The Media: Rule two...rule one doesn't apply.

Both politicians and reporters each try to make the story be about themselves. That’s why I do love each and every one of them. They both put themselves out there.

I walked up Don Gaspar toward the Plaza. From behind, attempting to startle, Stephen grabs me. “Hey Coventry Coviello, whata ya doin’."
“Hey.” I say, not reacting with any other muscle other than my mouth.
“You know I’ve been reading your blog and you know you should really stick to the truth. I mean that shit about the Mayor in a circle-jerkoff and the Governor having a homosexual relationship with the Korean Ambassador is bullshit. You’re only hurting yourself. You’re gonna lose credibility.”

As he turns to walk away, I say, “I said he likes to ‘politically’ suck Korean dick. Figure of speech…allegory.” But Stephen is already walking on, waving his hands in what-everrr manner. He stops and turns to me saying, “If you really want to get Richardson…. He gave it … Washington … She was…Gallager told….”

In real life this guy was telling me a terrible story that I didn’t give a fuck about. Whether it was true or false. Thank God in my head his voice drifted in and out. And when I told my family about the encounter they screamed with laughter. They especially roared at the part about me losing credibility.

I was on my way to Roque’s carnitas stand on the plaza and I was not going to let bummer Stephen hang me up.

“Where you beennn? “ Roque asked. I always thought it was some kind of metaphysical question since it was Roque who lived in Mexico half the year. We were partners in the early days of plaza vending. I called my political alliance with Rocky, as some old timers called him, the ‘Vato Coalition.’
“Get a haircut. What are people going to think?” Roque continued to rag on me, as a tour bus pulled up to the stoplight next to the stand.

Rather than answer my buddy I turned to the tour bus filled with Iowans and in my best carnie voice, I declared, “Do you realize that we have the fattest Governor in the contiguous forty-eight States. We call him Governor Doughnut.”

Now the captive audience of sardined tourists are smiling and the driver, over the intercom, interrupts my schtick with,“Pay no attention to him. We have a great Governor.”

I think…this is too easy. It’s like the classic ‘Don’t think of an elephant.’

Roque is a Master of Media Manipulation. One time while we were canvassing for someone’s political campaign together he said, “Mira, there’s the photographer from the paper, when I come back pull off my boots.” He went to his car and got a pair of comfortable shoes; came back and sat on the curb. I turned and started to pull off Roque’s boot, cowboy style, between my legs. Sure enough that fuckin’ photographer came over and started snapping. The next day Roque’s picture was on the front page of the Sunday paper with the cut line, “Roque Garcia is helped off with his boots while working for ‘so-and-so’s election campaign.” You can’t buy stuff like that.

Then out of my fog Roque gets my attention with, “You know Fran wouldn’t be so bad.”

In a Pavloffian split second I’m into my total “She’s a corrupt Judge!” rant.

Roque counters with a ‘what’s wrong with a little corruption’ argument. “Look at my brother, right over there.” He nods toward Charlie’s hotdog pushcart on the other side of the Plaza as if to say, ‘it works for us.’
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BAD JOHN AND ME
Joe Monahan today writes about Gov. Bill Richardson's recent blasts at the bloggers.
He's talking about recent Richardson speeches that have criticized some unspecified blogs for inaccuracies.
It should be noted that the governor gave these speeches before a new local blog launched. I'm sure that whatever irked the gov about the blogs he'd read was mild compared with Fat Bill and Me.
Fat Bill, which debuted Monday, is the creation of John Coventry, a longtime (20 years? 25 years?) City Hall agitator and frequent, if no longer perennial, City Council candidate. (He told me the other day he's considering a run for mayor next year.)
Richardson is the main target of the blog, which seems to be a natural extension of Coventry's ire-inspiring comments on The New Mexican's Web site in recent months.
It's outrageous. It's obscene. It's probably libelous.
But it's pure Coventry, which means it's kind of fun in a twisted way -- unless you're the target of one of his rants.
Which I have been in the past. About 20 years ago he threatened to punch me in the nose because I called him a "gadfly" in print. I told him I could have chosen another annoying insect.
Then back during the whole Clinton sex scandal, Coventry had a gig with former Municipal Judge Tom Fiorina's old radio show on KTRC (or was it KVSF?) as a roving "reporter." One day during the show, Coventry was at The New Mexican fielding live ambush "interviews" with reporters and editors. He stuck a cell phone in my face and barked, "Steve Terrell, how much perverted sex do you have?"
I could only answer honestly. "Not nearly enough," I told Coventry and his radio audience.
For the record, I'm not the "journeyman reporter" quoted in Fat Bill who warned Coventry about the governor's state police detail. I know most those officers and while they are very serious about their duty, I wouldn't describe any of them as humorless.
My advice to Richardson and anyone else who gets the treatment on Coventry's little corner of cyber space: If working on his blog makes him miss just one City Council meeting, it's all worth it.
# posted by SWT : 5/18/2005 01:14:00 AM
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Hello, John Coventry. If this is not you, click here
Kidnapped, beaten and threatened with death: The punishment for courting a chief rabbi's daughter, indictment says
(6 comments; last comment posted Today 12:43 pm) print | email this story

By John Coventry (Submitted: 05/18/2005 6:22 am )
Is this Jewish tradition or Israeli tradition or both?

By Jennifer Rabinowitz (Submitted: 05/18/2005 7:24 am )
Mr. Coventry,
Shame on you for using this sad story as a platform to unleash your bigotry. Get a life!

By Kate Stone (Submitted: 05/18/2005 8:37 am )
It is neither "Jewish" or "Israeli" tradition. It is a story of a seriously dysfunctional noninteresting family.

By Graham Noble (Submitted: 05/18/2005 8:56 am )
Not Jewish tradition, JC, or Israeli. It's rabbinical. Rabbis in Israel command far too much power and respect. They abuse it monsterously and frequently.
Israel is one of many nations in the world today that should be held up as an example of why religion and politics should never be allowed to mix.
In keeping with the fine Israeli tradition of corruption, however, Amar will not himself be indicted (or even investigated further).

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Councilor Coss considers mayoral bid
(10 comments; last comment posted Today 03:50 pm) print | email this story
News: Santa Fe / NM Hello, John Coventry. If this is not you, click here
Comments
By Larry Kier (Submitted: 05/18/2005 12:19 pm )
Santa Fe deserves Fran Gallegos as mayor. She has all the attributes to make an outstanding politicin in Santa Fe.
Good luck.

By John Coventry (Submitted: 05/18/2005 2:33 pm )
Santa Fe sure does "deserves Fran Gallegos"; a corrupt hispanic women Judge doing her usually harm to the a Public Office. With 3% participation in the last municipal election they, the people of Santa Fe, deserve worst than that.
To me it look likes Mayor del Jello isn't running and Coss, another State worker is.
The Stage is set for Patti to run and also that fruitcake Coventry will run as a foul speaking anarchist candidate. Some one has to tell corrupt judges like Gallegos ... "F*** you." to her face; on the podium; in front of the cameras; as a candidate...F*** you corrupt women Hispanic politician. I think it's the only way to revive democracy in Santa Fe. Like Charlie use to say "Wake Up and Smell the Coffee"... but with swearing.

By Ernesto Gomez (Submitted: 05/18/2005 3:50 pm )
John Coventry is an absolute []. Who the hell does this outsider think he is - the saviour of Santa Fe and all Hispanics? If you think you are so damn smart Coventry, why don't you save your place of origen?