Domenici has struggled with health problems over the last several years and has been dogged by questions about the role he may have played in the firing of U.S. Attorney David C. Iglesias in Albuquerque. As a result, he had been long been rumored as a potential retirement. Domenici's Senate office did not return a call this afternoon, but sources close to the senator say he will fly home to New Mexico tomorrow to make the announcement that he is retiring.
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The Senate ethics committee is investigating Domenci for a phone call he placed to then-federal prosecutor Iglesias last October in a possible attempt to pressure him to indict New Mexico Democrats in a corruption probe just before the November election. Shortly after Iglesias said he rebuffed Domenici, his name appeared on a list of U.S. attorneys to be fired that was compiled by top Justice Department aides. Iglesias was dismissed Dec. 7.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
The Club Gets Bigger
Sen. Pete Domenici is going to join Republican Sens. John Warner (Va.), Chuck Hagel (Neb.) and Wayne Allard (Colo.) and retire from the Senate in 2008. This is especially problematic for the Republicans since like Warner's Virginia and Allard's Colorado New Mexico has been moving from the Red column to the Blue column recently. Without incumbent power those seats will be even harder for the Republicans to hang on to.
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I recently moved here to New Mexico, and I can tell you that there are plenty of people here who can't wait to see Domenici retire. He has a fair amount of support in the southeast corner of the State, with a large military presence and significant hydrocarbon resources. But there are also a lot of environmentally conscious people, and quite a few legal immigrants -- many of whom have attained citizenship -- and second-generation hispanics who are offended by his party's stance on immigration.
ReplyDeleteEven with the military presence, there are quite a few military families who are more than ready to see the war in Iraq end, and who do not want to see a war in Iran.
Plus, there is a high poverty rate (about 25% where I live). Many of these people are tired of seeing a Party use the war as a transparent excuse for plundering the treasury to the benefit of the ultra-rich.
Good input Joseph, thank you.
ReplyDeleteBTW I think you will like NM, I lived there for awhile and was sorry to leave.