Rep. Stansbury

This pic of ABQ Dem Rep. Melanie Stansbury protesting Trump's speech before Congress last night is as divisive as it gets. So lets get to it.

Stansbury is the brightest bulb in the state's congressional delegation but she went over the cliff with her out-of-power party last night. 

Trump overpowered the Dems with his messaging while they were diverted by his personalty, sporting little protest signs and colorful dress leaving themselves open to ridicule, bemusement and Trump's always sharp arrows.

Stansbury joined a group of her colleagues in walking out of the speech. To what end? Her fans already know where she stands. There's no need to grandstand.

Simply put, the Dems bombed on the national stage. Everyone knows Trump is "not normal." So, what else you got?  It turns out not much from Stansbury and her fellow Dems who again tripped over themselves--almost comically--just as they did in losing the last election. Let's get serious, Melanie.

HEINRICH GOES MIA

Notably absent from President Trump's congressional speech last night was New Mexico senior Senator Martin Heinrich who explained his absence by declaring:

I’m not going to President Trump’s Joint Address. I’ll start attending when he starts following the law.

This is the latest in a series of maverick actions by Heinrich. 

First, he refused to endorse ABQ Dem. Rep. Melanie Stansbury for a promotion on the House Resources Committee (she didn't get it), then he played cat and mouse with Deb Haaland over running for Governor (he decided not to run) and now he's boycotted a presidential address that the other four members of the state's delegation attended. Do they believe that, unlike Heinrich, Trump is following the law?

The stakes for New Mexico in this year's federal budget battle are nearly immeasurable. Heinrich's new position as the ranking Democrat on the Senate Energy Committee grows more crucial by the day with the White House looking under every rock for budget cuts. 

Heinrich started off on the right foot, getting a promise from the new secretary of energy to make a personal visit to Los Alamos Labs. The new Secretary did that only last month and even went to bat for the state in local media. And this is how you return the favor?

This is not about whether Heinrich believes Trump is following his constitutional duties. If he truly believes that than he should support impeachment. Showing respect for the presidential office does not mean showing respect for the current occupant so you show up. 

As longtime NM Democratic US Senator Jeff  Bingaman said back in the day when asked to boycott one of President George W. Bush's congressional speeches: "I have to go. It's my job." 

MLG VS. EVERYONE

Speaking of doing your job, Gov. Lujan Grisham, who raises important questions about legislative interference in running the Children Youth and Families Department, had six years to reform the troubled agency but either could not do it or would not.

That's why there is HB 5, a rare instance of the legislature ignoring executive authority by proposing to place a Child Advocate in the AG's office to provide intense and independent oversight over the long-troubled CYFD. The bill passed the House unanimously Tuesday and now goes to the Senate, 

Not that the House should be doing any chest-thumping. They turned away from the problem for six years, Only when MLG became a lame duck did they find their courage. 

The bill does have kinks--like placing the Advocate under the AG's wing and also in making sure the rights of CYFD workers are protected.

On the whole this is a badly needed bill. It could aid in getting the department dealing much more effectively with addressing childhood trauma which experts say often leads to adult drug addiction and crime. 

A constitutional amendment that would strip the Governor of her power to appoint the the CYFD director is unnecessary if a truly independent Advocate's office is established. 

MLG could still try to get on aboard with HB 5 and compromise but the train may now be moving too fast.

This is the Home of New Mexico Politics.