Napolitano's Exit Would Leave Arizona in GOP Hands

Napolitano Appears to be Obama's Homeland Security pick!

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, who graduated in 1974 from Albuquerque's Sandia High School, is President-elect Barack Obama's choice to lead the Department of Homeland Security, multiple news agencies reported late Wednesday.

If appointed, the Democrat in her second term would head the sprawling federal agency, which is responsible for immigration policy and border security as well as emergency response issues.

The Governor's Office neither confirmed nor denied the reports Wednesday.

When asked whether the governor has been offered the Homeland Security post, or whether she has indicated she would accept it, Napolitano spokeswoman Jeanine L'Ecuyer said repeatedly, "I can't answer that."

A popular Democratic governor in a red-state, and an early Obama supporter, Napolitano, 51, has been the focus of Cabinet speculation for weeks.

Her departure would send ripples through Arizona politics. Republican Secretary of State Jan Brewer, next-in-line to the governorship, would serve the remaining two years of Napolitano's term - putting all three branches of state government under GOP control.

Napolitano has racked up a record number of vetoes during her first six years in office as she often played defense against a Republican-dominated Legislature.

Both CNN and Politico reported the news of Napolitano's selection for secretary of Homeland Security.

Arizona Democrats close to Napolitano knew little late Wednesday.

"She's not said anything to anyone. She's not made any calls," said one, a good friend of Napolitano's who asked to remain anonymous.

Another prominent Democrat called the Homeland Security offer one Napolitano "is highly likely to accept."

"I suspect we're looking at a pretty done deal here."

Napolitano graduated in the same high school class as Vice President Dick Cheney's controversial chief of staff, David Addington.

Bingaman Hosts Democratic Delegation.

Photo: by Senate photographer John Klemmer

Senator Jeff Bingaman greeted Ben Ray Lujan, Martin Heinrich, Tom Udall and Harry Teague in Washington on Wednesday. The Rep-elects are in Washington for freshman orientation.

While all the Dems above seem to smiling and having a great meeting, Republicans, back home, are still nursing their wounds from an election day beat down.

And rumors are swirling as the Republicans try to figure out how to bounce back.

Joe Monahan inaccurately reported Sheriff Darren White was considering a run for ABQ Mayor next fall.

NOT TRUE JOE.

White told us tonight, "No Way!" He would not say what he was going to do in two years, but said he's happy being Bernalillo County Sheriff now.

NO WEH.

Earlier this week, we posted a letter to the ABQ Journal from Farmington Doctor Allen McCulloch, who has openly criticized current GOP Chairman Allen Weh, and acurately reported he's considering putting his name into the hat to become the chairman of the NM Republican Party. He'll host a get together in ABQ on Friday night to get the ball rolling.

Now we're learning, from a NMFBIHOP report, that Steve Pearce, who lost his Senate Bid to Tom Udall, may also be considering a run for party chairman, but that's less likely if he ultimately want to run for Governor in 2010.

A Hat Full of Names

We've learned that Pete Dinelli, who worked for then Attorney General Jeff Bingaman for three years, is definitely putting his name into consideration to become the U.S. Attorney in New Mexico. Dinelli may have the inside track with the Senior Senator. How much influence will Governor Bill Richardson and Jr. Senator Tom Udall have on Bingaman's final recommendation?

Dinelli's pursuit of the U.S. Attorney's post could be a sign that Mayor Marty Chavez is nearing a decision to run for a third term.

Dinelli was said to be waiting for his boss to make a move before deciding whether or not to enter the city-wide contest himself.

Keeping It Fresh! No Canned Posole Here.

770 KKOB & El Pinto Restaurant Cans the Canned Posole Edict & Busts the Bizcochito Ban

(11/12/08) This morning the ABQ Journal's Olivier Uyttebrouck reported that an 84-year-old tradition at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Albuquerque honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe was being stopped by the City’s Environmental Health Department. Officials revealed after all these years that health regulations mean that the church can no longer serve homemade traditional holiday foods as part of the celebration. No more Posole unless it’s the canned variety. No more delicious homemade Official State Cookies. The Bizcochitos from home are banned, and on and on and on.

Incensed by this tasteless situation afternoon 770 KKOB talk host Jim Villanucci contacted Jim Garcia, El Pinto Restaurant Director of Operations to see how this wrong could be overcome. Garcia talked with El Pinto owner John Thomas and they agreed to supply all the Posole, Bizcachitos, Tortillas, and any other needs to make the St. Francis Celebration delicious and agreeable. El Pinto’s kitchens comply with health regulations and their food is marvelous.

Updated - 8pm

St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church was faced with the prospect of ditching plans to make a home cooked meal for more than 400 parishioners at its annual celebration honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe. Celebrating the holidays with fake – or canned – posole and store bought bizcochitos is not proper New Mexico etiquette.

“We are committed to being a community partner,” said El Pinto co-owner John Thomas. “We are always eager to support organizations in our community because these people are our neighbors.”

The parish had planned to have a home cooked meal served but the City of Albuquerque health inspector nixed the idea. “No worries now,” says Thomas. “The food will be fresh and will exceed City standards.

The festival will follow a procession honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 14, and is open to the public.

Muchas Gracias El Pinto.

Bingaman Votes to Rebuke Lieberman

Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, the Democrat-turned-independent from Connecticut, was allowed to keep his chairmanship of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee after a Democratic Caucus vote on Tuesday despite his support for Senator John McCain in the presidential campaign.

The Senators, including Sen. Jeff Bingaman, debated a resolution that rebuked Lieberman for some of the actions and statements he made during the presidential campaign.

Senators did vote to strip Lieberman of his leadership position on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

New Mexico's soon to be Senior Senator Jeff Bingaman voted "Yes" on the measure. We received this statement from Sen. Bingaman late this afternoon.

I voted for that resolution, and I believe its adoption was an appropriate outcome. It also has the benefit of allowing the caucus to move forward on preparing for our legislative priorities as well as planning to help the new president advance his agenda. With Sen. Lieberman remaining as a member of the Democratic caucus, we are one vote closer to having a 60-vote threshold required to pass legislation and get things done for the country.

Meanwhile, Matthew Reichbach at the New Mexico Independent is reporting that Senator-Elect Tom Udall, who won't be sworn in as a U.S. Senator until January 6th, was allowed to speak in favor of retaining Lieberman.

Several Democratic Party bloggers, including our pals at Democracy for New Mexico were not pleased with either Bingaman or Udall's decision. DFNM writes, "Bad start Mr. Udall. Trying to get brownie points from the seniority bosses even before you're sworn in? Not a good sign."

Another disappointed party loyalist commented on Democracy for New Mexico:

We sent a bunch of Democrats to Congress in 2006. They said that there weren't enough of them and the President was a Republican. We sent more democrats this time an we gave them a democratic President. They still have excuses.

We cannot afford to give up hope. We have to take names and vote ONLY for those who vote for our issues. That includes Senator Udall.

UPDATE: #1: Reichbach, at NMI, reports that DNC Chairman Howard Dean has backed the Senator's decision.

Do you have an opinion? Send us your thoughts by typing a comment on this post or emailing me at Peter [at] 770kkob.com.

State sets hearing for Galisteo Basin

The Oil Conservation Commission has scheduled a public hearing on proposed rules for oil and gas drilling in the Galisteo Basin. The hearing will be Dec. 11 in Santa Fe. Officials say people wanting to recommend changes in the proposed rules must do so by Nov. 24 and those wishing to submit written comments have a deadline of Dec. 3.

The commission says the goal of the proposed rules is to establish a new process for evaluating and regulating exploration and development in the Galisteo Basin, which is described in an executive order from Gov. Bill Richardson as a ``fragile and ecologically sensitive area.''

Earlier this year Richardson imposed a moratorium on drilling in the basin that is set to expire in January 2009.

State Auditor Hector Balderas Says He's "Ready to Serve" New Mexico.

State Auditor Hector Balderas Standing Behind
Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish at Pepsi Center in Denver.

Governor Bill Richardson has spent years traveling the globe preparing for a job he covets, Secretary of State. While he's officially on the record saying he loves being Governor of New Mexico, he was quick to jet off to Chicago for an interview with President-elect Barack Obama on Friday afternoon in Chicago.

Gov. Richardson may face still competition from Senator Hillary Clinton, but Obama has said many times that he values Richardson's experience and leadership.

While we were in Denver at the DNC, moments before the Governor delivered his foreign policy address at Invesco Field, we asked State Auditor Hector Balderas if the prime-time speech was an indication of Richardson's chance of getting the Secretary of State post.

This is what Balderas told us in August.



If the Governor accepts a post in the new Democratic Administration in Washington, Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish will become the state's first female Governor. She'll also be the first to be empowered by the state's constitution to appoint her successor in the Lieutenant Governor's office. An amendment authorizing the appointment was approved by voters this fall.

Speculation has been swirling that the former State Representative and current State Auditor is at the top of Lt. Governor Denish's list, but she recently told 770KKOB's Bob Clark that she doesn't have a short list. Hmm. If there were two names on the list would they be 1) Hector and 2) Balderas?

We asked Balderas, who was named one of the nation’s 100 most influential Hispanics by Hispanic Business Magazine, if he was prepared to become Lieutenant Governor. Specifically we asked him if he'd had already gotten "a wink and a nod?"

Listen to his revealing answer about 1:05 seconds into this clip.



Read what other bloggers are reporting here and here.

We've heard several other names mentioned as possible contenders for the post. NM Politics Blogger Joe Monahan has that story:

The Denish camp finds Balderas appealing because he is from the Spanish North, heart of the Democratic Party and where Denish is not at her strongest. But some politicos speculate that while a Hispanic light guv for Denish is a political necessity, they would not necessarily have to come from the North. For example, ABQ State Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino, 65, is seen as someone who might get a look for the slot. He would be a gray beard with no ambition for the state's top job. He would help with Hispanics and also help Di keep the liberal wing of the party under control.

Also send us your thoughts via a blog comment. Is Hector the odds on favorite, or do you support another Democrat for the post?

House Republican Caucus Elect Leaders

From a New Release:

On Saturday, House Republicans elected their leadership for the upcoming session.

State Representative Tom Taylor of Farmington was re-elected Minority Leader. State Representative Keith Gardner of Roswell was elected Minority Whip - filling the position formerly held by departing State Representative Dan Foley of Roswell. State Representative Anna Crook of Clovis was re-elected Caucus Chair.

"We had a successful and productive caucus meeting today," commented Caucus Chair Representative Crook.

"With our leadership team in place, the next item on our agenda is to immediately begin tackling the serious budgeting challenges that face New Mexico in this coming session," stated Minority Leader Representative Taylor.

Oil was selling at $147 a barrel back in July, but now is hovering between $60 and $70 per barrel, and natural gas prices are being hit even harder. This will result in drastic declines in the severance taxes at the same time that the housing market slowdown and economic recession are taking a toll on gross receipts tax revenue and jobs.

"During these difficult times, I am honored and humbled to have earned the support of my colleagues for this leadership position," said Minority Whip Representative Gardner, first elected to the House in 2004.

"Like most families and small businesses across New Mexico, we at the legislature are going to have to focus on cost-cutting to pull through this," continued Representative Gardner.

Watch President-Elect Obama's First YouTube Address

Billed on YouTube and Change.gov as "Your Weekly Address from the President-Elect," the video went online at 6 a.m.; the radio version airs later in the morning.

NM Transportation Secretary Rhonda Faught Announces Her Retirement

On Friday State Transportation Secretary Rhonda Faught announced that she will retire from her position at the end of this year, capping a distinguished 21-year career in state government.

“Rhonda has been an invaluable member of my cabinet for the past six years,” Governor Bill Richardson said. “Since taking over the helm of New Mexico Department of Transportation, Rhonda has transformed the agency into a true multimodal department with emphasis on all modes of transportation.

“She was instrumental in implementing my transportation agenda that included improving our critical highway infrastructure needs and providing efficient public transportation systems such as the Rail Runner Express and Park-and-Ride services,” Governor Richardson said.

“It has been a privilege and an honor to work for Governor Bill Richardson,” Secretary Faught said. “Thanks to his infectious enthusiasm and bold leadership, we have been able to make giant strides toward improving transportation in New Mexico. I also want to thank Governor Richardson for this wonderful opportunity to serve our citizens.”

“Rhonda is one of the most skilled and result-oriented public servants I ever had the opportunity to work with,” State Transportation Commission Chairman Johnny Cope said. “Her strong and continued desire to build the best transportation department in the country served us well in all areas of highway construction, operations and safety, and public transportation. She has turned a predominantly highway-focused department into a multimodal transportation department. I am very thankful for her service.”

Faught is no stranger when it comes to breaking the gender barrier. Starting her career in 1988 she worked in various positions, including District Engineer,(the first female district engineer of the then New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department).

She also headed the Local Government Assistance Bureau and served as the Adjutant Secretary for the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department.

Going back further in her career, Faught is one of the first women to receive an engineering degree from New Mexico State University . And first and foremost, she is the first female Secretary to head the New Mexico Department of Transportation in its 105-year history. She currently serves on the Executive Board of Directors for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and is the current President of the Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (WASHTO).

In 2003, the American Public Works Association selected Faught as one of the Top 10 Public Works Leaders for that year. In the same year, she received the Trailblazer Award by the Commission on the Status of Women. This award recognizes women who have succeeded in non-traditional careers, which are described as careers with generally less than 10 percent women.

Some of the accomplishments under Secretary Faught’s six-year tenure as the head of the transportation department include:

Passing and implementing the $1.6 billion transportation infrastructure improvement project known as GRIP (Governor Richardson’s Investment Partnership). As a result, nearly 4,000 construction jobs were created and more than 90 percent of the projects awarded have gone to New Mexico contractors so far.

Implementing one of the fastest startup commuter train system in the country —the New Mexico Rail Runner Express — between Belen and Santa Fe .

Reducing overall traffic fatalities by more than 30 percent in the last two years, including the reduction of DWI-related fatalities by nearly 20 percent in the last three years.

Implementing a statewide Park-and-Ride public transportation system that has seen the ridership increase more than 430 percent in the last five years.

Implementing a new and easy to use road advisory hotline — 511— for New Mexico commuters and the traveling public.

Opening an Intelligent Transportation System Center in Albuquerque to monitor road conditions via cameras and other high-tech devices.

Implementing regional transit districts across New Mexico to help promote and establish public transportation services at regional and local levels.

Establishing bilateral working agreements with various pueblos, tribes and nations across New Mexico on transportation issues that affect everyone.

NMDOT was recognized by the Reasons Foundation, a non-profit transportation advocacy group, which ranked NMDOT third in the country for the most efficient use of public money on transportation initiatives.

The American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials (AASHTO) ranked New Mexico highways and rural roads as being one of the smoothest in the country.

McCulloch Makes His Move To Chair NM GOP.

Doctor Allen McCulloch, from Farmington, is making his move to take over leadership of The Republican Party of New Mexico.

He says "it’s time for a dramatic change in the leadership and direction" of the GOP.

We received a copy of a letter he sent to editors at the ABQJournal.

Speculation has been brewing that he wants to take over the chairmanship of the GOP in New Mexico after Allen Weh's term expires early next year.

McCulloch, if you don't recall, was the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate and lost in a statewide election to Democrat Jeff Bingaman in 2006.

In the Letter to the Editor, McCulloch criticizes Weh, the lack of resources for losing candidates, and says it will take "dedicated leadership" to rebuild the party.

If this utter electoral disaster has taught us anything, it is that our state party is in desperate need to new leadership and vision. Our party needs the kind of change that does not pit Republican against Republican, retaliate against its own members in the Legislature, or turn a deaf ear and blind eye toward building strong county organizations.

We must now start a process of rebuilding – so we have the ability to not only defendexisting Republican turf, but also pick up what ground has been lost. We must all come together to achieve this vision.

McCulloch pulls no punches when writing about the party's current organization:

When we lose sight of the grassroots, as our current leadership has, we become out of touch with the thoughts and needs of everyday New Mexicans. Before we can even consider the 2010 election, the Republican Party of New Mexico must make a critical decision as it chooses its leaders in 2009 – will we stay with the same failed leadership of the past four years, or will we embrace change?

He also lays down his vision for rebuilding the party at a grassroots level, a strategy implented by Democrats in all 33 counties:

Over the past several years, the state Republican Party has turned its focus away from building an effective ground game and has become far too content with stagnation at the grassroots level. This must come to an end. A strong grassroots base for our party is the only way we can facilitate the registration of new voters, the
recruitment of solid candidates, and the engineering of an effective get out the vote effort.

They say “all politics is local,” and a major aspect of strengthening the grassroots will be getting our party engaged at every level. The state GOP must also interface more with our legislators, mayors, commissioners and city councilors – from Farmington to Hobbs, Reserve to Santa Rosa.

McCulloch finishes his letter with an optimistic note:

With hard work, dedicated leadership, and a strong vision, the Republican Party can move forward and again rise up as a relevant player in New Mexico’s political discourse. But we must first embrace significant, across-the-board change to move our party forward – regaining the ground that was lost this year, and leading us to victory in 2010 and beyond.