What's that Susana's shooting at? And more to the point is the once proud carrier of a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum going to shoot her way into the new year or will she take a less confrontational path as she prepares for her '14 re-election bid?

Well, Susana proved herself a perfect shot when, in 2011, she took her gun exam with a .38 caliber handgun, but when it comes to her record on the shooting range of La Politica her score is far from perfect.

2012 was the year Susana targeted the world...well..the world of La Poltica anyway...and she mostly fired blanks. It started with her second legislative session in which she again could not persuade the lawmakers to give her a big game trophy by repealing the law that allows undocumented immigrants to get a state driver's license. Then the Republican Governor aimed squarely at Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez in the November election but that was a hunt that also ended without a score. He beat Susana's candidate by a whopping 11 points.Will she try to make Michael forgive and forget come the January 2013 session or is that important political relationship shot through with holes that can never be repaired?

Susana and her political guru Jay McCleskey also took aim at the State House with ammo clips filled with millions of campaign dollars, but again the bullets failed to fire. The Dems picked up two seats in the 70 member chamber and since then the Dems have anointed State Rep. Kenny Martinez, a liberal, as Speaker. They hold a 38 to 32 edge.

Susana did manage a bullseye when it came to Dem Senate President President Pro Tem Tim Jennings of Roswell, ending his political life by fielding an unknown 27 year old farmer against the formidable Jennings but backing it up with constant machine gun fire. But guess what? With the conservative Jennings gone, Susana probably faces an even less friendly Senate--one even more liberal

Hey, be careful what you aim at in 2013, Guv. You don't need to bag any more big game like that.

TOUGHER ON GUV?

Former ABQ Mayor and blogger Jim Baca has a question he is mulling over during the holidays. The lifetime Dem and onetime journalist wants to know if the media will start to get tougher--or at least more inquisitive in 2013--about the leadership of the state and city 2013?

Governor Martinez and Mayor Berry sit in the shadows chuckling that we have such a lame news media. The state and city economies are mired in a swamp. That is reported by the media.  But they never seem to go get comments from these two political leaders about what they are doing to help us get unstuck. Cops and robbers all the way.  A reporter recently interviewed the Governor on some inane story.  She didn't even throw in a question about the economy.  Maybe the Governor only does these interviews with the understanding that no tough questions are allowed.  Well, maybe there would be no opportunity to air the answers anyway because 911 tapes and dash cam cop videos demand too much time.

And the Governor and Mayor just love that...

THEY SAID IT

KOB-TV's Stuart Dyson on the passing last week of longtime NM state House Speaker Ben Lujan:

Lujan was a tough little guy from Pojaque with a Conway Twitty haircut and a firm grip on the political hardball. the old iron worker did have an iron fist when he served as speaker for 12 years, including Bill Richardson's two terms as governor. The two Democrats were close allies.  

Lujan will be replaced by State Rep. Kenny Martinez of Grants who tried to oust Lujan in 2006 but then became a firm ally of Lujan's. The speaker died only several days after the House Dem caucus chose Martinez as Lujan's replacement.  

Outgoing Dem State Senator and Senate President Pro Tem Tim Jennings on the loss of his Roswell area seat in the November election as told to Lorene Mills of Santa Fe's Report from Santa Fe:

“Now we have all these outside groups that come in, that spend ungodly amounts of money spewing nothing but hate. A democracy can’t survive in hate and I refuse to participate in that. You know, my own race all by itself, I didn’t really lose. It was stolen from me by outsiders and I am sure the governor doesn’t feel that way, but you know there is life beyond this thing. You know a prosecutor’s theory is always as long you can get a conviction it is okay... I don’t think anyone can ever accuse me of not working for the best interest of the state. It has been a wonderful ride… because we have done it together as friends…That’s the way I believe democracy was when it started.”

THE BOTTOM LINES 

Alex Wirth is 19, a native of Santa Fe and wants a presidential youth council. He writes:

I Chair the Campaign for a Presidential Youth Council and wanted to write and pass along this press release.  Both of New Mexico's senators recently announced their support for a Presidential Youth Council....

Alex wrote more about it at the Huffington Post.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2012
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