On that count, state Department of Veterans Services Deputy Secretary Lou Helwig has some good news, some dangerously stretched budgets and some advice for a nation that needs to prepare for health care costs that could, long-term, outstrip the tallies of both the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.

“We really haven’t even seen the tip of the iceberg yet,” Helwig said of the 26,000 New Mexicans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. “The most apparent issue is the prostheses they’re wearing, but that’s not the main issue.”

The larger issues are post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI).

“The average veteran has had seven concussions,” Helwig said. “And many are much more than a concussion. With these IEDs (improvised explosive devices), you can get a mild concussion being a mile away.”

Because the symptoms of TBI are new and because they mimic those of PTSD, the medical profession is scrambling to develop treatment protocols – including accurate diagnoses. To their credit, Helwig said, health care professionals are devising innovative solutions.

“Out of war comes some of the most amazing medical things,” he said, “but it’s a heckuva way to get them.”

Nationally, the toll is grim. One in five veterans suffers from depression or a stress disorder, and less than half of the 300,000 affected are getting help. More than 70,000 are paying too much for rent and are at risk of homelessness. At least 430 veterans have committed suicide.

The VA’s count is not a complete one, however. It does not include members of the military who returned from Iraq and then killed themselves before being discharged from the service – people like Sgt Brian Rand, who shot himself in the head after returning home from his second tour.

It also doesn’t include the deaths of people like Sgt. James Dean, who was shot by Maryland state troopers after he barricaded himself in his father’s farmhouse. Observers call those deaths “suicide by cop.”

And it doesn’t include the deaths of people like Sgt. Gerald Cassidy, a 32-year-old Indiana National Guardsman who died at Fort Knox five months after returning from Iraq with brain damage from a roadside bomb.

How many more American deaths continue to go uncounted?

It’s not as if no one saw it coming. In 2007, Linda Bilmes of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, analyzed the state of care available for returning vets. Her conclusions:

(a) the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is already overwhelmed by the volume of returning veterans and the seriousness of their health care needs, and it will not be able to provide a high quality of care in a timely fashion to the large wave of returning war veterans without greater funding and increased capacity in areas such as psychiatric care; (b) the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) is in need of structural reforms in order to deal with the high volume of pending claims; the current claims process is unable to handle even the current volume and completely inadequate to cope with the high demand of returning war veterans; and (c) the budgetary costs of providing disability compensation benefits and medical care to the veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan over the course of their lives will be from $350 – $700 Billion, depending on the length of deployment of US soldiers, the speed with which they claim disability benefits and the growth rate of benefits and health care inflation. Key recommendations include: increase staffing and funding for veterans medical care particularly for mental health treatment; expand staffing and funding for the “Vet Centers,” and restructure the benefits claim process at the Veterans Benefit Administration.

Although rarely addressed, one other problem faced by 16 percent of veterans – women – is sexual trauma.

“Women veterans are having many sexual-trauma issues,” Helwig said. “It’s much higher than their male counterparts. The military plays that down, but the result is we’re treating more and more of them.”

Helwig praised George Marnell, director of the local Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, for being “a magician” at juggling his budget to provide care. But it hasn’t been enough.

Through a collaboration with 14 agencies and Presbyterian Medical Services, the state has provided crisis-intervention telehealth program for veterans and their families, which includes a walk-in center at PMS’s Rio Rancho site.

“We’re expanding that this year and opening new offices in Farmington and Cuba,” Helwig said. “Next year, we expect to open ones all over New Mexico. We’re trying to fill the gaps the federal government can’t take care of.”

Through its Web site, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America attempts to direct people to even more assistance.

Returning veterans are guaranteed health care – a benefit that sometimes pushes veterans of other wars further down the priority list. They can also take advantage of expanded education stipends that in some cases extend to their children.

In his visits to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Helwig has seen the consequences of carnage. But he’s also seen hope.

“One positive thing is that they seem to be coping with their disabilities and working through them,” he said. “Another is the fact that they are so focused on their dreams. These are 19- and 20-year-old kids right out of high school. But they seem to still have a grasp on how important their dreams are.”

Today, Helwig will be among the state’s veterans paying respect to their fellow men and women who came home — and the ones who could not.

Going forward, he hopes the Obama administration will change the way the nation funds veterans’ health care to avoid potential crises like the one two years ago where the bank nearly ran dry midway through the fiscal year. Besides compromising care for existing veterans, such by-the-book budgeting threatens to cut out spikes in the growing needs of new veterans.

“The spike right now,” he said, “is war.”

The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies has printed about 250,000 tickets to the Jan. 20 swearing-in ceremony at the west front of the U.S. Capitol.

The tickets are free and will be given to members of Congress and to President-elect Barack Obama’s presidential inaugural committee. Those who want to attend the ceremony should contact their local member of Congress to request tickets. The viewing area will stretch from the Capitol along the Mall. Some more distant parts of the viewing area will not require tickets and probably will be served by huge video screens.

Congressional staffers said Friday that there were reports of advertisements on the Internet selling inaugural tickets for hundreds of dollars each. They said any such ticket would be phony and of no value.

Not only that, but if congressional folk are caught selling the tickets, they could be charged with a crime. (Save some money: eBay’s got an authentic invitation to JFK’s inaugural for $375.)

Some congressional offices are being swamped with requests, with calls running nearly 4-to-1 over concerns about the Wall Street bailout.

U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman’s spokeswoman, Jude McCartin, said the office has had “hundreds and hundreds of request — the one number I heard was 500.” But so far, she doesn’t even know how many tickets the office will get.

“There’s no number on who can come into town and stand on the street and hope for a glimpse,” she said, “but there’s a finite number we’ll have to give out for the designated area where you’ll get to see the swearing-in.”

If you’re looking, Bingaman’s the one to hit up. Rep. Heather Wilson’s office said it has received just six requests in the last three days, but because they’re closing shop, won’t be honoring requests. Same likely goes for U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, and U.S. Rep. Tom Udall.

The lowdown on obtaining tickets is on Bingaman’s Web site.

For those more interested in the “goodbye” part of the Obama-Bush equation, yes, there will be an official “Departure Ceremony,” but the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies only promises that it exists, not what it entails. (Tar? Feathers?)

For more of a rebel yell, you can join a worldwide 10-minute party being promoted on Facebook for the day before Inauguration Day, other known as “Bush’s Last Day in Office.”

Monday, January 19, 2009 at 11:59pm will be the final day of one of the worst political eras America has faced. Exactly twelve hours later, the new, 44th President of the USA, Barack Obama will take over from what was one of the worst presidencies this nation has gone through.

Feel free to invite anyone you know for this massive, world wide celebration as we all wait for a new presidency that will hopefully end this error which was of having George W. Bush “elected” not just once, but twice.

Register and promote your own, in-person local parties here. You can also install this countdown widget if you’re all that interested in seeing the seconds sweep by. Here’s what a bunch of wine snobs are planning to consume to commemorate the day. My favorite (for its reason, not for the wine):

Strumerika will be drinking “The Old Man’s Blend” 2006 Groote Post from South Africa. Why? “Despite shining promises, this wine disappoints in the end. Sound familiar to you?”

And if you simply must wear it on your sleeve, CafePress has its usual assortment of rudely pithily worded T-shirts. (Gentlemen, think twice before donning that “Goodbye Bush” shirt.)

And for a historical note, given that the 2009 inaugural theme is “A New Birth of Freedom” in honor of Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday, check out his first inaugural address (the I-won’t-interfere-with-slavery one) and his second inaugural address (the with-malice-toward-none-with-charity-toward-all one).

State Department of Veterans Services Secretary John Garcia says no World War I veterans are still alive in New Mexico. The state sent 17,241 soldiers to the war, which started in 1914, just two years after New Mexico became a state. One hundred and sixteen of them gave their lives.

“These veterans were the original veterans of the state of New Mexico,” Garcia said. “Though they may be gone, they’ve left behind generations of families which have not forgotten them. And neither have I. The whole world should be grateful for the sacrifice they made in World War I.”

Altogether, New Mexico has 180,000 veterans, including Bataan Death March survivors, Navajo code talkers and returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

Courtesy of the state’s Department of Veterans Services, here’s how you can commend their service Tuesday:

Statewide

KRQE-Channel 13 will air a telethon at 4 p.m. to raise money for the New Mexico Veterans Integration Center. The state-funded center, located in Albuquerque, helps approximately 7,000 homeless veterans.

Santa Fe

NMDVS Cabinet Secretary John M. Garcia will give the keynote address at the NMDVS Veterans Day ceremony at the Veterans Memorial park at 11 a.m. The park is located on West DeVargas and Galisteo streets on the west side of the Bataan Building.

Secretary Garcia will pay special tribute to New Mexico’s World War I contribution. Also on hand will be members of the 187th Helicopter Assault Unit who served in the Vietnam War. The group will be in town for a reunion.

Isleta Pueblo

NMDVS Deputy Secretary Lou Helwig will give the keynote address at the Isleta American Legion Post at 10 a.m. The facility is located on the Isleta reservation. From I-25 Southbound, exit 215. After passing the Isleta Casino/Hotel, go south about 2 miles. Just after you pass the stop light, stay in your left hand lane and turn left onto Tribal Road (TR) 10, right at the 47 Sales Car lot. Take TR 10 about 2 1/2 miles and it will bring you right to the park which will be located on the left hand side of the road.

Alamogordo

A 10 a.m. ceremony will be held at the VFW post 7686 (700 Highway 70 West)

Albuquerque

The city of Albuquerque’s ceremony will be at the Veterans Memorial at 1100 Louisiana Blvd. N.E. The ceremony starts at 10 a.m. U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson will deliver the keynote address.

Angel Fire

The Veterans Day ceremony starts at 11 a.m. at the Angel Fire Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial off Highway 64.

Aztec

The San Juan County Veterans Day Parade begins immediately after a special 7 a.m. veteran’s breakfast at the VFW Post on Main Street.

Clovis

A 2 p.m ceremony will be held at the special “Blue Star Mothers Highway Memorial Mile-Marker” near the Visitors Center off Eastbound Highway 337. A portion of the highway will be re-named the “Blue Star Mother’s Highway” in order of the Blue Star Mothers group — a service organization comprised of mothers who have sons or daughters serving or have served in the military.

Ft. Bayard

A 10:30 a.m. ceremony will be held at the Ft. Bayard National Cemetery (300 Camino de Paz).

Hobbs

A Veterans Day parade starts at 10 a.m. at the new city hall complex and will end at the VFW Hall on Alto St.

Las Cruces

The El Perro Diablo Marine Corps League Honor Guard will raise a special Garrison Flag at 8 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial Park at 2651 Roadrunner Parkway. The unit will then lower the flag at 5 p.m. A bugler will perform “Taps” at each ceremony

Raton

250 flag-bearers are scheduled to march in the “Parade of Flags” which starts at 7 a.m. at the Colfax County Courthouse.

RioRancho

Rio Rancho will have an 11 a.m. ceremony at the Veterans Memorial Park on Pinetree Road off Southern Blvd.

Truth or Consequences

A special ceremony starts at 10 a.m. at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial exhibit adjacent to the State Veterans Home at 992 South Broadway.

That’s not quite correct, said Sipapu General Manager Lisa Lopez.

“Last night and today it’s been snowing,” she said, estimating a total of about 4 inches. “And we make snow, too.”

Monday’s weather system may help other ski areas as well. Santa Feans were reporting 1 inch in the city, but Ski New Mexico Executive Director George Brooks said it’s just too early to tell overall.

“It depends on who you listen to,” he said. “Today’s newspaper says it’s going to be drier than normal. But the Farmer’s Almanac says it’s going to be wetter than normal.”

Um, well, not exactly.

According to the Almanac’s weather center, we might be in for a dry spell:

After warm temperatures through much of November, cold air will dominate winter, with the coldest periods in late December, early and late January, and early and mid-February. Rainfall will be much below normal, and snowfall will be below normal in areas that normally receive snow. The snowiest periods will be in late December, late January, and early February.

Cooler- and drier-than-normal weather will continue in April and May.

Nevertheless, Brooks said, Red River plans to open its runs on Nov. 26, and Santa Fe, Apache and Taos will open on Nov. 27. That portends a lot of man-made snow (read this report for concerns about artificial snow’s water consumption in Santa Fe, and this report for how it’s harming the Alpine environment).

Real snow or fake snow, Brooks said, the Thanksgiving-through-Christmas season isn’t that big of a priority on the local ski industry’s list anyway.

“If you open on Thanksgiving — and in some cases you shouldn’t — the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is very slow,” he said. “The profitable time isn’t then.”

The main reason more ski areas don’t open then isn’t just money. It’s a lack of manpower and the risk of making meltable snow too early.

“Colorado’s a different story,” he said. “There’s always a few places there that will open Thanksgiving. New Mexico’s a little less ski-populated in that regard, and people don’t get out that early.”

Should the gods of the north comply, the state’s ski industry will reap a $114 million windfall, with about $9 million sent to Santa Fe in tax revenues.

As for Sipapu, Lopez praised it as “a small resort, family-oriented with no lift lines.” No overnight rental is more than 300 yards from the lifts.

The Poma-lift and several trails will be open Saturday and Sunday. The future ski schedule runs Nov. 22-30, Dec. 6-7, and Dec. 12 through the season.

Richardson, governor of New Mexico and former UN ambassador under Bill Clinton, in his run for the Democratic nomination this year promised to bring all troops home by December (a technical impossibility) with utter disregard for the bloody consequences that would ensue. He has expressed faith in his ability to negotiate successfully any problem with anybody. This is truly frightening in the light of the demonstrated intransigence and deception of the Iranians regarding their nuclear program, and the repeated violation of past signed agreements on nuclear matters by the North Koreans, in which Richardson was personally fooled by Pyongyang.

Morris was similarly unimpressed with Democratic Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry:

Kerry, by his dour demeanour, pedantic personality, and history of being on both sides of an issue, is hardly an attractive choice to be both chief diplomat and wise counsel to a novice president.

And retiring Republican Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel:

Like Richardson, Hagel thinks talking to the Iranians is the panacea for Iranian nuclear ambitions. Hagel is an emotional man, not a wise strategic thinker.

But he found no major complaints with Republican Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar:

Lugar, the leading Republican on the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, has had long experience in foreign policy and is being considered. Though not an incisive thinker, Lugar is an open-minded man who listens to all viewpoints. When the pressure was on for him to break with the president over the surge, he was responsible enough to say it should be given a chance to work, because no other policy offered prospects of a decent outcome. Unlike Hagel, Lugar was proven correct.

Morris wouldn’t mind seeing former United Nations Ambassador Richard Holbrooke pulled into service, though his ties to Democratic New York Sen. Hillary Clinton could make that politically impossible:

A former aide to Henry Kissinger, assistant secretary of state under Jimmy Carter, Bosnian peace negotiator and UN ambassador under Clinton, Holbrooke is a highly intelligent and prominent member of the foreign policy establishment. He understands that diplomacy, economic rewards and sanctions, and the credible threat of force, are integral parts of the foreign policy of a great power.

(Clinton’s archived presidential campaign Web site, by the way, has a classy update congratulating President-elect Barack Obama and running mate Joe Biden on their win.)

Wonkette clearly held a different opinion of a Richardson secretariat last week, though for reasons the guv would likely prefer not to claim:

He is fat and jolly and ribald and fun to hang out with.

Santa Claus with a wicked sense of humor, in other words.

Alas, the hopes of Yahweh, the Las Vegas, Nev., director of the UFO Summoning School and who’s also been known to go through this life as Ramon Watkins, were dashed by computer problems that took him past the point of arrival to fix.Today was the time to go live with my UFO summonings.

A few hours before it was to happen, I noticed that the audio to the encoder did not work anymore.

A little later, the encoder would not work right.

After this, my keyboard seemed to not work right for a short while.

Then, I found a piece of software, on my computer that was causing the problems.

I manually removed it, but not before the damage was done.

Now, I must take at least one of my computers to a repair shop to have it fixed.

I will be there when they open.

In his initial prediction, Yahweh said the UFOs would carry “super-human black men” and, hedging his bets, said that if they didn’t come on Oct. 31, they’d arrive on Nov. 11. And, banking on that, he wrote on Monday:

I have 9 days left, now watch what holy YAHWEH does through me.

On a side note, the Presidential UFO Web site summed up the major candidates’ views on all things alien during the primary. McCain was given a B on UFO aptitude and was quoted as having said:

“It is always of great interest to me. It is always of great interest.” He then went on to state that there were a series of lights spotted over Phoenix and that “those have never been fully explained.”

As for Obama, the site gave him a C for having said of his belief in other worlds during a Democratic debate:

“You know, I don’t know, and I don’t presume to know. What I know is there is life here on Earth — and — and that we’re not attending to life here on Earth. We’re not taking care of kids who are alive and, unfortunately, are not getting health care. We’re not taking care of senior citizens who are alive and are seeing their heating prices go up. So as president, those are the people I will be attending to first. There may be some other folks on their way.”

Presidential pets — especially dogs — have a long and storied history (anyone remember Checkers?), and have included Eisenhower’s Weimaraner, Kennedy’s Welsh terrier (and Caroline’s pony), LBJ’s put-upon beagles, Ford’s golden retriever (and its litter), Amy Carter’s cat, Reagan’s King Charles spaniel, Bush the First’s springer spaniel, Clinton’s cat Socks and dog Buddy, and Bush the Second’s Scottish terriers.

With his promise, Obama now obligates himself to the same kind of calculating decision-making that won him the White House. The big question: What breed should he pick?

Whaddaya say we all agree to knock pit bulls off the list right now? I know, treated right they’re sweet dogs and excellent watchdogs. But once you put lipstick on them …

A chihuahua could help clinch the support of Hispanics who helped elect Obama, but could the White House staff stand the constant yapping? German shepherds are known for intelligence and loyalty — great traits in anything that walks the White House halls. But would it draw the cynicism of Republicans still smarting over Obama’s Berlin speech?

Practical concerns should play a part. The taxpayers don’t want a dog shedding on their furniture and chewing up their rugs. Also, Obamaites eager to emulate their new leader may go out and start a buying spree on whatever breed he chooses. Make a dog too popular and breeding qualities can suffer.

Maybe Obama should simply take a cue from Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez and Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White and rescue an abused dog or a grateful mutt from the pound. What a lovely national craze that could set off.

U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce

Despite the tears and occasional jeers at the New Mexico Republican Party’s election-watch event Tuesday, rays of hope began to emerge.

Retiring U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici assured Republican candidates that they hadn’t lost because they weren’t good candidates.

“I say to all of you, just remember, when you’re down and out, it just takes a little time, and you’ll be back up and you’ll be back out,” he said.

See? There’s always a next time. There’s always a second chance. And, despite the nation having just endured the longest presidential election in history, there’s always another election just around the corner.

Some of the could-be’s next time around:

U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce. Although he lost U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici’s seat to Democrat Tom Udall, Pearce has long been mentioned as a potential gubernatorial candidate in 2010 (along with U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson).

On election night, Pearce wasn’t exactly jumping at the chance to put together another campaign, but he wasn’t hiding from it either. His main concern about running? Having to fix the state budget:

I hear those calls [to run for governor], and we’ll look at it. We’ve put ourselves in a very difficult position as far as the state is concerned. There are significant challenges facing us. It’s going to be a very difficult business. If that was a business I was looking to buy, I might buy it, but it would be a serious challenge.

Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White. By 2010, White will be term-limited out of office. Going into the 1st Congressional District race, his positive name ID was expected to carry him to victory. Alas for him, he ran in a Democrats’ year.

Would he consider staging another run for a seat that has been held by Republicans since its creation four decades ago?

I have no idea. This was a long year. When you come off of something like this, the only thing I can think of is getting some rest. We’re tired. We’ll regroup in the next couple days, look at things we might have been able to do better.

3rd Congressional District candidate Dan East. He’s already back. During his concession speech at the election-night party, East spoke diplomatically of his race against victorious Democrat Ben Ray Lujan Jr. and Green Carol Miller. And he let them know he’s ready for more.

We need to thank Ben Ray Lujan Jr. and Carol Miller. We really had a healthy dialogue. Most important, we did keep this race civil.

I have been reaffirmed in my beliefs that this is a great place to live and to raise a family. Yes, it is difficult, but I believe in myself. I believe in this state and I believe in this district and I will be back in two years.

Bernalillo County District Attorney candidate Lisa Torraco. After spending much of Tuesday evening ducking reporters, Torraco finally sat down in the party hall long after most Republicans had gone home to bed. She ran a tough-nosed race against incumbent Democrat Kari Brandenburg and, despite the still-trickling-in results that showed she wouldn’t win, she still sounded like a candidate.

But maybe one who’s had enough.

The issues remain, and [Brandenburg] never saw that she did anything wrong. She didn’t have a plan to change. She won as a result of a Democratic movement, and the sad thing is she won’t realize she needs to change some of the things she does. That’s sad for the people of Bernalillo County.

So will she run again?

“I can’t comment on that,” she said.

Why not?

“I can’t comment on that,” she repeated.

The Chicago-area U.S. representative caught Obama’s eye, according to ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on “Good Morning America” today, because he “knows policy, knows politics, knows Capitol Hill,” and Obama has told associates that Emanuel would “have his back.”

Bloomberg reports that Obama’s also looking at returning Lawrence Summers to his old Clinton-era post as head of the Treasury Department — a job pretty much no one wants to do these days.

Summers, 53, is favored to return to the Treasury post that he held under President Bill Clinton because Obama values his experience and familiarity with markets and global leaders, a crucial asset during the markets crisis.

Still, people close to the president-elect stress no final decision has been reached and that Timothy Geithner, president of the New York Federal Reserve, is also a strong contender. Geithner would also be welcome by many in the financial community; at age 47, he would be a fresh face in an administration that ran on a mantra of change.

As for Emanuel, let it be remembered that he was one of the national-stature Dems who pooh-poohed Howard Dean’s 50-state strategy that seems to have worked remarkably well for Obama. In terms of getting a quality team together, it seems that letting bygones be bygones could be yet another A+ strategy for Obama.

New Mexico Republican Party election night event

The first rule of any veteran election-night party-goer is this: Don’t show up on time. At 7 p.m., the bar may be open and the buffet full-up, but the real fun won’t start until results start pouring in.

For Republicans on Tuesday, the sentiment seemed to be don’t show up at all.

At 8 p.m., an hour into their party at the Uptown Marriott, about 300 people milled around a large ballroom with plenty of space to stretch their legs. By 10 p.m., when Barack Obama delivered his victory speech, fewer than 100 remained, and no one cared to listen to him. The volume on the array of big-screen TVs was turned off.

In between, the party-loyal sampled chicken taquitos and endured no waiting at all at the cash-only bars set up around the hall.

“The sales aren’t as good as usual,” one bartender said. “But we didn’t know what to expect.”

State Party Chairman Allen Weh

State Party Chairman Allen Weh knew what to expect, declaring Obama the victor shortly after 8.

“We fully expect to see some change,” he said, adding: “We might not like everything we see.”

Still, he said, the party was a chance for people who’ve worked long and hard for various candidates to gather one last time.

“The people who work their hearts out, they believe in a guy and what he stands for,” he said. “They want that kind of government.”

State Rep. Kathy McCoy, an East Mountain Republican, said the event proved that “hope springs eternal.

“It’s just that you know the pendulum’s going to swing back,” she said. “We just hope that the country — I’m sort of speechless — I don’t think people truly understand what went on here. It’s way too emotional.

“I’m a fiscal conservative, and I don’t know how we’re going to get out of this,” she said, referring to the nation’s financial crisis.

Dauneen Dolce, a longtime pro-life activist, declared that anyone could be the winner.

“The fat lady hasn’t sung, and that’s me,” she said.

Statehouse candidate Paula Papponi

In a private room near the main hall, statehouse candidate Paula Papponi offered her supporters a far more refined buffet of seared salmon, roasted New York strip steaks and tiramisu.

“I have had the most wonderful people working for me,” she said. “We’ve spent close to a year campaigning, from the time I said `yes,’ obtaining signatures, raising money, going door to door, finding volunteers. It’s very hard work, and it would not have been possible without the volunteers.”

Papponi spent the evening running neck-and-neck with Democrat Jack Thomas to succeed Rio Rancho state Rep. Tom Swisstack. She left the party around 10, thinking she’d secured victory, but the numbers continued to bobble around.

U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici

The biggest applause of the evening went to retiring U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, who gave a few TV interviews before taking the stage in front of a banner reading “Country First.”

“I have been through many nights when we had many victories and lots of cheers because we won a lot of races,” he told the crowd. “I’ve been here many nights when we didn’t win any.

“This has been a tough year for our candidates. I don’t think it was our candidates that lost these races.”

Domenici cited the worsening economy of the last month and was the only politician of the night to mention the war in Iraq as a possible cause.

“I say to all of you, just remember, when you’re down and out, it just takes a little time, and you’ll be back up and you’ll be back out,” he said.

Domenici won loud applause when speaking about the degenerative brain disease that prompted him to resign after 36 years in the Senate.

“My serious illness has sort of abated and is running stagnant,” he said. “I’m thrilled about that as is my family and my wife.”

Generation Joshua member Jessie Stauf

Upon his exit, the TVs were turned up for McCain’s concession speech in a suddenly quiet hall. Looking on were home-school students from California and Texas who participate in a faith-based program called Generation Joshua. One of them, 15-year-old Jessie Stauf of Mohave Desert, Calif., sported a baseball cap that read “Sarahcuda,” in reference to the “Barracuda” nickname of GOP vice presidential candidate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Stauf had been working for McCain in Roswell since Thursday.

Jeremy Smith, one of the leaders of the group, said: “The way I see it, the Democrats are just (creating) the work for our next generation to do.”

After McCain’s speech, the concessions rolled in:

U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce

U.S. Senate candidate Steve Pearce; 1st Congressional District candidate Darren White; 3rd Congressional District candidate Dan East.

Dan East

The Marriott crew cleans up

And then the crowd dwindled. The buffets were mostly picked over. Some of the bar areas closed up.

Darren White

The TV stations finished their 10 p.m. newscasts and packed up.

Bernalillo County District Attorney candidate Lisa Torraco, still waiting to see at least 50 percent of the votes counted, walked into the hall and said, “Everyone’s left.”

White, who drew a solitary cackle when he asked the crowd to support Democrat Martin Heinrich as their next congressman, sounded a conciliatory note that was rare for the evening.

“These are hard-core supporters and they’re disappointed,” he said. “It’s hard tonight. But I hope they hear that from me and know. It’s over. He’s going to be a congressman, and we need to support him.”

In the half-empty parking lot, a McCain-Palin bus remained. The door was open, but the lights were off.