Mayor’s office violated ethics, ABQ councilors say

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The Albuquerque Tribune published an article today about my Wednesday column that reported on e-mails and cell phone records suggesting the chief of staff to the Albuquerque mayor and others were involved in an assault in May on two city councilors. The column’s publication on this site and in the Trib marked the first time the documents were revealed publicly. In today’s article, the two councilors who were the primary targets of the May campaign accused Mayor Martin Chávez’s administration of violating ethics rules in orchestrating the attack. Read the article by clicking here. Continue Reading

Activist to run against Sen. Grubesic in June primary

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An activist for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community has announced her candidacy for the New Mexico Senate seat currently held by Democrat John Grubesic of Santa Fe. Mekah Gordon, a Democrat, will be running against the senator in the June 2008 primary. Gordon wrote in a recent e-mail to supporters that, as the District 25 senator, she wants to work toward the establishment of a “harassment free, diverse and humanistic educational school system” and will also push for visual and performing arts education in all schools, civil rights and equality, low- and middle-income tax breaks and better health care for the elderly and veterans. “I have consistently maintained a well documented platform of sensitivity, diversity understanding, civil rights, compassion and mutual respect,” she wrote. “Believing in and supporting my candidacy for New Mexico state senator will reestablish honesty and truth in a political arena seemingly void of such characteristics.” Gordon is an artist who designs and crafts jewelry and is also a photographer and sculptor. Continue Reading

Edwards, Obama call guv’s claims dishonest at debate

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Gov. Bill Richardson’s performance at Wednesday’s Democratic presidential candidate debate was overshadowed by the assertions of others that some of his claims were unrealistic and disingenuous. To top it off, it was John Edwards, not Richardson, who most convincingly set himself apart from the frontrunners on the issue of troop withdrawal from Iraq. The night started off well for Richardson because the moderator of the MSNBC debate, Tim Russert, asked the frontrunners whether they would promise that, if they were elected, there would be no American troops in Iraq by the end of their first term in January 2013. The question appeared to be driven by Richardson’s recent attacks on the frontrunners for rejecting his plan for the withdrawal of all American troops, including residual troops, in a matter of months. Richardson has repeatedly said Edwards, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton aren’t being honest with the American people when they say they would end the war but also plan to leave some troops in Iraq. Continue Reading

Richardson insists he won’t run against Domenici

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The day after a new poll showed U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici’s approval rating falling to 41 percent, Bill Richardson’s presidential campaign made its strongest statement yet that the governor isn’t interested in running against the state’s senior senator next year. “The governor is running to be the next president of the U.S.,” spokesman Pahl Shipley wrote today in an e-mail. “With Congress, been there, done that. Not interested.” Richardson spent 14 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. Shipley’s comments come the day after the new SurveyUSA poll had the GOP senator’s support dropping 11 points since August and below 50 percent for the first time in the history of the poll that began in May 2005. Continue Reading

Guv could make Supreme Court pick by mid-October

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Gov. Bill Richardson could make an appointment to the New Mexico Supreme Court as early as mid-October, a spokesman said today. By law, the governor has to make the appointment within 30 days of being notified of the recommendations of the judicial nominating commission that met Monday. The notification was probably not made until Tuesday, which would give the governor until Oct. 24 to make the appointment. “The governor will be carefully considering all the nominees and has 30 days to make the appointment per the Constitution,” spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said, adding that the appointment could come in mid-October. Continue Reading

The moderate Wilson sticks her neck out once again

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By Whitney Cheshire The debate over children’s health insurance shows us that Heather Wilson is still very much Heather Wilson. Late Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would greatly improve access to health insurance for our country’s poorest kids. It was the latest vote on the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and it went down as most people expected – sort of. The SCHIP debate The program to provide health insurance for low-income kids was instituted nationally in 1996 by Republicans. At the time, Wilson, who is now the GOP representative from Albuquerque, was cabinet secretary for the state’s Children, Youth, and Families Department. Continue Reading

E-mails, cell-phone records suggest behind-the-scenes coordination of assault on Albuquerque councilors

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In comments published in the Albuquerque Tribune on May 30, Barry Bitzer, chief of staff to Mayor Martin Chávez, denied any involvement by the mayor or himself in a campaign against two city councilors who opposed a Chávez tax-cut proposal. Instead, Bitzer called the Committee for Responsible Budgets’ campaign, which included radio advertisements and robocalls attacking conservatives Brad Winter and Don Harris, “a grassroots movement.” City e-mail and phone records suggest otherwise. The ads and robocalls began shortly after the committee was formed on May 24, three days after the council’s vote against the tax cut. But Bitzer and two others close to the mayor possessed scripts for the ads and robocalls on May 20, the day before the council vote and four days before the committee was formed. Documents obtained from the city through a records request show that Bitzer sent the scripts that day, by e-mail, to Mark Fleisher, a Democratic operative who works for the mayor’s gubernatorial exploratory committee, and Greg Payne, the city’s transit director. Continue Reading

Domenici’s approval rating falls to 41 percent

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U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici’s approval rating has fallen 11 points in the last month, and it’s now below the 50-percent mark for the first time. The newest SurveyUSA poll, released today, is bad news for a GOP senator who keeps ending up on lists of endangered incumbents even though he hasn’t yet drawn a high-profile Democratic challenger. Domenici’s support is at 41 percent, down from 52 percent in August, and he’s increasingly looking vulnerable. “The people of New Mexico are clearly unhappy that Pete Domenici is more loyal to George Bush and his failed policies than to the families of New Mexico,” state Democratic Party Chairman Brian S. Colón said in a news release. “This poll confirms that Domenici is in serious danger of losing his job when New Mexicans go to the polls next year.” It’s also an indication that national groups that have attacked Domenici for failing to support an immediate withdrawal from Iraq and new renewable energy standards are having an effect. Continue Reading

14 file to run in Las Cruces municipal election

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With the exception of one surprise I reported earlier today, all who filed to run in the Nov. 6 Las Cruces municipal election had previously announced their candidacies. Those who filed to run for mayor are incumbent Bill Mattiace, political newcomer Jon J. Mercurio and District 6 Councilor Ken Miyagishima. Those who filed to run for City Council District 1 are incumbent José V. Frietze, political newcomer Conrado M. Guerra, activist Ron M. Gurley and former Doña Ana County Commissioner Miguel G. Silva. Guerra had not previously announced his candidacy. Continue Reading

Pearce’s failure to refute allegation arouses suspicion

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Many who find their names on a Washington watchdog group’s list of the most corrupt members of Congress tend to lose their jobs. Perhaps that’s why U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce and his staff have so badly botched the response to allegations the group made against the GOP congressman from Southern New Mexico last week. Perhaps Pearce is scared. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington alleges that Pearce failed to report his sale of the assets of Lea Fishing Tools, Inc. to Key Energy Services for more than 540,000 shares of stock in 2003. The group says Pearce was required to report the sale and his failure to do so likely violated the Ethics in Government Act. Continue Reading

City election filing day running smoothly

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Today is filing day for candidates running in the Nov. 6 Las Cruces municipal election, and things seem to be going well. I went to City Hall and visited with Clerk Esther Martinez early this afternoon. Some who had previously announced their candidacies had filed by about 1:15 p.m., while others had yet to do it. District 2 incumbent Dolores Connor was filing her paperwork while I was there. Continue Reading

County settles jail strip-search lawsuit

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Doña Ana County has agreed to pay $5 million to settle a lawsuit charging its jail with illegally strip-searching inmates. The settlement comes as no surprise. Shortly before the lawsuit was filed last year, attorneys won a similar case against Santa Fe County, and those lawyers were brought on board to help with the lawsuit against Doña Ana County. The Las Cruces Sun-News is reporting today that the seven original plaintiffs will each get $25,000. The case will also be certified as a class-action lawsuit so hundreds of others can be eligible for payments of between $1,200 and $2,400. Continue Reading

Frontrunners to unleash ad blitz; can guv keep up?

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Gov. Bill Richardson was the first Democratic presidential candidate to air television ads in Iowa and New Hampshire, but others have slowly followed. Now, the governor is heading into the season where his commercials are going to be surrounded and possibly drowned out by others. The Associated Press is reporting today that the major campaigns have been hoarding money for advertising blitzes in Iowa and New Hampshire that will last the remainder of the year and carry them to the early voting contests. Hillary Clinton stepped up her advertising several weeks ago, and is set to do it again. Barack Obama began airing his first television ad in New Hampshire this week. Continue Reading

Not a good time to be a Republican

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By Dr. James “Jim” Kadlecek “In this world of sin and sorrow there is always something to be thankful for; as for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican.” – H.L. Mencken The opening quote intends no disrespect for my Republican friends (some of my best pals are R’s). Rather, it is intended to emphasize that these are tough times for the Grand Old Party. They have one of most unpopular presidents in American History. G.W. continues to stubbornly pursue policies that are not just out of step with public opinion, but that most serious students of world affairs believe are damaging to the United States and to the world. His cabinet members and advisers are fleeing the sinking ship of the administration in droves. Continue Reading

Robles, six others recommended for high court job

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Following a day of interviews in Santa Fe, three judges and four lawyers made the cut and will be considered by Gov. Bill Richardson for a vacancy on the New Mexico Supreme Court. Robert E. Robles, chief judge of the Third Judicial District Court in Doña Ana County, was among those the committee voted to recommend to the governor this evening. The others the commission recommended are: • Albuquerque criminal defense attorney Charles W. Daniels • New Mexico General Services Secretary Arturo L. Jaramillo • Albuquerque lawyer Edward R. Ricco, who specializes in appellate law • Maureen A. Sanders, an Albuquerque attorney who used to run the civil division in the state attorney general’s office • Judge Linda M. Vanzi of the Second Judicial District Court in Bernalillo County • State Court of Appeals Judge Michael E. Vigil The governor is tasked with making an appointment from among the names recommended by the commission. If he doesn’t like his options, he can ask the commission to reconvene – once – to consider whether to forward the names of any of the other eight applicants for his consideration. The vacancy was created last month by the death of Justice Pamela B. Minzner. Continue Reading