Posted on 10/04/2007 9:28:30 PM PDT by george76
Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M) will run for the New Mexico Senate seat that is expected to open up officially later Thursday when Sen. Pete Domenici (R) declares that he will not seek reelection in 2008, according to a source familiar with Wilson’s decision.
Domenici has taken Wilson under his wing in recent years, and as he has gotten older, Wilson’s name has topped the list of potential heirs.
A strong campaigner, she has survived several multimillion-dollar challenges in a swing district ...
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
Typical enemedia reporting. The fired U.S. attorneys were only the worst of the Clinton holdovers. GWB hamstrung his own administration by not firing them all.
I am not from New Mexico and do not know much about Heather Wilson, but I do know that a lot of Soros money has been employed against her and that alone would make her an excellent Senator, in my opinion.
I hate to correct you here, but Iglesias was a Dubya appointee and active Republican (barely losing the open race for Attorney General in 1998). The problem is that he was clearly not aggressive enough in prosecuting the multitude of rodent corruption in an unusually corrupt state. Domenici and Wilson's roles in the matter were along the lines of inquiring "Why the hell isn't he doing his job ?" He was dragging his heels, so there should've been no surprise when he was canned. ALL U.S. Attorneys serve at the pleasure of the President, and if they aren't doing their jobs effectively, they can be replaced, period. This was a non-scandal.
Swell.
Well, from a detached political perspective she’s obviously skilled at retaining a district increasingly becoming more Democratic in a very bad year for Republicans. She proved that in 2006.
The state as a whole has trended slowly to Dems, just as her district has. Mainly due to fleeing liberals rushing in, and fraud.
The state isn’t quite as unwelcome to Republicans as her district, and she strikes me as a politician first.
I’m not sure if she is an idealogue. If she is, she only indulges those personal beliefs when it suits her political advantage. Her state campaign may be slightly more friendly to conservatives then her district one because of the makeup of the state. *Maybe*.
Her district will be endangered as a result of her running for Senate. Even if a Republican retains it, they will probably be even more liberal on votes then her own record.
That she is running means one or two things. Either she’s calculated she has no chance of surviving another close House race, or she thinks ‘08 will be a slightly friendlier year for Republicans in ‘08. If that is true, it probably bodes well for Republican recruitment. Many of their first choices turned them down in ‘06 expecting big losses at the ballot box. The Congresswoman in West Virginia they approached to challenge Byrd comes to mind.
Personally, I don’t consider her an addition for conservative ranks in the Senate. I’m not jumping for joy.
The establishment? Hard to say. I don’t think she’ll make them do Cartwheels like they are over their movement to draft General Pace or the way they are reacting to Johanns (another that doesn’t excite me), but they’ll probably be satisfied if she’s the nominee.
Isn’t the consensus that Bill Richardson would win in a cakewalk if he gave up his run for President, which he almost assuredly will - unless he’s trying to get on the ticket with HRC...?
Heather Wilson isn’t the most conservative Republican in New Mexico, and I truly hope that there are other Republicans who are more than willing to compete for this U.S. Senate seat. Conservative Republicans at every political level throughout the U.S. must seriously get their act together asap so that they can truly win big in ‘07, ‘08, and beyond! I truly don’t want a socialistic U.S. to exist at anytime in the future!
Is Udall also looking to run ?
Word has it that he wants to become more senior in the House rather than run for Senate. But the dem machine here may throw him at it depending on who they can muster up.
Also according to Rogle, Darren White will most likely run for Heather’s vacated seat. Which would be a damn good thing.
Does Darren White have a good chance at Heather’s vacated seat ?
To my surprise, Udall took himself out of contention. He doesn’t want to lose his seniority in the House to be a backbencher in the Senate.
Heather Wilson, what a relief - I saw the headline and my instant thought was that it referred to one of the new residents of NM named “Wilson” — either Joe or Valerie Wilson of Plamegate infamy. Of course, either of those jackals may still announce a run for the Senate - I expect to see them more active in Demagogue politics once Valerie’s fraudulent book is released in a few weeks....
This is a surprise :
Udall took himself out of contention...
Good news. She knows how to win tough races and can raise the money needed.
Thought that myself.
I didn’t know Pete had a degenerative brain disease....very sad.
It is all relative. Wilson has a lifetime ACU rating of 80 thru 2008. Domenici has a rating of 74.3. The two Dems from NM, Udall and Bingaman have lifetime ratings of 4.2 and 12.5 respectively.
Thru 2006 vice 2008.
Sad.
Pete is one of the good ones.
Thanks for the clarification. GWB, like his Dad, has appointed far too many Republicans who act like Democrats in the futile attempt to make nice and be friends. To his Dad’s credit, someone once asked him what was his worst mistake as president. He replied “He’s sitting on the Supreme Court.” The reference was to Souter, not Thomas, who was his best appointment.
I think so. He’s a pretty straight forward guy that a lot of people respect. This is District 1 so it will get nasty no matter how you slice it.
It’s only appropriate that she should run. She is bright, well qualified, and paid her dues as a Republican. The party needs more females in the upper chamber. My only problem is her membership in the GOP Main Street Partnership. When you look at a listing of its members you just gotta support the fact that she is our best candidate and hope for the best.
Oh, I’m no fan of the man she’s replacing. I cheered his resignation as I did Warner’s. But I remember some of her vacillating on the war to appease the Leftist’s in her district and some of her other stances.
IMO, she’s more politician then idealogue.
So on the positive side she’ll probably be a little better then she was in her district given the makeup of the state is slightly more conservative. I’m just not going to cheer the elections of people I don’t consider consrvative.
The only positive I could say on Iglesias’s behalf is that perhaps as a federal prosecutor building cases he was taking a slow and methodical approach. While that can be understandable, in the brutal world of politics, especially with respect to indictment of high-profile pols, and when you’re up against a critical election, you have to get the lead out or you’ll find yourself replaced by the next prosecutor from an opposite party, and all those likely indictments will soon be forgotten about or swept under the rug. It’s unfortunate that’s how it is, but it is how it is.
The time to make those challenges is during the primary, not the general elecition. If Heather Wilson wins the primary for the nomination, every Rep should support her. I am amazed that an 80 ACU rating is not good enough for some people. The higher we set the bar in that regard, the more difficult it will become to win elections.
If Patricia Mardrid wants a rematch on the Senate level, Madrid isn’t exactly free of corruption. Also being an Iraqi War Veteran would help Heather Wilson. I say we have a better chance with the NM Senate race than the Va one unless General Pace plunges in.
I certainly did not make a judgement whether anyone should vote for her or not. I could, but I chose to be different and look at the race from a political perspective for the most part. I let my feelings about her be known, but did not follow that with an action alert of what I believe should happen in that ballot box.
Thank you for your amazement and condemnation. I’ll take it happily.
I presume it wasn’t for my benfit, because you said nothing that would dissaude me of the opinion I hold of Wilson. Merely cited an ACU statistic. Pstt...McCain has a higher ACU rating and I despise him. So, I would presume, does the majority of the conservative movement.
Those ratings do not tell the full story when a candidate can have a high ACU rating and lead the fight against judges, strong borders, tax cuts and fight for a terrorist to have the right of U.S. citizens. This is what McCain has done, this is what in part led to the fall of the Majority. Yet by your logic he would be deemed acceptable because of an outdated ACY ranking system.
Infact, you said little of relevance to my main points using this post as an attempt to lecture people to vote the “R” rain or shine.
Let’s remember Tthat conservatives have tried to fight in the primary. They fought Specter and they fought Chafee. They have fought individual House races. Each time the Party swoops in, and uses their donors funds to attack Republicans. That is not what one would call a fair fight. And after Chafee it amazes ME anyone would try and make this argument given the context.
At any rate, I’m a conservative not a Republican and owe no allegiance to any party. Your statement every Republican should support the primary winner does not work in my case.
And, Even with the entirety of this rebuttal, you’ll notice I still have not weighed in on what people should do if she’s the nominee. Maybe I will someday, right now? I’ll pass.
With Richardson and Udall out, Mayor Chavez (D) of Albuquerque and LG Denish (D) are possible contenders.
You’re not alone! My first thought was, “Nooooooooooooo, not JOE/VALERIE WILSON!”
You live in Washington state, correct. How much do you know about NM politics?
I presume it wasn’t for my benfit, because you said nothing that would dissaude me of the opinion I hold of Wilson. Merely cited an ACU statistic. Pstt...McCain has a higher ACU rating and I despise him. So, I would presume, does the majority of the conservative movement. .
I don't despise him. I think he is totally wrong on CFR and illegal immigration. As a Vietnam veteran, I respect his military service. You can hold whatever opinion you want on Wilson. I am not trying to dissuade you from anything. Besides, to the best of my knowledge, you don't even live and vote in NM.
Those ratings do not tell the full story when a candidate can have a high ACU rating and lead the fight against judges, strong borders, tax cuts and fight for a terrorist to have the right of U.S. citizens. This is what McCain has done, this is what in part led to the fall of the Majority. Yet by your logic he would be deemed acceptable because of an outdated ACY ranking system
They are not meant to tell the full story, but they are a pretty good indication of where someone stands on the political spectrum. I belong to the ACU and have attended CPAC. I understand how the ratings are compiled. Here is a good source of data on Heather Wilson and other members of Congress in terms of voting records, interest group ratings, etc.
Let’s remember Tthat conservatives have tried to fight in the primary. They fought Specter and they fought Chafee. They have fought individual House races. Each time the Party swoops in, and uses their donors funds to attack Republicans. That is not what one would call a fair fight. And after Chafee it amazes ME anyone would try and make this argument given the context
If conservatives represent the majority of the GOP in a particular district or state, they should be able to nominate the candidate of their choice in the primary. Placing the blame on the RNC is disingenuous. If you don't organize and energize you get the results you deserve. Are you happy with the situation in Washington? If not, what are you doing about it?
At any rate, I’m a conservative not a Republican and owe no allegiance to any party. Your statement every Republican should support the primary winner does not work in my case.
If you have no allegiance to any party, it is no wonder you feel so powerless. I am a registered Rep and vote a straight ticket every time. Considering the alternative, it is an easy decision.
And, Even with the entirety of this rebuttal, you’ll notice I still have not weighed in on what people should do if she’s the nominee. Maybe I will someday, right now? I’ll pass.
We are all waiting with bated breath.
Denish wants to be Governor. The only reason she agreed to run with Richardson (the man who MOLESTED her) was on the presumption that the Fat Creep becomes Veep and she becomes Governor. Denish’s father, the late Jack Daniels, was Domenici’s Dem opponent in 1972.
Of course, Mayor Chavez covets the Governorship, but he might go for it. He’d actually be in a better position to get Wilson’s 1st since he was just reelected handily not so long ago.
Overall, it would be better for us if it’s a Wilson-Madrid contest because any ethics issues against Wilson would be neutralized facing Madrid, however Madrid’s refusal to investigate profound rodent corruption should be the premier issue.
Heather Wilson’s timing surprises me, though her decision does not. I’m not sure what to think of her. She has won tough elections in a marginal district. But last year, she was teetering on the brink of defeat, winning only after her opponent (whose intelligence rivals that of Miss Teen South Carolina 2007) gave a laughably awful performance in a debate, clips of which were featured on YouTube and Wilson’s campaign commercials.
There is the controversy over the U.S. Attorney thing. She has been damaged, but it’s not clear how much damage has been done. Right now, it appears to be a minor scandal. But in a marginal state like New Mexico, anything can tip the scales.
“To my surprise, Udall took himself out of contention.”
I wasn’t surprised. In fact, it’s what I predicted.
Not even a lil’ bit ? ;-)
Nah, when I looked up Udall’s committee assignment, I ruled out his running.
There is a tradition in both the Rodent and Republican Congressional caucuses that membership on the Appropriations and Ways & Means Committees be filled by members who plan to stay in the House for many years. Of course, there are exceptions, but those are unusual.
The biggest threat to any Republican running for office in NM continues to be the vote-stealing Democrat machine. Blatant attempts to suppress the Republican vote in CD1 occurred in 2006. I imagine the same will happen statewide in 2008. Possibly even something along the lines of the lost/found votes in Dona Ana county that made NM go to Gore in 2000.
If any NM Republican can beat Bill Richardson—and he WILL run — I think it’s Heather. She’s a tough campaigner and actually has a brain.
He was molasses in busting greaseball Manny Aragon and got called on it by Pete and Heather, then spent his subsequent Sundays whining to liberal talk shows.
David, David, David: what part of "serves at the pleasure of the president" do you not get.
I went a few rounds with his friends, and fine, so it's not a perfect world. Hey, and that's NEWS to you just NOW?
There's nothing about Heather's "timing" here--it's the Caesar thing: There is a tide in the affairs of men which if taken at the flood leads on to Foggy Bottom. If you miss the bus there won't be another one along for SIX YEARS.
Pete pissed me off on campaign finance reform--a former congressman told me "apparently they didn't want the vote used against them"--so, it's ok to piss on the First Amendment to keep your seat. I'll remember that IF I EVER HAVE TO MAKE A FAUSTIAN BARGAIN.
And Patricia Madrid would be the hot hussy scratching and clawing to smear Heather the hell out of there.
It'll be down and dirty--on Madrid's part. And of course the Secretary of State will sequester the ballots for weeks to marinade them in the Dem secret savory sauce.
Could be a Last Hurrah for the Republican First District and the Republican senate seat.
Soros will throw boxcars of cash at it.
The Gay Hordes and Sierra Club will blacken the horizon like locusts.
The papers and television stations will hack at Heather.
As Heather's district rep sternly lectured me, "she's not a right-winger like Michael Reagan"--
--and that would be how she might survive in the quicksand demo.
Might.
He’s not going to run for the Senate. I don’t understand how folks cannot grasp there’s only one job he’s going after, and that’s the VICE-Presidency (and you know what follows that). It’s been a done deal for a long time that he will be Hillary’s running mate.
I wouldn't brag about that, since it's not a positive. We need more "right-wingers" and less mealy-mouthed RINO twits.
I agree that Richardson has been staying the race for POTUS to stay in line for the clown prince slot of VP, but I’m not certain that it’s a done deal. Obama’s popularity could push His Pudginess out of the running. Domenici’s departure from the Senate presents the opportunity to become a member of the most exclusive club in the country.
We’ll see how it plays out.
If this were the early ‘90s, Richardson would be all over that Senate race, but it’s not. He has his eyes on the bigger prize. Clinton insiders don’t trust anyone else but him. Obama is NOT trusted by the Clintonistas (and he and Mrs. Smiley have publicly bashed Hillary — a BIG no no), and they don’t need to appeal to Blacks, since they remain slaves on the ye olde Democrat plantation. Pandering to Hispanics is de rigueur, and that’s how it is.
The tone of the declaration was both stern and snippy.
We recall Heather when she was just a weepy whiny bleeding heart heading the dogooder agency for the CHILLdren.
She'd have to actually get tougher to come up to your "mealy-mouth" level.
Politicians in the main are chameleons adopting protective coloration.
In Bill Richardson's sanctuary state, with its twin sanctuary cities of Albuquerque and Santa Fe, and its growing flood of Mexicans, good luck to any Republican.
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