History is simply airbrushed away in today's around-the-clock political cycle. Look at this one from the NM GOP:

The state's GOP arm sent out a fundraising letter that warned supporters Hillary Clinton will seek the nomination. The letter says Clinton used her personal email account to hide information and alleges that she put the nation's national security at risk. In anticipation of her announcement, Republican Party of New Mexico said it was building up its "Hillary Clinton Truth Fund to tell the whole story."

Whoa. . . Wasn't it none other than Governor Martinez and her administration who were busted  in her first term for going off the grid and conducting state business via private email accounts? And wasn't that e-mail at the center of what became known as the down and dirty Downs deal--the lease deal for the Downs Racetrack and Casino that the administration pushed through? And in the wake of that scandal wasn't it Martinez who was forced to issue an order that private emails would no longer be acceptable for state business?

How soon they forget. Or choose to forget. . .

And then there's this one--an APD officer busted for illegally accessing the NCIC database

When Albuquerque police officer Regina Sanchez admitted to investigators from the newly retooled citizen police watchdog agency that she had accessed the National Crime Information Centers (NCIC) database for personal purposes late last year, she was admitting to a federal crime. Sanchez used the database, which is available only to law enforcement officers, to pull the address and other personal information of the boyfriend of a 30-year-old Albuquerque woman named Tammy Martinez on Nov. 24, 2014, according to documents. . . Sanchez passed the information to Joshua Martinez, who at the time was Tammy Martinez’s estranged husband. Sanchez is the girlfriend of Joshua Martinez’s brother.

Yeah, that brings back memories, doesn't it? Like from 2010 when the Martinez Guv campaign was suspected of running license plate checks on political foes via NCIC out of Martinez's then-district attorney's office.

We never did hear anything out of the new Dona Ana County District Attorney on that. Maybe he's happy just to collect a check. Meantime, back in ABQ there is no law enforcement agency willing to say if it is going to hold officer Sanchez accountable for the NCIC violation. And we're supposed to be getting "cultural change" at APD?

IN YEARS AHEAD. . .

Unless something surfaces in the second term history is likely to record that Gov. Martinez was given a pass on the Downs deal, the behavioral health deal, the possible NCIC checks and various campaign finance issues. That several of our links on some of these matters today are to a Santa Fe weekly newspaper and not to the mainstream media tells the tale. Maybe after the pay-to-play scandals under Gov. Richardson, the body politic did not have the stomach for more. Whatever the reason, Susana's baggage is bursting at the seams as she waltzes across the national stage. It's not a load that her potential rivals there will be as willing to ignore as her home state has.

She will also be known in the years ahead as Governor Gridlock whether she likes it or not. There she was again Tuesday telling yet another business group that the legislative breakdown over the $264 capital outlay bill was entirely the fault of the Senate Dems.

And maybe the Guv's mind is wandering to thoughts of national politics because at that same biz meeting this happened:

One bill she favored would have outlawed fees assessed to workers who choose not to join a labor union. Martinez incorrectly said the bill also would have prohibited compulsory union membership. Mandatory membership in labor unions already is illegal under federal law.

Hey, Keith, or someone up there on the Fourth Floor, can you dust off those old briefing books?

HOPE FOR NM

That's the name of the new political action committee launched by Dem State Auditor Tim Keller. And with it perhaps his hopes for the future. Keller is among the short list of possibles for the 2018 Dem Guv run as well as among those keeping an eye on developments in the 2017 ABQ mayoral race. Says Keller:

. . . It takes us all working together to truly make the big changes we need in New Mexico. . . That's why "Hope for New Mexico" will be very active throughout this next election cycle working to support candidates up and down the ballot. . . Your contribution. . . will help us get a running start on supporting candidates who will join in our fight for good government. No race is too big or too small to deserve our attention, and we need leaders at all levels of government who will work towards greater transparency and accountability.

Obviously, Keller is working to pick up some IOU's in the '16 cycle. We assume that Attorney General Hector Balderas is watching all of this closely. Right, Hector? As for Keller, insiders say he's gotten off to a quick start but they are closely watching how he handles a possible ABQ City Hall corruption scandal over the use of Taser lapel cameras videos. That deal is on his desk. Does it get off the desk or go into the bottom drawer?

This is the home of New Mexico politics.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2014. Not for reproduction without permission of the author