MUSIC & POLITICS

Here's a fascinating little story to appeal to both of this blog's major constituencies: music geeks and political junkies.

It's the tale of Mark McKinnon, former media adviser for George W. Bush, who recently resigned from the John McCain campaign because, as he put it, "I just don't want to work against an Obama candidacy."

My friend Peter Blackstock of No Depression, recall's McKinnon's former career as a songwriter, musician and Kris Kristofferson crony. Last night I was going through boxes of dusty old cassette tapes looking for a Kerrville Folk Festival compilation -- which included a song by McKinnon -- that Peter had sent me about 10 years ago. (As you'll see in his story, Peter was doing the same thing with boxes of CDs at his home.)

Neither of us found the song, but enjoy Peter's story HERE.

OBAMA ON NEW NEW MEXICO

I had the opportunity to do a quick telephone interview with Sen. Barack Obama Monday when he was in Las Cruces for a Memorial Day event. You can read that HERE.

I asked him the obligatory questions all New Mexico political reporters ask Democrat front-runners every four years: Is Bill Richardson on his short list for vice president? I knew he and Richardson were together in Cruces, so I said, "He's probably standing right by you now, right?" Obama acknowledged they were traveling together, but said, "He's on the other side of the bus."

Basically his answer is that he's not ready to spill those beans, though Richardson is "one of the best public servants we have in American life."

I asked why he was in New Mexico on Memorial Day when all states have veterans. He initially said, "Well New Mexico obviously has some just outstanding veterans that I wanted to make sure to honor." But before I could say, "Don't all the states have outstanding veterans?" he started talking about New Mexico as a battleground state."

Not bad. A lot of lesser politicians I've interviewed would have just left it at the feel-good glad-handing statement.

Though many pundits have virtually declared Obama the Democratic nominee, pointing out the mathematical improbability of Hillary Clinton catching up with him, Obama was careful to mention at least a couple of times in our brief talk that he's not yet won that prize. He talked about making an effort to reach out to Clinton supporters around the country "should I be fortunate enough to get the nomination" and said he's not discussing his vice presidential choices "because I haven't locked down the nomination yet. "

I got the impression this state will be seeing a lot more of Obama as well as John McCain, who also was in New Mexico Monday.

TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST

Sunday, May 25, 2008
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
Webcasting!
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org

OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
We're Desparate by X
Try Love by The Detroit Cobras
Elephant Gun by Beirut
Mr. Orange by Dengue Fever

Mean and Evil by The Juke Joint Pimps
I'm Cryin' by The Animals
Skinny Minnie by The Mummies
Popotitos by Los Straitjackets with Cesar Rosas
Roly Poly by Joey Dee & The Starliters

Bob by Simon Stokes
Fugu Fish by Timothy Leary & Simon Stokes
Mafia by Texas Terri Bomb
People Who Died by The Jim Carrol Band
Moonland by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Contract with Depravity by Kenyon Hopkins
After Hours by Bob Taylor *
Something Else by The Flamin' Groovies

Sweet Black Angel by The Rolling Stones
Never/Ever by The Black Angels
Black and White by The Warlocks
Walkin' with Jesus (Sound of Confusion) by Spacemen 3
Black Angel's Death Song by The Velvet Underground

Pie in the Sky by Utah Phillips & Ani DiFranco
I Hear Sirens by The Dirtbombs
Slow Bus Movin' (Howard Beach Party) by Fishbone
I Don't Need Mary (Juana) by Andre Williams & The Diplomats of Solid Sound
Clyde the Glide by The Diplomats of Solid Sound
Big Irv the Meat Man by Vinnie Santino
Twenty by Robert Cray

* I previously had listed this song as "Peter Gun Twist" by The Jesters. However, as I said on the air last night, the song didn't sound much like "Peter Gunn." After a little research, I'm convinced that the Las Vegas Grind CD cover got the titles mixed up on tracks 3 and 4. They were probably too busy drooling at them lucious dames on the cover to pay attention to what they were doing.

THE NAME GAME

This press release just came in from the Governor's Office:

Prison Reform Task Force Recommends New Name, New Focus for Corrections System

SANTA FE – A prison reform task force created by Governor Bill Richardson has recommended changing the name of the Department of Corrections to the Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections.

The name change, which the Governor will consider as part of a comprehensive approach to reform, is meant to reflect an emphasis on increasing public safety, controlling the prison population and decreasing recidivism rates.

Yep, changing the name of the Corrections Department is bound to solve a big chunk of the problems in our prisons.

They probably got the idea from the federal government, which put an end to world strife when they changed the name of the Department of War to the Department of Defense.

SENATE RACE ETC.

My profiles on the U.S. Senate GOP primary were published today. Here's the links:

* Intro story (with Kate Nash)
* Steve Pearce profile
* Heather Wilson profile

Also, here's some links to other stories I wrote or co-wrote last week:

* CD 3 campaign finance reports (For Benny Shendo and Harry Montoya, published Saturday)
* CD 3 and Senate campaign finance reports (For everyone else, published Friday)
* Follow-up to Shendo "lifestyle" remarks (with Kate Nash).