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The race to run against Wilson is heating up

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The race to be the Democrat challenging U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., in 2008 has really heated up in the last few days. Following news that New Mexico Economic Development Secretary Rick Homans and Albuquerque City Councilor Martin Heinrich might both jump into the race, I was contacted by a third potential candidate on Tuesday. Terry Brunner has been mentioned as a possible candidate in the past, but he wanted me to know he is meeting with officials from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee today and also talking with veteran pollsters about the race. Brunner is state director for the office of U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., and ran Bingaman’s re-election campaign last year. “I’m still considering it,” Brunner told me, adding that his job has provided him the opportunity to work on many of the same issues he would handle as a congressman. Continue Reading

County tax is key element of spaceport funding plan

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This is the first in a series of articles examining the issues surrounding the April 3 election on whether to raise the gross receipts tax 1/4 percent in Doña Ana County to help fund Spaceport America. When staffers for Gov. Bill Richardson first pitched the proposal to create a commuter rail to the Legislature, they underestimated the cost by almost $300 million. So when the governor asked for $114.5 million during the 2006 legislative session to help fund Spaceport America, many lawmakers balked. Some publicly questioned how they could trust the administration’s assertion that the spaceport would cost $225 million or less. Ultimately, three conditions were placed on $100 million granted by the Legislature. Continue Reading

Documents prove White House involvement in U.S. attorney firings; Domenici spoke to Bush about Iglesias

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Documents that were turned over to Congress today prove that top Bush Administration staffers were intimately involved in the firings of eight former U.S. attorneys including David Iglesias of New Mexico, disproving the Justice Department’s prior assertion that the White House played almost no role. The White House has also revealed that President George W. Bush personally relayed concerns that had been shared with him about a number of U.S. attorneys to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales weeks before the firings. Among those who complained to Bush was U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M. Statements made Monday evening by the White House in conjunction with the release of records are the latest in a series of admissions the Bush Administration has made only after the media or others alleged that prior statements weren’t accurate. That failure to be up-front about information has increased suspicion that the firings were political and has caused the scandal to explode. The documents don’t necessarily prove political motives, but do show that officials haven’t been forthcoming about how the firings came about. Continue Reading

Scandal injects uncertainty into New Mexico politics

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At this point, it’s difficult to size up the impact of the scandal surrounding phone calls Sen. Pete Domenici and Rep. Heather Wilson made to former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias, but that uncertainty, because of what’s at stake, has been enough to rock New Mexico politics. The scandal has the potential to set off a domino effect in which a number of state and local officials make runs at higher offices. Then again, it’s possible that nothing will happen. If you need a quick refresher on what’s been going on, click here. For the newest on the national implications, click here. Continue Reading

Subpoenas issued in U.S. attorney investigation as Domenici and Wilson continue to dodge questions

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U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici and Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., are still refusing to talk about whether they had a hand in forcing out former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias, even as a House subcommittee is issuing subpoenas in an attempt to find the truth. Meanwhile, the spokesman for a congresswoman leading the House investigation says any House members who pressured Iglesias to issue indictments in a public corruption scandal in order to affect the November 2006 elections might have committed ethics violations. Iglesias claims he was forced from his job by the Bush Administration because he refused pressure in October from two members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation to speed indictments in an ongoing investigation of alleged kickbacks related to the construction of government buildings in Bernalillo County. Though he has refused to name the members, three of the five – Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman and Rep. Tom Udall and Republican Rep. Steve Pearce – were quick on Wednesday to say they didn’t do it. Domenici and Wilson, on the other hand, aren’t talking. Continue Reading

Outgoing U.S. Attorney Iglesias says he was fragged

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David Iglesias, the outgoing U.S. attorney for New Mexico, says it was politics, not job performance, that cost him the position. In an interview with the Albuquerque Tribune, he confirmed that he did write in an e-mail to a friend that his dismissal was a political “fragging” – a military term for being killed by a subordinate. The e-mail was first reported Monday on Joe Monahan’s blog. “I know that performance was not the real issue,” the Tribune quoted Iglesias as saying, contradicting a deputy U.S. attorney general who told a Senate panel the opposite. “That leaves only one possibility, and that’s politics,” he said. Continue Reading

Guard equipment shortage worries N.M. delegation

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The New Mexico congressional delegation today launched a push to get answers about why the New Mexico National Guard has the lowest level of available equipment of any Guard operation in the nation, and to find a solution. Among the problems cited is that the state’s Guard is using outdated helicopters that need to be replaced. U.S. Senators Pete Domenici and Jeff Bingaman, along with Reps. Heather Wilson, Tom Udall and Steve Pearce, issued a letter today to the secretary of the Army requesting a briefing on the equipment shortage and a plan to correct the situation. In a study released in January, the General Accountability Office reported that as of November, non-deployed Army National Guard forces in New Mexico ranked last in the nation regarding equipment readiness, having only 33.8 percent of the total amount of dual-use equipment they are authorized to have for war-fighting missions. Continue Reading

Domenici to make several appearances in Cruces

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After kicking off his 2008 re-election campaign at a fundraiser tonight in Albuquerque, U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., will spend Wednesday and Thursday at several public events in Las Cruces. The fundraiser and public tour are designed to quell rumors that the 74-year-old senator’s health will keep him from seeking re-election next year. Speculation has been widespread in recent months that Domenici will be forced to retire, which would set off a scramble among New Mexico’s political powerhouses for his seat. Domenici is set to be the keynote speaker at a luncheon of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce today. This evening, he’ll hold a fundraiser there. Continue Reading

Richardson holds major fundraising event

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Gov. Bill Richardson held his first major campaign fundraiser Thursday night and was expected to raise at least $2 million. The fundraiser, at Sandia Resort in Albuquerque, was closed to the press, but Richardson Deputy Campaign Manager Amanda Cooper told the Albuquerque Journal that the 700 or more donors who would attend from around the state would give at least that amount. The event was co-hosted by U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, U.S. Rep. Tom Udall and Lt. Gov Diane Denish. Denish told the newspaper she raised more than $100,000 for the governor. “The goal is to show that Bill has a lot of support in New Mexico (and) energize that core of supporters, many of whom have volunteered to fan out across the country and help him in other places,” the newspaper quoted Denish as saying. Continue Reading

As historic global warming report becomes public, New Mexico’s senators are at forefront of debate

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The most definitive report yet on the cause and predicted effects of global warming comes at a time when New Mexico’s two U.S. senators will be at the forefront of discussions on what the United States should do about it. The report will also likely be cited by Gov. Bill Richardson as he campaigns for president. One of Richardson’s main campaign issues is alternative energy, and he has attempted to make New Mexico a leading state on the issue in recent years. The lengthy report from a United Nations panel made up of hundreds of scientists from 113 countries, including the United States, issued a bleak report today that found that global warming is “very likely” caused by human activity, which means the scientists behind the report are 90 percent certain. If nothing is done to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the global temperature could increase as much as 11 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100, the report found. Continue Reading

Most N.M. leaders are skeptical of Bush proposals

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Most of New Mexico’s leaders in Washington were critical of at least some of the proposals President Bush made Tuesday in his State of the Union address. You can read about Bush’s speech by clicking here, and read a transcript of the speech here. On energy independence and climate change, Bush called for reducing the nation’s gasoline usage by 20 percent in the next 10 years by increasing the use of alternative energy – in particular ethanol – and pushing tougher fuel efficiency standards. He acknowledged for the first time the need to confront “the serious challenge of global climate change.” U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M. and chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said he was encouraged that the president has set a goal of reducing the nation’s gasoline usage by 20 percent in the next 10 years. “That is an initiative all Americans can get behind,” Bingaman said. Continue Reading

Richardson’s conduct toward women scrutinized

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Since news broke on Friday that Gov. Bill Richardson would run for president, the blogosphere has been abuzz with talk about rumors and allegations involving his conduct with women. Three of the top liberal blogs in the nation – DailyKos, Wonkette and Huffington Post – have all made references to such rumors in recent days. Markos Moulitsas Zúniga, the administrator of DailyKos, wrote about Richardson’s private life being “the subject of – how should I delicately put it? – Clintonian rumors.” Wonkette referred to Richardson’s “unspecified bimbo-itis.” But the most concrete and potentially damaging allegations came Sunday from Stephen Clemmons, who runs the blog The Washington Note. His critique was also run by Huffington Post. Continue Reading

Pearce fights against repealing oil tax breaks

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As I was visiting with New Mexico’s Democratic lawmakers in the nation’s capital Thursday, U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., spent much of the day on the House floor arguing against rolling back tax breaks and subsidies for oil companies. The Democratic-controlled House eventually voted to do just that. When I was in the offices of Sen. Jeff Bingaman and Rep. Tom Udall, Pearce was on the television arguing against the Democratic proposal. He spoke in place of other Republican representatives whose turn it was to take the podium, and argued back and forth with Democratic lawmakers throughout the day. The bill passed 264-163. Continue Reading

House Democratic leaders tout Steinborn, Cote

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The office of House Majority Leader Ken Martinez put out this news release today about Doña Ana County’s two freshman legislators, Jeff Steinborn and Nate Cote. I thought it was interesting, especially in light of all that’s been happening, so here it is: Las Cruces freshmen eager to serve the community through the legislative process Santa Fe, NM – The 48th Session of the New Mexico Legislature opened on Tuesday with what promises to be an unprecedented number of bills introduced and with an expected $720 million surplus to the budget. Rep. Jeff Steinborn, D-Las Cruces, and Rep. Nathan Cote, D-Las Cruces, are two of the 11 new representatives in the House who will contend with these bills while getting their legislative feet wet. Both representatives, however, are up for the job and ready to serve their constituents. Speaker of the House Ben Lujan made committee assignments on the second day of the session, and the new Las Cruces legislators are well positioned to have a significant impact on policy that affects the southern part of the state. Continue Reading

Though a rookie, Steinborn sounds like a veteran

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Though it wasn’t until November that he won his first election, Jeff Steinborn comes across as a seasoned politician. A look at his résumé reveals that Steinborn, the newly elected District 37 state representative and a Democrat, has about as much experience as is possible without holding elected office. Steinborn has worked in many areas in politics – as a congressional aide, a campaign worker, an activist and lobbyist, and as chair of the Doña Ana County Democratic Party. Steinborn is one of several freshman House members who will start their first legislative session on Tuesday. Steinborn, whose father is former Las Cruces Mayor David Steinborn, said he first got involved in politics while a student at the University of Texas at Austin. Continue Reading