• PPP US Senate poll: Heinrich over Balderas 47% to 24%. Balderas needs money and some Martin mistakes to bring the front-runner down.
  
  
• GOP primary: Wilson 52%, Sanchez 24% and Sowards 8 %. Good start for Wilson, but she has glass jaw with conservatives. Sanchez is far from out of it.

This kind of snuck up on us. The ABQ metro area just blew past the 900,000 population mark. That means nearly half our state's population of 2.09 million lives in Bernalillo, Sandoval, Valencia and Torrance counties, says a national biz group that keeps track of such matters.

The 907, 755 population count as of July 1 makes us the 57th largest metro out of 942 ranked in the USA.

Cracking the top 50 is not in the cards anytime soon. Buffalo-Niagara Falls holds the 50th ranking with 1,329,000 residents. But we have had steady growth. In 2000, the census bureau says the metro had a population of nearly 730,000.

But things have been slowing down around here, particularly in Rio Rancho which had explosive growth until the housing bubble burst three years ago. With a paucity of new jobs coming in and the state reporting that our labor force is actually shrinking as people leave here to look for jobs elsewhere, the metro's population growth is going to be slower or even flat lined.

Those who have sought to contain growth on ABQ's west side are getting their way. Maybe the benefit is that we catch up with the past. But the downside is evident all around as real estate remains in a glutted condition and jobs are as tight as a Scotsman.

By the way, the Las Cruces metro area comes in with an estimated July 1, 2011 population of 214,887, ranking it #199 in the nation.

SANCHEZ FILE

We didn't think this quote from John Sanchez that we ran on the June 20 blog was very incendiary:

I think a lot of Hispanics in New Mexico can understand the struggles of lifting themselves into a better place," he said. "In the Hispanic culture it's all about the family. They are very certain about where they stand about protecting the unborn, about personal responsibility. For those reasons, I think my candidacy appeals to those voters.

But Dom Lopez in Española got fired up about Sanchez's take:

Your blog about John Sanchez running as the Hispanic candidate for Senate reminded me why I don't like him and his "story." Susana Martinez did not win the governorship because she told voters she was the "Hispanic" candidate. Susana won because she presented herself as someone who was qualified to change the way things are done in New Mexico. As a Democrat Hispanic who crosses over to vote for Republicans a lot, I find it very offensive when people tell me I need to vote for my race. That's what John Sanchez is saying when he says "I think my candidacy appeals to those [Hispanic] voters." It's not going to work, especially when you consider he doesn't have an education. We Hispanics don't vote for candidates who say they are "just like us." Instead, we vote for Hispanics who we aspire to be.

That reference to education is Sanchez's lack of a college degree. Dave Finley of Socorro comes with this sidebar on that:

Possibly the most famous U.S. Senator elected without a college degree was Sen. Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia. He was elected to the U.S. House in 1952 and to the U.S. Senate in 1958. While in the House, he began attending law school at night, receiving a law degree in 1963. He later received an undergraduate degree in 1994. He holds the record of longest-serving U.S. Senator and was both Majority Leader and Minority Leader during his tenure, which ended with his death last year. Among many other things, he was known as an expert on the Senate's history.

ALREADY HERE

There's not enough of them to force you to hide under the bed or turn off the tube, but the first political ads of the 2012 cycle are up and running in New Mexico:

Crossroads GPS, a conservative-aligned outside organization, is pledging to spend $20 million over the next two months on ads aimed at shaping the national debate on jobs, the economy and the federal debt.

The first wave of ads began airing Monday with a $5 million buy that will include national cable television as well as broadcast stations in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, and Virginia. The ads will run for two weeks.

The ad, entitled “Shovel Ready,” takes President Obama to task over the economy. It details the rise of unemployment, gas prices and the national debt under Obama and argues that the economic stimulus package “failed.”

MY BOTTOM LINES

Animal Protection Voters of NM comes with an early endorsement of Rep. Martin Heinrich for the Dem nod for US Senate:

Martin has fought to protect the jobs, chimpanzees, and federal dollars at the Alamogordo Primate Facility on Holloman Air Force Base from leaving New Mexico. He is an original cosponsor of the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act of 2011; he cosponsored a bill to ban horse slaughter and has voted in support of service dogs for Veterans, to ban animal “crush” videos, and against environmental exemptions for the largest factory farms in the United States....

Did we mention that around UNM Saggio's restaurant and Olympia Cafe are great places for a casual dinner and this time of year they aren't crowded?....

Thanks for joining us this week. Happy Fourth.

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How relevant is a candidate's age? The question arose here in the wake of Diane Denish's decision not to seek the ABQ House seat and when we made a point of mentioning that she was 62. First the critique from reader Sigrid Olson of Pecos and then our response:

How very strange and typically male for you to refer to Diane Denish’s age (yes, she is 62 but could easily pass for younger if it was either appropriate or important) in blogging that she has chosen not to make a run for the Congressional seat given up so blithely by Heinrich. Did you consider Marty Chavez’s age, nearly 60 and not a successful candidate in several non-abq mayoral races? And what about Steve Pearce still acting quite relevant at age 66? Really, an apology and a recognition that you fell into a typical ageist stereotyping would be welcome and maybe help others escape this Alligator bite…

Thanks, Sig, but the mention of Denish's age was not meant as a diss. We were indicating that 62 is long in the tooth to begin a career as a member of the US House from the ABQ district. We were remiss in not mentioning Chavez's age as well because we believe it is an issue. Not because he or Denish are not physically up to the job but because....

New Mexicans need and want seniority in the Congress. Now more than ever. When Senator Bingaman leaves at the end of 2012, we will have hardly any. In the more than 40 year history of the ABQ House seat we have never elected anyone for the first time who was over 50. In 1968, Manuel Lujan was 40 when he won. He served 20 years. In 1988, Steve Schiff was 41 when he was elected; in 1998, Heather Wilson was 37.

Not that electing younger politicians is a guarantee to acquire that coveted seniority. Schiff died in office and Wilson left after ten years to run for the Senate. As for Pearce, he was elected at the age of 55 in 2002. Pearce, now 63, left the seat to make a quixotic run in 2008 for Senate. He reclaimed the seat in 2010, but that interruption did not help his seniority status.

Age matters here in this small state so dependent on federal funding. More seniority equals more funding. In fact, it was an oddity that Tom Udall was elected to the Senate at the age of 60 in 2008. (Tom's father--Stewart Udall--lived until 90--so maybe Tom is in for a longer stretch than you might think.) Our other freshman Senators in recent decades--Bingaman, Domenici, Schmitt and Montoya--were under 50 when first elected and often much younger

It's not an accident, and from our window it is good for New Mexico that all of the major US Senate candidates in 2012 are on the youngish side---all of them would be 52 or younger when beginning their first Senate term in 2013.

In the US House race, Chavez would be two months away from 61 when he began his term. Dem Eric Griego, now 45, would be 47 in January 2013. Republican Dan Lewis is 41. Jon Barela is around 52. Janice Arnold-Jones is 59.

The bottom line is that age is an important issue for a small state like New Mexico as it battles for federal funding in the halls of Washington--federal funding that is so key to the economy of this state.

It isn't sexist or ageist to talk about it, but rather in the long-term interest of all New Mexicans. So when you see us quoting a candidate's age, it's not personal. It's just business.

PREZ'S POPULARITY

This is pretty good news for the Dems because they want to see President Obama hold the 50 percent level so it will help them take the open US Senate seat next year. From the June 23-26 Democratic PPP Poll:

Barack Obama's popularity in New Mexico is on the decline but he still appears to be in pretty good shape to win the state again in 2012. 50% of voters in the state approve of the job Obama's doing to 44% who disapprove. When PPP polled New Mexico in February Obama was at a 55/40 spread. Since then he's seen a significant decline in his standing with independents, from 60% giving him good marks to just 49%. And he's also seen a more modest drop with Democrats, from 77% pleased with his performance to 72%.

And in the very early horse race in NM:

Obama leads Mitt Romney, 49-42, down nine points from 53-37. Against everyone else, the president would at least replicate his 15-point victory over John McCain in 2008.

Holding on to that magic 50% number is going to take a lot of work. Expect to see team Obama give some special attention to swing state New Mexico in the months ahead.

CHAVEZ POLLING

Freshly-minted congressional candidate Marty Chavez, looking to build some early momentum comes with an internal poll in the race for the Dem nod for the ABQ US House seat that shows the former three term mayor beating back State Senator Eric Griego 32 to 15. Possible candidate Michelle Lujan Grisham polls 8 percent and another possible--former Sandia Pueblo Governor Stuart Paisano--comes with 3 percent. (The full poll and polling memo is posted here.)

But the biggest number in the poll from Lake Research Partners is the number of undecided. It's huge at 41 percent. Chavez has the name ID so can be expected to have the pole position eleven months before the primary, but Griego has plenty of time and so does another big name candidate if they decide to get in.

The polling questions were not released but the survey said Chavez gets a "favorable impression" from 55 percent of likely Dem primary voters. The Griego camp is sure to view that skeptically.

Chavez, who was defeated in 2009 in his quest for re-election as ABQ mayor, has to be glad his name ID is holding up, but don't be surprised if you see him looking for running shoes at the local department store. He and the rest of the field are going to need them.

WALKING IT BACK

Secretary of State Dianna Duran rang the state's bells when she indicated that the voting records of 64,000 New Mexicans needed to be examined for possible fraud. But she appears to realize she went over-the-top and has started walking back the story.

Secretary of State Dianna Duran recently sent 64,000 names of registered voters to state police for investigation. But she said Monday that she doesn't consider those files to be potential voter-fraud cases. "Don't use the words voter fraud, " Duran said in an interview. "I'm just trying to assure the accuracy of our voter files...It's not a fishing expedition. It's not a witch hunt."

Okay, got that. But.....

If it's not "voter fraud" she's looking for, why did she turn the files over to a law-enforcement agency that investigates criminal cases? Duran said she thought the Department of Public Safety was better equipped to handle such an investigation.

Secretary Duran stepped in it with this deal, probably because of enormous pressure from the GOP right wing which has pursued voter fraud for decades--without any tangible results. But it is Dianna taking the political hit with the independents and Dems she needs to get re-elected in 2014. And this walk back indicates she knows it.

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Diane Denish won't be joining Eric Griego and Marty Chavez in the battle for the Dem nomination for the ABQ US House seat. Denish has told friends and political associates the race is not for her. It signals the end of the former lieutenant governor's political career which is bookended by her chairmanship of the Democratic Party and her eight years as the state's #2 from 2003-2010.

A nomination fight would have been particularly bloody with her old rival Marty Chavez. Chavez made his bid official Tuesday, saying:

“It really is about the economy and how perilous it is. And you can’t have a strong economy unless you balance the budget.” He also said he would work to balance the budget while supporting Medicare and Social Security to protect society’s “most vulnerable.”

Insiders report Chavez called Denish to tell her he is getting in the contest to replace Dem Rep. Martin Heinrich who is leaving the seat to run for US Senate. We broke the news of his impending announcement several days ago.

Chavez got a taste of what he is in for when his announcement was criticized by a number of Alligators for coming in the middle of the huge Los Alamos and other fires that are going to squeeze out his announcement. But then Chavez, with high negatives, doesn't want to set the world on fire with his announcement. He wants to wade in, not splash. Still, the usually media savvy mayor might have held off until after the holiday to get the best bang for his buck.

He made his announcement in an Internet video at his web site.

The political community never expected Denish to go. At 62, it is not a job that offered her much and after her failed 2010 Guv run against Susana Martinez, the opposition to her candidacy from the party's liberal wing would have been vociferous.

Denish will be remembered for her advocacy for children during her tenure under former Governor Bill Richardson. But she was ultimately undone by being associated with Richardson when his popularity plummeted. She sealed her fate by running a gubernatorial campaign that revealed her to be much less of the iron lady than was thought, yielding to operatives who played it too conservative in both tactics and policies.

Still, Denish has blazed trails and has won the respect of the state. But her trailblazing days are over.

The Denish departure leaves Dem pros concerned that Chavez and Griego will eat each other alive. Marty is already being dubbed a "Republican lite" candidate and it won't be long before he starts firing.

While the older generation embodied by Di begins to depart the stage, the newer generation is not showing the same hunger for the congressional seat. Negative campaigning, the huge amounts of money needed, the constant need to raise that money and the prospect of cutting services to citizens, not enhancing them, are all cited as reasons for some attractive Dem candidates staying out.

A Senior Republican Alligator says Chavez starts as the favorite, but not a prohibitive one.

Marty has an organization, but Griego is the guerilla warrior. A lower primary turnout will favor Griego. The liberal base he appeals to is more likley to vote.

Yep. Once again the key New Mexican political races are being framed right here, not by the spin doctors or operatives or those with an axe to grind, but by those with a long, long view of the game of La Politica.

On the GOP side, ABQ City Councilor Dan Lewis, 2010 GOP nominee Jon Barela and former State Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones are the main players. Lewis is already in, Barela is expected to come later in the year and Arnold-Jones will play if she can raise enough cash.

FIRST SENATE POLL

It's those often fickle independents that emerge as the headline makers in the first public polling of the 2012 US Senate race. They went for the R's big time in 2010, but in the early going of this cycle independents--who make up to a third of the electorate--are breaking Dem. That's good news for Dems Martin Heinrich and Hector Balderas who are squaring off for their party's Senate nod and not so good for Heather Wilson and John Sanchez who are vying for the GOP nomination.

Democratic polling firm PPP came with these horse-race numbers from its auto-dial poll of 732 state voters conducted June 23-26 with an MOE of 3.6 percent:

State Auditor Hector Balderas and Rep. Martin Heinrich lead their potential Republican opponents. Balderas leads Lieutenant Governor John Sanchez 39-35, former Congresswoman Heather Wilson 45-39, and businessman Greg Sowards 42-28. Heinrich is leading Sanchez 45-39, Wilson 47-42 (Narrowing from 50-39 in February), and Sowards 46-34. While crossover support is either even or to the Republican’s advantage in each matchup, the Democrats have a significant advantage with independents aside from the Sanchez-Balderas race. In a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 51-32, that’s a recipe for a Democratic victory.

Another salient point from the polling is the high unfavorable rating for Wilson. It is now at 45 percent of the overall electorate. How does she get that down? Very hard when you are so well-known. The lesser known Sanchez has an unfavorable rating of 28%. Wilson supporters will argue she has always had high negatives and survived by raising her opponent's unfavorables.

Polling for the Dem and GOP Senate primaries is to be released later this week.

LEGAL BEAGLE CORNER

Our Legal Beagles continue to walk the Guv's recent defeat at the State Supeme Court around the block. Here's the latest:

Your Santa Fe Legal Beagle who was on your blog Tuesday should have listened to the argument in front of the Supreme Court--if so, he would not have made the following comment about the Governor striking a digit from an appropriations bill: "It has been done in other states with line-item vetoes and similar Constitutional provisions. It just didn't fly here."

The Governor's attorney tried that line on the Court and they smacked it down. Justice Bosson noted that the states that allowed it generally had specific provisions allowing for scaling down appropriations. Justice Chavez noted that not only was there only one state with similar constitutional provisions --Wisconsin-- that allowed scaling, but that the Alaska Supreme Court, in declining to follow Wisconsin's lead, had noted that no other state had taken that path. So the statement that this had been done in other states with similar constitutional provisions is simply wrong.

Given that your Legal Beagle kept referring to what the governor did as a "single-digit" veto (legally meaningless term), echoing the argument taken in the Governor's brief in the case, gives me a notion of where that Beagle might have its kennel.

If they keep it up, the Legal Beagles are going to give the Alligators a run for their money...

THE BOTTOM LINES

From the email on the news made here Tuesday that former State Rep. Brian Moore, deputy chief of staff for Governor Martinez, is out and taking a gig at the state's office in DC:

Is being moved to the NM DC office anything like being shipped to the Cerro Colorado Landfill if you work for the City of Albuquerque?

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Brian Moore
We're getting word of what will be seen as the first staff shake-up for Governor Martinez. Reliable Alligators and wall-leaners report that Deputy Chief of Staff Brian Moore is gone from the Fourth Floor of the Roundhouse to run the state's office in Washington, D.C.

Moore, a former GOP state legislator from Clayton and a 2010 GOP lieutenant governor candidate, is said to have signed on for a six month stint at the state office, but his departure means it is unlikely he will ever return to Martinez's inner circle.

For several months insiders have said Moore has not been happy with the way things have turned out for him under Martinez. He was seen as being excluded from the power circle and his legislative experience under utilized. His relationship with Guv chief of staff, Keith Gardner, another former GOP legislator, has also been the subject of intense scrutiny.

Moore is a respected figure on both the Dem and R side of the aisle, earning a reputation for reasonableness during his 10 years of House service. After the Guv's latest defeat before the NM Supreme Court last week we asked where Moore was in providing some experienced leadership, but in the hothouse partisan atmosphere of Santa Fe his services, as they say, "are no longer required." No word on who, if anyone, will take Moore's place as deputy chief of staff.

We also note that Matt Kennicott, who started out as director of policy and planning for Martinez, has now moved to the Human Services Department as communications director. He previously worked with the New Mexico House Republican Caucus and left in 2010 to become Martinez's director of campaign operations. Kennicott is also a former executive director of the NM GOP and once worked with the Republican National Committee.

DEFENDING SUSANA

Now some push back to our contention--and that of others--that Martinez erred in how she handled the challenge to her partial veto that was declared unconstitutional by the State Supreme Court. It comes from a Santa Fe Legal Beagle:

Joe, you blogged:

"She lost Wednesday defending a partial veto, something earlier Governors had done, but she decided to press the matter in court. When she lost, she lost a negotiating tool for herself and all future Governors."

The case was brought by legislators. Are you therefore saying she didn't roll over when it was filed? She didn't ask for the case--and as for others having done one-digit line item vetos, your story was not exactly square with the evidence. The last time anyone could show a Guv "scaling" down an appropriation was, according to the briefs, 1941. No mention of crossing out one number was made, so that seems like a new thing. It has been done in other states with line-item vetoes and similar Constitutional provisions. It just didn't fly here. The line-item veto is not lost to Susana nor any other Governor. It was determined the single-digit veto was not acceptable...

We respect that view, but these are as much as political decisions as legal ones. We continue to believe Martinez, by losing three cases in a row before the Supreme Court, ultimately weakens her governorship--and those in the future. We did not want to see her "roll over" but negotiate her way to a win with the Legislature. She didn't and she lost. Why not just veto the entire appropriation in the first place, instead of striking a single number out? As we blogged originally: Advantage Legislature.

"THE LIST"

Some 1,400 customers of a busted call girl web site that snared former UNM President Chris Garcia can continue to breathe easy about their names being made public. Many of the customers of the Southwest Companions site are from the ABQ/Santa Fe area, say police. But police also tell reporter Peter St. Cyr their identities--for now--are protected.

APD Lt. Tim Gonterman responded this way to the journalist's request for the list under provisions of the Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA):

I was advised that due to the evidentiary nature of this request, the Attorney Generals office has declared this material exempt from public records requests at this time.

Garcia faces charges of promoting prostitution.

SUSANA'S TRAVEL

Those insisting on reading the tea leaves in a way that keeps Gov. Martinez pursuing a spot on the 2012 national GOP ticket have some additional fodder:

Gov. Martinez was in Mexico on Saturday to meet with the governor of Sonora and discuss the future of the relationship between the border states. Martinez's staff says the two sides are looking at ways to improve the region's economy and overcome common challenges, such as crime and border violence...

Is she buffing up her foreign policy credentials or doing something a New Mexico Governor naturally does. Or both?

FIRE WATCH

Yes, there is a political angle to fire-fighting, as we learn from this emailer watching with interest the state's efforts to combat the flames:

I wonder if the state environment department is ready for what looks like a very dangerous fire near Los Alamos Labs? The new administration has shuffled several of their key fire emergency response people (former Hazardous Waste Bureau Chief James Bearzi and Air Bureau Chief Mary Uhl) to lower profile bureaus. These are the folks who served through and learned the lessons of the catastrophic Cerro Grande fire that struck Los Alamos in 2000. Might this be a case of the Martinez Administration cutting off their nose to spite the face (and safety) of New Mexico?

Susana has been to the Los Alamos fire site. Our emailer is right that her performance--and the state's--will be closely watched during what is turning out to be a blistering fire season.

ALLIGATOR GRAPEVINE

The Alligators confirmed last week that former ABQ Mayor Marty Chavez will be seeking the Dem nomination for the ABQ US House seat, so when will he make a formal entry. The answer, say the Gators, is sometime this week....ABQ Police Chief Ray Schultz was enjoying a leisurely dinner at Saggio's Italian restaurant near UNM when he was interrupted by news that there had been yet another shooting involving an APD officer. Schultz rushed from the restaurant and to the scene. He took his dinner to go....

And what lousy timing that shooting was--if there could ever be good timing. It came only hours after the release of an outside report that urged changes in procedure when police are faced with the deadly force option. The big water-cooler talk was how the police--exercising new caution following 18 police shootings in 18 months--twice shot a taser at the suspect, but it did not stop him from charging at them with a bayonet. He was then brought down with four bullets and is listed in stable condition. Was this guy the man or steel or does someone need to take a look at what kind of tasers taxpayers are paying for? Just asking....

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The way politics and sex intersect these days it's no wonder there's titillating talk over who the 1,400 clients are of a busted call girl ring that has former UNM president, professor emeritus and longtime political analyst Chris Garcia charged with promoting prostitution.

Given Garcia's pedigree are there politicians on that list who are now shaking in their boots over the prospect of being outed as call girl clients of the now notorious Southwest Companions site? How about business leaders? The clients are said to be "respectable" members of the community who Garcia and his cohorts allegedly assisted in obtaining worry-free, but paid for sex.

The Legal Beagles we consult are cautious about whether the list of clients will ever see the light of the day. Releasing names could risk lawsuits against the city if mistakes were made. Also, it may not be necessary to make the list public in order to get convictions in the case. Still, there must be a lot of nervous guys around town.

Reports say the call girl ring was charging anywhere from $200 to $10,000 for sex. The "respectable" clients were apparently also well-heeled. That raises the question of who was making the money. Police say it was mainly about the sex for Garcia. But with those prices someone--in addition to the call girls--was making money.

Meanwhile, Garcia, whose now infamous Internet handle was "BurquePops," took another hit when KRQE-TV reported sex toys were found in his UNM office where he holds forth as a professor emeritus. The report also stated that a list of apparent prostitutes with performance ratings next to their names was also found.

And what if there were a big political name or two among the 1,400 patrons? Would that mean the end of that person's political career? Louisiana Senator David Vitter survived a brush with a prostitute scandal as did Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank.

Not that of any that is much comfort to any New Mexico politicos who are being kept up at night over "The List."

WILSON'S WORRY

We've been telling you of the conservative unease over the prospect of former ABQ GOP Congresswoman Heather Wilson becoming the party's 2012 US Senate nominee and now that unease is getting publicly expressed. Not good for Heather. Take a look at this from GOP Sen. Jim DeMint, the self-appointed and powerful watchdog of all things conservative:

DeMint said he plans to get involved, once again, in Republican primaries for the 2012 elections. One race he has his eye on is the open Senate seat in New Mexico, which is being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman. Republican leaders have recruited former Rep. Heather Wilson to run, but she faces a challenge against the more conservative John Sanchez, New Mexico's lieutenant governor. "She's a friend, but we've talked to her and I don't think Heather's going to be thought of as a conservative, and she's got a good opponent," DeMint said. "We may get involved with that race, but we haven't made a final decision. I won't commit, at this point, but I think we're going to have a strong conservative there."

DeMint's political action committee boasts of backing six conservative GOP primary Senate winners in the 2010 cycle. The PAC raised over $9 million and is busy raising funds for 2012. Will some of that money be used for hard-hitting anti-Heather TV ads next year?

DeMint's hesitation is a bit of a breather for Heather. Maybe John Sanchez's reluctance to embrace the Ryan Medicare plan is keeping him on hold. Or maybe DeMint is just waiting for the right moment to drop the shoe on Heather.

But even if DeMint's group were to hold back, there are many others that are waiting to mix it up with Heather--and they will. Don't say we didn't tell you.

MARTY MOVEMENT

Now that the Alligators report that former ABQ Mayor Marty Chavez is preparing his entry into the race for the Dem nomination for the ABQ House seat in 2012, the analysis begins of where Chavez will get the money to finance his run. Insiders think about $500,000 is a good goal for Chavez for the primary which will surely feature State. Sen. Eric Griego who has already announced and maybe another major candidate or two. From the email:

Chavez is close to (former Vice-President) Al Gore so you can look for a big fundraising event, maybe more with Gore as the headliner. Don't know what enviro has a bigger name than Al Gore. Marty may pick up some money from some of the enviro groups like Defenders of Wildlife Fund, but will it be enough to make up for tough fundraising ahead at home in NM? Probably not.

Also, Chavez will probably stick to his normal crowd and ask former Ambassador Ed Romero to head up his fundraising. Romero was on board for Marty's short-lived run for Governor. While he is at. Chavez needs to try and salvage his relationship with the Democratic congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and try to get them on board. Right now the two are as cold as ice.

Well, Chavez insiders say that he has made some progress with the DCCC. One of them reported he had a meeting this weekend with Rep. Steve Israel, head of the DCCC as well as senior members of the congressional Hispanic caucus. They said the atmosphere was not frosty.

MANY CASES?

Maybe they count these things differently in California where the new executive director of the NM GOP came in from, but we don't quite understand Bryan Watkins assertion that "there are many examples of voter fraud in New Mexico." In an op-ed piece, he goes on to disclose two such cases of fraud--one dating back nearly 20 years.

According to our dictionary "many" means "a large number." Tell you what, Bryan. You produce a dozen cases of documented voter fraud that resulted in court convictions in New Mexico in the last dozen years and you get a complimentary Alligator lunch. Otherwise, please report to education secretary Skandera for your remedial math lesson.

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