New Mexico Politics with Joe Monahan

John Kerry needs either a home run or two doubles and a single at tonight's Prez debate, according to my panel of NM political All-Stars, already on the edge of their chairs anticipating what all agree will be a pivotal moment in Campaign 04'. We grill them today on strategy and bring them back tomorrow for the post-game show.

FIRST BASE

ABQ Journal pollster Brian Sanderoff, playing the game now for over 30 years, says this one is crystal clear.

"Kerry has to deliver a knock out punch because he is the challenger running against the heavy weight champion (incumbent President). A draw is essentially a victory for Bush, since he is ahead. Kerry is perceived as waffling on his positions. Kerry must paint Bush as a man who waffles on his
rationales for his positions."

SECOND BASE

Tim McGivern, managing editor of the ABQ Weekly Alibi, says Kerry has got to get rid of the doubts and then move in for the kill.

"He must dispel the false myths about his Vietnam service, then move to attack Bush's Iraq record. He can make inroads with Iraq from both anti-war voters and conservatives who are very upset with the way the war has been handled. And McGivern warns: "If there is no clear winner tonight, I am not sure voters will hang around for the other two debates. Kerry will have plenty of time to win as long as he carries tonight. I still think it's his to lose," declared the progressive editor in a sharp departure with conventional wisdom.

THIRD BASE

Top NM lobbyist Scott Scanland, who has called elections with me on KANW-FM in ABQ the past 18 years, believes the format may be a problem for Kerry. "It is almost guaranteed to be boring. Kerry has to break through that and come with something that sparkles." Scanland echoed the point made by the other All-Stars that this debate is so important because it will be the most watched. He says the burden of proof is on the senator as "Bush is the known quantity. People still don't know what they are getting with Kerry. He needs to be aggressive because he must move the numbers coming after the debate. This is his best chance," remarked Scanland who once made a run for the NM Legislature.

CATCHER

ABQ Trib political correspondent Shea Andersen says "nobody is running way with the race yet. There have been a lot of junk TV ads but not much else. It's like two boxers. They have done the weigh-in and the pre-fight hype, now they get into the ring one-on-one. Swing voters may be looking to measure Kerry's personality as much as his policies. He has to show them one," Andersen remarked in a late-night phone rap covering the inner workings of La Politica.

THE SHORTSTOP

Democratic activist and pollster Harry Pavlides cuts to the chase: "Kerry has to make a very definitive stand on Iraq. Like McGivern, Pavlides says Kerry must address the controversy over his Vietnam service. "It's hurting him. I'm hearing it even from Democrats." Pavlides says Kerry must walk a fine line tonight and "show that he is smarter than the President, but not come off like a snob." What about the Prez? "He needs to keep Kerry off guard and not look stupid," was the veterans blunt assessment.

BATTING CLEAN-UP

Republican Bruce Donisthorpe is your two doubles and a single guy. "I don't think Kerry needs a homerun because the race is still close. He doesn't need to risk everything and go all in like a Texas Hold Em' game. He needs to establish credibility, look Presidential and when he attacks, not let it get personal with Bush. The president needs to clearly articulate his Iraq policy and touch upon an eventual exit strategy.

THE PITCHER

NM's top political junkie, Big Bill, differs with Bruce. He says Kerry does need a "home run" tonight, putting pressure on the senator to turn the race around. The Guv's opinion reflects the deep level of worry among elite Dems who worry about the polls showing Kerry faltering badly with women voters, a key Dem constituency.

Thanks to all of my debate All-Stars. Join us tomorrow to see if they got what they wanted.

October is just around the corner and it will be a record-setting one for this blog with thousands of hits from all over New Mexico and the nation. Get your ad up now to take advantage of the busiest political month of them all. Email me for details or call 505-243-4059.

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KURT LOHBECK
It's crunch time with just weeks now before Decision 04'. Amateur analysts, casual observers and the twenty-something's just getting their feet wet, please step aside. Only battle-scarred, war-weary veterans of La Politica are welcome at this point in the game. In this final stretch I will, on occasion, turn my sights to those who live and breathe politics, those who have spent a lifetime at the highest rungs of political power, or spent a lifetime trying to get there.

First up, Kurt Lohbeck, former State Rep, former CBS News correspondent, aide to U.S. Rep. Manuel Lujan, aide to R Prez contender Pat Buchanan, businessman, author and never one to shy away from the hot lights illuminating the field of power playing.

"Richard Romero is not hitting Heather Wilson hard enough," says Kurt of the ABQ Congressional battle. He says Dem Romero "has to find an issue and stick with it. Her voting Republican all the time just doesn't connect with the public. He needs to hit her on something that matters and move fast."

On the Prez debate Thursday night Lohbeck, whose first campaign was as a teen volunteer for VP Nixon in 1956, said Kerry "needs to make Bush go 'slackjawed.' "He needs to hit him with something so out of the blue that Bush is stunned and can't deliver. Otherwise, Bush should win this election with 300 electoral votes." (30 more than necessary)

What about the NM judicial races? With all the controversy over voter ID and Ralph Nader, is there any hope for the R's? "I don't see the Republicans taking even one judicial race, and it's a shame," predicted the lifelong R.

The semi-retired Lohbeck lives in the State Rep district of D Al Park who is facing a stiff challenge from R Kathy Leyendecker. But Lohbeck is warning that "she needs an issue and she needs to hammer it like Bush has with Kerry's flip-flopping. So far, I don't see that happening. Waiting until the end of the campaign will be too late."

CBS TOO 'QUICK'

Lohbeck, fresh back from a 20 day visit to England and Germany, also commented on the CBS news scandal, the outfit he worked for covering Afghanistan and Pakistan. "It was the competitive pressure that did them in. They went with the (Bush national guard story) too quick. Quick is fine, but getting it right is first. The networks are getting killed by the cable news channels and they are feeling the pressure. That's a key reason why CBS jumped the gun," offered Lohbeck who has written several books on the Middle East, one of which contains a foreword by his old workmate, CBS News anchor Dan Rather.

Even though he's no longer active on the campaign trail, Lohbeck, after 48 years of action, remains a disciplined player He meets daily with fellow political junkies and keeps in touch with sources around the globe. For Lohbeck and others we will hear from in the next month, politics is truly the game of a lifetime.

CROWING IN WARD'S CAMP

Ward camp is crowing. And with good reason. The GOP candidate for the ABQ seat on the Public Regulation Commission has just picked up the support of Democrat Don Letherer, who ran for the Dem nomination for the seat in June. Letherer lost that bid to Jason Marks but is not endorsing him, instead giving his nod to Camp who he touts as well-qualified and a utility expert. Letherer served as insurance superintendent at the PRC and is a veteran of the political scene, going back to the early days of former Guv Bruce King.

THE COURT RULES

Nader is on the NM ballot. Voter ID, for the most part, is shelved. The State Supreme court rulings here

THE ERROR OF MY WAYS

Sharp-eyed readers were quick to point out two errors in my piece yesterday about the judge races. First, the typo saying no "D' had been elected to the State Supreme Court in years. Of course, I meant to say no R's. By the way, Bill Riordan was the last R to serve on the high court back in the 80's. My other boo-boo was saying District Court Judge Robert Thompson was a Republican. Apparently he is a long-standing D. I thought the papers called him an R but, according to several lawyers who emailed, I was mistaken. Thanks to all of my editors.

October is just around the corner and it will be a record-setting one for this blog with thousands of hits from all over New Mexico and the nation. Get your ad up now to take advantage of the busiest political month of them all. Email me for details or call 505-243-4059.

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La Politica thrives on weddings and funerals and so it was Monday as much of the state's old line legal and political guard packed the downtown ABQ funeral of attorney, former State Senator and Sandoval County Commissoner and ultimate political junkie Edmund "Joe" Lang. After church, where mourners took in a eulogy of Lang by none other than Big Bill, they headed to a reception at the ABQ Convention Center where the talk, according to Alligators on hand, quickly turned to the legal battles being played out below most campaign radar.

First up, the NM Court of Appeals contest between Dem Michael Vigil, appointed to the court by Big Bill, and his GOP opponent, well-know attorney, former ABQ district judge and former legislator Paul Barber. The speculators were giving the edge to Vigil, a former law partner of legendary ABQ lawyer Billy Marchiondo, but said it is not out of the question that Barber could pull the upset.

"We have elected some R's to the appeals court, but Vigil may benefit from a big Dem turnout in the Prez race. Barber has strength in ABQ. If he could pull big numbers here, he could eke it out," commented one insider lawyer. But he also pointed out that Barber has not raised a whole lot of money and so the edge remains with Vigil.

The State Supreme Court race between Big Bill appointee and Dem Ed Chavez and the GOP's Ned Fuller is a "nonstarter," said one of our legal beagles. No R has won a Supreme Court seat in years. Chavez is loaded with campaign money, is respected among other lawyers and with a TV ad campaign reminding voters, "he should easily turn back Fuller," offered a young attorney obsessed with the ancient ways of La Politica.

HE SAID SHE SAID

Meanwhile, at the ABQ district court level, R Don Harris, hoping to unseat newly appointed District Court Judge Marie Baca, turned up the heat Monday lauding the fact that the Advisory Committee on the Code of Judicial Conduct rejected a complaint that Baca, a former longtime ABQ Metro Court judge, had filed against Harris. She claimed his web site misrepresents her record and "violated the bounds of proper judicial decorum." "The first Amendment protects my rights to criticize the courts," blasted Harris through the fax machines.

Some of the R court contenders are trying to inject the bizarre incidents of the year past into the races, hoping to rile up the voters. Those incidents include the drug bust of John Brennan while serving as chief judge, Judge Wendy York's, $1000 contribution to John Kerry and then not excusing herself from ruling on Ralph Nader's independent Prez candidacy and Judge Robert Thompson's'ruling on voter ID.

In he midst of all this turmoil, the legal lights at the funeral reception were relishing the fact that incumbent District Attorney Kari Brandenburg drew no opposition. "She's lucky the Brennan blow-up happened at mid-year, otherwise she might be on the firing line," said our tapped in barrister.

Lang, 57, died too young. But we know he would be happy that his going away party came in the middle of an election and caused yet another entry in the never ending saga of La Politica.

LINKING THE HOPEFULS

Here's our latest campaign web site link. It comes from the Jason Marks camp, a Dem seeking the ABQ seat on the Public Regulation Commission.

Make our site, WWW.JOEMONAHAN.COM one of your favorites and e-mail a link to interested friends. Interested in advertising to NM's large political community? E-mail me from the top right of this page, or call 505-243-4059 for details.

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Veteran TV reporter Janet Blair, a short-lived candidate for an ABQ Westside State House seat this year, has resurfaced as spokeswoman for ABQ Metro Court. Blair, who left KRQE-TV to take on GOP State Rep. Eric Youngberg, abandoned her candidacy because of family matters. She reports that Dr. Janice Kando, who the D's put up to replace her, is working the district door-to-door and "is going to do well." Youngberg is the favorite because the district leans R.

Blair's resume includes newspapers and TV stations, a stint as PR aide to ABQ Mayor Chavez as well as the Mid-Rio Grande Conservancy District. She tells me she hopes to again run for office someday.

HECTOR'S HOPES

Meanwhile, an up and comer in the NM Democratic Party, Hector Balderas, should have an easy ride in November after ousting Dem incumbent Benjie Regensberg from his Las Vegas, Mora district in the June primary. But that isn't stopping Balderas from taking advantage of his friendship with Big Bill, who was glad to see maverick Benjie bite the dust. The Guv is named as a co-host for a $100 a head Balderas fundraiser in ABQ tonight.

If he wins, Balderas will join the thirtysomething crowd at the State House headed up by Dem Al Park, another lawmaker the Big Guy has taken under his wing. So far, the alligators report, Park, with the Guv's help, has raised at least a hundred grand for his contest with R Kathy Leyndecker. She has hit about $30,000. Park will probably park most of that cash for an expected race for Attorney General in 06.'

RIO RANCHO SHOWDOWN

State Rep. Tom Swisstack is another Dem lawmaker the D's are counting on Big Bill to see thru in November. Swisstack, former Rio Rancho Mayor, won the seat two years ago by the slimmest of margins, just seven votes. His GOP opponent, retired Air Force vet and management consultant Glen Walters, is working it hard, according to friends who attended a $50 a head weekend fund raiser for the Rio Rancho resident. On a visit there a couple of months ago, Big Bill said he would do all he could to help get his ally Swisstack re-elected. He may need to. Walters is hammering Swisstack for "voting for nineteen increases in taxes and fees." The district is almost evenly divided between the D's and the R's.

TV TALK

The first round of TV ads in the Steve Pearce-Gary King duel for the southern NM Congressional seat has Pearce currying favor with the all-important senior vote. He touts his support for Medicare reform. Do his polls show he needs work with them? Meanwhile, King has begun what he must do: attack Pearce. His first salvo hits the incumbent for not supporting benefits for veterans and trots out mostly older and all-male veterans to make the case.

The duo appeared together over the weekend at Truth or Consequences with King carrying his veterans attack and Pearce defending the Bush deficit spending and tax cuts. King has been given just one TV debte by Pearce, for late October, and will have to make the best of it to pull off the upset.

BIG BILL'S ADDICTION

Surely we need more humor in NM politics, especially after a weekend in which a Dem spokesman called a U.S. Senator "nuts," and the R's contiued to slice and dice any D in their path. Here's the antidote from columnist Ned Cantwell writing in the Carlsbad Current-Argus about Big Bill's recent battle with "addiction." Enjoy.

TIME TO GET YOUR AD UP

October is just around the corner and it will be a record-setting one for this blog with thousands of hits from all over New Mexico and the nation. Get your ad up now to take advantage of the busiest political month of them all. Email me for details or call 505-243-4059. Thnaks for your support!

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The political alligators jammed my phone lines last night exclaiming that they finally have a fight to watch. Whatever happened to boxing? Anyway, most of these Gators don't care who wins the race between Heather Wilson and her Dem challenger Richard Romero, they just want some entertainment.

They gleefully reported that Romero hit the tube late Wednesday defending the "junkets" Wilson says he took as a state senator. Romero rebuts that they were part of his job. His spot adds that Heather would know that if she wasn't so busy voting 94% of the time with the right-wing House GOP leadership. Interestingly, Romero did not address the over 1300 state senate votes Heather's TV ad claims he has missed. His spokeswoman said that's because the charge is "ridiculous" and voters know that as a legislative leader Richard was attending to other necessary business. They better hope the voters know because the Heather hit is well produced. (So is Romero's).

PUNCHES FROM AFAR

Meanwhile, the permanent slash and burn crowd back in D.C. got in the Heather-Richard act last night as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) hit with their own spot saying Heather has voted with Bush nine out of ten times. It's a bet that Bush isn't wildly popular in in Bernalillo County and, according to the polls, not a bad bet. Romero needs the DCCC independent ads to effectively fight Heather who has enough cash to make a good-sized down payment on a TV station all her own.

NM PREZ WATCH

Back on the Prez poll watch and this one, like Zogby's Interactive Poll I reported on yesterday, has it for Kerry. American Research Group (ARG), a solid independent polling firm, calls it 49% for Kerry to the Prez's 44%. Margin of error is plus or minus four per cent. It was taken Sept. 14-16, about the same time Mason-Dixon took their NM survey, which had Bush leading here by four points. The ARG mid-August poll had Kerry leading by seven.

ONE WORTH WATCHING
Hooker
The ABQ North Valley State Senate battle between R John Ryan and D John Hooker is getting some attention with Hooker's forces claiming a recent poll they did shows the race in play in the lean Republican district. The seat is being vacated by ex-GOP chair Ramsay Gorham who held it for the R's for eight years. Ryan needs to solidly his R support after he sided with the anti-Gorham forces in ousting her from the chairmanship earlier this year. Hooker needs to pull in his liberal horns to grab the swing vote.

POLITICO LANG CLAIMED BY DEATH

Former Sandoval County Commissioner, former State Senator and longtime NM lobbyist Edmund "Joe" Lang passed away Wednesday. he died of an apparent heart atttack at his Corrales home. Lang, 57, was the brother of Bernalillo County Chief Judge William Lang. He was a longtime political player with close ties to former NM House Speaker Raymond Sanchez. Lang served on the county commission during the time Inel expanded its presence to over 5,000 employees in Rio Rancho. Lang worked closely with Intel officials to make the expansion possible.

Make our site, WWW.JOEMONAHAN.COM one of your favorites and e-mail a link to interested friends. Interested in advertising to NM's large political community? E-mail me from the top right of this page, or call 505-243-4059 for details.

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Pearce
There will be a live TV debate between Rep. Steve Pearce and his Dem Challenger Gary King in NM's southern congressional district, but there's a catch and it's a big one. The debate will come out of Roswell and be aired by KOB-TV in ABQ in prime time on October 25 or 26. The catch? KOB-TV does not broadcast into the district's most populous region, Las Cruces and Dona Ana County. Still, 75 percent of the district's voters will have access to the Roswell face-off.

Pearce had come under fire for nixing a live Las Cruces TV debate to be sponsored by PBS affiliate KRWG-TV, the ABQ Journal and other sponsors. But by accepting the one ABQ TV debate he deprives Gary of the chance to make the issue a centerpiece of the campaign. Pearce's "partial" debate into the district is a clever move. King's forces will have to make the most of what they are getting and find a way to get it into Las Cruces.

Meanwhile, Gary will pull the 'empty chair' act by showing up at the KRWG-TV debate in Cruces October 28. So far, Pearce has said he will be a no show but the debate will go on without him.

BEWILDERED IN NM

I am as confused as anyone with those national polls showing Bush either a dozen points ahead of Kerry or tied, depending on which poll you believe. Now comes the controversial Zogby Interactive Poll which we have been following closely all year. It gives Kerry a whopping 12 point lead in NM over the Prez, 54% to 42%. How can this be? Some pollsters call Zogby's internet poll "wacky" and say his web surveys are just not reliable.

One of our experts says that's a possibility but more likely it's the "weighting" that the pollsters are using. "Zogby is weighting his polls heavier with Democrats and in a Democrat state like ours that could explain the wide Kerry lead. If you look at the Journal poll (Bush three points ahead) and the Mason-Dixon poll (Bush four ahead) and average them with Zogby you come up with a tie race or one with Kerry a bit ahead," analyzed our analyst who has extensive campaign experience.

So take your pick but watch the candidates too. When and if they stop visiting here we know they will have polls they believe showing one of them is headed for victory. Kerry obviously believes the race here is still close as his wife, Teresa Heinz, will join with Lt. Gov. Diane Denish in Cruces Thursday to talk health care and woo women voters.

NM IN THE SPOTLIGHT

The national media is also hot on the NM trail. In the past week or so I have interviewed with the Los Angeles Times, CSPAN, Voice of America, ABC News, MSN's Slate Magazine and Washington's Roll Call. What have I been telling them? That NM is a Dem state, but Kerry has yet to close the deal here.

CANDIDATES: START YOUR ADS

You may have noticed the ad from State Senator Phil Griego on our site. I am accepting ads from Legislative and other political candidates for the final stretch of Campaign 04,' and my rates for Legislative contenders are a special bargain. Contact me via e mail from the link at the top of this page or call 505-243-4059 for further details.

Make our site, WWW.JOEMONAHAN.COM one of your favorites and e-mail a link to interested friends. Interested in advertising to NM's large political community? E-mail me from the top right of this page, or call 505-243-4059 for details.

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GOP Rep. Heather Wilson launched a preemptive strike against Dem challenger Richard Romero Monday putting up a TV ad that slams Romero for missing over 1300 votes in his state senate career and for taking junkets at taxpayer expense. It was very familiar stuff as almost the same TV ad was used against Romero two years ago when he and Wilson first battled. The Wilson camp apparently believes what got them a 10 point landslide can secure them the seat again, if not with as wide a margin.

Is Wilson worried, thus the negative hit? After all, Romero, contrary to what the ad implies, has had no negative TV against Wilson. My insiders think Romero hs been on the move a bit, but one veteran pointed out that Big Bill was ahead of John Sanchez in the Guv's race when he went negative. "It's something of a new development as the frontrunners go negative. They do it to stop the other guys momentum, even if the polls are not dire." He said. Another political junkie told me that "Heather has been the first to go negative in her past two campaigns, so I am not surprised."

Wilson polls at 49%, Romero at 45%. She's not going to take any chances. Romero's campaign does not have immediate plans to fire back, signaling that money is still an issue for Romero who at last check had under $400,000. Heather has more than twice as much. One speculator opined that Heather's nuke could be a ploy to get Romero to spend his limited resources early.

AT THE BATTLE STATIONS

Wilson campaign manager Enrique Knell told me "Romero's miserable voting record will be a key issue throughout the campaign." Translated: Heather is going to keep hammering.

Romero spokeswoman Kena Hudson called the ads "negative lies" and said that if Wilson had ever been in a leadership position, like Senate Pro Tem Romero, she would understand that leaders miss votes while other business is attended to. As for the Vegas and Hawaii junkets, Romero's camp said they were legitimate legislative business. I asked Knell whether Heather had taken any junkets lately. He said she has been to Turkey and Israel. Israel was paid by a private group and he said the taxpayer paid Turkey trip was to "see the troops."

Wilson, unlike her predecessors, has never experienced a campaign where it did not go negative and she seems comfortable with it as her attack Monday demonstrated. But the negativity has cost her the warmth and popularity that
surrounded her predecessors, Manuel Lujan and Steve Schiff. But warmth and popularity don't get you a vote in the United states Congress. Only winning can do that.

W HOLDS ON IN NM

It's still W in NM, according to the Mason-Dixon survey taken the 15th and 16th. Bush has a four point lead, 47& to 43%, says the survey which mimics an ABQ Journal poll done earlier this month that had W with a three point lead. KOB-TV's Neil Simon, whose station carried the poll, tells me Bush is grabbing about 20% of the Dem vote statewide, a bit less than where the Journal poll had him. Simon also reports that Kerry is getting 49% in the heavy Hispanic Dem north. That will seem low to some observers and could have something to do with the poll sample or evidence that Kerry still has to close the deal. Remember, only this web site carries all major NM Prez polls so check back often.

RALPH'S LONG EXIT

He got another judge but the same result. Ralph Nader was again denied a spot on the NM Prez ballot. ABQ Judge Wendy York revoked her decision against Nader after it was revealed that she gave a thousand bucks to the Kerry campaign. The new judge, Theresa Baca, heard the case and Monday ruled the same as York--Ralph has to go. The consumer advocate will appeal to the NM Supreme Court.

Make our site, WWW.JOEMONAHAN.COM one of your favorites and e-mail a link to interested friends. Interested in advertising to NM's large political community? E-mail me from the top right of this page, or call 505-243-4059 for details.

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Ralph Nader lives, at least for a while. Bernalillo County District Court Judge Wendy York has rescinded her ruling knocking the independent Prez contender off the ballot. York came under fire (see below) after it was revealed she contributed $1000 to Dem Prez contender Kerry but still went ahead and accepted the Nader case and made her ruling. The case will apparently now be re-heard presuming the D's continue the battle against Nader even as the Secretary of State is having the Nov. 2 ballot printed.

Nader has turned in twice the number of petition signatures required to make the NM Prez ballot, but Dems are challenging the Nader signatures. On Sunday Big Bill told Fox-TV that it was good news for Dems that Nader was knocked off by York because he received 4% of the NM vote in 2000 when Dem Al Gore only won the state by 366 votes. He said much of Nader's vote came from Dems. Nader has traditionally had strong support in northern NM and around the UNM campus.

Judge York
Bernalillo County District Court Judge Wendy York opened an ethical hole large enough to drive a lowrider through when she decided to take on the case deciding whether Ralph Nader should stay on the NM Prez ballot. Shortly after ruling Nader off the ballot Friday it was disclosed York had donated $1000 to Dem John Kerry's campaign, but did not disclose that when she agreed to hear the case.

Wendy meet John Brennan. Remember him? He was your chief judge until earlier this year when he was busted for drug possession and DWI. Maybe you forgot about that? Was nothing learned from that stunner? A check of the political giving of the 22 judges in the Bernalillo district reveals that York and Geraldine Rivera, who has given $2,000 to President Bush's campaign, are the only judges who have made Prez contributions. Was it to much trouble to assign the case to someone who did not have an obvious conflict-of-interest?

When Brennan was busted some fellow judges immediately rushed to his defense. Now we will probabaly hear that there is no law that stops Judge York from giving money to a Prez candidate and then deciding a critical decision for another Prez contender. But whatever happened to ethics? Oh, I forgot, that's not the "law."

This latest lapse in a judge's judgment comes on the heels of not only the Brennan incident, but Judge Robert Thompson's bizarre ruling on voter ID that said the election is too close to enforce the law. Couldn't he think of something more clever? Why bother? It seems impunity not impartiality is the buzzword these days for a big chunk of the NM judicial system.

Whoever you support for President deserves a level playing field. Maybe they should call in the architects of the new courthouse where the judges reside. The foundation may be cracked.

POLLS, POLLS, POLLS

The Santa Fe New Mexican and KOB-TV will hit with a poll late today that will be closely watched as it is the first NM Prez survey taken out of the limelight of the GOP national Convention. The Mason-Dixon survey was done September 15 and 16.

The ABQ Journal poll, taken around the convention, had Bush with a three point lead, 45-42, but Bush was still on the move in the days following. Keep in mind that Kerry visited NM Thursday night and may have received a bit of bounce if the surveys were taken in the evening, as is often the case. Even with the three point Journal lead, Kerry remains within the margin of error. We'll post the new numbers and analysis Tuesday.

LET ME LINK IT

Richard Romero's congressional campaign is looking to the web to raise a quick five grand. You can check it out at his web site And a reminder to NM candidates and politicos, email me your web site as the Romero campaign did and I will link it here so NM's political community can track your campaign. There's an e-mail link at the top right of the page.

A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR

If you are looking to grow your money or protect what you have, please check our sponsor John Moore & Associates. John has been in the investment business for over 20 years, has a sterling track record for integrity and treating people with respect and caring. Heck, he would make a great politician if he already wasn't such a successful investment guru.

But most important to you, he has strategies to make you money. His firm is affiliated with Raymond James Financial, allowing access to their highly-regarded research. John majored in business stats and graduated cum laude and since has become one of NM's top financial strategists and advisers. Give him a call and see how he can assist you as he has hundreds of other clients over the years.

Make our site, WWW.JOEMONAHAN.COM one of your favorites and e-mail a link to interested friends. Interested in advertising to NM's large political community? E-mail me from the top right of this page, or call 505-243-4059 for details.

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Chair Wertheim
NM Dem Party Chair John Wertheim is under the gun to pull it out for Kerry here, and he's also under fire from his own party for the recent fury over voter ID. "The Republicans won this one hands down, even though they lost in court. They shifted the debate to the fraud issue, always a touchy subject here, and John never came back convincingly with how many people would be disenfranchised," offered up a Wertheim sympathizer.

Republicans have been hammering he Dems on this one, losing the court case over voter ID for newly registered voters but scoring a KO in the PR war. Bush NM GOP consultant Jay McCleskey has resurfaced for this battle.

Meantime, Wertheim has moved on to a new front: keeping Ralph Nader off the NM ballot, even though Nader turned in twice as many petition signatures as required. A Dem consultant told me the Nader factor was not relevant a month ago when Kerry was strong, but now that he has weakened, Nader is back on the radar and the Dems fear a repeat of his 4% NM performance in 2000. Of course, the Dems could always concentrate on getting a good, strong message out from their own campaign. Couldn't they?

#5 AND COUNTING

It's spot #5 for D Congressional hopeful Richard Romero and still no hits on Heather. Romero unveiled a spot on teacher pay which baffled some who said it did not appeal to the conservative Dems he needs. The Romero vs. Wilson refrain remains the same: When does the campaign begin? So far it's been a bunch of tepid TV ads. You might think each of them was running unopposed.

JOIN ME ON THE TUBE TODAY

VP Cheney and Kerry are both in ABQ today as NM remains a hotly contested battleground state. I will have analysis on the visits and the campaign at 4:20 p.m. today on KRQE-TV Channel 13 in ABQ so stop by and join me.

LINK AROUND

We have begun linking to the NM candidate web sites as they send them in. This one is from Dem
Congressman Tom Udall who is seeking re-election from the Northern Congressional seat. Check it out and send me your candidate's web site so we can all take a look. If you want a full-time ad presence contact me about advertising via e mail.

Make our site, WWW.JOEMONAHAN.COM one of your favorites and e-mail a link to interested friends. Interested in advertising to NM's large political community? E-mail me from the top right of this page, or call 505-243-4059 for details.

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Diane Denish
We've all seen the latest polling numbers on the state's top politicos, but what about those near the top and who may be the future top dogs? The ABQ Journal survey did not gauge voter opinion of arch-rivals Dem Lt. Guv Diane Denish and Dem AG Patricia Madrid who may be destined for another future face-off, so we went hunting.

According to a top D with inside knowledge, polls have been taken of the dynamic duo, but not for media purposes. Those polls are apparently conducted by politicos or the party. They show Madrid with an approval rating in the 60% area, not far behind Big Bill's 63% in the Journal. For the Light Guv, a source close to her says her approval rating is "about the same as" Patsy's.

Madrid has been in high-profile battles with the Guv. Denish has been lower profile but was prominent during the last legislative session and has traveled the state working her pet causes. Denish can also be expected to be noticeable during the closing weeks of the Prez campaign as she was an early and ardent backer of Kerry, while Madrid heartily supported John Edwards for Prez.

Patsy's tiff with Big Bill, claims a source close to the action, has not set well with the Kerry campaign, thus she's not been seen with Edwards during his two recent NM visits. Patsy's forces claim she voluntarily stayed away because she did not want to have her division with the Guv highlighted at the expense of the Prez ticket. Whatever the case, she has lost some good PR shots while Denish is positioned above the partisan fray. Stay tuned.

THOSE OLD PREZ BLUES

It's not quite wailing in the night, but you can definitely hear the gnashing of teeth among NM's top Dems as they look wistfully back at a month ago when Kerry was on top of the world. But as the old saw goes, a couple of weeks in politics is an eternity. And now it's the D's turn to hit the panic button, much like the Bushies did when they were lost in the wilderness. The old Dem pros are not throwing in the towel, not yet, but they are having to spend time keeping their youngsters in line who are not experienced in the savagery and bloodshed of big time, major-league politics and stunned at the Bush move.

"The Kerry campaign is telling me they have had over 4,000 people volunteer in NM, an incredible number, but the candidate has not yet found his message. John Edwards was brought in to Santa Fe to keep the base motivated during this down period. The campaign begged for them to send someone," analyzed one deep insider Dem.

For his part, Kerry has to be disappointed that NM is not yet put away. He had a shot back in August, but since then has been treading water and will have to work it hard to nail it down. Big Bill is raising the big bucks to boost the turnout which Kerry's brain trust is counting on, but the pressure is building. He will visit vital ABQ Thursday and Friday. "He needs to start hitting the ball hard and out of the park. The message must be found and he has to start breaking through," rued our high-level Democrat who has seen and done it all in La Politica.

THE CURE FOR THE BLUES

Much like Bush came alive when he hit the state last month, Kerry needs a similar performance. "If he is not tied with Bush near the end of the month, there will be blood in the water," said our insider. What will move them? "I don't know," was the brutally frank comeback. But experienced R's are holding their gloating. They know this is just the beginning of the mood swings of Campaign 04' and are advising their youngsters new to warfare to strap themselves in because it's going to be a bumpy ride.

Make our site, WWW.JOEMONAHAN.COM one of your favorites and e-mail a link to interested friends. Interested in advertising to NM's large political community? E-mail me from the top right of this page, or call 505-243-4059 for details.

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Ravi Bhasker
Sometimes it's just best to stand up and take your medicine. The decision by Socorro mayor and medical doctor Ravi Bhasker to fight his punishment for a DWI rap may be costing him in his race for State Rep in Socorro County against Republican incumbent Don Tripp. The race has drawn statewide attention because of the Bhasker controversy and because it's seen as a swing district.

Bhasker hs a filed a district Court appeal of a ruling by the NM Medical Board that orders him on probation and into a alcohol treatment program. But a deep Dem insider on the ground for us in Socorro says while Ravi is popular, there are cracks in the dam.

"Bhasker's got the backing of the former Deaniacs here, because he was a Howard Dean supporter, as well as from an energized Socorro Democratic Party. Still, I think this will be a tough race, and Ravi's DWI doesn't help. Tripp is also personable, and people might vote for him for that reason alone," reports our tapped-in insider.

If she's got it right it will be welcome news to the GOP which hopes to pick up a seat or two in the State House this cycle. Losing Tripp could put that goal out of reach. Bhasker might be playing better if he had just admitted a mistake and gone on. We are told he is one of Socorro's most popular mayor's of recent times.

BACK ON THE TRAIL

Tom Carroll, former executive director of the NM GOP who was thrown to the sharks earlier this year in the intra-party turmoil that wracked the party, has resurfaced in La Politica. Carroll of Santa Fe is back in the Big Duke City heading up the committee to get ABQ's street bond issue passed. They called in Carroll because the hyper-controversial Paseo del Norte Road extension cost the city a big bond package with the voters last year. With an expected big General Election turnout, supporters are more confident this time around. But anti-Paseo opponents are expected to again wage war, thus the Carroll hiring who has a long campaign resume.

THE WEB CAMPAIGN

The politicos are coming out in force in all media, including our beloved Web. I said I would start linking to candidate web sites for the junkies who love em'. So send me your candidate web location and I will post it here. If you want more you can contact me about advertising.

We kick things off with Republican Kathy Leyendecker who is challenging State Rep. Al Park in a premier legislative race in the ABQ's SE Heights. We will post web sites from across the state. Email them to me at the link on the top right of this page.

Make our site, WWW.JOEMONAHAN.COM one of your favorites and e-mail a link to interested friends. Interested in advertising to NM's large political community? E-mail me from the top right of this page, or call 505-243-4059 for details.

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Despite a recent spate of bad news and hits from his opponents, Big Bill is still the man. How else to react to his job performance rating by Research & Polling in the ABQ Journal over the weekend?

The approval is especially gratifying to the Fourth Floor of the Roundhouse because the poll comes after two years in office in which the Big Fella, warts and all, has become better known to New Mexicans.

Veteran pollster Brian Sanderoff had it right when he said New Mexicans like the national prominence Big Bill has brought to NM. But I would go a step further and add that a 63% approval, even if you reduce it a couple of points for the margin of error, is also an endorsement of his policies, particularly his emphasis on getting our little land out of the 50th ranking in just about everything.

The 44% approval from registered R's is due in no small part to his tax cuts for the wealthy, but he enjoys goodwill across the board for the same reason he was elected in a landslide: New Mexico is tired of being in the doldrums, and while Big Bill hasn't moved the economic rankings--that could take years--his eye is on the ball and he puts in overtime on the job. How would you evaluate an employee if he did the same for your business?

THEY CAN'T SAY NO

Just as important as his taking the job seriously is the lack of organized opposition to his administration. The R's could probably have him in the 50's but they have been at each others throats, not his, thus they have been unable to raise his negatives.

In fact, the main opposition has come from a fellow Democrat, Attorney General Madrid, and more recently, from some tough newspaper pieces on the huge amounts of money he has raised and how that impacts state policy. But Big Bill has pulled in his horns when the heat gets too high. Witness the recent turnabout on that state airplane controversy. It may have been late, but he avoided a festering problem and an issue
that could finally galvanize the opposition.

A final thought. It seems New Mexicans are embracing the concept of a more powerful governorship in recent years. Gary Johnson was also accused of being a bully, but the public hung with him because of his defiance of the then-liberal Legislative leadership. Gary was rewarded for holding the line. Big Bill has a tougher assignment. He is working for tangible results. So far, the public is patient and willing to ride with him, maybe not at 110 miles an hour in an SUV up Interstate 25, but cruising speed is just fine, thank you.

ET TU, MARTY?

Meanwhile, back here in River City, ABQ Mayor Marty Chavez almost matched Bill. He came in with a 62% approval nod from city residents in the Journal poll. The Mayor recently weathered a headline grabbing divorce and earlier, the ABQ PAC fundraising controversy.

Again, I agree with Brian that a more peaceful relationship with the City Council is key to his revival, but would add, like Big Bill, he is relentless on the job, working far more hours than most would expect. Mayor Marty (who your blogger has worked for) is also the beneficiary of no organized opposition. He is up for re-election in just a year and is no doubt hoping his high numbers will chase off any big players.

Polls, as they always say, are snapshots in time and potholes always await these two high-profile politicos. The mayor will anxiously wait how his numbers stack up when alternative candidates surface and Big Bill has a more restive Legislature to face next year. But for now times are good and these students of Clinton have reason to chomp on their unlighted cigars before the next round begins.

NM PREZ BATTLE

Slate Magazine is out with a look at NM's swing state status in the Prez race. Writer Bryan Curtis interviewed a wide range of political junkies statewide, including yours truly, to come to his conclusions.

Make our site, WWW.JOEMONAHAN.COM one of your favorites and e-mail a link to interested friends. Interested in advertising to NM's large political community? E-mail me from the top right of this page, or call 505-243-4059 for details.

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Hold your horses Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce. Pete Domenici isn't ready for the rocker. In fact, he may take a look at an unprecedented seventh, six year term in the U.S. Senate. Pete told the AP's Leslie Hoffman at the GOP Convention recently in NYC: "Some mornings, I wake up and I've got no energy. Other mornings, I wake up and I'm full of it. We'll let the next election rest on that."

Two years ago Pete won big but said it was his last time around the track. Maybe he doesn't like the way apparent lame-ducks are treated. Whatever the case, Domenici, already the longest serving Senator In NM history, could put a lot of career plans on hold,, including Wilson's and Pearce's, on if he decides to try for yet another six years. Barring severe illness, the odds on his defeat are about the same as the Swiftboat Veterans endorsing Kerry.

CAN WE POLL THE POLLS?

You may not need a poll to know where Domenici stands, but you sure do when it comes to the Prez race in our fair Land of Enchantment. Trouble is, the polls are starting to walk all over each other, with the Zogby Interactive Poll now giving Kerry a nearly ten point lead, (53.6 to 44%) Veteran Journal pollster Brian Sanderoff giving the Prez a two point edge here. The polls were taken in and around the GOP convention. So what's a political junkie to do? How about looking at the "right track, wrong track" question?


Interestingly, that's where the two polls agree New Mexicans have a gloomy outlook on the future. Zogby and Sanderoff say most of those polled see the country as on the wrong track, with Zogby saying 56% see it that way and Sanderoff putting it at 45%, with just 39% saying things are OK. Many political pros see that as a key question and why those writing off Kerry may be counting their polls before they hatch.

STAGE FIGHT: TAKE THREE

Patsy wasn't kept off the stage at the recent Las Cruces visit of VP candidate John Edwards. She kept herself off the stage. At least that's the spin from friends of the Attorney General and arch-rival of Big Bill. We reported that insiders claimed the Big Guy said Patsy was not welcome in the limelight because of their recent tiff over the purchase of a state airplane. But Patsy's patsies say she voluntarily stayed away knowing her presence might set off another round in the ongoing battle. "We hope it will quiet down for a while now," said one Patsy admirer. Quiet down? Are they trying to punish us?

Make our site, WWW.JOEMONAHAN.COM one of your favorites and e-mail a link to interested friends. Interested in advertising to NM's large political community? E-mail me from the top right of this page, or call 505-243-4059 for details.

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Two down and one to go. At least that's the veridict of various NM political pros when it comes to the three U.S. Congressional seats being fought over. These Alligators were quick to pounce as they declared all but dead several challengers uponscouring the ABQ Journal's recent poll.

No surprise that they unanimously predicted Rep. Tom Udall an easy victor in November over GOP challenger and San Juan County District Attorney Craig Tucker. Udall polled over 60 percent,(63% to 21%)leaving Tucker with the slim hope that he could somehow hold Tom below 60% and claim a moral victory. Still, the Republicans are grateful to have anyone running in the safe Dem district and Tucker will have some IOU's with his party for his valiant effort. But Udall will have what counts: the power.

The Gators were also donning funeral apparel for the Steve Pearce-Gary King duel down south where Dem King faces an uphill battle against freshman R Pearce. The Journal poll puts it at 51% for Pearce and 34% for the son of fabled NM Governor Bruce King. "Those numbers match-up with what Joe Skeen used to get when he held the district. Pearce is headed for a 54 to 55% win and if I am wrong you can use my name," offered up one veteran Republican. He also noted that "the King power base has never been in southern NM" and that "Gary should have been hammering Pearce all summer."

Our war-weary observer also said Pearce is demonstrating "incredible strength" with independent voters and King may be facing an "impossible task." A Dem on the inside said the race has fallen off the national radar screens and if the money is going to flow to Gary he is going to have to make a big move and soon. Don't expect Pearce to make any big moves, like agreeing to a bunch of TV debates. Not with his numbers.

TWO OUT OF THREE AIN'T BAD
Heather
So there's two out of three, but what about the big one in ABQ, where Dem Richard Romero is in a rematch against incumbent GOP Congresswoman Heather Wilson? "The nightmare scenario for Richard is in those Hispanic numbers," said our R informer. "He is getting just 48% of them and that shows me there is still division the Valley over him." The division he was referring to was Richard's 2000 coup against then-Senate President pro Tem and Big D Manny Aragon as well as his effort this year to kick fellow Hispanic Eli Chavez off the Democratic primary ballot.

Our R also offered up that Heather has "worked the Valley" and is not "automatically dismissed" there. He also said Richard faces a challenge when he goes on the attack "because attacking a woman candidate requires a finesse job." Heather finessed herself into another term two years ago by walloping Romero in a ten point landslide. Both have a couple of TV ads in rotation that say nothing, but set the stage for the blood that will soon flow.

Heather has her base nailed down. She is pulling nearly 90% of the R's. Other bad news for Richard is the low undecided the race, just 8 percent, compared to mid-teen indecision in the other congressional campaigns. On that one of my Gators opined: "It means a lot of folks have made up their minds on this one and he is going to have to peel soft votes away from Wilson. It will require all-out nuclear warfare and he risks self-immolation" Self-immolation? These Gators are getting pretty uppity with the big words. But then I don't have to feed them, just listen to them.

LONG LIVE PATSY & BILL

Not all agreed with yesterday's report that Big Bill had couped arch-rival AG Patsy Madrid by keeping her off the stage at a recent Las Cruces event for her beloved VP candidate John Edwards, but I have not yet been able to nail down the reason why they believe that. Perhaps the email today will yield the answer and the other side of the latest in what is turning up to be a long-running NM political soap opera.

BE A PAID POLITICAL

You may have noticed the new ad from State Senator Phil Griego on our site. (Hey, you're supposed to!)I am accepting ads from Legislative and other political candidates for the final stretch of Campaign 04,' and my rates for Legislative contenders are a special bargain, just enough to keep me off the streets with a "Will work for Food' sign. Contact me via e mail from the link at the top of this page or call 505-243-4059 for further details on how you can reach thousands of the most likely voters in NM in the final stretch of Campaign 04'.

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The long Labor Day weekend gave the political junkies the luxury of time to digest the latest NM Prez numbers and look to the main stretch of the campaign that begins now. One mystery that has persisted all summer has been the Prez's terrible showing among NM Dems, as low as 11% in one survey and never over 20% in any of the poll. Until now.

The ABQ Journal poll conducted by Research & Polling's Brian Sanderoff broke the Dem ceiling Bush has been bumping up against giving him a whopping 24 percent of state Dems. That may not sound like a lot, but it's just a point or two shy of where he probably needs to finish on Election Night.

But the weekend debate was over whether the poll, which showed W leading Kerry 45 to 42 overall, was a bump from his successful NM visit (see my August report) as well as it being taken during Republican convention week. The consensus seemed to be the convention and visit bumped the Prez and we could be back to square soon. There will be another Journal poll this month and many others as well. You will get all of them only at www.joemonahan.com.

A final word on the poll. I agree with Sanderoff that the good news for Kerry is that most of the 8 per cent who say they are undecided are Hispanics and women. The bad news for Kerry is that he still has work to do to motivate them. Big Bill can expect some phone calls.

STAGE FIGHT IN CRUCES

And speaking of the Big Guy, word comes to us from deep Dem insiders that the sour relationship between him and Attorney General Patsy Madrid broke out into the open recently--at least in the open of those involved at the highest level of Prez politics.

The insiders say the AG wanted to be on the stage in Las Cruces with VP candidate Edwards when he visited NM the same day as the Prez, but Big Bill would have none of it. Despite her pleas to get in the limelight with Edwards, who she backed earlier than anyone, Patsy was rebuffed. She can pick fights with the Guv but it was a none too subtle reminder that he will hit back. After all, he didn't call himself "Fighter for the North" all those years for nothing.

DA PLANE!

It was Big Bill's refusal to get legislative approval for a new state airplane that his critics claimed he would use to hop around the state that put Patsy front and center as she challenged the decision and got a ton of press. It was a rare PR goof for the Guv, and no surprise when he backed off over the weekend. The plane should win easy approval from the Dem dominated Legislature, giving rise to the question: Why wasn't that done in the first place?

Make our site, WWW.JOEMONAHAN.COM one of your favorites and e-mail a link to interested friends. Interested in advertising to NM's large political community? E-mail me from the top right of this page, or call 505-243-4059 for details.

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New Mexico's political pros had the TV remote in one hand and their phone lines open to La Politica in the other last night as President Bush made his acceptance speech in the Big Apple.
Bush covered a lot of territory, and so it was no surprise that we received a wide variety of opinion on just what W was up to and how it will play in our key battleground state.

Veteran Democratic consultant Harry Pavlides, tracking the action now for 35 years, said it was probably "the best speech he has ever seen Bush give." He appealed to that 10 percent undecided. The appeals on rural health care and health care in general appealed to undecided women. The red meat over gay marriage was aimed at the Evangelical christians still not excited and could help him in SE NM."

However, Pavlides believes the Prez made a tactical mistake going to the abortion issue which he sees cutting in favor of the Dems and could turn women against the Prez. But a Bush Republican told me Bush got away with it because of the subdued language he used.

Pavlides believes Bush has run an effective August campaign and that Kerry has not. He was gleeful that Kerry came out late last night swinging hard at Bush-Cheney. "He's been acting like a Senator, he needs to act like a President. Pavlides also predicted "a move to the left" by Kerry. He didn't have to wait long. Late last night Kerry started to move that way.

WHAT'S AHEAD

Pavlides said Bush will get more of a bounce out of his convention than Kerry. "I think he will move ahead two or three points in NM and maybe five to seven nationally." Will that hold for the next two months? "Only if Kerry does not fight back. He needs to fight back, and now," exclaimed the politico who has consulted a generation of New mexico politicos.

THE R'S REACT

Over on the GOP side, there was a minor difference of opinion on the Prez's performance. Former ABQ Councilor, political strategist and legislative candidate Greg Payne called it "a home run." This was not a speech for the 'red' states or the 'blue' states; this was a speech for all the states," observed the pumped-up Republican. Payne said he is confident of a Bush victory (though not necessarily in NM) because he is willing "to draw a contrast with Kerry." Like Pavlides, Payne agrees that Kerry can get back in the game if he, like Bush, starts the rough stuff.

Bruce Donisthorpe, veteran aide and adviser to NM Congressmen and governors, was more subdued than Payne, but nevertheless gave Bush good marks. "This was a good speech for him. He did not try to come across as something he wasn't, and a lot of people appreciate that. He laid out his message clearly."

Donisthorpe also said he saw clear attempts by the Prez to excite the evangelical Christians who may have stayed home four years, ago. "The abortion and gay marriage were aimed at them, and VP Cheney will go into Roswell this weekend where that message plays best to try to close the deal. Bush needs to peel off conservative D's to win NM and this is part of that effort," said the longtime political junkie in a near-midnight speech post-mortem.

Donisthorpe added that Big Bill still lurks in the Prez race here which he diplomatically called an "organizational challenge for us. Our message is going to have be loud and clear to carry the day." said Donsithorpe as he returned to monitoring three cable TV news networks and the web.

JOURNAL POLL SUNDAY

The first homegrown poll of the New Mexico Prez battle will be out Sunday morning in the Albuquerque Journal when pollster Brian Sanderoff reveals his findings as well as Big Bill's popularity and other issues. Brian was in the field during the R convention so the poll may pick up a bit of that enthusiasm. Otherwise, he told me a couple of weeks ago he felt Kerry had a slight edge in our state as national polls have indicated.

Thanks to my political pros for their insights. When the story is big, this is the place to be for the deepest insights into the rough and tumble world of modern La Politica. Have a great holiday weekend and we'll see you back here Tuesday with more of the stuff that makes our Enchanted Land go round.

Make our site, WWW.JOEMONAHAN.COM one of your favorites and e-mail a link to interested friends. Interested in advertising to NM's large political community? E-mail me from the top right of this page, or call 505-243-4059 for details.

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A group of Hispanic Republican legislative hopefuls, most of them longshots, have had their campaign kitty's filled by Senator Domenici's Pete PAC And the fact that they may not show in the stretch, doesn't bother Pete. The PAC is aimed at bolstering Hispanic involvement in the GOP, according to a Dem, closely watching the hand-outs. The state's senior senator has doled out about $17,000 so far to these legislative wannabes.

Among the recipients, who each received $2500 for their uphill efforts: Clara Pena who is up against State Rep. Miguel Garcia. Deborah Torrez who is out to knock out recently appointed ABQ Dem State Rep. Harriet Ruiz. Also getting a check was Linda Jaramillo who is taking on veteran State Senator Pete Campos of Las Vegas. Of the three, Jaramaillo, according to our Dem expert, is the strongest and could give Campos "a little trouble."

Fernando C De Baca is another state senate R hopeful who bagged $2500 from Pete's coffers. He is trying to take the seat held forever by Manny Aragon who resigned to take the presidency of NM Highlands University and who was replaced by appointment by James Taylor who left his House seat to get the promotion. There's also a couple of late independent entrants in that one which could make it interesting, but the Dems are comfortable that Taylor will prevail, even though C de Baca could throw some of his own money at the contest and the independents could make it a bit tougher for Taylor.

MORE CAMPAIGN CASH

The campaign cash was also flowing at a recent party for the benefit of ABQ NE Heights State Senator Diane Snyder. A lot of the raising was done by her fellow R senators including "Lightning Rod" Adair who, according to an R following this one, came into ABQ for the Snyder event. The district is R, but with enough Dems to give the D an opening. Snyder won by just 6 percent in 2000. This time, Chris Berkheimer, Deputy Director in Big Bill's NM Homeland Security Department, is the challenger. With Bill's muscle in the background, Snyder will be forced to work it.

Make our site, WWW.JOEMONAHAN.COM one of your favorites and e-mail a link to interested friends. Interested in advertising to NM's large political community? E-mail me from the top right of this page, or call 505-243-4059 for details.

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