldonado is the sister of former ABQ Dem State Sen. Bernadette Sanchez. She previously served as director of administration for NM Expo. She has close ties to the Martinez political operation, having done work for SusanaPAC. Agnes has made the rounds of La Politica. She made headlines in 2007 during the Big Bill reign when she was ousted from her post as director of the NM Coalition Against Domestic Violence... We said Wednesday that Mayor Berry had won the mayor's race Oct. 8 with the biggest totals in "state" history. Of course, we meant city history....Word comes to us of the untimely death of our old friend Alfredo Santistevan. He headed the ABQ Environmental Health Department under Mayor Chavez and was a longtime Democratic activist. Friends say Santistevan, an ABQ resident, died in Taos. He was 61. This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail your news and comments. (jmonahan@ix.netcom.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here. (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2013. Not for reproduction without permission of the author Wednesday, October 16, 2013Run-Off Election For Control Of ABQ Council Taking Shape; Arnold-Jones Vs. Gibson, Plus: Guv's Big Lead In Money Race, And: A New Dem Candidate For Governor This photo snapped by one of our Alligators just after the October 8 initial election lays to rest any remaining doubts. It's Janice meeting with Mayor Berry campaign manager Missi Sousa, a GOP operative brought in this summer from out-of-state. If Arnold-Jones, a former state representative, appointed by Berry this year to fill a vacancy on the nine member council, were to lose the mid NE Heights seat, the council would flip to the Dems 5 to 4. There is a run-off because Arnold-Jones feel just short of the required 50% to win in the first round. After the October 8 election in which Berry was handily re-elected, the Dems picked up one council seat, taking the R's from 6 councilors to 5 on the nine member panel. Arnold-Jones' relationship with Berry and his operatives is complicated. She ran against Susana Martinez for the 2010 GOP Guv nomination. After she finished last, she soured further on Jay McCleskey, the chief political adviser to both the Governor and Mayor. Her relationship with former Bernalillo County Sheriff and ex-ABQ public Safety Officer Darren White--a BFF of Jay's--has been in the ditch for years. One reason is because of her support for the repeal of the NM death penalty. White went to war against her for that. The new councilor has positioned herself as a moderate in a party that has grown increasingly conservative. But, as they say, politics makes for strange bedfellows. Arnold-Jones was appointed by Mayor Berry to fill a vacancy on the city council this year and it was White who was the first to float the news on social media. BENTON'S BOUNCE Reader Adrian Oglesby writes of the re-election win of ABQ Dem City Councilor Ike Benton over appointed GOP Councilor Roxanna Myers:
Ike was gerrymandered out of office when council Republicans eliminated his district. Ike dusted off and ran in his new home district against Meyers, with both accepting $47k in public financing. North Valley gadfly Jerry Ginsburg then threw a monkey-wrench into the democratic process when he gave $80,000 to a PAC supporting Meyers. That gave her a monstrous spending advantage. A lot of folks I talked to thought all that money would talk, but over 62% of District 2 had Ike's back.
Nearly 60% of the registered voters in Benton's new district are Democrats.
COVER THIS
An ABQ reader, a former news reporter, thinks the media left on the table a number of important issues in their coverage of the mayoral contest:
--How exactly will the mayor deal with the looming $36 million loss in revenue that Gov. Martinez handed to him when she took local food tax subsidies to pay for her corporate tax cut package? Will he raise taxes like other cities, including Las Cruces, are doing? Will he further cut the police force?
--Speaking of public safety, how will the Mayor repair a relationship with the police and firefighters that appears to be toxic and beyond repair? How can citizens feel safe with that kind of distrust?
--What will the Mayor do differently to create jobs?
MASON RETIRES
Joe, a tip of the hat to Laura Mason who is retiring on October 15, wouldn't be a bad thing. She is one of the three women who, though not elected, have had a huge impact on the elected officials in New Mexico and have frequently kept them from derailing the democratic process of our governments. The others were Maralyn Budke and Paula Tackett. As was the case with the other ladies, it will be difficult to find a real replacement. An adequate one will be found, but not an equal.
Mason has served as council director for nearly 10 years. Budke was a longtime director of the NM Legislative Finance Committee and a former Chief of Staff to Republican Governor Dave Cargo. Tackett served for 22 years as director of the Legislative Council Service.
Mason, Budke and Tackett all had a knack for working both sides of the political aisle. Imagine that...
MONEY RACE
Governor Martinez continues to hold a huge cash advantage over her Democratic rivals in the '14 Guv race. She reports $3.3 million in cash on hand and total fund-raising so far of $3.8 million. Dem Gary King reports $142,000 in cash on hand as of Oct. 7. State Senator Linda Lopez did not file her report in Santa Fe Tuesday, but insiders report she has little cash on hand.
Martinez has taken some heat for all the time she spend out-of-state raising money but it seems to have become a gubernatorial tradition, with Bill Richardson doing the same before her.
The dark cloud hovering over the Governor's race for state Dems looks ominously similar to the one in the recent ABQ mayoral race. Dems and their interest groups did not put up a fight and GOP mayor Berry won with the biggest totals in city history. If that is going to be the case in the Governor's race Republican prospects for gaining ground in the state House will be enhanced and maybe they get a shot at a down ballot race or two.
$3.3 million banked for an election a year away is a large sum for Martinez, but experts say her personal campaign balance will no longer tell the full story. Martinez is already benefiting from so-called "dark money" from third party groups who are not required to tell who donates to them. If the Governor's race gets competitive, expect dark money to also back up the eventual Dem nominee.
Cash reports for the Dem state treasurer, secretary of state and auditor candidates are here, as well as for GOP Secretary of State Dianna Duran. MORALES FOR GOVERNOR
Morales, 40, faces the same problem as King and Lopez--being taken as a serious threat to Susana and able to raise money to compete. Here's an email from Grant County Democrats letting everyone know Howie is coming in on Oct. 22: Next Tuesday, Sen. Howie Morales will officially announce his candidacy for Governor! We need you there to cheer on a great legislator and a great Democrat as he enters the primary. Who better to take on the policies of Susana Martinez? Howie knows education and what New Mexicans need in order to educate our kids for the 21st century. Be at 6th Street School, Silver City, October 22nd. Event starts at 4pm. Morales, who started his career as a special ed teacher, should make the Dem nomination contest more interesting. Other possible names for it include ABQ's Lawrence Rael and State Sen. Joe Cervantes. This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail your news and comments. (jmonahan@ix.netcom.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here. (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2013. Not for reproduction without permission of the author Tuesday, October 15, 2013Susana's Transparency Problem; Campaign Pledge Put To Test, Plus: All Fogged Up; Open Gov't Group Faces Murky Outlook. And: Our Bottom Lines For A New Mexico Tuesday None of us who have toiled for long in the field of La Politica were very surprised that she turns out to be like her predecessors--not so transparent when she can get away with it. It's the nature of the beast. Politicians want to protect their power and secrecy enhances it. Two stories illustrate the problem.
Information that Gov. Martinez has released in response to growing pressure for copies of her calendars is incomplete, inconsistent and contrary to what she has told media in the past, according to a review by The Associated Press. Martinez, who bills herself as the transparency governor, recently released a list of trips she made for political rather than state business during the three months leading up to last year's elections. The list was compiled in response to a request by the AP for copies of her calendars showing all state business and political appointments and travel for those months.
The list failed to mention at least one trip, an early August trip to Washington state....The list also is in conflict with other recently released information on Martinez's comings and goings. Martinez has declined to say why she won't release her actual calendars. And then there's this kicker: In addition to Martinez's refusal to release copies of her actual calendars, even after the fact, the Department of Public Safety has completely ignored a July request and several follow ups from the AP for the release of past schedules and calendars Martinez has sent to her security detail. "Completely ignored" is the key phrase. The Martinez government seems to be betting that the media will fade away. The AP is sending a different message. The Carlsbad newspaper joined in with this editorial. And then there's Democratic Attorney General Gary King who is running to replace Susana. His stiff arm to transparency is not as stiff as the Guv's but:
In another dust-up with a former female employee, Attorney General King has been ordered to pay nearly $47,000 in attorney fees and costs for failing to give her documents to which she was entitled under the state’s Inspection of Public Records Act. A district judge...found the AG’s Office failed to provide the woman with the documents, but said there was no evidence it intentionally withheld them...
FOG ALERT  There's more on the transparency front. After only a few months Terry Schleder is out as executive director of the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government (FOG). He did not go quietly, faulting Terri Cole, executive director of the ABQ Chamber of Commerce who is also chair of FOG's executive board. Schleder said on social media:Terri Cole seemed to loathe (former FOG executive director Gywneth Doland) as much as she did me. (It's a) NM FOG badge of honor!! Schleder was fired for "insubordination." Cole isn't commenting. Doland also had a short-lived stint at FOG. All of this raises the question of whether the open government group of which the ABQ Journal was instrumental in founding should have as its leader the president of the state's leading business group. The argument being that Cole and the Chamber have to conduct sensitive negotiations with whomever holds power in Santa Fe. Those goals can easily conflict with the cause of open government. So why not clear the fog at FOG and let new blood take over? The latest personnel upheaval at FOG is on top of the embarrassment last year of having to have GOP National Committeeman and lawyer/lobbyist Pat Rogers resign from the FOG board. It was revealed he was doing public business with the Martinez administration via private emails. Talk about the fox watching the chicken coop. A disturbing aspect of this is how the Governor's operatives tried to demonize Schleder as a Democrat who was a foe of Martinez. Naturally, they want Rogers or someone similar back in the FOG mix. If FOG is to retain credibility and relevancy, it may want to consider purging itself of the politicos, the politically connected and the political pit bulls. How about allowing real watchdogs patrol the place? More on the FOG problems in this piece. FIRST IN
33 year old assistant district attorney and Dona Ana County GOP Chairman David Clements, a self-described "libertarian Republican," throws his hat into the ring today. From his news release: “With our government's refusal to live within its means, we have a 17 trillion dollar debt and are on the brink of economic ruin. And with Washington, D.C. unable to escape the reality of its continued failures, an all out assault on our economic and civil liberties has begun.” Advancing free market policies that allow small businesses to create jobs, balancing the federal budget, and fighting to preserve the privacy rights of New Mexicans will be the focus of Clements’ candidacy. Robert Aragon, Democrat turned Republican, is also expected to seek the GOP US Senate nomination. Former NM GOP Chairman Allen Weh is also a possible. Udall is seeking a second, six year term. CASH COUNT State Auditor Hector Balderas, seeking the '14 Dem nod for attorney general, says he is off to a strong fundraising start. He reports raising $218,000 in the latest reporting period. His first quarter out he pulled in $242,000 for a total of $460k. Balderas is unopposed for the Dem AG nod, but the R's could make a serious play for the post if they nominated someone on the order of Clovis area District Attorney Matt Chandler. He ran four years ago but lost. Chandler has not signaled his '14 plans. The R's last won the AG's race in 1986. MORE PAIN From Socorro, reader Patrick Buckley writes about the impact of the government shutdown in southern NM. That area is represented by GOP Rep. Steve Pearce and he's feeling the political heat: Joe, Add Socorro to the communities affected seriously by the shutdown. Last week the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NORA) furloughed 250 employees. BLM and Fish and Wildlife are also furloughed. The Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge is shutdown, which puts the Festival of the Cranes at risk. Collectively, this is a substantial hit to this small community. Pearce is not making any friends here. THE BOTTOM LINES  He was listening to our Election Night broadcast on KANW last week when we wondered how many "provisional" ballots might be outstanding. Those are ballots used in state elections when a voter shows up to vote but whose name is not on the list of registered voters or who records show already voted early. In ABQ city elections there are no provisionals. Ivey-Soto says if the records don't show the voter on the rolls or having already voted, they don't get to vote. Paul Sandman won $25 in our recent photo caption contest featuring Governor Martinez. His caption for the Governor as she closed her yes and smile while getting a flu shot was: "Thank God for Obamacare!" Sandman wants to clarify: In your contest last you thought my caption was humorous. It was not intended that way, it was a reality check on how smart the Governor's campaign is so far. She has supported the Medicaid expansion under Obamacare and Dem Sen. Udall has supported her tax cuts. What can Democrats campaign on next year that can both excite their base and attract independents? That, Paul, may be the $64,000 question for 2014. This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail your news and comments. (jmonahan@ix.netcom.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here. (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2013. Not for reproduction without permission of the author Monday, October 14, 2013The Pain Of Pearce; Will He Pay Political Price For Shutdown? Plus: DC's Dysfunction Makes NM Pay Attention, And: Javier's Hiccup The political community this Columbus Day awaits the first polling on how southern NM GOP Rep. Steve Pearce is holding up as Republicans feel the most heat from the government shutdown and the threat of a government default. A poll conducted last week by a pair of liberal groups maintained that Pearce's job approval rating has dropped below the critical 50% mark and now stands at 45%. But he poll was done among registered voters--not "likely" ones. And that's a whale of a difference. Likely voters are more conservative and will be showing up at the polls next November. And that's the other point. The election is over a year away and this dysfunctional zone we've been in could be long forgotten by then. But Pearce siding with the radical Republicans in the House has put the spotlight on him big time in federally dependent New Mexico. National Dems targeting Pearce next year will make sure that light continues to shine bright--no matter the issue of the day. PEARCE AND CRUCES Dona Ana County, home to Las Cruces, is the mother lode when it comes to votes in the southern congressional district. Its strength keeps growing as the more conservative east side loses population. Peter Goodman sums up the risks Pearce faces in his district's largest city: Las Cruces, more than most U.S. towns, has an economy in which the military, the federal judiciary, Homeland Security, Whites Sands National Monument, the BLM, and numerous other federal entities play a huge role. Las Cruces has a relatively high percentage of retired folks--many on military or other federal pensions, others on Social Security... We're also on the border. Whether you focus on the need for (border security) or on the need for all of those southern New Mexico residents in (border security) to get paid, the border matters. NO ENABLING We lifted the word dysfunction to describe DC from a statement from Governor Martinez whose office decried the "terrible dysfunction" in Congress in deciding not to use state funds to reopen Carlsbad National Caverns and other federal parks and monuments. And why should she? Doing so would be like enabling a drug addict. The economic blow of the shutdown to Carlsbad is softened by the oil and gas boom there and also by the calender. Peak tourist season is over. Still, it's interesting to see the contrast with the last shutdown in the 90's when private interests in Carlsbad rallied and put up money to keep the caves open. TRAGIC FARCE Usually you can safely ignore the tragic farce that Congress has become, but when they begin to seriously talk about shutting down Sandia and Los Alamos Labs, you realize that the state's economic future remains perilous. So far, our efforts at "diversifying" our economy away from federal dependence seems to mean more jobs at call centers and lower paying hospitality positions. Well, at least those workers can't be furloughed because of the buffoonery in DC. JAVIER'S HICCUP  Javier Gonzales had a bumpy reign in his final years as NM Democratic Party chairman and now that rough ride seems to be extending into his campaign for Santa Fe Mayor.Gonzales, the perceived front runner in the March '14 election, may be in danger of losing that status if this kind of thing continues: A political action committee supporting mayoral candidate Javier Gonzales took responsibility Friday for hiring a political operative to dig up dirt on mayoral candidates, despite denials a day earlier from one of the group’s founders. The admission by the Progressive Santa Fe PAC that it hired Blue Searchlight, a Washington D.C.-based political research firm, came after a story in The New Mexican detailed the firm’s activities, and muddied the separation between the PAC and Gonzales’ campaign. The Santa Fe Mayor's race has a strong field this cycle. The newspaper there seems to be upset about the rough political tactics (and possible big money) coming into what traditionally has been a somewhat low-key affair. It will be closely watched to see who they endorse. This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail your news and comments. (jmonahan@ix.netcom.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here. (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2013. Not for reproduction without permission of the author |
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