What a week. It included armed men milling about ABQ Civic Plaza (ala the Taliban) in defiance of her order, a federal judge issuing his own order that stayed enforcement of the gun ban, a public dust-up between the Governor and Attorney General over the ban and finally her Friday news conference where she watered down her order making it apply to only playgrounds and parks. (Mayor Keller responded that the city banned guns in most city parks in 2020. He added: "It is being challenged in court.") 

Full update of order here. Full MLG news conference here. AP report here. 

The Guv also announced--to the relief of most of the state--that there will be no special session of the legislature to tackle gun laws, a road to nowhere if there ever was one--and she will prepare for the regular 30 day session scheduled for January. 

A special would mean only chaos as there is is nothing close to a consensus after MLG's shocker. Republicans would love nothing better than to prolong the pain of MLG and the Dems with a special session. But the point of such a session would be to get something done not extract political retribution. 

ABQ Mayor Keller and APD Chief Medina were also all in for a special session as the beleaguered duo continue to look for ways to shift the burden of proof for the historic crime wave to the state and away from them. 

But the now out of the country Governor was not about to go there and neither was House Speaker Javier Martinez whose caucus contains a handful of conservative Dems who could cause mischief if they joined with the Republicans at a special.

Meantime ABQ is again an island unto itself. The rest of the state did not have high enough crime rates to be covered by the gun ban. 

Journal

After all the recent drama the poignant funeral service for former Gov. Bill Richardson was assurance that long-standing rituals can still provide the steadiness needed to keep this democracy dancing. 

No-one rises to the occasion of such rituals as former President Bill Clinton and he did so again in eulogizing Richardson whose career he advanced with an appointment as UN Ambassador as well as Sec. of Energy. 

Clinton also appeared to solve one of the mysteries Big Bill took with him. Had he ever apologized for turning his back on the Clintons in the 2008 presidential race when Richardson endorsed Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton for the Dem nomination? He may have. As the former President told those at the services Thursday:

Clinton was a class act act at the Santa Fe funeral of some 1,000. He gave comfort and support to Richardson's widow Barbara who he sat next to. He drew effusive praise for his eulogy from the Archbishop and others. Afterwards he stopped at the Shed restaurant, a favorite hang-out of Richardson's and shared memories with his friends. 

Full funeral mass and Clinton eulogy here. 

Clinton has long been a special friend of New Mexico. The ex-president also eulogized former Gov. Bruce King at his 2009 funeral. The pair formed a deep bond when Clinton was Governor of Arkansas, another state that faces major economic and social challenges. He also befriended then-ABQ Mayor Marty Chavez when he spent a week in ABQ in the 90's preparing for the presidential debates. 

During his two terms Clinton's friendship with the state strengthened defense and energy spending here and lifted up Hispanics (including Richardson and Chavez) as they were becoming an important Dem constituency. 

Bill Clinton still shows up for New Mexico--in good times and bad. It's what friends do. 

We're not going to again berate southern US Dem Rep. Gabe Vasquez for not showing up for the Joe Biden presidential visits but the Clinton visit is a reminder that New Mexico needs friends in Washington and it's his responsibility as a congressman to make them. 

Over the weekend Vasquez announced his bid for a second term in the southern congressional district and he did so by currying favor with Hispanic voters who are now the crucial factor in his expected rematch with Republican Yvette Herrell whom he ousted by just 1,350 votes in 2022. 

Vasquez made his re-election announcements in Hispanic strongholds up and down the Rio Grande. He hit the South Valley, Socorro and Mesilla which is in his home county of Dona Ana. 

The new district is more unfriendly toward Republicans but the recent bleeding of Hispanic support by Biden and the Democratic Party is a major concern and is keeping this race firmly in the toss-up column. 

The problem for Vasquez is the same problem Dems Xochitl Torres Small and Harry Teague had when they both lost the seat after just one term to their GOP opponents--they appeared soft and weak as they worked overtime to please all points on the political spectrum.

At his re-election announcements Vasquez called this positioning a demonstration of his "independence" and "bipartisan" approach to the job he has held for just nine months. But in facing Herrell--a down the line hardcore conservative--he risks losing the character argument as Torres Small and Teague did. 

As we said the district is more friendly toward the Democrats now, but Vasquez still has to prove to those conservative Dem Hispanics he is courting that he's got the guts to show real independence--and not just pander. 

Sen. McCutcheon

MLG may have set up a potentially exciting GOP state senate primary when she appointed Republican Eddy County rancher and businessman Steve McCutcheon II to the vacancy created by the resignation of GOP Senator Gay Kernan in SE NM District 42. 

The county commissions of Lea and Chaves had recommend that GOP state Rep. Larry Scott of Hobbs get the appointment but the Eddy County Commission gave the nod to McCutcheon and MLG went with him. 

McCutcheon served a four year term on the Eddy commission (2019-'23).  so while a rancher and businessman he has plenty of political connections that helped him snag the coveted appointment, 

One reason MLG may have gone with him and not Scott is because of Scott's deep professional and ideological ties to the oil and gas industry. This at a time when the Guv is coming under pressure from climate change advocates who publicly dissed her performance on the issue after the last legislative session. 

Scott, a nine year House veteran, says he's not backing down and will still run for the seat even though he was passed over. McCutcheon has not yet said whether he will seek election next year but it's hard to see why he would not. 

Scott's higher name ID and ability to raise cash may make him the early favorite in any primary but he was also the fave to get the Guv's appointment. Stay tuned.

An old friend of the blog and a legendary Dem political consultant--Chris Brown in Santa Fe--takes time to report on the funeral of Big Bill who was among his many clients:

Aah, good stuff for sure.