Domenici & Wilson
Pete Domenici and Heather Wilson circled their wagons Thursday as former NM U.S. Attorney David Iglesias continued to strafe the landscape with political gunfire, announcing that he will reveal the identities of the two members of the NM congressional delegation who he claims unethically interfered with the workings of his office. And while Iglesias's guns continued to blaze, a subcommittee of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee was giving him a platform, announcing that Iglesias and other fired U.S. attorneys will be subpoenaed and will testify Tuesday afternoon in D.C. Iglesias is widely expected to publicly name Wilson and Domenici as the intimidating callers, setting in motion an unpredictable series of events that could see the melodrama either fizzle or accelerate and reshape the state's political future in dramatic and profound ways.

Those hoping for a backdown from Iglesias lost that hope when he took to the air of KRQE-TV in ABQ late Thursday and announced that not only will he name the names, but that he is also "reviewing possible documents that I may take to the House for their review" in an effort to prove that improper congressional phone calls took place. The only good news for the beleaguered Domenici and Wilson camps was that Iglesias revealed there was no tape recordings of the mid-October conversations in which he asserts he was pressured to speed up indictments in the investigation of the construction of two Bernalillo county courthouses; an investigation involving prominent Democratic politicos. Those indictments, Iglesias says, will come at the end of March. (Complete TV interview here.)

STALKED ON THE HILL

Domenici and Wilson were stalked on the Hill throughout the day by the national press and the blogs, threatening to set off one of those Washington feeding frenzies that ends badly. Finally tracked down late in the day by the AP, the veteran senator gave a classic non-denial denial: "I don't have any comment. I have no idea what he's talking about," Domenici said. And Wilson told the same news agency in her now familiar aloof manner: "You should contact the Department of Justice on that personnel matter." It was immediately noted across a vigilant blogosphere that this too was not a denial that a call was made.

But House Judiciary Committee chairman John Conyers and subcommittee chair Linda Sanchez will not be as easily dismissed by Wilson as the news agencies and the bloggers. There was a growing sentiment in the state political community that of the two, Wilson is in much deeper trouble than Domenici, not that Pete has a walk in the park.

Supporters of the two fear that once Iglesias names them before the nation and charges them with unethical conduct, the now majority Democrats will move quickly for an ethics probe that could be devastating for Wilson, who was only re-elected in November by the slimmest of margins. Already she is bleeding from the charges by fellow Republican Iglesias who was fired by Justice December 7 and worked his last day this week. Insiders say if an official ethics probe is launched the headlines provoked could actually end Wilson's career in the House and forever dash her hopes to eventually replace Pete in the senate.

Washington insiders told me that the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is well aware of and monitoring the Wilson-Domenici-Iglesias triangle. Pelosi was a vigorous supporter of Patricia Madrid who Wilson defeated. And how's this for an ironic twist. The chairwoman of the subcommittee that will hear Iglesias's testimony Tuesday is a Hispanic woman, holding similar views to the Hispanic woman Wilson barely defeated in November--Patsy Madrid.

SMELLING BLOOD; MOVING IN?
Rep. Park
With Wilson already pinned down by the Iraq war and her close re-election, state Dems were renewing their interest in finding an '08 challenger. The names of ABQ state Rep. Al Park and ABQ state Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino made the rounds. And that will probably be just for starters, if Washington Democrats have their knives properly sharpened. No one has announced for Pete's seat, but I did receive an email from one Jim Hannan, who described himself as a "candidate for U.S. Senate, 2008." He called on Domenici to disclose if he asked the Justice Department to fire Iglesias, and if so, why. Hannan did not return a phone call or email inquiry and did not say whether he is a Democrat or Republican.

For Domenici, the risk from the Iglesias grenades was seen as less threatening to his '08 re-election because of the large amount of political capital he has stored. His supporters, perhaps engaging in some wishful thinking, were spreading the word that the whole Iglesias affair would blow over, that it is insider baseball and that the general public really doesn't care.

But others with a more pragmatic bent were already devising exit strategies for Pete from this embryonic scandal. This analysis actually came from a senior Democratic Alligator:

"Pete should consider apologizing. It would be plausible for him to say he was calling to check on progress in the U.S. attorney's office in light of the complicated trial of ex-Treasurer Vigil and wanted to make sure the office was able to handle the courthouse probe. He could say his remarks might have crossed the line and he apologizes. It could be his best chance to move on. Otherwise, this could imperil him. He has a stellar ethical record. This endangers his legacy. If he stays in his bunker the Democrats may drag him out. It could get ugly and undignified. He needs to abandon the bunker and end it, preferably before Iglesias goes national on Tuesday," analyzed our Senior Alligator.

Pete may indeed want to move quickly, as already new ground is being plowed on his alleged phone call. McClatchy newspapers Marisa Taylor is now reporting that her sources are saying Domenici did in fact make the call and was quite aggressive when he phoned.

HARDBALL FOR HEATHER
Iglesias
Wilson has the same option as Pete, but the House atmosphere is much different than the relatively friendly air Pete breathes with his longtime senate colleagues. Wilson has few, if any friends, in the Democratic majority. Still, she might be able to minimize the incident by taking the same line as Pete and downplaying its importance in the overall scheme of things.

But there wasn't giddiness among New Mexico's Democratic D.C. staffers for nothing this week. They know, no matter what, that the 30 second campaign TV spot indicting Wilson on ethics is a done deal.

Another option for the R's is an effort to destroy Iglesias's credibility via rough questioning Tuesday from the GOP minority congressmen and again when he appears before the senate. But press and public sympathy is heavily with the fired U.S. attorneys, and the Bush administration, which fired all of them, is polling at extremely low levels. Iglesias is also showing a much bigger appetite for dealing with the media than he did during his tenure as U.S. attorney. He has been seemingly everywhere, including NPR.

Truly, Iglesias is turning the tables on the state's two most prominent Republicans who now look threadbare in front of the Democratic majority on Capitol Hill. It is political theatre and spectacle of the highest order with no end yet in sight as the relevant congressional bloodhounds are just starting to sniff. For Pete and Heather fans, it's Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing." But for the Democrats and Iglesias, the more appropriate play of the bard's is a "Comedy of Errors" of which there appear to have been many in this latest entry in the never ending book of La Politica.

MY BOTTOM LINES

Larry Gomez was named Acting U.S. Attorney for NM Thursday, amid the Iglesias controversy. Gomez was deputy U.S. attorney...ABQ criminal defense attorney Jason Bowles will reportedly interview for the U.S. attorney job with Attorney General Gonzales this week. He just may get the job, as applicants are not flooding in, not with this mess going on. I asked yesterday if he was a Democrat or Republican since he was an assistant U.S. attorney during the Clinton years. I got my answer from a legal Alligator: "Bowles is no Democrat. After clerking for Bobby Baldock, a conservative judge even for the conservative-tilting Tenth Circuit--and his stint at the U.S. Attorney's Office, he began doing legal work for the Republican Party." So Bowles is a true-blue R and as I recall Domenici long ago recommended Baldock for his judgeship. Now it makes sense.

Alligators, legal beagles, and insiders. We need your tips to continue bringing you the latest. Please email your info from the mail link at the top of the page. You can remain anonymous, just not ill-informed. All of today's blog photos by Mark Bralley.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2007
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Iglesias
Outgoing New Mexico U.S. Attorney David Iglesias dropped a political bombshell Wednesday, sending heavy shrapnel flying toward GOP ABQ Congresswoman Heather Wilson and GOP Senator Pete Domenici. The question now is what will be the reverberations from a probe of Iglesias's explosive charges of improper intervention in his office by two members of Congress who he refused to name because he said he feared retaliation. But Iglesias, according to Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), met with his staff the day before he made his revelations public and is willing to appear under subpoena before the Senate Judiciary Committee and “tell his story” under oath. The Committee is investigating Justice Department dismissal of eight U.S. attorneys, including Iglesias. Meantime, a U.S. House committee is expected to vote today on issuing subpoenas to the ousted prosecutors, including Iglesias.

Iglesias, 49, says two members of Congress called him in mid-October to ask about the status of indictments in the federal investigation of the construction of two Bernalillo county courthouses, indictments that Iglesias said the two congressional members seemed eager for. "They were fishing around for information in terms of the status of the investigation...They were fishing around for a timetable. Those are things I'm prohibited from talking about...I didn't give them what they wanted," Iglesias told the Washington Post. He also said he regrets not reporting the calls as required by Justice policy.

Former Democratic state senator Manny Aragon's name has been linked to the probe, as well as that of other Democratic politicos. At the time Iglesias said the calls were made, Wilson was locked in a tight battle with Democrat Patricia Madrid in which ethics was a major issue. Iglesias says he now believes he was dismissed by Justice because he did not announce indictments in the courthouse case prior to the November election, an announcement that would have been a political boost for Wilson.

THE MAKING OF A BOMBSHELL

Congressional questions about ongoing cases are supposed to go through the Justice Department's Office of Legislative Affairs to avoid the appearance of impropriety. The U.S. attorney is a political appointment, (Bush appointed Iglesias) but he is expected to keep politics out of the law. A member of Congress pressuring a U.S. attorney would at the least be a significant ethical violation.

At a morning ABQ news conference called to discuss his firing and his future plans, Iglesias again defended his performance in office and said despite Justice's denials, his firing was political. But it was several hours later that the bombshell exploded. It came from a phone interview Iglesias conducted with Marisa Taylor of McClatchy newspapers in which he charged that two members of Congress called him in mid-October to inquire about the federal investigation. Why didn't he also announce this before local reporters? Probably to assure maximum national impact.

Democratic U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman, GOP Congressman Steve Pearce and Dem U.S. Rep. Tom Udall quickly denied talking with Iglesias. That left Domenici and Wilson, but they refused to comment to either McClatchy, the Washington Post or the blogs. It was left to Justice to fire back at Iglesias saying again that he was ousted for performance related reasons, not politics. The spokesman termed Iglesias's charges "flatly false." It was a similar Justice statement over his job performance made before senate judiciary earlier this month that pushed Iglesias over the edge. In an email to a friend and picked up by this blog on Monday, he reacted by calling his firing nothing less than "a political fragging." Iglesias confirmed the accuracy of our report at his Wednesday news conference.

So what members of Congress called Iglesias in mid October? We first reported in December the insider speculation that Representative Wilson was upset that no indictments had come down in the courthouse case during her campaign with Madrid. Domenici was cited as having the same feelings by the legal insiders, but nothing about direct pressure being placed on Iglesias by them was being mentioned. Clearly, however, they are the pair Iglesias is clearing a trail toward.

THE BATTLEFIELD AHEAD
Sen. Schumer
Dem Senator Schumer, a member of Judiciary, wasted no time pouncing on the red meat thrown his way by Iglesias, announcing on the senate floor that the charges were "very serious” and calling Republican Iglesias "a man of integrity.“ California Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein signaled her agreement, setting up future sworn testimony by Iglesias and a possible political donnybrook the likes of which the NM congressional delegation hasn’t seen in years

Reaction across the political spectrum was swift and furious.

"He (Iglesias) went suicide bomber, for sure. He blew up whatever political career he had in the Republican party, but he is extremely upset with the allegations that he was dumped because he did a bad job. Also, he may be having a tough time getting a new job, adding fuel to this fire," said one attorney familiar with the ins and out of the drama.

Iglesias's last day on the job was yesterday. He said he has several job offers in the private sector.

Whatever Iglesias's motives, it is now up to the Democrats in Washington to determine how much hardball they want to play. First, will they ask him to disclose the names of the members of Congress at the center of this storm? Will they then try to determine if Iglesias has any proof of those alleged phone calls; a call log, tape recordings or other witnesses? Would a mention of a particular congressional representative by Iglesias launch official ethics probes? According to Washington insiders, the answer to that last question is "yes." Obviously, such ethics probes would have major political ramifications for any congressional member involved.

"If Iglesias were to point directly at Heather or Pete it could light a fire under the Democrats and get them out on the playing field with strong challengers. The allegations aren't criminal, but they are unethical and they surely have political force," offered up an Alligator in the know.

One wag was already suggesting that Iglesias switch parties and run against Heather. Mama Mia!

REPLACING IGLESIAS

Playing against this backdrop is another drama; the one over who succeeds Iglesias. Senator Domenici initially sent four names over to the White House, including that of '06 GOP attorney general candidate Jim Bibb and private ABQ attorney Charles Peifer. But sources in Washington are now telling me that those names are off the list; Bibb for the obvious reason that he is a politician and the White House is being accused with trying to pack U.S. attorneys' offices with political players. The reasons given to me for Peifer apparently no longer being in contention varied.

In another bizarre development in this saga, ABQ criminal defense attorney Jason Bowles, who defended ex-Treasurer Robert Vigil on federal corruption charges, is said by sources in Washington to be under consideration to replace Iglesias! Bowles, 36, teamed with well-known Democratic attorney Sam Bregman to win a mistrial in Vigil's first trial. In the retrial, Vigil, with Bowles by his side, was convicted of only one count of corruption out of two dozen. Bowles is a former assistant U.S. attorney serving during the Clinton years. Is he a Democrat? If so, it's even more weird.

There has been speculation that another reason Iglesias is gone is because the White House, Domenici and Wilson were unhappy with his performance in the Vigil case as well as his reluctance to announce the courthouse indictments prior to the November election.

There is also talk that the White House could turn to an interim appointment because of the mess surrounding the Iglesias departure. Deputy U.S. Attorney Larry Gomez is being mentioned as a possible if that route is taken.

Finding a suitable candidate for a job that may last less than two years (a Democratic President in '09 would name their own prosecutor) and one that is now a political pinata is no easy task, but something will have to be done, whether interim or permanent, and that is expected within days, if not sooner.

ISOLATING HEATHER?
Rep. Pearce
The Alligators were besides themselves over the statement of Rep. Steve Pearce quickly denying that he was one of those congressional reps who Iglesias is saying made improper contact with him before the election.

"Did he really have to issue a statement right away? It could be read that Pearce was isolating Heather as the one who made the call." Argued one political veteran.

It's no secret that both Wilson and Pearce have their eye on the Domenici senate seat if and when it becomes available, so fairly or not, all actions of the two are going to be weighed in that context, this imbroglio being the latest example.

As for Pete, one Alligator put it this way: "It appears he is going to at least get some powder burns. Schumer and the Democrats could try to leverage this by putting pressure on Pete to retire. The D's control the senate by only one vote. If they could turn this into an embarrassment for Pete, they will. But if he decided to call it quits, well, that would be different. We'll have to wait and see if this is as big a deal as the Democrats would like it to be," said our legal beagle.

New Mexico Democrats were salivating over the prospects, noting that it is Republicans fighting with each other, with Dems investigating the charges, not leveling them.

THE BOTTOM LINES

At the Roundhouse, that controversial bill to provide a big tax credit to Sithe Global to build a coal-fired plant on the Navajo Nation was permanently tabled by the House Energy Committee yesterday. Las Cruces are Rep. Joni Gutierrez had voted to bring the credit back to life, but yesterday joined with the other committee Democrats and voted to table the proposal. We blogged this one last week noting widespread environmental opposition and the radio ads that were run against the bill.

This is the home of New Mexico politics--www.joemonahan.com. We're #1 in readers, #1 in advertisers and #1 in scoops! (Hey, if we don't tell you, who will?) Send your news and comments from the email link at the top of the page.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2007
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Mayor Chavez
ABQ Mayor Marty Chavez began exploring a possible bid for the 2010 Dem Guv's race by heading into must-have territory. He toured Las Vegas, Taos and Espanola last week, gauging the political climate with local politicos and seeing if Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish, already announced for the race, has sewn up early support.

"He was pleased with his reception," commented a Chavez operative who also informed that Chavez did several radio and press interviews while in the area.

In Las Vegas, he attended a lunch at Pino's Family Restaurant with area elected officials. One of those in attendance turned into an Alligator and emailed me this: "He speaks well and seems to be intelligent. I guess he should be, he is an attorney and mayor of our biggest city. Almost all of our elected officials were present."

The reception he received on his northern political swing was better than the one Marty has been given at the legislative session. There, lawmakers have rejected his bid to let him appoint members of the Albuquerque School Board. And a measure to modify the city's red-light camera law--one he opposed--sailed through the senate where Chavez himself served back in the early 90's.

The mayor's backers argue that ABQ has always been a favorite whipping boy of the Legislature, but they also realize that outside of the metro area governing the big Duke City is not necessarily seen as an attribute.

Chavez, who was the Democratic party's standardbearer in the 1998 governor's race and lost to Gary Johnson, will need heavy support in the Hispanic north to fend off Denish's expected strength. But it is much to early to handicap the Democrats nomination contest as we don't even know if others will be running. Chavez has started raising money for the race, with the insiders saying he received pledges and cash of $100,000 at a party thrown last month at the home of longtime politico Ed Romero, although Romero says he is staying neutral in the Denish-Chavez race.

Both Chavez and Denish and whoever else gets in this thing are going to be whipsawed in the next few years by the events of the day. For example, a turn in the state's and/or city's financial fortunes could be just one of many twists and turns we see along the very long road to Election '10.

THE CHAIRMAN'S RACE

Unlike the Guv contest, there will no four year campaign for state Democratic party chairman. That race to succeed outgoing chairman John Wertheim will conclude with an election April 28th at a party central committee meeting in Las Cruces and campaigning is well under way. We broke the stories of the candidacies of former House Majority Leader Michael Olguin and ABQ attorney Brian Colón and now both contenders are hitting the phones hard in search of the votes of some 400 hundred party insider votes who will decide the contest.

For his part, Olguin emails in to tell us that he wants to make clear that he has not made up his mind on who should be the executive director of the state party.

"I have in no way made any comment relative to the executive director. I have the utmost respect for (current ED) Matt Farrauto and have worked well with him as chair of the Socorro county party. If successful, Matt will be given every opportunity to continue as ED if that is what he wants." Olguin explained.

His comments come in reaction to our report that ABQ South Valley politico Sisto Abeyta intends to apply to become ED if Olguin wins his party chair race. Abeyta now says he will apply for the position no mater how wins.

As for Colón, we remarked that he can look for his most firm support in the party's "progressive" wing, but in telephone calls his supporters are making, they say they want to appeal to party regulars as well as the young bucks and that Colón is not a spear-carrier for any particular wing of the party.

MY BOTTOM LINES

Outgoing U.S. Attorney David Iglesias has set a news conference to talk about his dismissal and his future plans. In an email to a friend quoted here Monday, the GOP prosecutor called his ouster a "political fragging" that had nothing to do with his performance. That blog is receiving some national attention, so it will be interesting to hear how Iglesias frames the story when he meets with the press.

The big item still dangling at the federal courthouse is the investigation into the construction of two Bernalillo county courthouses. Will indictments come anytime soon? Iglesias is sure to be asked for an update.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2007
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

"Governor" Herrera
It's a kick for Mary Herrera to be carrying the title of "Acting Governor Herrera" today. She started off humbly in the 70's as a clerk-typist for Bernalillo county government, but with her election as secretary of state she became third in line to the governorship. Big Bill and Light Guv Lady Di are renowned road warriors so Mary didn't have to wait long for the state Constitution to take effect and for her to become the chief executive in their absence today and yesterday. Bill is campaigning for Prez and Diane is in Denver attending to family business.

Democrat Herrera told me Monday she wasn't plotting any attempted coups in the absence of Big Bill--unlike some lieutenant governors of yore who filled in for their bosses--and she spent much of her day before the Legislature working on bills impacting her office. But there were a couple of thrills.

"The security showed up in the morning. It hit home. They even gave me a ride to lunch...I talked on the phone with my my mom and my brother and they were pretty excited. And I posed for pictures with a visiting fifth grade class," said Acting Governor Herrera.

Politics may not pay much, but it delivers a thrill or two.

MORE GOVERNOR HERRERA?

Herrera's brief ascension to power did raise the not unlikely possibility that unless something is changed, she could find herself serving as Governor more than she ever contemplated.

The scenario goes like this. Governor Richardson manages the long shot and gets himself a spot on the '08 Dem Prez ticket, or more likely, gets himself a job in a Democratic administration that takes office in January '09. That makes Diane Denish Governor, but leaves a vacancy in the office of lieutenant governor. There is no provision to replace Denish which leads us over to the state senate where ABQ Dem Senator Ortiz y Pino has introduced a constitutional amendment that would permit Denish to name her own lieutenant governor if she were to take over the Fourth Floor by succession, not election. The bill is now in Sen. McSorley's Judiciary Committee. If it makes it through there, it will head over to the House.

The amendment calls for the senate to provide "advice and consent" on the appointment of the state's new #2, but if the Legislature wasn't in session the appointment would stand until lawmakers convened. (A provision to also give the House consent was amended out) Voters would be asked to approve the succession amendment at the November '08 election, just in time if Big Bill is moving up and out.

If the amendment does not make it and the Denish replacement scenario became reality, Mary Herrera would be the designated hitter each time Di left the state until the new governor and light guv were seated following the '10 election. Diane, just in case, you might want to make nice with Mary (lunch at the Bullring?) or else you may never be able to leave the state if you do become governor.

IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT...

Two New Mexico Governors have died while in office with their # 2's taking over and leaving unfilled lieutenant governor vacancies, but the most notorious vacancy came on November 30, 1962 when GOP Governor Ed Mechem resigned. He was immediately succeeded as Governor by Lieutenant Governor Tom Bolack who then appointed Mechem to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy created by the death of Democratic U.S. Senator Dennis Chavez. But the Light Guv vacancy lasted only a month as Jack Campbell took over as Governor and Mack Easley as Lt. Gov. on New Year's Day 1963. Mechem went on to lose the Chavez senate seat in 1964 to Joe Montoya, but for the rest of his life Bolack was called "Governor" by one and all even though he served just one brief unelected month.

THE VIGIL-GIRON SAGA
Vigil-Giron
We recently posted a defense of former secretary of state Rebecca Vigil-Giron from supporters who claim she is wrongfully blamed for a $3 million shortfall--a shortfall that is the subject of federal and state audits and has put on hold Big Bill's appointment of Becky as executive director of the NM Film Museum. But the defense drew some offense. Here's an example from a retired Roundhouse employee in Las Cruces who does not address the shortfall which Vigil-Giron defends as being caused by the switch to paper ballots, but he asserts Vigil-Giron wasted money.

"When you compare the $2.5 million that Vigil-Giron spent on TV ads in (last year's election) versus the $3 million that was spent by the Texas secretary of state, it alone is enough to get your dander up. In Texas, they spent their money on a mobile exhibit that toured the state, along with TV and radio ads and printed voter guides--all this in a state with eight major media markets, and 12 smaller markets. I've got to believe Vigil-Giron was on TV more than Big Bill was.

"No where in the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) does it say that you have to spend money on TV ads, as the former secretary's supporters allege. The Act leaves it to the discretion of the SOS, meaning, that you can spend it on a variety of public education materials, not solely on TV."

Well, no one was on TV more than Big Bill, but Rebecca was on more than her fair share and it is coming back to haunt her. Will she get the museum job? The insiders say those audits will have to find serious mismanagement or wrongdoing, not just questions of judgment, if she is to be denied some kind of job in the administration, if not the musuem post.

AMBITION AND THE SHERIFF

You hear his name mentioned frequently in GOP circles as a possible for a variety of higher offices--ABQ Mayor, U.S. Congress etc. But Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White is building a record which will be the subject of intense scrutiny if ambition does propel him to climb higher on the political ladder. While he won re-election by a large margin last year, not all the news has been good for the Sheriff. Take a look at this editorial. You'll be seeing a lot more of it in 30 second TV ads if and when any speculation about White running for another office becomes reality. As the late Ernie Mills would put it: Don't say we didn't tell you.

MY BOTTOM LINES

We welcome aboard our latest advertisers, Dan Serrano of Serrano & Sons Construction and Greetings etc. You may recognize Dan's name as he has several times sought elective office in the ABQ area, but has come to his senses and is now concentrating on building successful businesses.

Greetings, etc. is a return advertiser who is very popular around here because of their ability to deliver a quality print job at the drop of a dime--just the kind of service you need in politics or business. Click their banner ads for details and contact numbers.

Thanks to them and to all of our sponsors for their support of our endeavors. We ask that you consider supporting them so we can keep the politics coming your way. And if you are interested in advertising your business here, just drop me an email for further info.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2007
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

Iglesias
Outgoing U.S. Attorney David Iglesias has had enough. He is telling supporters that recent U.S. Senate testimony citing his "job performance" and that of other fired U.S. attorneys as the reason for them getting the axe by the Bush administration is way out of line. In an email to a friend, he dubbed his dismissal "a political fragging" that cannot be pinned on his performance.

"I can provide reams of performance stats showing record immigration, narcotics and firearms prosecutions under my administration, not to mention a higher than national conviction rate. Not to mention the biggest political corruption cases in NM history--four indictments, four convictions.

"This is a political fragging, pure and simple. I'm OK with being asked to move on for political reasons, I'm NOT OK with the Department of Justice wrongfully testifying under oath to the Senate Judiciary Committee that I had performance issues..." So scorched the Gallup native and Santa Fe High graduate.

His reference to a "fragging" is a military term to describe the killing of an unpopular senior officer, typically with a hand grenade. Iglesias served as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) in the United States Naval Reserve and is the military defense attorney portrayed in the early 1990s movie "A Few Good Men."

U.S. ATTORNEY INTRIGUE

The exact reason for the Iglesias departure remains shrouded in mystery. Five of the dismissed U.S. attorneys, including Iglesias, who received walking papers December 7 told reporters that they were not given any reason for their firings and had not been told of any performance problems.

Here in NM, legal and political Alligators pointed to Iglesias's prosecution of ex-Treasurer Vigil in which he managed to get a conviction, but only on one count of several dozen and only after a mistrial. Others attribute the dismissal to disgruntlement on the part of ABQ GOP Congresswoman Heather Wilson and others that Iglesias did not announce indictments during the '06 campaign regarding the federal corruption probe of the construction of two Bernalillo county courthouses. Indictments are still anticipated in the case which focuses on Democratic politicians,

As for the dismissal of the other U.S. attorneys, several of them were in the midst of investigations focusing on Republican politicians or their supporters. At that heated senate hearing, Justice cited poor performance for the firings, denying it was politics. Here's more from the Sunday New York Times.

Iglesias remains on the job, awaiting a replacement from the Bush White House. NM GOP Senator Pete Domenici has forwarded several names to the White House for consideration, including those of ABQ attorney Charles Peifer and '06 GOP attorney general candidate Jim Bibb. Legal beagles are saying Peifer appears to be a favorite because his legal experience dwarfs that of Bibb who is the son-in-law law of former Dem NM Governor Toney Anaya. Observers expected an announcement by now, but perhaps the controversy over the outgoing prosecutors has slowed the process. Stay tuned.

IT'S AN ELECTRIC DEBATE

Not everyone saw it my way--actually quite a few didn't--when it came to my Friday riff on why PNM should be corralled by the Public Regulation Commission and prevented from imposing higher electricity rates for summer usage. Marc Christensen, PNM's director of corporate communications, blogged in with this opposing view:

"Why have rates that discourage high volume usage? In the long run, it will reduce pressure on ...rates..."Peak" consumption (in the summer during the hottest part of the day) is growing much faster than average. Generating power to meet peak demand is the most expensive form of electricity. It seems to us to be fairer to ask those customers choosing a lifestyle that involves using high volumes to pay for the cost of that choice...Consumers who use evaporative (as compared to refrigerated) air are not likely to hit the highest rates...We're not trying to dictate customer choices--we are saying that those who cause costs should pay for the costs...If we choose to drive an SUV (and I do) I pay the costs at the pump. I wouldn't expect those who drive more fuel-efficient vehicles to pay the costs for me. Why should it be any different when it comes to the cost of electricity?"

Well said, but the price of gasoline isn't based on what kind of car you drive. It's the same price for all which is how our current electric rates are structured. Should Marc and his fellow SUV drivers pay more for a gallon of gas? That's too much social engineering for my taste, but if people want restrictions, give the people what they want. Others disagreeing with me said I was fostering a pro-pollution policy by arguing for no restrictions on electricity usage. The debate will go on before the PRC for most of the year with a decision in the rate hike case coming by year's end.

THE BIG BILL BEAT

Making a pitch for votes in Indian Country, Big Bill says it's time for a Secretary of Indian Affairs. There are Indian tribes scattered throughout the early primary states, including quite a few in California which is expected to move its primary up to March 5....The Richardson candidacy is evoking pride among the nation's Hispanics, but that doesn't mean the support of Hispanic leaders is there for the asking. Hillary Clinton is managing to pick many of them off, despite Bill's Hispanic roots...Foreign policy continues to be the Guv's strong suit. Over the weekend, the Washington Post made room on its opinion page for a piece penned by the former U.N. ambassador in which he argues "saber-rattling" is not a good way to get the Iranians to cooperate on its nuclear program and calls for "direct engagement."

More New Mexico politics right here tomorrow. Keep me posted by dropping your news and comments in the email via the link at the top of the page.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2007
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