Susana Martinez: Susana Banana ... The Cactus Woman

Lame-duck Governor "Fat Bill" Richardson and the chunky Governor-elect Susana "Banana" Martinez.

Susana Martinez' first appointments were all ex-military. Heather Wilson, Ed Burckle. and Michael Duvall.

Her husband was an under-sheriff and she was a DA.

Martinez is expected to be tagged as "Governor Mean"... about as huggable as a cactus.

During the campaign she said she would not cut funding for education or Medicaid but before even being sworn in she is reneging.


Susana "The Big Banana" Martinez is a cactus woman ... prickly and pro-military.

Heather Wilson: Transition team General.
When Martinez appointed the former Air Force officer and Dick Cheney's good pal Heather Wilson to head the transition team for New Mexico's new Governor's Administration I knew it was going to be a long four (eight?) years. Wilson is one of those teflon-type politician who even when caught lying escapes repercussions.



Wilson (above left) speaks to fellow militarist at Kirkland Air Force Base And below, a file photo of Richardson entertaining Korean diplomats in Santa Fe.



What happened to Diane Denish?.


New Mexico's Lieutenant Governor and defeated Democratic candidate for Governor (on right) and Cove (left) both wear Census 2010 hats.

The thing about Diane Denish is that I thought she really cared. It sounds corny but I did.

I had spoken with her about the Census, ethics, and the Tea Party. Although she understood the importance of getting a complete Census count in our State and that she had a desire to help promote the Census, she just had to decline a offer to make a public service announcement because she has pledged not to give the appearance of using her office for personal publicity in an election year. I knew right then and there she was in trouble facing a Republican 'Mean Machine.'

In a state with such needs an under-count of residences would really hit hard. For every person not counted in the Census the State of New Mexico would lose about $2,000 a year for TEN years. Most of that money would be earmarked for health services for the less fortunate.

One thing I found strange listening to Denish at that time was her idea that the "Tea Party wanted to take over the Governors office." Strange in the sense that at that moment she had five different Republican opponent challengers. I must admit I underestimated people's anger at Richardson and the swing toward conservative reactionary fearful polarized mean politics.

For me the contest to become the first modern day woman Governor of New Mexico was sorta like a race between two hot air balloons. Each being pushed in the same direction by the same forces. The winner was going to be a cut-out paper doll of a leader ... conservative, ruled by money, and blown around by the prevailing winds.