Heinrich Passes On Dem National Convention In Latest Risk-Off Move As He Grapples With Domenici, Also: Former House Speaker Wonders Where The Broadand Is, Plus: Broadcaster And Politico Mike Santullo Dies In ABQ

A who's who of state Democratic politicos will be on hand today in Chicago as the Democratic National Convention kicks off but not all of them will be there for the four day confab. 

Most notably, Dem US Senator Martin Heinrich, citing "other commitments" won't be hanging around the Windy City.

It's the latest retrenchment by the state's senior senator as he grapples with a challenge from Republican Nella Domenici that has led Heinrich to rigorously pursue a risk-off strategy.

First, he became one of the few Dem US Senators to call for President Biden to get out of the presidential race. Then he came with a TV spot that veered right as it accused former hedge fund executive Domenici of investing in the military build out of "Communist China." Now he's the shying away from the Dem convention where protestors of the Israelis-Palestinian conflict will put Democrats on the spot.  

Three other Dem US Senators confirmed by polling to be locked in difficult races have announced they will skip the convention and stay focused on their re-election bids. They are Tester of Montana, Brown of Ohio and Rosen of Nevada.

Heinrich is an "automatic delegate" to the convention and along with the state's 44 other delegates has already voted to nominate VP Harris for president. (Complete list of delegates here.)

By his actions it would seem Heinrich is locked in a neck and neck race. He isn't, but the high number of undecideds in the most recent poll--21 percent--is reason for concern for a senator who has been around the political scene for over 20 years. In the horse race Heinrich led Domenici 40 to 34 percent.  

Heinrich's path to victory remains much easier than Domenici's but his anemic numbers are keeping him in check and Nella lurking but not advancing. 

BROADBAND DEBATE

Our ongoing drumbeat for the state Office of Broadband Access and Expansion to look more seriously at satellite internet for remote rural areas instead of laying fiber that is taking years and years to reach those locations caught the attention of former NM House Speaker Don Tripp of Socorro:

Joe, I was looking at your repeated posts about broadband in NM and I agree we should use satellite service for hard to reach New Mexicans . If we bought Starlink service for 20% of NM households (210,000) @ $499.00 for the equipment. That would be $105 million of the $675 million available and it wouldn’t take a generation to buildout! Makes you wonder why not?

Is it because Starlink, the main satellite internet provider is owned by right-winger Or do the major telcos have a lock on that $675 million in federal money flowing in here for broadband? 

We don't like to think so but as thousands of residents, including so many young students, wait and wait to get the broadband at home that they need to advance, the onus falls on the broadband office to start explaining themselves and for the legislature to initiate more robust oversight. 

And it wouldn't hurt if Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, a player in rural broadband in DC, would start thinking outside the box.

 MIKE SANTULLO

He called himself the fastest mouth of the west and lived up to the title.

Coming to Albuquerque from New York City in the early 70's, Mike Santullo brought with him the boisterous and confrontational style of East Coast talk radio that was a rarity here but later became a broadcast staple everywhere.

Santullo, who died last week in ABQ of heart failure, pioneered the talk format on KZIA, later taking his popular act to KRQE and KOB radio. He sprinkled in celebrity interviews along the way, ranging from Senator Ted Kennedy to legendary entertainer Arthur Godfrey. He even debated atheist Madlyn Murray O'Hair on-air and fought her to a draw.

Of course, any New Mexico politician worth their salt including Bruce King, Bill Richardson and Manuel Lujan were all repeat guests at his table.  

"Mike had a very quick wit and a big heart," recalled Jay Howard Deme whose family owned KZIA. "He had a voracious appetite for news, the ability to ad lib endlessly and an opinion on everything under the sun. How could his talk shows not be compelling?"

Santullo, fluent in Spanish and Italian, was also a notable radio news journalist, taking the helm of KQEO where in 1980 he ably covered the historic 1980 prison riot in Santa Fe for both local and national outlets.

He was a force in the political arena and even had his own hopes for political office. He made runs for mayor of Albuquerque (in '74), BernCo treasurer and state representative. He ran as both a Republican and Democrat and later became an independent.

 

Although he never won elective office his media career established him as one of the more colorful characters to grace La Politica. He did land in the upper tier of government when Albuquerque Mayor Ken Schultz tapped him (in '85) as the city's Communications Director. 

After four years at City Hall he returned to radio, hosting the ABQ Balloon Fiesta and talk shows on KOB while serving as the director of the Newsline for the Blind program at the NM Commission for the Blind. It was like a mini-broadcast with Santullo gathering volunteers to record the daily newspaper and other news sources for the state's visually impaired. The program continues today.

For decades he served as master of ceremonies for the annual Brother Mathias St. Patrick’s Day dinner, sat on the board of the Brothers of the Good Shepherd and Gov. King named him to the then NM Commission on Public Broadcasting.

Santullo shocked Albuquerque when he arrived on the scene, shouting down disagreeing listeners and literally pounding his studio table over the controversies of the day. He repeatedly challenged the city's establishment including the newspaper and Chamber of Commerce. But he loved his adopted city and state and strove to make them better.

 

He was a longtime friend and a blog supporter from the beginning, helpfully sharing his thoughts both on and off the record. We'll miss him and his contributions.

In his time Santullo enjoyed the local celebrity spotlight but did not take it for granted. 

 

"People like to be catered to," he once told me. "The people who listened to me were ordinary people but I always remembered that they were the ones who elected presidents. They paid attention to me and I did the same for them."

 

Mike Santullo was 77.

 

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