Gov's. Use of N.M. Police To Protect Texas Dems Draws Blame

The Albuquerque Journal (subscription required) ^ | August 1, 2003 | Loie Fecteau

[CedarDave]

Friday, August 1, 2003

Gov's. Use of N.M. Police To Protect Texas Dems Draws Blame

By Loie Fecteau Journal Politics Writer

    Gov. Bill Richardson came under fire from Republicans on Thursday for providing State Police protection to 11 Democratic senators from Texas who are holed up at an Albuquerque hotel.
    Sen. Ramsay Gorham, R-Albuquerque, who chairs the state GOP, and Rep. Dan Foley, R-Roswell, criticized Richardson at separate news conferences in Albuquerque.
    "Our governor does not need to be involved in protecting them when they are fugitives from their own legislative process," Gorham said in an interview. "We should not be involved in Texas politics in any way, shape or form."
    Foley said he plans to ask an interim legislative committee to investigate the propriety of Richardson's use of State Police to provide security for the Texans, who have been staying at the Albuquerque Pyramid Marriott. Foley said he thinks Richardson might have violated the anti-donation clause of the state constitution by using state resources for the Texans.
    "You cannot use state funds for things that the state taxpayers of New Mexico do not receive gain for," Foley said. "If it's 100 State Police officers or one officer is not the point, the point is he (Richardson) is violating the anti-donation clause."
    Richardson spokesman Billy Sparks said Foley and Gorham were "grasping at straws" in criticizing Richardson.
    Sparks said one State Police officer had been assigned to protect the Texas senators, who have expressed concerns about bounty hunters possibly trying to take them back to Texas.
    "The Texas Democrats have agreed if there's any overtime— which there has not been— to cover that cost," Sparks said.
    Sparks bristled when told Foley had accused the Democratic governor of "abusing his elected position for partisan, political gain."
    Sparks retorted: "It's blatant partisanship which caused this problem in the first place."
    The 11 Texas senators fled their state Monday to protest a Republican plan to redraw the political boundaries of Texas' congressional districts to benefit Republicans.
    As in New Mexico, congressional redistricting in Texas had been decided by the courts, using the 2000 Census.

Copyright 2003 Albuquerque Journal

[CedarDave]

Much less visibility on the local TV stations the past day, but some Pubbies are making sure it stays in the headlines.

In other news, the PhD ABQ APS school superintendent who was killed in an auto crash last weekend was driving drunk. Of the two felons who were with him in the car, one is in jail on arrest warrants, the other is in the hospital paralyzed from the waist down. The Governor has ordered flags flown at half staff in his honor (and to honor Colin McMillian, Bush's Navy Secretary designee who committed suicide).

[CheezyD]

Recall Richardson!

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

I would absolutely bark at the moon with delight if some of these cheeseball Dims were captured by bounty hunters and brought back to Texas trussed up like the squealing pigs they are.

[SwinneySwitch]

"Sparks said one State Police officer had been assigned to protect the Texas senators, who have expressed concerns about bounty hunters possibly trying to take them back to Texas."

Maybe one per 8 hour shift. That means 3 in a 24 hour day, 4 if this goes a week and you want to give them any days off! I also read there was 1 uniformed officer and 4 or 5 plainclothes officers! Billy, you lying POdemoncratS!

[Extremist]

I can't help but think back to the sniveling little brats on the playground who always started trouble but then ran and hid behind someone else, usually their mommy, to defend them. These adult babies are doing indifferent voters a favor by showing their true colors. Well, actually they have only one color....YELLOW!
I think this temper tantrum will only help strengthen the wave of Conservatism in Texas.

[kaktuskid]

Paging RonDog...

[anymouse]

NM FReepers keeping the heat on TX Chicken D's.

[MeekOneGOP]

Playing catchup bttt ...