There's the politics and policy of a presidential visit and then there is the sheer joy of being nine years old and meeting face to face with The Man.
So it was last night for Jack Duhigg, son of ABQ Dem state Senator Katy Duhigg, at the home of ABQ attorney Randi McGuinn who hosted a high-end fundraiser for Scranton Joe that attracted a who's who of NM Dem politicos.
As for Jack, his mom reported:
He is nine years old and over the moon at meeting President Biden. He also has a presidential name--Jack Duhigg Kennedy.
That conjures memories of a teen-aged Bill Clinton shaking hands with President Jack Kennedy and 30 years later becoming President.
No pressure, NM Jack. But with that Irish name and your face-to-face with the Prez, expectations are growing.
Our Alligators report the top tier of state Dem politics turned out to greet Biden and contribute to his campaign coffers. They included:
Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan; Gov. MLG; Rep. Melanie Stansbury; state Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart; Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth; Senate Majority Whip Michael Padilla; NM Dem Party Chair Jennifer Velasquez; former Lt. Governor Diane Denish; former NM Dem Party Chair Marg Elliston and husband Fred Harris, a former Oklahoma US Senator; Attorney General Raul Torrez; BernCo District Attorney Sam Bregman; ABQ Mayor Tim Keller; ABQ City Councilor Pat Davis; state Senator Joe Cervantes as well as a variety of tribal and labor leaders.
Today the President veers from politics to policy. From TV news:
At 1 p.m., he will give a speech in Belen about clean energy manufacturing one year after the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS Act were signed into law.
FOLLOW THE MONEY
We told you Monday about last night's fund-raiser for Biden at the home of Randi McGinn. A reader in attendance fills out that story:
The event was for the Biden Victory Fund. The cheap seats were $3,300 per person. If you wanted a picture with Smilin’ Joe Biden it was $10,000. The next levels were $25K and $50K. Beyond the personal $3,300 and the $10K you can qualify for the larger VIP amounts if you gave or raised (call your friends).
A Senior Gator with extensive campaign finance experience estimated that the McGinn hosted fundraiser raked in close to $750,000.
EVEN MORE MONEY
We blogged Tuesday that the maximum individual contribution to a federal election this cycle is $3,300. So how does the big money come in? The Biden Victory Fund explains:
Biden Victory Fund accepts contributions of up to $929,600 from a person and $415,000 from a multicandidate committee (“PAC”). The first $6,600/$10,000 from a person/PAC will be allocated to Biden for President, with the first $3,300/$5,000 designated for the primary and the next $3,300/$5,000 for the general election. The next $41,300/$15,000 from a person/PAC will be allocated to the DNC. The next $510,000/$255,000 from a person/PAC will be split equally among the Democratic state parties.
Good to know but New Mexico campaign money wiz Steve Fitzer is probably the only one in the state who really understands how it plays out. But we'll keep trying.
THE CRITICS
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| Sens. Heinrich and Lujan Greet Biden |
President Biden is enjoying New Mexico hospitality this week. He can expect the warm welcome to extend through next November when he will stand for re-election with a solid advantage in a now blue Land of Enchantment. The NMGOP isn't making it any harder for the incumbent. They criticize the visit, which is focusing on climate change, by heading south to the US-Mexico border "crisis" which may excite southern Republicans but does little for making inroads into metro ABQ. From the R's:
Homeland Security Investigations estimate that Mexican cartels are now making $13 billion a year smuggling illegal immigrants into the U.S. – 26 times what they made in 2018! Since taking office, Biden has taken at least 94 actions leading to this border crisis. Despite his efforts to somehow blame Republicans, this is Biden's border crisis! But progressive Democrats like NM 02’s Gabe Vasquez, NM 01’s Melanie Stansbury and NM 03’s Teresa Leger Fernández, who voted against the Secure the Border Act, are also complicit in enabling cartels and child traffickers. Our national and state leadership have left New Mexicans without any voice to advocate on their behalf.
Sure, it's a fund-raising pitch the GOP can raise money from, but the hard-right messaging is comforting to Democrats who are keeping watch for any GOP move toward the center that might weaken them in the key cities. Immigration and the border are no longer issues that pose such a threat.
As for the state Dems they came with this cheer for the Biden ABQ stop:
New Mexico Democrats are thrilled that President Biden is visiting our state to discuss how the Inflation Reduction Act invests in communities like ours to create a historic boom to New Mexico’s clean energy industries,” said Democratic Party of New Mexico Spokesperson Daniel Garcia. “While creating steady, good-paying jobs right here in New Mexico, President Biden’s economic and climate agenda is taking unprecedented action to combat record extreme heat caused by the climate crisis and increase clean energy and manufacturing.
In 2020 Biden carried the state 54.3 to 43.5 over Trump--a 10.8 percent margin--with third parties getting the remainder. But Biden won big Bernalillo county by 24 percent and Santa Fe county by a crushing 54 percent over Trump. Throw in Dona Ana county where Biden triumphed by 18 points and you can see how the Dems have shut the doors on the presidential contest.
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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2023 
