Want to see how New Mexico’s three new members of the U.S. House are settling in? Check out today’s fantastic article from Gwyneth Doland of the New Mexico Independent.
The article is packed with interesting observations and blunt, witty commentary. Check out this portion from her interview with the 3rd District’s Ben Ray Luján:
“He is a quick thinker, adept at responding to questions with answers that sound as polished as those in his press releases. Unfortunately, that means he’s also hard to quote … because everything he says sounds like a press release,” Doland wrote. “Consider this: I ask him, ‘Would you consider yourself more of a delegater or a micro-manager?’ And without blinking or taking a breath, he says, ‘Well, I would say I’m a team player! We do things together and I encourage ideas … (I say) let’s think outside the box and let’s do it together.’”
Many journalists would have just quoted Luján as saying he’s a team player and left it at that. But that would have made for a boring article. Doland makes her interview with the congressman come to life and gives us a sense of what it was like to talk to him.
And I love this portion about the 2nd District’s Harry Teague, who Doland labels “Mr. Congeniality:”
“He founded a business with Johnny Cope, the chairman of the New Mexico Transportation Commission and a prominent Richardson supporter,” Doland wrote. “Teague says his relationship with Cope makes for a pleasant synergy with the congressman’s new place on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (I’m paraphrasing here; I’m sure Teague would never use a Dilbert-y word like ‘synergy.’) And there’s Gov. Bill Richardson, who owes Teague a few favors (and a bunch of money) for lending out his corporate jet during Richardson’s presidential campaign.”
A Dilbert-y word? What a great description.
This article is definitely worth your time. Click here to read it.