Headed into the long weekend and we see this on our newsroom floor:

1. The Wall Street Journal is read by the people who run the country.

2. The Washington Post is read by people who think they run the country.

3. The New York Times is read by people who think they should run the country and who are very good at crossword puzzles.

4. USA Today is read by people who think they ought to run the country but don't really understand The New York Times. They do, however, like their statistics shown in pie charts.

COMPETING WITH SUSANA

With the formation of Susana-PAC, the Guv's personal committee that will raise money to oust targeted legislators, the question arises of what the Dems will do in response. Will the state Senate and Dem leadership could look at forming their own PAC to compete directly with Susana? Some of the legislative leaders already have their own PACS from which they dole out money to legislators, but with the Governor now directly challenging them, they may look at raising money and hiring consultants of their own for an "Anti-Susana PAC." Or if they don't, maybe organized labor which has so much at stake?

GETTING CLOSER

It's still not from the horse's mouth, but Spaceport boosters are thankful for any optimistic words from the Governor's office. The AP reports

Labels: Friday clippings

Susana & Heather
The furious efforts to put John Sanchez in his place can be looked at two ways. The Lt. Governor will be diminished by the onslaught from GOP establishment figures and his candidacy will fizzle long before it takes hold, or Sanchez is a major threat whose chances of beating Heather Wilson for the GOP Senate nomination are pretty darned good.

We're going with the second theory, in part because Governor Martinez wasted no time in giving Wilson a quasi-endorsement by showing up at an Economic Forum breakfast Wednesday and making a point of being seen with her. Heather then posted it on her Facebook page.

That's on top of Susana dissing John right after he got in the race by saying she would "limit his responsibilities" as Lt. Governor.

You don't fire your big gun this early without reason. Wilson and Martinez want to nip the Sanchez candidacy in the bud, but it is not going to happen--no matter how many members of the Legislature, the mainstream media and various others try.

And that's not an opinion.

Go outside of the New Mexico for a moment and take a look at what the editor of Redstate.org, one of the most widely followed conservative web sites in the USA has to say:

The number one goal of conservatives in 2012, other than defeating Barack Obama, has got to be defeating Heather Wilson in New Mexico. She’d be Mike Castle terrible in the United States Senate. Luckily, we have a strong, viable challenger to her in the primary named John Sanchez. We should rally early for Sanchez to stop Wilson.

The number one goal? That kind of national play will help Sanchez financially and it will also give conservatives here plenty of cover to stay off Wilson.

Having Martinez boost Heather early might help her stop momentum towards Sanchez, but on the other hand, Martinez might have been more valuable down the road. Now that it is known that Heather is the Guv's favorite, she will not factor as much into the year long campaign that lies ahead.

Wilson also relied on another GOP heavyweight when she last ran for the Senate nod in 2008. Then-Senator Pete Domenici, who had more stroke in the party than Martinez or any other R in recent history, gave a late endorsement of Heather, but it still wasn't enough to stop the conservative grassroots from giving the victory to Steve Pearce.

We do like the fact that for Wilson this is do or die. It is her last bite out of the political apple and we should see the best of her. You can't really say she's ever run a bad campaign--even when she lost. And no one is going to argue that she wouldn't make a solid US Senator. But this near frantic early push by the front-runner against Sanchez shows she knows what we know--this may be her most dangerous opponent yet. She just can't write it on a blog.

WHERE'S THE BASE?

We agree with pollster Brian Sanderoff and UNM poly sci professor Lonna Atkeson that Lt. Gov. and GOP US Senate candidate John Sanchez lacks the strong regional base that Steve Pearce had when he beat Heather for the Senate nomination in 2008. However, it needs to be noted that in winning the 2010 GOP nomination for lieutenant governor Sanchez, an ABQ native, trailed ABQ State Senator Kent Cravens in a three way race by less than three percentage points in Bernalillo Countyy.

Sanchez has the possibility to do something Pearce did not and that's run competitively with Heather in the ABQ metro--her critical home base. That in turn means he will not have to carve out as much strength in the south as Pearce. Remember, Heather landslided Pearce in the metro and nearly overcame his 3 to 1 win down south. Will it be as easy for her to landslide Sanchez when both are from here? If Sanchez could run well here, he would not need as strong a southern showing as Pearce.

Of course, all of that is contingent on Sanchez being viewed as a competent and qualified Senate contender, something that has yet to be established statewide and which Wilson will work mightily to prevent.

REBUTTING SUSANA

Okay, since they've been unloading on Sanchez with both barrels, here's another view from reader Kathryn Carroll:

Governor Martinez said:

"To prevent this race from becoming a distraction, Lieutenant Governor Sanchez will not be given responsibilities in my administration beyond the select few provided for in the state constitution...."

....And her eighteen-month campaign seeking the Republican nomination and general election for governor were NOT a distraction to the important work of the Dona Ana County district attorney's office? She announced her candidacy in August, 2009, campaigned until the November, 2010 election, and still did not vacate the office of district attorney until hours before she was inaugurated as governor, insuring that Richardson would not be able to name her replacement. Isn't this the pot calling the kettle black? Or perhaps, "what's good for me isn't necessarily good for you, Mr. Sanchez" or a little of both, sprinkled with a heavy dose of hypocrisy?

Point well made, Kathryn.

And ABQ Republican US House hopeful and GOP Cit Councilor Dan Lewis draws some reader fire for wanting to put before voters whether the controversial red light cameras in the city should stay or go:

He now says he wants the public to vote on the controversial cameras at the Oct. 4 city election. Someone should point out to Mr. Lewis that we operate in a representational democracy. We elected him to do the dirt work of running our city. His idea barely works at the this level, imagine if he floats this plan at the federal level. If he can't or won't make the decisions we elected him to, then why run for office?

This is the home of New Mexico politics.

E-mail your news and comments. Interested in advertising here? Drop us a line.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2011
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

Where do Martin Heinrich, Hector Balderas, Heather Wilson, John Sanchez, Steve Pearce, Ben Ray Lujan, Dan Lewis, Janice Arnold-Jones, Jon Barela and Eric Griego stand on Medicare reform? Those are all candidates or possible candidates for the US congress in NM. And if the current trend holds, none of them are going to get much of a look from voters before they answer the question. The latest:

They're not buying it. Most Americans say they don't believe Medicare has to be cut to balance the federal budget, and ditto for Social Security, a new poll shows.The Associated Press-GfK poll suggests that arguments for overhauling the massive benefit programs to pare government debt have failed to sway the public. The debate is unlikely to be resolved before next year's elections for president and Congress.

Both sides are vulnerable but the R's more so. They lost a special US House election Tuesday night in New York. Analysts credited the defeat to the R Medicare reforms. Dems have been assailed for supporting Obama's Medicare cuts to finance his national health plan and R's are getting catcalls for the radical Ryan Medicare reform plan being advanced in Washington.

New Mexicans have been hurt by high unemployment, slow business and falling home prices. Their economic insecurity has made them nervous about what they will have at the end of the trail. That is not an atmosphere in which advocating for cuts to Social Security and Medicare to resolve the national debt will be greeted as political valor.

To paraphrase a 2010 senior citizen campaign commercial: "Mr. Candidate, Don't mess with my Social Security!"

SUSANA DISSES JOHN

Susana had the Alligators rubbing their bellies in delight when she sternly warned that Lt. Governor John Sanchez will be given no more responsibilities in her administration now that he has announced his candidacy for the GOP US Senate nomination. It's a rib-tickler because Susan has given John squat to do since the two took office in January. And during the transition Martinez and company sent Sanchez on a road trip to meet with everyday citizens but it was seen by analysts (and Sanchez friends) as an effort to keep him away from the decision-making in Santa Fe.

Susana said she does not plan to endorse a candidate in the GOP Senate race "at this time." That leaves her room to come down on the side of Sanchez foe Heather Wilson. She sure isn't going to endorse John.

Sanchez's embryonic candidacy is taking on the mood of an insurgency with ABQ State Sen. Kent Cravens, who Sanchez beat for the GOP Lt. Gov. nomination last year, stomping on the sour grapes and complaining that Sanchez won't be able to do his job as Light Guv now that he's running for Senate. But a Light Guv has very few specified duties except presiding over the part-time state Senate when it's in session. His other job is to check every morning for the heartbeat of the Governor and if there is none remove the body and take over.

If the GOP establishment epitomized by Cravens and Senator Harden, who called on Sanchez to resign, continues to dump on him it could very well backfire and give his candidacy additional cachet. Looking like you are not part of the club isn't a bad way to go in this climate.

If Martinez does try a strategic endorsement of Heather later in the campaign, it would help her most in the South where Heather is weakest. Sanchez would not get as much from an endorsement--even if there was a chance he would get it. Like Martinez, he's an independent R going his own way and building his own base. That's enough to have any Governor tear their hair out and say stuff like this:

"To prevent this race from becoming a distraction, Lieutenant Governor Sanchez will not be given responsibilities in my administration beyond the select few provided for in the state constitution...."

Sanchez running for US Senate so soon after being elected Light Guv is a nonevent to the non political classes. How he campaigns and what he says to a conservative dominated party that wants change is what will decide his fate.

HEATHER ATTACKS

One thing about Wilson, she does not deal in denial. The candidacy of Sanchez is a major threat and her campaign wasted little time landing this haymaker:

“We welcome Lt. Governor Sanchez into the race and look forward to contrasting Heather Wilson’s conservative record with his invented one. On issue after issue John Sanchez is not who he says he is, and Republican voters will be quick to figure that out.”

There's that "C" word again that has given Wilson, so often described as a moderate, so many sleepless nights. Can she at this late date capture the hearts of conservatives? Probably not. But proving that Sanchez is a fraudulent conservative gives them nowhere to jump. That effort has begun.

CAMERAS GET STOP SIGN

Those love 'em or hate 'em red light cameras were a clever idea for former Mayor Marty Chavez. In their first couple of years they raised millions in revenue, avoiding the need to raise taxes. But the novelty soon wore off. Drivers figured out quickly not to run the red and many of those that did simply failed to pay their fines. It wasn't a criminal violation so they were not rounded up.

Mayor Berry has been hesitant to throw the program out, but the city council may have done it for him. They failed to approve a contract extension for the company that runs the cameras and they are now dark. Will the mayor and council try to resurrect the cameras?

There's a lesson here for the struggling city of Rio Rancho which is launching its own red light camera program. The money is good for a year or two, but then what? The cameras are now losing money in ABQ.

GOP City Councilor Dan Lewis, also a candidate for the ABQ US House seat, has been leading the charge to rid the city of the cameras. His populist radar could be on the money on this one, but Lewis has put a wrinkle in his opposition that is drawing notice.

He now says he wants the public to vote on the controversial cameras at the Oct. 4 city election. But analysts say that could inadvertently help former GOP City Councilor Greg Payne who is trying to oust fellow Republican Trudy Jones from her ABQ NE Heights seat. If Payne were successful, the automatic five vote Republican majority Mayor Berry has enjoyed on the council could be jeopardized by swing vote Payne. The theory is that a more anti-incumbent electorate could be enticed to the polls if the red-light camera issue is on the ballot thus endangering Jones.

If Dan Lewis ever doubted that for every action there is a reaction, he's learning fast.

This is the home of New Mexico politics.

E-mail your news and comments. Interested in advertising here? Drop us a line.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2011
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

The effort to keep John Sanchez out of the race for the Republican nomination for the United States Senate had all the power of pushing on a string. The somewhat tattered remains of a GOP establishment again tried to anoint former GOP Congresswoman Heather Wilson as their chosen one, but Sanchez formally enters the race today, setting the stage for a highly competitive primary and one in which Wilson could find herself on the losing end if she loses sight of her "A" game.

Sanchez played to his strength in making the entry. He cut a 60 second TV spot showing him at his telegenic best. In it he describes his up-by-the-bootstraps beginnings, calls himself a "new voice" and takes an oblique dig at Wilson by saying we shouldn't return politicians to Washington "who got us into this mess in the first place."

Sanchez's campaign Web site is here.

Sanchez said it's not just a web ad. He will make a "significant buy" to put it on broadcast TV. That's clearly an "I came to play" message that has become his political signature. If the buy is as he says, Sanchez is rapidly going to close a lot of space between himself and Heather.

If politics is all about timing, could Sanchez's timing be any better? He is 48--the right age; he's fresh from a statewide win for lieutenant governor; he's an Hispanic candidate when promoting Hispanics is all the Republican rage; he's an Hispanic candidate when it was 1976 when NM had its last Hispanic Senator; Wilson, his chief rival, remains unpopular with the dominant conservative wing of the party and despite his past electoral successes and failures Sanchez still retains his anti-politician identity as a successful, independent businessman.

On top of that, if Sanchez loses the nod he will still keep his day job as lieutenant governor at least until 2014. It's hard to find a reason for Sanchez not to run. But Heather Wilson, as tenacious a political player as the state has seen, will certainly come up with a lengthy list.

Will there be negative campaigning? What do you think? Will there be luminarias on Christmas Eve?

WHY ME?

In a phone conversation with the freshly-minted candidate, Sanchez returned to the themes he teased with before becoming a formal contender. He tells GOP voters "they now have a clear choice" and he "is the good conservative alternative" to Wilson with "the real, practical, hands-on experience that the country needs right now."

Hold on, John. Heather holds a Ph.D in international relations, is a five term former ABQ congresswoman and a national security expert to boot. Aren't you, a high school graduate, out of your depth?

"Some of the most sophisticated, well-educated people got America into the trouble we are now in. Why don't we send Senators to Washington with real-world experience and common-sense solutions?"

Sanchez, who built a small roofing business into a big one and made millions in the process, said "restoring fiscal sanity and making sure we get our financial house in order" is the prelude to creating jobs and boosting the economy.

While Sanchez highlights his business background as central to his candidacy, he says he also acquired the requisite depth to be a US Senator from his service as an official in the village of Los Ranchos, from a two year term in the Legislature and now as lieutenant governor. He was also the 2002 GOP governor nominee, losing to Democrat Bill Richardson.

When he was toying with the idea of running, Sanchez unloaded a fusillade against Wilson, dubbing her "a relic of the past" and not a true conservative. He said in our interview that "there will be plenty of time for the contrasts" and resisted unloading on her again. He's right about the time. The June 2012 primary is still over a year away.

JOHN AND SUSANA

We also threw out an old allegation against Sanchez--that his roofing company employed illegal immigrants. "My business has always complied to the fullest extent of the law," he retorted, and added that he has been in business for 30 years with a reputation for "success and honesty." He pointed to the Small Business of the Year Award that Right Way Roofing received from the ABQ Hispano Chamber of Commerce. Unsurpisingly, he said he fully supports Governor Martinez's continued push to repeal driver's licenses for illegal immigrants.

As far as Martinez throwing her support behind him in a contested primary, Sanchez said he could not predict what she would do, but that if elected to the Senate he looked forward to working with her "side by side."

Susana's popularity among R's is off the charts. His association with her is going to help, but a formal endorsement of Heather or Sanchez by Susana is unlikely.

The relationship between the Guv and Light Guv is not known to be warm--to put it politely. She has given the state's #2 no responsibilities. But political pros do not see her trying to thwart him. Wilson headed Susana's transition team but insiders say her relationship with Heather also would not heat up a room. But Wilson was smart to head that transition and, like Sanchez, will benefit from any association with the state's leading R.

THE DANGER

Sanchez won a four way GOP Guv primary in 2002. In 2000, he was labeled a political giant killer when he ousted powerful House Speaker Raymond Sanchez from his ABQ North Valley House seat. In 2010, he won a three way primary for the GOP lieutenant governor nomination.

You can see how dangerous this candidacy is to Wilson's continued political life. In addition, my polling Alligators say 70 percent of GOP primary voters are self-described conservatives. If Sanchez, like Pearce, becomes known as their candidate, Heather's headache becomes a migraine.

THE FAMILY HISTORY

It's a strong one, as most of you know. Born and raised in ABQ, Sanchez is the youngest of eight children and raised by a single mother. His grandfather served in the Legislature. His wife Debra likes politics and the couple frequently use their expansive far ABQ NE Heights home for political fundraisers. The couple have two children. In his TV spot, he says he grew up "in poverty." That's not a word you often see referenced in a Republican candidate's background. It sets him apart and maybe down the road helps him with Dems?

THE POLITICS

The Sanchez candidacy signals with certainty that southern NM GOP Congressman Steve Pearce will not go for the Senate nod again. He did so in 2008 and beat Wilson by toting up huge margins in the south. Insiders see him doing all he can for Sanchez without provoking too much controversy.

Sanchez may not be able to get totals in the south as impressive as Pearce's, but he has a hole card Pearce did not. Sanchez is a native of ABQ and will fight Wilson in the metro area where the fate of her candidacy rests.

Early polling and Wilson's high name ID have her in the driver's seat, but it is a slippery steering wheel she's gripping. A robocall poll taken in late April had her beating Sanchez among Republicans 59% to 17%. But that was before Sanchez even announced. Also, that survey showed that the number of GOP voters who would definitely cast a ballot for Wilson was in the mid-30's--far from the majority needed for the win.

Still, as our insiders have said before, they expect Wilson to maintain a steady lead throughout the year with Sanchez closing the gap as we head into 2012. That, of course, is contingent on no major mistakes by the Light Guv who is not as well-known as Heather and for whom a campaign gaffe would take more of a toll.

THE MONEY

Sanchez has never been shy about dipping into his own bank account and he's not backing off now.

"I've never had a problem priming the pump and letting our donors know we have skin in the game," Sanchez declared. He said he will seed the campaign with his own money to get it off the ground.

Estimates on how much the GOP Senate race will cost range from $1.5 million to over $2 million, the amount Heather and Pearce each spent in their '08 duel. Wilson is an adroit fund-raiser, but the slow economy could pinch. Ditto for Sanchez.

Heather has raised a fast $300,000. Sanchez could easily match a good chunk of that with personal funds and his conversation with me indicated he is ready to do so.

Las Cruces day center owner Craig Sowards has also announced a GOP Senate bid and kicked it off by giving himself $150,000, but he will need much more to join Heather and John in the top tier.

THIRD PARTY PLAYERS

Third party TV money looks especially favorable for Sanchez. Conservative groups like "Club for Growth" that cut campaign ads against Wilson last time around are sure to be back. They do not see her as a true blue conservative. Sanchez will benefit from the hard-right support, but he will leave himself wiggle room on key issues so he can try to move to the middle if he wins the nomination.

Wilson has not yet secured meaningful backing from the big players who supported Pearce last time around. In other words, she does not appear to have expanded her base in the party very much, despite a slew of endorsements from state senators, representatives and various party officials. She had many of those last time as well and still lost. She will need to raid the tea party ranks to stop Sanchez from consolidating that vote and taking the win. Her vote to bail out the banks in her final year as a congresswoman is sure to be used against her as will doubts about her right-to-life credentials. She broke with President Bush on stem cell research.

THE CONSULTANTS

Here's the scoop on Sanchez's campaign consultants as recently reported by the WaPo:

RedRock Strategies formed: Two big-name Republican consulting firms are joining forces out West.

Ryan Erwin Associates and Casteel Erwin Associates have formed a new political consulting firm, RedRock Strategies. The two strategists joined forces last year to form Casteel Erwin Associates; now they’re combining their two firms into one.

Ryan Erwin is a former leader of the Nevada Republican Party and was a senior adviser on former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney’s 2008 presidential campaign. Corbin Casteel is a Texas-based consultant and former finance director for the state GOP. He currently works for former state Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams, who is running for retiring Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison’s (R-Texas) seat.

Sanchez will be one of the new firm's first major clients. Will that make them hungrier for the win?

THE BOTTOM LINES

Unlike 2008 when the R's fought vigorously among themselves for the right to succeed retiring Senator Pete Domenici, this time both parties have intramural battles. While Sanchez and Wilson square off, Rep. Martin Heinrich and State Auditor Hector Balderas are battling for the Dem nomination to fill the seat being vacated by Senator Jeff Bingaman.

Some politicos will worry that the spirited campaigns could damage their party's chances in the general election, but for New Mexico the competition is good news. With Senator Domenici gone and veteran Bingaman leaving, rarely have we been more vulnerable in Washington. Our next Senator--a 21st century Senator---must be a fighter not just on campaign billboards and TV spots but in the corridors of power where the money and power is divvied up.

On paper, Sanchez, Wilson, Heinrich and Balderas all have what it takes. But it will be the heat and pressure of the primary that will sort out the field and leave standing the two who have the most strength to protect this state's interests in Washington and position it for what looks to be a very challenging future.

This is the home of New Mexico politics.

E-mail your news and comments. Interested in advertising here? Drop us a line.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2011
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

Labels: John Sanchez, US Senate

Governor Martinez is wasting no time in working to convert her brief record into campaign cash to be used to oust her legislative foes. Susana's first pitch for her newly formed PAC contains red meat issues that will sound familiar to anyone who paid even causal attention to this year's legislative session.

(Thanks to those hard working Alligators, we've posted the complete letter here and here.)

And what slice of prime rib gets the most attention in Martinez's missive? You guessed it--her unsuccessful move to repeal the law that gives illegal immigrants the right to get a driver's license. It's mentioned three times in the two page letter. That comes as no surprise. During the legislative session she was already using the issue as a political wedge. She took heat for allowing her political team to make negative phone calls into the districts of legislators who did not support the repeal.

Martinez says the mission of her PAC is clear--to change the face of the Democratic dominated Legislature:

Susana-PAC has a clear mission: Promote the election of state and local candidates committed to the types of reforms that will move New Mexico Forward (and) promote our agenda, such as repealing the law that gives driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, enacting school reforms and lowering taxes to make New Mexico more competitive with our neighbors.

She asks for donations ranging from $1,000 to $25.

Martinez also tries to get potential donors excited by reprising her habitual Hollywood bashing:

We took on the Hollywood lobbyists and trimmed the taxpayer-funded subsidy given to movie-makers.

The Guv begins her pitch with a boast that she balanced the state budget without raising taxes and then comes more red meat:

I eliminated the two personal chef positions at the Governor's residence and cut spending there by 55%. And we are selling the state's luxury jets.

The letter is clearly aimed at her conservative GOP base where recent polling shows her garnering 90 percent approval.

Interestingly, there are no references to cleaning up state corruption, an ongoing theme of the new administration and the one that made her election possible.

The letter condenses Martinez's uncomplicated, formulaic Republican agenda and gives it some emotional power. However, without Big Bill as her foil, her cupboard looks somewhat bare. If the 2012 cycle is fought on the terms outlined in the letter, she could have some success, but if the agenda is focused more on jobs and economic security, the red meat could spoil fast.

HERE COMES THE JUDGE
Edgar Lopez
The bribery scandal that has so titillated the state the past few weeks seems to be getting even more hazy. Alleged bagman Edgar Lopez says the allegation that he passed bribes to former Governor Big Bill who in exchange appointed certain judges is "absurd." Las Cruces District Judge Michael Murphy has been indicted on bribery charges. The prosecutor's report says Murphy and other grand jury witness said that the way to get a judgeship was to give money to Lopez.

Lopez is a 40 year Las Cruces real estate investor. He and his companies donated over $40,000 to Bill's Guv campaigns. But bribes to get judges appointed? If Lopez hasn't flipped, who will testify to a bribery scheme that makes tracks to the Governor's office? Murphy says he's innocent. That leaves other judges and judge wannabes. Are they going to testify that they bribed their way to the bench or tried to? Is there proof of that we haven't seen? Or is the special prosecutor headed down a blind alley?

We're just asking, not judging.

The Las Cruces Sun-News is the first of the major media--other than this blog--to explore the political angle that lurks in the background in the Murphy case. Money quotes from State Dem Chair Javier Gonzales:

"She basically goes to the most politically motivated district attorney in the state and works to get him appointed as a special prosecutor and then they start going after this case. And so, people who shared with me their concerns from the legal community said 'This looks way too calculated....Susana Martinez, for whatever reason, cannot let go of her prosecutor's hat and start governing New Mexico. She's been knee-deep in this process, and I'd say part of the strategy for how this whole process was unveiled."

And we give the Guv's office equal time:

Martinez's office highlighted the fact that the investigation of Judge Murphy was initiated by 3rd Judicial District Court Judge Lisa Schultz, a Democrat. Schultz, after feeling her concerns about comments made by Murphy weren't being addressed by other officials, took the information to Martinez.

"Now, a grand jury has indicted Judge Murphy based on the testimony it heard and a jury will judge the case on its merits," said a Martinez spokesman. "To say this is partisan is a slap in the face to the courage Democratic Judge Lisa Schultz showed in reporting this bribery scheme, as well as to the other current and former Democratic judges who testified under oath in support of Judge Schultz's account."

The political angle to this story is essential. The Sun-News gets kudos for being among the first to cover it.

LEGAL BEAGLE

And in our continuing coverage, we turn to one of our Legal Beagles who casts a critical eye as he analyzes the latest developments:

This has now become an extremely high stakes case for special prosecutor Matt Chandler and perhaps even Governor Martinez. It sounds like Chandler wants to look at virtually all judges appointed by Richardson--at least in Dona Ana County. At this point Edgar Lopez appears to be the only witness that can make the case for Chandler against Judge Murphy and Richardson.

Lopez has not been charged and there is no indication in the Sunday Journal article that he was given immunity. Lopez no doubt will be a hostile witness for Chandler. If the article is any indication, it is going to be difficult going at best for Chandler.

The separate article (not available on the Journal website) about the Martinez-Lopez connection seemed to imply the Governor (who initiated the case when she was Dona Ana County district attorney) wanted to turn the case over to Chandler because Lopez did not support her politically. If Chandler does not now get a conviction, the case will look politically motivated and he is going to have a hard time practicing law before any judge, especially if he tries to indict other judges.

GOING NATIONAL

Nothing like bribery allegations to get New Mexico national attention. The New York Times takes on the Judge Murphy bribery case. Will special prosecutor Matt Chandler be questioning Big Bill?

Mr. Chandler indicated that Mr. Richardson might be questioned as part of the investigation.

“At this time, the investigation is directed at Mr. Murphy, but I can assure you that law enforcement are following leads involving other suspects,” he said. “No one is off limits to get the truth.”

What about this being a political prosecution, Matt?

“This is not about one party or another,” Mr. Chandler said, pointing out that five of the witnesses are Democrats and the sixth is an independent. “It’s about a judge who put a price tag on a judgeship.”

And Gilbert Gallegos, former spokesman for Dem Guv Bill is brought out of retirement for the occasion. He notes that Gov. Martinez started the probe when she was Dona Ana County District Attorney Martinez and then handed it off to Republican Matt Chandler:

“That speaks volumes about this prosecution,” said Gallegos...

Before it's over, this investigation is going to spill enough newspaper ink to fill up Elephant Butte on Memorial Day Weekend.

THE BOTTOM LINES

ABQ Dem State Senator Linda Lopez is not the chair of the committee appointed to redistrict the ABQ City Council. However, she is a member of that panel. in our first draft a Friday reader post said otherwise. Former ABQ State Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones is chair of the committee, but redistricting of the city will not take place in time for the Oct. 4 election.

This is the home of New Mexico politics

E-mail your news and comments. Interested in advertising here? Drop us a line.

(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2011
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

Labels: Murphy Case, Susana PAC