William C. Anderson, a recently appointed assistant Air Force secretary touring Cannon Air Force Base this week, said the Pentagon still hasn't identified a "candidate mission" for the beleaguered base, the Clovis News-Journal reported on its Web site.

That appears to contradict what Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley said in a letter to New Mexico's Sen. Pete Domenici and Sen. Jeff Bingaman last month, saying, "My staff is actively exploring options (for Cannon) and has already identified one promising candidate mission."

A "candidate mission," according to an Albuquerque Journal story on the letter last month, is a mission currently operating at another base that could be moved.

And another mission is just what Cannon needs to find by the year 2010 or be shut down, according to the terms of a federal commission's ruling last year that temporarily spared the base from Pentagon budget-cutters.

Anderson, the Air Force's assistant secretary for installations, environment and logistics, was at Cannon Wednesday "to show his personal commitment and involvement" in finding a new mission for the base, an Air Force spokeswoman said last week.

But, Anderson told the Clovis paper Wednesday, data needed to pinpoint a new mission has been compiled and is being double-checked for accuracy before being "marketed to the entire federal government," and such a mission could be identified by this summer.

But one hasn't been identified yet, said the civilian who is in charge of all Air Force installations and facilities.

What gives? Is Anderson out of the loop? Or is General Moseley whispering sweet nothings to New Mexico's persistent, pushy senators?

Spokesmen for Domenici and Bingaman told the News-Journal Wednesday they'd seen nothing to contradict Moseley's letter.

"When there is an emotional issue, as this is, people oftentimes read into statements," Anderson told the News-Journal of the apparent assurance by the general.

Emotional? When some 4,700 jobs are at stake, it's not unusual that some people might be hanging on every word, every nudge, wink or nod from on high.

Meanwhile, Anderson said his on-site visit Wednesday would help him in his capacity as an adviser on the mission-seeking process to Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne, who will in turn make a final recommendation on Cannon's future to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Anderson also was scheduled to visit Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque today.

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