I had several calls and e-mails Wednesday from Republican Party insiders and longtime political watchers about the debate over whether Sen. Pete Domenici had a hand in the Damron/Dendahl switcheroo.
The consensus was overwhelming: Either Domenici orchestrated the entire event, or he has lost his influence in his party. Either he was asserting himself as the top politician in the state, or this reveals that he’s no longer the leader of his party.
No one seemed certain about which is the truth, but most guess that Domenici orchestrated the replacement of the Republican Party’s gubernatorial candidate. If that’s the case, he’s going after Gov. Bill Richardson, either to take back his position as the state’s leader, or to damage the governor’s potential presidential run, or both.
Domenici has been a master of stealth for a long time. We may never know for certain.