An Election

I’m proud that enough regular folks responded to an unusually bad presidential administration and voted to weaken its power to do crazy and vicious things.

One could feel it swelling, a wave of revulsion among even people ideologically aligned with Trumpists. It was helped along by exceptionally fine Democratic candidates, such as Mr. Talarico and Mr. El-Sayed, thoughtful, articulate people of character; and by Mr. Trump’s forcing on Republicans poor candidates, includig scandal-plagued Ken Paxton (over familiar Senator John Cornyn) and nothingburger Darline Graham. Demanding personal loyalty may get you a cabinet of yes-men, but doesn’t guarantee competence or character.

However, our nation remains in trouble, in more ways than we usually realize. We’re like an aging person with a weak heart, a recent cancer diagnosis, and diabetes who got drunk, fell into the street, avoided getting run over solely by blind luck, and somehow got back on our feet and are stumbling along the sidewalk.

We still have the devastating economic inequality in which a few people have untold wealth, but life is harder than it should be for middle-class citizens, and without national healthcare. Trump’s corruption, unnecessary war, and tariffs play a role, but the problem is deeper and persistent. Although Republicans blame welfare cheats and immigrants, it’s systemic. People are dissatisfied by it, even if politicians can con them into misreading its source.

Go back to basics: our founders loathed empires, not only because they harmed other peoples but because they got so intent on protecting what they had that they spent money not on productive pursuits but on weapons, and because leaders tended to grow corrupt. About 125 years ago, our nation got tempted to become an empire, and we have what our founders feared.

George Washington loathed political parties. We now have a nation largely run by two huge parties, each more interested in its success than in the nation’s. Each owes too much to the mega-wealthy and corporate interests for whom personal profit is more important than general prosperity. One view of Tuesday’s great events is that we traded one for the other, somewhat.

We are also no further along in correcting our blissful disregard for our environment and the diminishing number of wonderful species that share it with us. Although wild things were long more plentiful than we, around 1850 the total mass of wild creatures equaled the total mass of humans and peoples’ cows, pigs, horses, and oxen. Now? It’s 95 to 5. But for birds, most U.S. citizens likely don’t see even one wild creature in the average weak. I recently learned that someone wrote a beautiful fable, The Case of the Animals, in which the various creatures indicted Homo Sapiens and reasonably explained how we were destroying them over time. That was written in the 12^th Century in Arabic. Have we learned anything since? But our leader thinks global climate madness is a Democratic or Chinese hoax. The industry folks who bankroll him want us to think so too.

The startling depth and range of U.S. voters’ disgust --- with Mississippi’s Senate race still knotted – delights and impresses me. (Vance is digging out after the flood, trying to rebuild his career by saying “It’s just the war!”)

But we the people are climbing a tall mountain. Yeah, we climbed hard just now, and the view from here is sublime. But we ain’t yet near that beautiful snow up there.

                                                  – 30 --

 

[The above column appeared on the 8^th of November, 2026, in the Las Cruces Sun-News and on the newspaper’s website, and will presently be on KRWG’s website. During the week a radio-commentary version will air on KRWG and on KTAL-LP (101.5 FM ).]

[ It was quite an election. Obviously I’m glad to see some interference with Mr. Trump’s damage to our country; but, as the column discusses, he’s just a part of the problem. A greedy, needy windbag, but with dangerous people around him who have a little more sense. But even if he residned tomorrow, and took his bootlicker from Ohio with him, we’d still have serious problems to solve. ]

[ A New York Times article discussed the prevalence of Christian ministers (and one seminarian on break, from Texas) among the successful Democratic candidates for Congress, and wondered why. I think there’s a deeper reason than the obvious one, that Christian ministers are designed to appeal to Middle Americans in “swing states,” but, although I am not a man of faith, in an election in which corruption was a major concern voiced by voters and our present president embodies the word, a deep ethical commitment such as a Christian ministry says to everyone, as does a deep Islamic faith, that this person has a value system that discourages corruption. It’s not just Trump’s corruption. Most citizerns think all elective federal officials arfe corrupt. Too, “love” should help decrease our hyperpartisanship a little. ]

[Meanwhile, world leaders [except from Washington, D.C.] are gathering for the annual U.N. climate conference — COP31 — in Turkey this week. Scientists say that theworld is on track for 2.8 degrees Celsius of warming, nearly double the target of 1.5 degrees that world leaders had set. We aren’t much help.

 

District 37 State Rep: Social Worker or "Prophetess?"

The two candidates for State Representative, District 37, are extraordinarily different. .

Lori Martinez is a social worker who seems pretty normal.

Isabella Solis is a “prophetess” determined to impose her vision of “God’s Kingdom” on us.

As a County Commissioner, Solis voted NOT to certify the 2020 voting here in Doña Ana County, in line with Mr. Trump’s unsupported claims of election fraud, although neither Ms. Solis nor Mr. Trump ever provided evidence. She did not go to Washington on January 6; but former Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin, who was criminally convicted for his conduct on January 6, is a pal she calls an “associate minister.” (She is not a minister in any traditional Christian denomination.)

Arguing that the County Commission should retain a moment of prayer at the start of meetings, she called it a “contest between good and evil.” To me, neither Christians favoring that nor Christians and others opposing it were evil. They simply disagreed.

She has a right to follow any faith she chooses. But she’s written, in a public Prayer Call, that “violent Christianity” should “take back New Mexico.”

That’s scary, although I’m sure she didn’t mean actual physical violence. (I’d have given her a chance to explain if she’d come to our candidate forum.) The evil folks she means to take back the state from are us: progressives whose Christian faiths differ from hers; atheists and agnostics; people whose sexuality she dislikes; folks who are more tolerant; and people who don’t share her and Mr. Trump’s policy positions. As commissioner she once told a county employee “God says I should try to work with you.”

Most Christians don’t see their political opponents as “evil.” I believe Ms. Solis means well. I wouldn’t call Mr. Trump “evil,” despite his unfortunate actions. I hate governments, as in Afghanistan and Iran, who punish folks for failing to obey even intrusive “religious” requirements. in which failure to follow even intrusive “religious” requirements. Our founders wisely separated church and state. Even Israel, which had sort of a good excuse, the Holocaust, for a religion-dominated country, isn’t working out very well these days. Imagine if Mr. Trump got our troops into Iran, but fundamentalist Christians couldn’t be drafted!

Wisely, although Ms. Solis said these crazy things publicly and fairly recently, her campaign this year sounds much more reasonable. She suggests New Mexico is a “one-party state.” She says folks to have better access to health care, something Mr. Trump has decimated. In one weird Facebook post, she started by stating the City wanted more money to improve the library, didn’t make clear her position on that, and asked for donations, as if donating to her campaign would help (or prevent helping) the library; but that was a GO Bond before the voters, not before the legislature she wants to join.

I’ve met Ms. Martinez. She seems sensible and competent. We differed on something: I suggested that, given people’s anger at the County Commission over Project Jupiter, having the County appoint her to serve the final months of Joanne Ferrary’s term might hurt rather than help Martinez, she didn’t disagree, but said she wanted the appointment because there was important interim work she ought to be doing. The Legislature does more work this time of year than most folks realize. Her attitude, of wanting to do what District 37 citizens deserved, even if it harmed her politically, was appealing.

                                               – 30 – 

 

[The above column appeared on the 1^st of November, 2026, in the Las Cruces Sun-News and on the newspaper’s website sub nom District 37 State House Race Pits Social Worker against Prophetess and will presently be on KRWG’s website. During the week a radio-commentary version will air on KRWG and on KTAL-LP (101.5 FM ).]

[As long as this is my last pre-election column: I voted for Daisy Maldonado for County Commission. I voted for Angelika Rubio. I voted for the Democratic gubernatorial ticket. Ms. Haaland seems a good candidate, as her running-mate surely is, and the Republicans have used really stupid attacks on her that would tend to push me in her direction if I weren’t already leaning that way. ]

[I’m both hoping and guessing that the Democrats will hold 52 seats in the U.S. Senate in 2027. However, a Michigan congresswoman’s last-minute treachery and questions about Alaska Sullivans muddy the waters a bit]

[And the Branigan Library needs our help, to help us.]

 

Let's End the Pocket Veto -- and Improve Branigan Library!

I mostly support the ballot’s four Constitutional Amendments.

And please vote for the library GO Bond issue, which won’t increase tax rates. Hugely important to quality of life, our library hasn’t had a major structural update since it opened in 1979. Library usage has increased by 60% in three years! The bond would authorize a major renovation/expansion. We need it!

Some might guess the Internet makes libraries less essential; but not everyone can afford computers – or use them well; and the proliferation of “news” sources fills us with so many contradictory “facts” that some folks might need a neutrial guide

Amendment No 1 is a no-brainer. After the Legislature passes a bill, the governor either signs it into law or vetoes it. Over the years, governors have formed a bad habit: since a bill she doesn’t sign fails. governors use the “pocket veto” to overrule our elected legislature without even telling us why. Not having to explain is convenient for a governor doing something we won’t like, but it’s anti-democratic. We deserve to know her reasons – or, at least, the best excuses she can muster. So do all those who busted their butts refining the bill, and believed in it.

As with teenagers, “Because I say so!” doesn’t work real well.

Amendment 2 would eliminate the state constitutional requirement that school board elections be held separately from partisan elections. The requirement seeks to insulate these elections from partisanship. It doesn’t really succeed; but because “partisanship” has become vitriolic hyper-partisanship, it’s tempting to leave it in place. However, the change would save us money and boost voter turnout for school boards. Sadly, nothing we do will keep partisanship wholly out of school-board elections.

Amendment 3 would change how we pick university regents. The governor would have to choose her picks from lists provided by non-partisan (or bipartisan) nominating committees. This is universally viewed as a better way. I’ve seen governors appoint some great regents. But, given the important duties involved, why not give the governor back-up, since there’s no cost? Don’t expect miracles, though. Western New Mexico had a board of highly-qualified regents, but still screwed up badly.

Amendment 4 is the most widely-discussed. We remain the only U.S. state that doesn’t pay it’s legislators. Amendment 4 would provide for paying legislators up to New Mexico’s median income, currently, about $68,000.

We should do that. Now, while any wealthy person can run, finances bar a person working a normal job, without extra means, who might make a wonderful legislator. We get some retirees. But mostly we get rich folks and people like trial lawyers, ranchers, and non-profit employees to whose work or well-being laws are important. Many are fine legislators; but I’d like more diversity, fewer folks with interested employers, even a few young folks? Being a citizen legislator shouldn’t be a privilege for the few.

I favor this, but I disapprove the false advertising. Calling it a measure to limit legislator’s salaries is misleading. If they were selling medicine, the framers would get arrested. We’d initiate paying limited salaries.

Here again, don’t expect miracles.

We also must strengthen ethical rules for legislators. I’m not saying “don’t pay ‘em ‘til they make strict ethical rules cover them too.” I’m saying we absolutely should strengthen ethical standards and rules that cover legislators, paid or unpaid. But paying ‘em does make imposing stronger ethical constraints more reasonable.

In any case, please vote!

                                            – 30 --

[The above column appeared on the 25th of October, 2026, in the Las Cruces Sun-News and on the newspaper’s website sub nom "Eliminate the Pocket Veto" and will presently be on KRWG’s websitge, and during the week a radio-commentary version will air on KRWG and on KTAL-LP (101.5 FM ).]

[As long as this is my last pre-election column: I voted for Daisy Maldonado for County Commission. I voted for Angelika Rubio.  I voted for the Democratic gubernatorial ticket. Ms. Haaland seems a good candidate, as her running-mate surely is, and the Republicans have used really stupid attacks on her that would tend to push me in her direction if I weren’t already leaning that way. ]

Messrs Ramaswamy and Vance are Vicious and Stupid - a Bad Combination

Politics and ideology aside, what does it say about someone’s judgment and management style, to leap out attacking someone without doing your homework?

Great funny example was that clownish Senator from Missouri who wanted to suggest that Jack Smith had been in Atlanta conspiring against Donald Trump. Accused him of perjury, put up a big poster of staff texts and asked pompously if Smith had been in Atlanta on a certain date, attending the Golden State Warriors basketball game there. The poster was supposed to show Smith was lying. That stuff can really be fun, when it works. In a former life I did just that, many times, in trials.

But Senator Witless and his staff hadn’t looked very closely at their evidence. Smith was confused, then said he went to a University of Maryland women’s basketball game, to get a look at Iowa Hawkeye star Caitlin Clark. Not in Atlanta. Hawkeyes, not Hawks. Women’s college basketball, of which Senator Witless was likely ignorant. Not the NBA.

An Ohio gubernatorial candidate just topped that, in an uglier way.

I mean, for openers, if a woman is saying she was molested in childhood, you want to think extra hard before challenging that. Obviously.

So the desperate Mr. Ramaswamy, trying to be governor, cuts an ad with the woman’s mother, saying the woman lied. Okay. Since the facts show the mother hasn’t seen the daughter since the daughter, at 12, was removed from the mother’s custody because her stepfather had raped her, how would the mother know if she’s a lawyer. Was there rape? The daughter was removed from the house. The father was indicted for raping her. He went on the lam, leaving the state and hiding. So, you do the math. The brother supports his sister’s account. The mother stayed with that jerk ‘til he died. Whom should we believe.

Arguing with a woman about her being raped as a child is a bad look.

Arguing when such a damning public record supports her story is so stupid and ugly that I wouldn’t want that fellow running my state, even if I loved all his policy positions.

Even Republicans find it distasteful and/or see it can harm everyone in the party. Sensible of them. The Republican candidate for U.S. Senate said he wouldn’t have run that ad.  Others point out that drawing attention to that episode could arose interest in Ms. Acton and empathy for what she suffered.  But converted Trumpist J.D. Vance, maybe because his boss has convinced him that sex with underage girls is no big thing, calls those Republicans wimps. That’ll play real well with women if/when Mr. Vance again runs for elective office.

It’s also just vile. Glad Ramaswamy isn’t trying to govern New Mexico! Hope we never see Vance in a position of power ever again. 

Hours after I posted that,  Ohio’s governor, Mike DeWine, a Republican, called on Mr. Ramaswamy to take down the ad.  Iowa's Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate has called it "absolutely terrible." 

Then (speaking of vile and stupid) Mr. Trump weighed in, insulting not only the Democratic candidate but also Governor DeWine.  To him, the repulsive ad "hit paydirt."    The idea that women, particularly, will find that a male jerk pooh-poohing claims of sexual molestation is NOT a credit to him, doesn't resonate with Mr. Trump.  If you can insult someone, do.  He's still the wonderful pupil of Roy Cohn he was in his youth. 

Donald Trump and Voting in New Mexico Congressional District 2

This ain’t business as usual: each day Donald Trump does things which, if done by any earlier president, would be the chief event we recalled from his Presidency.

That’s only part of why I’ll vote for Gabe Vasquez against Trumpist Greg Cunningham.

Imagine Barack Obama banning Fox News and the Wall Street Journal from the White House, insulting them, and having the FCC review their licenses – or vindictively having the DOJ vindictively prosecute political foes.

Imagine Dwight Eisenhower accepting a $200 million personal gift from another country. Harry Truman left office almost penniless. Ulysses Grant got Mark Twain to help him write his memoirs, to provide for Grant’s wife and family.

Imagine Lyndon Johnson or Richard Nixon trying to overturn his re-election loss and fomenting mob violence. Nixon resigned. Johnson declined to run. Trump has revived measles and nearly turned Canada into an enemy.

Trump ended a deal that was successfully keeping Iran from trying to develop nuclear weapons, then bombed Iran sufficiently to destroy (he claimed) its potential to develop nukes, then started a war to keep Iran from getting nuclear weapons, despite knowing the war would spike oil prices, then grew so dismayed by the political huge impact of his actions that he unilaterally breached Russia sanctions, hoping Russian diesel would lower prices. A desperate U.S. President sacrificing our national interest in a deal with a desperate Russian dictator pursuing an unjust war.

Most Congressional Republicans fear Mr. Trump and do not interfere with him or criticize him. Some speak up. Cunningham calls Trump’s agenda his “Number One priority” and is “deeply honored by Trump’s endorsement of him. Gabe is a Las Crucen. He is willing to work with Mr. Trump or vigorously oppose him.

I respect Mr. Cunningham’s service in the Gulf War and law enforcement. But when he promises to “fight to restore order,” I doubt he means restoring order in our national government, where we most need it. He “will cut regulations strangling small businesses,” which would likely save big corporations from the unprofitable regulations aimed at protecting our health and environment, and protecting our pocketbooks from price-fixing and antitrust violations. While Gabe would expand access to health care, Cunningham opposes more government involvement. I believe we should have universal health care like every other serious nation.

Mr. Cunningham has shown no imagination, no wisdom, no awareness of the urgent need to protect our democracy right now, and no reason we should select him to represent our interests in Congress.

Gabe has. Gabe says he fights to “help working families make ends meet,” rather than help businesses shrug off regulations. He fights Mr. Trump, but some votes and statements anger progressives. To me, that means that although Gabe and I share many values, he’s committed to representing ALL citizens in his district. Representing a huge district wisely probably requires doing some things I disagree with.

Mr. Cunningham’s values differ from mine, and those of most Las Crucens. Balancing one’s personal set of values with those of the folks one represents can be challenging. I think Gabe does that pretty well. I can’t know how Mr. Cunningham would do that – especially with a truly vicious person heading his party and obsessively demanding loyalty. To him, not the nation.

In normal times, I’d prefer Gabe. These times, and these unthinkable abuses, lend great urgency to the voting for Gabe. One vote in Congress could truly matter.

                                              – 30 --

 

[The above column appeared on the 18th of October, 2026, in the Las Cruces Sun-News and on the newspaper's website on the newspaper's website the Las Cruces Sun-News and will be up presently on KRWG’s website. A shortened and sharpened radio commentary version of this Sunday column will air during the week on KRWG and on KTAL-LP (101.5 FM ).]

[A conservative friend who doesn’t love Trump emailed me to comment that the race is between Greg and Gabe, why bring in Trump? I have to agree with him that most of us too often argue that way: against a progressive because of what some far-left person said that sounds crazy, because they both loathe Mr. Trump, or against a conservative because of what some crazy racist said on a podcast, because they both like Mr. Trump. I kind of wish we didn’t have parties. I don’t think George Washikngton cared much for them either – and couldn’t have seen how they’d grow. Sometimes I feel like parties resembloe those vines that climb a tree, grow thicker over years as they throttle the tree, and then stand there long after the tree inside them is dead. Could our parties be doing that to our representative government?

But here, I suggested, it makes sense. Mr. Trump is not the usual president, Democrat orf Republican, and seems an exceptionally vicious human being, having been well-tutored by Roy Cohn. Where the Congress is closely divided, Mr. Trump endangers our form of government (and weakens our military), and one candidate says passikng Mr. Trump’s agenda is his Number One priority, that’s worth noting. WE should be his Number-One priority. I feel like we’re closer to the top of Gabe’s list. ]

District 33 State Rep. Micaela Lara Cadena Has Shown She Deserves our Trust; Challenger Kiki Vigil Has Not

This a political analysis and a study of two humans: Micaela Lara Cadena and Kiki Vigil, candidates for state representative.

When I came home from this morning’s radio show, of which one segment featured Cadena talking energetically and knowledgeably, my wife said, “She’s so great! We’re so lucky to have Cadena!”

Kiki was invited. Didn’t show. (Like Nathan Small, he lacked even the courtesy to make some excuse before the show.) No response whatsoever. Nothing personal, though. I opened the League of Women Voters supplement, to read Kiki’s statement of his ideas. “No response received.” I also check on-line, asking a neutral AI program. “Vigil has made remarkably few substantive public statements that I can verify. Both Source New Mexico and VOTE411 show that he did not answer their issue questionnaires.”

Cadena first ran for this job ten years ago. A working mother, with young schoolchildren, and a background in advocacy. We’ve watched her grow as legislator, a caring and competent person who fights for what seems right and is highly articulate on the issues.

Few know much about Kiki Vigil, and he’s not talking.

He ran for county sheriff in 2014. Many, including me, supported him. He won. He lost the Democratic Primary in 2018.

I saw why, close up. But objective evidence includes him illegally taking over the Detention Center in 2015. County Manager Julia Brown told him he had no such authority. Then she sued. The District Court held that Kiki had had no such right.

He also made a disastrous personnel choice that torpedoed department morale again. Ignore what I wrote about it. Defending his record in 2018, Vigil acknowledged “misjudgments” in appointments to key positions. His own chosen under sheriff, Eddie Lerma, brought a whistle blower lawsuit.

Kiki is a failed sheriff who switched from Democrat to Republican because local citizens, mostly Democrats, had seen enough of him. He turned Republican while Donald Trump was the party’s leader, though likely less for love of Trump than as a snit fit.

While saying little of himself or his views, Vigil has tried to blame Cadena for Project Jupiter, which she has energetically fought against. There’s this grain of truth to that: Cadena voted for an admirable bill, sponsored by the Sierra Club and other worthy groups. At the last moment on the last day (a Saturday) of the legislative session, house leadership said that the Senate had amended and improved that bill, so that the House needed to conform to that. A formality. No copy of the amendment given her. No time to research it. She did vote for the amended bill; but what’s happened since has demonstrated her character and guts. First, she demanded an explanation from the leader, who wept and said she hadn’t known the truth either.

Cadena has publicly called out our Democratic governor and Democratic leadership, including local Democratic Representative Nathan Small for deviously gaining support for Project Jupiter, which has paid well for important people’s support and recently spent millions trying to con us. As leadership conned Cadena.

Admitting you were gulled could be embarrassing. Many wouldn’t. Cadena did.

Calling out your own party leaders while you and they remain in office could be career-shortening. Many wouldn’t. Cadena did.

So our choice is between a caring, competent person with intestinal fortitude, and, . . . Kiki.

In any case, early voting has started. Whomever you like, do vote!

– 30 --

 

[The above column appeared on the 11th of October, 2026, in the Las Cruces Sun-News and on the newspaper's website the Las Cruces Sun-News (sub nom Voters Weigh Cadena against Silent Kiki Vigil), and will be up presently on KRWG’s website. A shortened and sharpened radio commentary version of this Sunday column will air during the week on KRWG and on KTAL-LP (101.5 FM ).]

[Our radio discussion with Cadena is on-line in the radio station’s archives right here. I urge you to do your own research, if you have not yet decided how you’ll vote. District 33 Candidates’ emails are: MICAELA@LARA-CADENA4NM.COM (575) 644-5830 and Kiki Vigil KIKIVIGIL@YAHOO.COM Another good source of information is the League of Women Voters’ Non-Partisan Voters’ Guide, available at the website, www.lwvsnm.org. Candidates were invited to state their basic cases. (Not all did so.) It’s in both English and Spanish. ]

[Also perhaps worth a look is my May 2018 column on Vigil’s poor response to women’s allegaions of sexual harassment by his chosen undersheriff, Ken Roberts. The three women recorded their talk with Vigil, and I listened to it:

He [Vigil[ scoffs at the complaints. “C'mon, bullshit! You get angry, you right away take action.” The woman had immediately told her lieutenant, who told her to document things. Later, Vigil repeats, “These are serious allegations” and says the victim should take a lie-detector test and explain why she didn't complain immediately.

Mentioned in the present column is Vigil’s illegal takeover of the Detention Center in December 2015. On December 8, 2015, Vigil’s office arrested Detention Center Director Chris Barela on charges of fraud and embezzlement, which charges were soon reduced to a misdemeanor. Soon afterward, citing security concerns, Vigil issues an executive order taking control of the detention center. Vigil and deputies wearing tactical gear moved in. The County Commission and County Manager Julia Brown immediately contested that, arguing that the sheriff had no legal authority to seize administration of the jail.

A district judge soon issued a TRO directing Vigil and his pals to return control back to county management.

Also relevant is my May 2016 column, headed Sheriff's 'First Amendment Lawsuit Bites the Dust which, frankly, I'd forgotten: Kiki filed his "First Amendment" lawsuit against two county commissioners. U.S. District Judge Kenneth Gonzales dismissed the suit on a Motion to Dismiss, which amounts to saying that even if he assumed the truth of every fact the Sheriff alleged in his complaint, there was no viable lawsuit here.

A Federal judge quickly dismissed Vigil’s ridiculous lawsuit, claiming that the County Commission’s decision not to have him sit on the dais with them at mneetings somehow violated his rights, and he wanted the court to give him damages and order the Commission to behave right. The Federal judge quickly ruled that even if you accepted as true all his factual allegations, he had no case. That he brought it at all suggests bad judgement and litigiousness. A decent lawyer could have warned him he had no case – and I explained that in an earlier column right after he filed the thing. (In  December 2015 ("Sheriff's Lawsuit is Wrong Answer to Serious Questionss" , I’d written that the silly lawsuit was about the only thing more foolish than the Human Resources Department investigation claiming Vigil had said bad things about HR personnel. Both Vigil’s DASO and the County’s HR Department seemed messes to me.)    

Dishonesty and Stupidity Mix Sports and Politics

Sports and politics intersected in some weird ways this week, aside from the Protect College Sports Act.

First, while watching the 49ers beat Arizona, I saw the Trump campaign ad the Department of Homeland Security illegally paid lots of our money to air. Then I saw the Senate hearing in which a Missouri senatorial buffoon embarrassed himself while trying to embarrass former special prosecutor Jack Smithy, because apparently neither senator nor staff could distinguish the professional (male) Atlanta Hawks basketball team from the college Iowa Hawkeyes.

The ad was literally an entire 2024 campaign ad we paid to re-air because it rails against communism and shows Mr. Trump striding resolutely, almost heroically, down a White House hallway. That plainly violates several laws.

The Hatch Act Federal employees (not including the President) from using public time or resources to take partisan stands. Someone could be criminally indicted.

Trump and minions made illegal use of appropriated money. The laws forbid using government money for “publicity or propaganda purposes” unless Congress has authorized the expenditure. The Government Accountability Office has interpreted those restrictions to prohibit, communications that are purely partisan or designed to aid a political party or candidate.

The GAO should be investigating and reporting the crime to Congress.

Then Missouri Republican U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt took aim at Jack Smith and shot himself in the foot. Or somewhere. Smith was the special prosecutor who brought charges against Donald Trump. Trump has sought revenge against everyone involved, even alleging that his widespread legal problems – a civil jury finding him guilty of sexual misconduct toward a woman in a store, then of defaming her; Georgia’s prosecution of his demand that Georgia officials “find more votes” for him in 2020; and his involvement in trying to scare Congress into overturning the national vote that year – were just a vast, secret conspiracy to harm Donald Trump.

Smith has testified repeatedly, and very effectively. Someone was unwise in scheduling for this month, another public chance for Smith to say, quietly but convincingly, that he brought charges against Trump only because the evidence required it, beyond a reasonable doubt.

Trumpists wanted to suggest that Smith conferred with the Georgia state prosecutor. Schnmitt’s staff had found what he considered a smoking gun. He grandly asked Smith if he’d attended a February 2024 game between the Golden State Warriors and the Atlanta Hawks. Smith said he sure hadn’t. Schmitt said that since Smith didn’t “know that we have this stuff,” he’d show Smith a big blow-up of texts from Smith’s staff about the game, “so you don’t perjure yourself”; but he pulled that down before Smith could read it, calling Smith “a total dirtbag,” which didn’t sound too senatorial.

When Scmitt was made to put the thing up again, Smith admitted that around then, wanting to see Caitlan Clark play, he’d attended an Iowa Hawkeyes game in Maryland. What depth of stupidity and carelessness is required to confuse a Hawkeye and a Hawk, or women’s college hoops and the NBA, then call a guy a perjurer without taking a second look at your supposed evidence? Lawyering, I never did anything near so stupid; and very rarely saw any opponent do so.

Schmitt tried to recover by saying that at least he and Smith were both basketball fans – though Schmitt’s blunder suggested he knew little about the sport.

A hearing timed to help Republicans win elections may not help much.

                                                        – 30 –  

 

[The above column appeared on the 4th of October, 2026, in the Las Cruces Sun-News and on the newspaper's website, and will be up presently on KRWG’s website. A shortened and sharpened radio commentary version of this Sunday column will air during the week on KRWG and on KTAL-LP (101.5 FM ).]