Ed Tinsley
Will Ed Tinsley's American Dream turn into his election nightmare? Ever since the southern GOP congressional nominee explained that he has a second home in Santa Fe, but lives most of the time at his Lincoln County ranch, supporters of his Dem foe, Hobbs oilman Harry Teague, have been hammering the carpetbagger issue. Now, Alligators unaffiliated with either campaign come with details of the dream home causing all the trouble. According to research they sent, the Tinsley second home is valued at about $2.3 million and the 2007 property tax bill on it was about $11,000. It is located in Las Campanas, an upscale subdivision populated by wealthy business types who enjoy playing the Jack Nicklaus designed golf course there. If Tinsley was looking for a good investment, he found one. The house was valued at just $1.3 in recent years. He appears to have bought it in 2004. Maybe he helps pay the expenses on that Santa Fe spread from the revenue he generates from the hunting fees he collects on the Lincoln land.

Tinsley has maintained that he has spent most of his time at his Capitan ranch and has offered to produce written records to document his residency. Tinsley, former president of the National Restaurant Association and owner of the K-Bob's restaurant chain, is not planning on giving up the Santa Fe home. Because it is located in the bastion of New Mexico liberalism, it can be a special sore point in the conservative south.

If the southern race degenerates into a debate over residency or personal opulence, Tinsley won't be defenseless. After all, Teague, who prides himself on starting out poor is now an oil gazillionaire. Maybe the R's will snap photos of him enjoying his favorite out-of-state vacation spots. And if he doesn't have any, what's the point of being a gazillionaire, anyway?

Teague is boosting his campaign with fundraising appearances this month with NM Dem Senator Jeff Bingaman. He also has a Las Cruces barbecue featuring Bingaman slated for this Saturday. While Ed's housing "crisis" is giving him headaches, Harry hanging with liberal Jeff could prompt Ed to charge that the real issue is how Harry would vote in the U.S. House, not Ed's house in the City Different.

Folks, stay with us. This race is going to be hotter than a honeymoon hotel.

SENATE TALK

When it comes to the NM US Senate race, ignore the SurveyUSA polling putting Udall at 60%. That poll picks up too many casual voters, or people who do not intend to vote. The mid-May Rasmussen is the baseline poll for this one. It shows Tom at 53% and Steve at 37%. The pros will tell you that Udall would be overjoyed with a 53% win in a race with no incumbent and in a swing state to boot. The most significant thing is that Udall is already over the magic 50% number. His campaign is already about holding the support he has, not necessarily growing it much.

TOM'S TIE--PART II

What do people really care about? Sky high gas prices? The no-end-in-sight Iraq war? We're sure they do, but they seem to care as much about that expensive Salvatore Ferragamo tie we pictured Tom Udall wearing on our Tuesday blog. The e-mail poured in and we think you'll enjoy it as much as we did.

MITCH JONES

...Having mentioned that Pearce is worth about $20 million, I hope you find out how much his ties cost. I happened to run into Rep. Udall at Union Station in DC last week. He was boarding a train to New York...He had no staffers, carried his own bags and was wearing a suit that was neither expensive nor remarkable...Also, his cowboy boots were a bit scuffed. Cheers.

ANONYMOUS

Joe, the thing is, it''s the only Goddamn tie he owns. The guy wears the same 2-3 ties constantly. Don't know if that will alleviate the elitist thing, but it's true! Just between you and me, of course.

ANONYMOUS:

Joe, I was a staffer for Senator Domenici for over six years. I assure you, he did NOT have a separate set of suits for DC. He was always laid back New Mexico. In fact, too many times to count, we were mortified as to what he came wearing to work. It usually signaled Nancy (Pete's wife) was off visiting some of the kids.

ANONYMOUS:

Joe, I bought that same tie Tom was wearing in blue at Burlington Coat Factory for $12.95. Who knows? Maybe he is a secret bargain shopper.

STEPHANIE DuBOIS:

Maybe in the southern part of the state Tom can wear "pajamas" like Domenici. Wasn't that Pete's Beltway look?

Stephanie refers to the famous "pajamas incident" when Pete showed up to work in hunting clothes that looked like pajamas, perhaps the most famous sartorial incident in state history.

As for the Burlington Coat Factory selling a Ferragamo tie for $12.95, no way. I checked. And I have to come clean. I added a Ferragamo to my wardrobe, but just for TV appearances. Really. I promise not to wear it outside the ABQ city limits.

As for multimillionaire Pearce's ties, do they even sell ties in Hobbs? And finally, if Udall was wearing his Ferragamo with scuffed cowboy boots, he scores political points. It sounds like a very nuanced strategy to appeal simultaneously to city slickers and rednecks. Do you think one of his high-priced consultants came up with that, or, like the rest of us, did his wife Jill yell at him to put on a tie as he headed out the door? These, my friends, are the deep mysteries of La Politica.

BRINGING YOU TOGETHER

Here's some photographic proof that politics brings people closer, really closer. Pictured is Dem strategist and NARAL NM executive director Heather Brewer and ABQ Dem State Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino sharing a set of headphones on Election Night on our KANW 89.1 FM broadcast.

We ran short of headphones because of our many in-studio guests, but Heather and Jerry did not want to miss a word of those calling in so they shared. Judging by the expression Heather is sporting, it must have been a Dem on the line.

E-mail it in--news, comments, etc., and thanks for tuning in.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2008
Not for reproduction without permission of the author