I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
Outgoing Gov. Bill Richardson met with Governor-elect Susana Martinez yesterday at the State Capitol, the Santa Fe New Mexican reports.
The relaxed, friendly mood described by the paper offers a striking contrast to the white-hot rhetoric that defined this year’s governor’s race. Martinez held up Richardson as the bete noire to good governance, repeatedly criticizing him and his administration as corrupt and spendthrift in her run against Democratic Lt. Gov. Diane Denish.
And Richardson definitely noticed. He said last week his only regret was not being able to defend his record during this year’s election. It was unclear from the stories about yesterday’s meeting whether Richardson raised the hard-hitting, sometimes nasty gubernatorial campaign.
Who knows? Richardson is an experienced pol, a veteran of decades of election campaigns. And he realizes how brutal some elections can be and how unappealing coming off as a sore loser might look. At least publicly Richardson appears not to be nursing any ill will.
Last week Richardson told Gene Grant on KNME’s New Mexico in Focus that the election is over and what New Mexico needs now is unity.
“It was a very bitter campaign,” Richardson told Grant. “The time has come to recognize that we need some bipartisanship now. As an outgoing governor I am prepared to be as helpful as I can, just as Gov. (Gary) Johnson was when I came in. He was personally helpful. It’s a tradition I want to continue.”
As for all those attack ads saturating the air and radio waves leading up to Nov. 2, Richardson suggested to Grant that Democrats and Republicans have to overcome any hard feelings, and get down to the hard work ahead.
“It’s over,” Richardson told Grant. “You get over it. It’s time to govern.”
