Heinrich
There's a lot going on in Martin Heinrich's first TV ad for the up-for-grabs ABQ congressional seat. The issue is whether any of it will stick. Heinrich mentions an array of issues--energy, the Iraq war, the slow economy, Bush's unpopularity, veterans and taxes--all in a 30 second spot. The strongest line is when he says he is running because "I believe in a new start for New Mexico." The soft-edged ad seems aimed more at women than men. The many themes in the spot could have been culled from a focus group. The ad puts points on the board for the former ABQ city councilor as he attempts to overtake early favorite, Republican Darren White.

The Bernalillo County sheriff has not yet gone up on TV, but has stronger name ID than Heinrich. Those hoping Heinrich would come out swinging early will be disappointed, but then he is not yet well-known enough to start swinging the bat at the other guy.

The Heinrich "something for everyone" ad reflects his low-key and get-along personality. However, by the time the campaign is over, he will have to shed that skin and show that not only is he a reasonable candidate, but a tough one.

Media insiders say Heinrich has booked broadcast time at the major network affiliates for the duration of the campaign. This first ad began airing this week.



HOYER WITH HEINRICH

We wondered aloud recently whether US House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer would do anything for the Heinrich campaign after we broke the news of the big fund-raiser Hoyer was having for northern congressional candidate Ben Ray Lujan today in Heinrich's ABQ backyard. Well, Heinrich's campaign says Hoyer is also doing a fund-raiser for Heinrich and will also tour Sandia National Labs with Heinrich. But it seems the big money for Hoyer's visit is going to go into the Ben Ray kitty. Big Bill is one of the Lujan party hosts.

SETTING THOSE ODDS

In setting the early odds on the ABQ congressional race Tuesday, we said the Alligators Heinrich goes off as the underdog with 3 to 2 odds and that you would get $5 on a two dollar bet. Tom Rutherford is one of several e-mailers who said something was amiss with that calculation:

"I think 3 to 2 odds pay $3 for a $2 bet. To get $5 you need 5 to 2 odds. You're not spending enough time at the track."

Tom is right, of course. In our first draft, we did not mention that the $5 you got back with your 3 to 2 odds includes your original $2 bet. Not that anyone around here is betting real money, but here is an odds payout chart for those interested.

NOEL THROWS TOWEL

Jim Noel
La Politica claims another victim. After a spate of controversy, Jim Noel says he will not accept the position of elections bureau boss under Secretary of State Mary Herrera. Noel is the son-in-law of Tom Udall who is engaged in a hot US Senate race with Republican Steve Pearce. Noel is married to Amanda Cooper, stepdaughter to Udall who is also her father's campaign manager. Republicans raised a ruckus over the appointment, filing a request for documents pertaining to his hiring. The insinuation was that Big Bill engineered the Noel appointment and that Noel could not be fair supervising the election because of his relationship to Udall.

Couldn't Noel, an attorney and head of the Judicial Standards Commission, withstand the heat? Well, Big Bill has enough problems to deal with and Udall doesn't need questions arising about the legitimacy of any Senate victory he scores. The clash does raise the question of judgment. Neither Herrera, Big Bill, Udall, Cooper or Noel saw this storm coming. Why not?

SOTO SAGA

Was he or wasn't he? Fired that is. Roy Soto, Big Bill's cabinet secretary for Information Technology, announced recently he was leaving the post and will return to work at a family business, which includes IT management. One of the Alligators on the inside claims there is more to the story:

"Soto was fired by the governor. Soto took the Office of Information Technology and parlayed it into a cabinet post, and then hamstrung every single NM agency by requiring any and all IT purchases and contracts to be approved and possibly challenged for a better deal by his office. His own kingdom...A consortium of large national IT providers approached the Governor with a statement that Soto was unfriendly to business and wanted only to send contracts to politicals. Essentially, they told the governor either him or us. Guess who won? They did, and so do the NM agencies who no longer have to go through hoops to get contracts approved.

Soto, 64, reached in Texas, insisted he was not fired by Big Bill. "The Governor asked me to reconsider leaving. He thought it was a mistake." Soto said. He added: "We tightened up contracts...and standardized practices. Some people were not happy..."

Soto, a longtime New Mexico government and political operative who has supported Richardson politically, spent five years with the administration. He became a cabinet secretary when the IT agency was established last year. Marlin Mackey of Tax and Revenue has been named acting secretary.

PEARCE AND THE NATIONALS

The Dems may try to make a big deal out of this, but we don't think it is that big of a deal. The National GOP Senatorial Committee says it is canceling ads planned for GOP US Senate contender Steve Pearce. First, we never thought they were going to do ads for Pearce. Second, we just blogged this week that our media mavens report third party interest groups--the US Chamber of Commerce and the conservative Club for Growth have together bought $250,000 in TV time that is currently airing. The question is will that third party money continue to come. If it does, the national GOP decision not to buy ads here for Pearce will be incidental. Also, we need to keep in mind Pearce's last resort option--spending money from his own personal oil fortune which he is reluctant to do.

THE LIBERAL MOTHERLAND?

Reader Gary Simpson says we are drinking the liberal Kool-Aid, and cites our comments on the pregnancy of Sarah Palin's daughter in Tuesday's blog when we noted the pre-marital pregnancy was not "exactly following the teachings of the churches."

..Regardless of their religion, teenagers make dumb decisions every single day. Teenage girls get pregnant. Just like Al Gore's son got arrested! Just like John Edwards has been screwing a woman while his wife has cancer. And just like Clinton was getting BJ's in the Oval Office. One of the things that originally attracted me to your blog was an attempt on your part to remain nonpartisan...Unfortunately, in recent months it feels like you have drifted to the liberal motherland."

Aah, the liberal motherland. So soothing. Thanks, Gary. But we get equal heat from both sides. That's because when it comes to the foibles of our beloved politicos, we are decidedly nonpartisan.