Retiring Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., created an appearance of impropriety when he called a federal prosecutor in New Mexico to inquire about the timing of corruption indictments, the Senate ethics committee said Thursday.

The committee criticized Domenici in a letter to the senator, but it recommended no punishment.

[...]

“The committee finds no substantial evidence to determine that you attempted to improperly influence an ongoing investigation,” the committee letter said.

“The committee does find that you should have known that a federal prosecutor receiving such a telephone call, coupled with an approaching election which may have turned on or been influenced by the prosecutor’s actions … created an appearance of impropriety that reflected unfavorably on the Senate.”

It looks like New Mexico’s senior senator is brushing the letter aside, and he’s heading on his way out anyway, but still, it’s interesting to see such strong language come out of the committee.

Surely there’s no connection.

Iglesias’s case is in the crosshairs of all three investigations. Testifying before Congress, he alleged last year that Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) and Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.) pressured him to accelerate an investigation of a Democratic politician in New Mexico ahead of Wilson’s tight reelection bid. Iglesias said he did not plan to bring charges before the November elections, and was fired in December 2006. The administration says it was not satisfied with his pursuit of voter-fraud cases.

Public records show that the Senate ethics committee spent nearly $5,000 to send three staff members to Albuquerque in March and July last year.

I’m sure Rep. Steve Pearce welcomes the news.

In March 2007, New Mexico passed SB 418, which directs investor-owned utilities to generate 20% of total retail sales to New Mexico customers from renewable energy resources by 2020, with interim standards of 10% by 2011 and 15% by 2015. The bill also establishes a standard for rural electric cooperatives of 10% by 2020.

The energy bill being floated in Congress right now calls for just 11% from renewables, with an additional 4% reduction coming from “energy-efficiency” gains. It doesn’t even require co-ops to invest in renewable sources. Still, Sen. Pete Domenici can’t support it:

This is the most vulnerable part of the bill. Senator Pete Domenici, an influential Republican voice on energy issues, is vowing to fight it, even though he has voted for similar provisions before and his own state of New Mexico has embarked on an aggressive renewable electricity program.

I guess if it’s good enough for his own state, it’s too good for the country?

After a series of non-denial denials, Domenici admitted to contacting then-U.S. Attorney David Iglesias regarding an ongoing corruption investigation, an investigation that was politically sensitive and could impact 2006 election results. Iglesias has commented on the unprecedented nature of Domenici’s involvement. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) promptly filed a formal complaint against Domenici.

The full list is a who’s who of shady dealers, the people who kept the Muckrakers so busy this year. What’s the status of the investigations? Your guess is as good as mine…

My early morning reasoning thinks it would have been easier for Dems to grab Wilson’s seat with her still in it: she’s had to fight more and more to appear independent of Bush, but the Iraq War is still one heckuva monkey on her back.

However, I welcome the idea of an open seat in Pearce’s southern district. I think Dem chances are good throughout the country this year, but it would have taken some mean mojo to upset Pearce in the district. This is a great opportunity for the Democratic party now, especially if the DCCC puts some focus on the area.

Of course, Pearce’s strength in his district is also one in a primary battle with Wilson, and conservative voters in New Mexico will find him a much easier sell. Whether he can take a strong Democrat in a statewide race remains to be seen. New Mexico has been pretty purple during the past two presidential elections, and Pete’s recent polling (remember that 41% approval rating?) indicates that New Mexicans may be tired of politics as usual in Washington. And if the Iraq War is a monkey on Wilson’s back, then George Bush is the one clinging to Pearce. So, the die-hard Republicans might come out of the primary with the candidate they want, only to find out next November that the rest of the state isn’t ready to play along.

Looking forward, I think that Pearce’s camp is going to have to do a much better job of defending the Congressman from allegations of ethics violations than it did last month (you can read more about that at Heath’s place). Wilson, too, was called out by CREW, and it looks like the only thing keeping New Mexico’s Republican House delegation from being investigated is the House Ethics Committee’s truce.

That’s all for now, I’m off to fight a traffic ticket (apparently, turning left during the morning commute is frowned upon in certain areas of the D.C. Metropolitan area).

I think Democrats have a good chance to pick up some seats everywhere, not just in New Mexico.

I think that sums up the situation pretty well.

There’s no way Heather Wilson wins, regardless of who the Dems choose. She had a rough battle against Madrid last year (barely scraping out a win), and the war in Iraq is an even bigger stone around her neck. If she has to compete against Tom Udall (or, in her worst nightmares, Bill Richardson) there’s no way she can distance herself enough from Bush.

Steve Pearce has an even bigger problem: he’s never tried to distance himself from Bush or the Iraq War, and he’s toed the right-wing line in every House vote (see S-CHIP). That might play well for voters in his district, but he’ll be a hard sell in a statewide race.

To be perfectly honest, I’d love nothing more than to see Pearce and Wilson duke it out in a primary battle. But my ideal scenario would see the DCCC shifting the resources they’ve dedicated to defeating Wilson toward supplanting Pearce. It seems unimaginable that the Dems can’t find somebody (and by somebody, I mean there are already some great names being thrown around) to run for Wilson’s seat, and the same is true for Udall’s seat should he enter the race (Democracy for New Mexico says that’s not going to happen). Wilson is more vulnerable now than she has ever been, and Udall’s seat is a secure one for the Democrats.

Those of us living in the south have long felt that Pearce could be vulnerable. The unfortunate media situation (Heath is always talking about this) that feeds Las Cruces residents and others in the southeast news from west Texas rather than New Mexico has always been an obstacle, but it’s one that could be overcome.

Of course, Domenici’s departure from the Senate will have some tangible impacts on New Mexicans. We’ll lose his seniority on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, where he and Jeff Bingaman have traded the chairmanship for years (depending on which party controlled the Senate, of course).

Richardson insists he isn’t interested in the Senate race, and Democrats have the increased difficulty of deciding whether to gamble that he won’t change his mind if (or when) he loses the Democratic presidential primary.

Regardless of what happens in early 2008 (potential Senate candidates will have to file petitions in February), the state Democratic party would always replace a primary nominee (see the GOP in the 2006 New Mexico gubernatorial race) if Richardson does want in.

In a 56-43 vote, the Senate today “narrowly rejected” legislation that would have restored habeas corpus rights to military detainees and given them “the right to protest their detention in federal court.” The roll call fell four votes short of the 60 needed to cut off debate.

UPDATE: Full roll call vote HERE.

There’s background over at FireDogLake. It seems absolutely ludicrous to me that we have to be fighting for these rights (laid out 200 years ago!) just two days after we celebrated Constitution Day, but, there you go. Sen. Pete Domenici, New Mexico’s senior senator, was among those who chose to roll back the liberties and rights that our nation’s sons and daughters have fought for in the past and are dying for today.

Speaking of Domenici, NewMexiKen tipped us off that Pete made CREW’s list of the 22 most corrupt members of Congress. Here’s why. I think we can be reasonably certain that CREW doesn’t have a bone to pick with New Mexico, so it’s telling that every Republican member of Congress from the Land of Enchantment was also singled out.

She is – or at least, until the U.S. attorney controversy broke, was – the heir apparent for the GOP nomination to succeed Pete Domenici as U.S. senator. Her visits to Udall’s district had many wondering whether she knew something about Domenici’s 2008 plans that others did not.

Of course, Domenici has long insisted he’s going to run again, leaving many to question why Wilson is trotting all over the state. With Republicans up in arms every time Bill Richardson leaves the state (whether he’s campaigning or negotiating with North Korea or whatever), I’m expecting we’ll soon hear crickets their outrage over Wilson’s trips outside her district.

Regardless, I’m also wondering why she’s outside her district, especially in light of this recent Cook Report (PDF), listing her seat as one of those in play in the 2008 election (thanks to Election Central for the link). After the close call she experienced in the 2006 election, one would think she might want to focus on things a little more close to home.