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Friday, July 30, 2010
Denish News Releases Vanish — Temporarily
By Sean Olson
Of the Journal
The removal of seven years' worth of news releases from Democratic governor candidate Diane Denish's lieutenant governor website earlier this month has created a firestorm of criticism from Republicans who questioned whether Denish was trying to hide her record.
Denish, who has served as lieutenant governor for nearly eight years, ordered that the news releases be returned online for public perusal. However, Denish said the removal of seven years' worth of news releases had nothing to do with her.
"I was recently made aware that press releases had been taken down from the official site," Denish said in a statement. "Upon learning this, I have directed my staff to repost these releases."
A spokesman for Denish's office said the website has been receiving maintenance and the releases were removed and archived. He said there was no political reasoning in the decision. The releases would still have been available at the public's request, he said.
The removal of the press releases was first reported by Heath Haussamen of NMPolitics.net,
Republicans had recently used quotes from past news releases on Denish's government website to try to link Denish's Children's Cabinet to state policies regarding checking the immigration status of juvenile criminal offenders.
The press releases are back on the website, www.ltgovernor.state.nm.us.
BUM STEER: A GPS system was the culprit in an adventure that got 2nd Congressional District candidate Steve Pearce "lost" making a trip from Weed to Alamagordo earlier this month, according to Pearce campaign spokesman Jason Heffley.
The GPS in question insisted Pearce and his caravan, which included reporters for National Public Radio, take a dirt road over a mountain — a shorter route, in the computer's estimation — rather than the paved road Pearce was pointing at, Heffley said.
Pearce's driver trusted the computer, causing the caravan to have to turn around and make a late appearance at the next event.
The story led the state Democratic Party to create a "In Case You Get Lost ... Again Kit'' for Pearce, who is running against incumbent Harry Teague, D-N.M., in the November election.
Pearce made a joke about it at the Alamagordo event, good-naturedly throwing his driver under the bus for getting "lost" near Weed. The NPR folks also reported it.
Don't worry about the driver's feelings, though — he's from Texas.
STEELE SUPPORT: Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele spent his evening in Albuquerque on Thursday, raising money for Republican governor candidate Susana Martinez.
Steele garnered $1,000-a-head prices for a "VIP reception" at Republican lieutenant governor candidate John Sanchez's Albuquerque home. Everyone else could attend for $250.
Steele has been criticized by many Republicans who have lost confidence in him after gaffes about the Afghanistan war and RNC staff expenditures that included stops at strip clubs.
News media weren't allowed at the event, by request of the RNC, according to a Martinez spokesman.
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