The Guy's political machine has come full circle. Back in May when negotiations for holding a special session to pass a $295 million capital outlay bill were underway, Martinez political operative Adam Feldman tweeted: "Do Senate D's really think a pork bill is a political winner with voters?" Well, things change.

No sooner had the gavel come down on Monday's brief special session at which the  capital outlay bill passed than our readers reported radio spots popping up from the Guv's political PAC touting the measure for the jobs it will provide and how it shows Martinez is a bipartisan leader.

She took a twisted path getting there but it seems Martinez agrees with those Senate D's--the pork bill is a "political winner." You can even hear about it on the radio. . .

TRIPP'S SPECIAL

One of the special session's winners was House Speaker Don Tripp. He appeared to have his wings clipped by the Guv's machine when he was working to cut a deal on capital outlay with Senate Dem John Arthur Smith but when the public tide turned Tripp was back at the bargaining table crafting the final deal. You agree with that, don't you, Nate?

DUMPING ON DC

Okay, maybe we all feel a little better about Santa Fe now that its done something, even though it's something that should have been done at the regular legislative session. But we can still detest Washington. Take a look:

A once-decrepit section of downtown Washington has become a luxury marketplace, feeding off the lavishly paid men and women. . .representing the. . . agenda of the corporate sector. In 1993, when Tony Podesta. . . moved his firm to G Street Northwest, the neighborhood was a skanky collection of warehouses, liquor stores and the remains of a red light district. . . The money is flowing. Podesta’s own company made $25.1 million in lobbying fees last year. . .  From Podesta’s office, it’s just a two-minute walk to the new City Center development and its deluxe retail offerings. Paul Stuart on I street sells a navy chalk stripe Italian suit for $4,984. Around the corner is Louis Vuitton, where the Président Classeur briefcase sells for $9,700. A half-block away is Hermès, manufacturer of the Birkin bag, one of which sold recently at auction in Hong Kong for $221,846. Most lobbying compensation packages are closed to public view, but some. . . are not. In 2012, National Journal identified 12 trade association executives making over $2 million a year.

They don't even try to hide it anymore.

JUSTICE AND JACQUISE

Jacquise

A reader with some involvement in the legal case involving the  March shooting death of an ABQ teen at Los Altos Skate Park writes:

Joe, thank you for your post about the “Underground Press” and the critical role it plays challenging public officials like ABQ Chief Administrative Officer Rob Perry.

People concerned with APD’s rush to judgment in the Los Altos Skate Park shootings set up their own version of the underground press--a Facebook site called “Justice for Jaquise Lewis.” Jaquise was a 17 year old African-American who died that night. APD claims the killing of Jaquise was “self-defense” and will not arrest or release the name of the white shooter. The page has garnered almost 1,000 followers and unearthed information about this killing.

· The teen was shot twice in the back, at a distance.
· No gun was recovered near Jaquise’s body. There was no gunshot residue, either.
· Jaquise and his friends were originally at Manzano Mesa Park. APD sent them to Los Altos.

APD has released conveniently selected still photographs taken from a cell phone video. but has yet to release the entire video. If and when the full story comes out, we’ll have this version of the underground press (“Justice for Jaquise Lewis”) to thank.

Understandably,  the family of Jaquise would like some answers.

HAALAND AND HILLARY

NM Dem Party Chair Debra Haaland says she did not call Hillary Clinton "the next president" at a recent fundraiser for Clinton held at the home of NM politico Ed Romero. Says Haaland:

No. I did not say it. I wrote my speech and did not veer from it. I am careful about that.

Others attending the event say they recollect it differently but they were Hillary supporters. In any event, chair Haaland is required to stay publicly neutral in the prez contest. Not that NM will have much to say about the eventual nominee. Our June primary is late in the cycle and the nomination is likely to be decided before then.

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