THE VIGIL RESIGNATION

Here's the link to my story on State Treasurer Robert Vigil's resignation.

Here's a quick glance at Vigil's political career.

Here's where you'll find Quicktime versions of videos of conversations between Vigil and investment adviser/FBI informant Kent Nelson.

Here's something on my new Capitol Bureau partner Dave Miles. (Hey, what the Hell? They didn't do this for me when I came over from The Albuquerque Journal 18 years ago ...)

ROUNDHOUSE ROUND-UP: MORE POLITICAL CHATTER FROM VIGIL TRANSCRIPTS

A version of this stroy was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
October 27, 2005

Federal prosecutors and defense lawyers are arguing about the significance of certain conversations between indicted former state Treasurer Robert Vigil and a “cooperating witnesses,” surreptitiously captured on video and audio tape.


But one thing that comes out clearly in transcripts is Vigil’s view of state politics and some fellow New Mexico politicians.

Vigil, who resigned Wednesday and faces 21 federal felony counts primarily involving extortion, visited the Downs at Albuquerque racetrack Aug. 24 with California-based investment adviser Kent Nelson.

Political fundraising was prominent in Vigil’s mind that day. At one point he told Nelson, “I spend most of my time trying to keep my job.”

Vigil spoke to Nelson about Paul Blanchard, who is a co-owner of the Albuquerque track, state Board of Finance member and huge financial contributor to Gov. Bill Richardson. The treasurer told the California consultant that Richardson “just gave (Blanchard) another racetrack down south.”

Blanchard was in the partnership to which the state Racing Commission awarded a license to build the track and casino in Hobbs now known as Zia Park.

After gossiping a bit about Blanchard’s wealth, Vigil said, “So, you know, our business is small, is small compared to …” He didn’t finish his sentence.

“I've been asking this Paul Blanchard to do a fundraiser for me,” Vigil said. But, Vigil he said he’d had no luck.

“So why don’t you get with the governor and just tell the governor to put a fundraiser on for ya?” Nelson asked.

“ I could, I could, but I don’t like to be indebted too much, you know,” Vigil said. “I help him out; I do; me and the governor sorta have the same, you know, I agree with a lot of things he does, so I help him out, but I’ve never really asked him for favors.”

Earlier in the conversation, Vigil, speaking about a businessman and his company, had bragged, “he knows that I have a lot of influence with the governor, so now they treat me good.”

After Vigil’s arrest last month, Richardson repeatedly and publicly urged Vigil to resign.

Everybody’s smoking it: Later in the afternoon, Vigil talked about another state official who recently has been in legal trouble and controversy: Public Regulation Commissioner E. Shirley Baca.

Talking about a possible candidate for Baca’s seat, Vigil said, “There’s an incumbent in that office, but she was caught; she was caught with marijuana, but then she, but then she was cleared, you know.”

Baca was arrested in December on a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge at the Albuquerque International Sunport. The charge eventually was dropped.

“You know and most people, I guess, smoke marijuana, so it’s gonna be interesting if they hold that against her or no,” Vigil said.

The treasurer offered an interesting insight — that Baca’s re-election campaign could turn out to be a de facto referendum on drug-law reform.

“I think it's important for her to be on the ballots to see where people are with that issue,” Vigil said. “Cause, you know, most people I guess smoke it, so … that’s what they say, you know.

Somebody’s gotta smoke it. When they bring it over in truck loads, I mean, I don’t smoke it, so somebody else must, right?”

The next month, when the FBI searched the homes of Vigil and former Treasurer Michael Montoya, who also was indicted on federal extortion charges, agents seized an unspecified amount of marijuana from Montoya’s home. While the FBI took financial records, computers and a book on ethics from Vigil’s property, they didn’t report finding any pot.

Gubernatorial parodies: Earlier this year Gov. Bill Richardson was parodied on Saturday Night Live by comic Horatio Sanz.

Now another national humor outlet has aimed its slapstick at our governor. But this time the humor was of the dark variety.

In last week’s issue of The Onion, an online newspaper parody, the headline was “Six Dead In Gubernatorial Suicide Pact.” Among the six was You-Know-Who.

Supposedly the governors drank poisoned liquor in the Ohio statehouse and died with their bodies arranged in a circular pattern on the floor.

“Although the reasons behind the suicide pact remain unknown, many of the country's surviving 44 state chief executives said they are not surprised by the tragedy,” The Onion said. “The governors were all known in their home states for their penchants for dark suits, their similar hairstyles, and their ‘fuck everything’ attitudes.”

The story has a fake quote from another governor saying he had seen signs of the coming tragedy: “Bill (Richardson) had developed this habit of slashing at his arms and chest with his New Mexico flag lapel pin.”

THE WHITE GUY WHO HAD TO STAND

Thank you Miss Rosa, you are the spark,
You started our freedom movement
Thank you Sister Rosa Parks.
The Neville Brothers

No doubt that the late Rosa Parks was a heroine. Last night on CNN when Aaron Brown referred to her as the mother of the Civil Rights Movement, Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia went a step further called her one of the mothers of Modern America.

But when considering heroes, I like to consider villains too.

I'm not talking about the obvious villains of the Civil Rights era -- Wallace, Maddox, Bull Connor, the Ku Klux Kretins who committed bombings and lynchings and midnight terrorism.

I'm talking about someone who has fallen through the cracks of history: The white man on that bus in Montgomery in 1955 who wanted Rosa Parks' seat.

By all the accounts I've read, it was the bus driver, not this anonymous white passenger who caused the uproar -- ordering Parks to stand up or be arrested, then actually calling the police.

But I want to know how that white passenger felt that day.

Was he just another Alabama bigot, angry at the uppity nigger who was sitting in the seat that rightfully belonged to him?

Was he less than a hater, just a passive participant in the Jim Crow laws, quietly accepting segregation as the natural order of things? Did Parks' refusal confuse him? Did he really care about getting a seat all that much? Was he embarassed when the bus driver made a scene? Or was it he who reported Parks to the driver?

Did this guy's views of Civil Rights change through the years? Did he curse the sit-ins and freedom marches? Did he vote for George Wallace? Was he one of those who drove Parks and her husband out of Montgomery by making threatening phone calls?

Did he ever come to feel shame about that day on the bus? Did he ever feel less than manly about trying to oust a middle-aged woman from a seat on a bus?

Did he ever get to know Rosa Parks? Did he ever apologize? Did he ever realize that her act that day actually made him more free?

Is he dead or alive? Who is this guy? I believe the story of Rosa Parks is incomplete until we know.

AS LONG AS THEY DON'T ARREST FAKE OZZIE

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
October 25, 2005

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Elmo, the red and cuddly Muppet from the Sesame Street television series, has learned a new lesson: 'H' is for handcuffs.

A man dressed as the character was one of three impersonators arrested last week for allegedly harassing tourists for tips after posing for photos on Hollywood Boulevard. Booked with him were people impersonating superhero Mr. Incredible and the dark-hooded character from the horror movie "Scream."

The impersonators said they were taken into custody at gunpoint, handcuffed and paraded on the Hollywood Walk of Fame before stunned tourists and other impersonators. They were charged with misdemeanor "aggressive begging," police said.

"With all of the crime in Los Angeles they pick on us?" said Elmo impersonator Donn Harper, 45, who makes up to $400 a day in tips.

Tourists have complained that the costumed characters harass them for not tipping after posing for photos in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater and the Kodak Theater. Merchants say some of the costumed characters are scaring tourists.

(Anton with Ozzie impersonator near Grauman's Chinese Theater last August. Darth Maul, above, hissed at me when I didn't tip him.)

MONEY, POLITICS AND ROCK 'N' ROLL

Remember this 1992 campaign speech by the first President Bush?:

"(Bill Clinton)was in Hollywood, seeking foreign policy advice from the rock group U2. Now, understand, I have nothing against U2. You may not know this, but they tried to call me at the White House every night during their concert. But the next time we face a foreign policy crisis, I will work with John Major and Boris Yeltsin. And Bill Clinton can consult Boy George. I'll stay with the experts."

It looks like the former president's boy, George has a different idea.

And while Bush 43 is lunching with Bono in the White House, some of his fellow Republicans -- as well as some Democrats -- are using U2 concerts as a fund-raising device.

"The Irish rock band U2 is doing its best to disassociate itself from members of Congress’s plans to use the group’s 2005 world tour to raise money, but the band remains a political cash cow.

"Debt AIDs Trade Africa (DATA), an advocacy group founded by U2’s lead singer, Bono, issued a statement last week separating the band from any political activity that might take place at its concerts after some media outlets continued misreporting a story that Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) and U2 had teamed up for a $1,000-a-seat concert in Philadelphia on Sunday. The stories reported that Santorum and others were buying private skyboxes and selling the seats to donors."

I dunno. I kind of liked it better when conservative politicians used to trip all over themselves to denounce the evils of rock 'n' roll.


Oh well, apparently Rush Limbaugh, whose loathing of "long-haired, dope-smoking, maggot-infested rock stars" is well articulated, hasn't jumped on the U2 bandwagon. (Of course my favorite Rush rock criticism was back in 2002. In a fine example of synchronicity, I was driving to work having just written my review of the late Joey Ramone's solo album. I turned on the radio and Rush was in a froth because The Ramones had been inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame and the Moody Blues hadn't.)

All I can say is where have you gone, Frank Zappa? A nation turns its lonely eyes to you!