Episode 136 - Senator Pete Domenici
He still has roughly seven months in office, but people are already starting to talk about Senator Pete Domenici's legacy in the U.S. Senate and here at home. More precisely, I hear people worry about the seniority and influence that our small state will lose when Domenici steps down. And make no mistake, these are big shoes to fill when you consider he has cast more than 13,000 votes (something only 6 other people have done). Senator Domenici will have served our state in the Senate for 36 consecutive years when he calls it a career next January. That means he has been in office just a little longer than I have been alive. That is a record of service that cannot be scoffed at.
That said, I also understand that Domenici is not loved by all, and that plenty of people in this state disagree with his politics in some form or fashion. You can respect the man, while not respecting all of his decision. Which leads me to a series of questions for all of you: How will you remember Senator Domenici? Has he been a force for good or bad in this state? And, what will his loss mean for our state moving forward?
Leave your thoughts under the comments section, or email me at infocus@knme.org.
In case you want to watch it again, here is the interview we conducted with the Senator from his offices in Washington. This is the first in depth TV interview he has done about the end of his career since he announced his retirement last October.
And here's our discussion about Domenici's legacy with THE LINE panelists:
Higher Quality version of the Notable New Mexican documentary on Senator Domenici:
Kevin McDonald
Public Affairs Producer
Labels: New Mexico, pete domenici
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COMMENT POST on this weeks "In Focus" show kissing up to Senator Pete Domenici... forward:
Amazing… PBS sure isn't what it used to be. All the kiss-@*$ COWARDS. Funny how the ONLY person of the hour to EXPLORE Domenici's failings was a WOMAN!
I'm not sure about Senator Pete Domenici's record working on New Mexico specific issues and interests. I'm new to this state and have been more CONCERNED with vital national/international political issues.
I hate to put down a Italian-American paisan, but this is politics, y'know… GOT to make sure those Bush Republicans Heather Wilson or Steve Pearce don't carry on the Conservative legacy in the Senate…
Pete Domenici talking about his REGIME. In his words "all the wonderful experts and young people" he had come work for him… YEA, cause it worked out so well for the American PEOPLE...
I'd don't know if Domenici had any shady dealings or joined the ranks of the Republican "K-St. lobby Ho's" but even if he wasn't part of it, he DID NOTHING TO STOP IT! With the American PEOPLE or AGAINST US, m'#*~/'r!
Let me tell you something about Sen. Pete Domenici, he's nearer to the end of his life and NOW he wants to make up for standing idly by while his Republican/Conservative brethren SOLD out the American Middle/Working Class and sins against HUMANITY! His REVELATION struck him hard after his last fund raiser, when a motorcycle officer was killed.
Everyone knows George W. Bush can't wait for his term to END so he can (in his words) "MAKE THE BIG MONEY"! W's impatience has him SPEEDING in and out of his Republican Party obligations and a police officer PAID with his life.
NOTE: Please Republicans don't let George W. Bush TOUCH anything when he rolls back into town for the Darrin White fund raiser. Everything this incompetent boob ... ahhhh I mean, President has got his slimy hands on in the past turned to $#!~ AND Albuquerque already STINKS!
Domenici Budget committees? Give me 10 minutes to totally tear down Reagan "Trickle down" economics and "fiscal Conservatism". Or Gingrich years Contract to (#*~/ over) America… AND DO I HAVE TO EVEN MENTION 7+ years of Blind support of Bush Administration WASTE FRAUD, ABUSE, INCOMPETENCE, RECKLESS ECONOMICS, SCANDAL, MEDIA CONSOLIDATION, CORRUPTION, ARMS DEALING, WAR PROFITEERING, TORTURE, CONSTITUTIONAL VIOLATIONS???
Did Domenici REALLY care about Native Americans while Tom Delay, Ralph Reed AND 3 TIME FELON Jack Abramoff were involved with stealing from Tribes all over the Southwest? (see: Bill Moyers show titled "Capitol Crimes")
NOTE: 3 strikes sentencing didn't apply to Abramoff? WHY?
Maybe New Mexicans NEED to start wondering why THEY AREN'T ASKING the QUESTIONS some new guy has to bring up… YEA! Keep listening to KOB-am 7.70 (Conservative Talk Radio) Ya dull, ignorant, apathetic, holier than thou m'#*~/rs.
Alright, Senator Pete Domenici only has a little time left to do any good in Washington. So, for the remaining time, what will be your lasting legacy?
I want Senator Pete Domenici to spend a good deal of time and energy on Energy.
Before you go, please, please, please, try hard to get a long-term National Energy Plan passed. An outline of the next 25, 50, and 100 years of what the United States will try to accomplish for the county's energy needs.
You have been talking about this for at least 25 years. But, mostly it has just been talk.
Where is that nuclear plant that you used to advocate? Why the heck can't we build one at the Trinity Site, Nellis Bombing Range, next to the WIPP facility? Somewhere please.
If you don't have a map, how can you get to your destination? This country is driving around without a plan or map for energy policy, just hoping to get somewhere.
Imagine for a few minutes if in 1980 we had made a "man-on-the-moon" push for renewable energy technology. Every house in America would have solar panels and wind turbines on the roof. Every business would have the same with energy efficient lighting and climate control. There would be small-hidden hydro-power technologies and geothermal plants throughout the west. Electric and hydrogen vehicles dot the highways and stations to re-fuel them are readily available.
With all these things in place, the cost to the consumers and business to heat, cool, light, and secure their dwellings in next to nil. All that money that goes to pay for power is now going to develop something else, like higher taxes so the damn national debt and interest on the debt won't drive the federal government into bankruptcy. So, you'll stop printing money. Or, if power was free, maybe we could fix heath care or Social Security. Imagine that.
We have wasted so much time. This is supposed to be the greatest country on the planet. But, millions don't have health care, Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, are all going broke. Food and energy prices are going up. Or, what if we didn't have to pay for our basic energy needs we could use that money to put into education, imagine that for a while would you?
If we are the greatest country we should strive to first provide these following basic needs to this country, and then to the rest of the world: 1) basic water, 2) basic food, 3) basic shelter, 4) basic power, 5) basic health care, and 6) basic education for all.
If all homes and business in this country were putting energy into the grid, that energy could be sold and exported to Mexico, Central America, South American, Haiti for God's sake! A country only a 600 miles from Miami and we have let it become the worst country in the Western Hemisphere.
If we did not subsidize our sugar farmers, paid less for world sugar, or bought sugar from Haiti instead. What if we just took the money that we pay to our sugar farmers and bought sugar at a fair market price from Haitian farmers?
What a sad, sad, commentary that you have been in a position of power all this time, have had the power to do something, but along with your fellow congressmen have let Haiti become hell on earth.
We, the United States, should get the United Nations to implement a "Weakest Link" program to target the worst country in the world, and put all the resources that we can muster into fixing that country. Then, move on to the next one. It would be like a city targeting the worst neighborhood, or a state targeting the worst community, or a country targeting the worst school.
Identify the Weakest Link, and then overwhelm that target until it is fixed. Find the worst school in America and do a shock-&-awe on it.
Do the same to Haiti, give it the education and other basic needs that it needs to pull it self out of the hell hole that it is in. Imagine if we have spent 1/10th money in Haiti that we have in Iraq?
If we had put in place a comprehensive energy program, a comprehensive health care program, fix ourself. We wouldn't have had to "go" to Iraq. Unless a son just needed to save the face of his father. But, now you see why 41 didn't go to Baghdad. So, if we had those other things in place, we could fix things in our own backyard.
So, before you go Mr. Pete. Please put in place a mechanism to give this country basic energy needs, so we can spend the money on rice, or to buy water from the Canadians in a few years. And get us off the carbon dinosaur before that T-Rex eats our ass. If we had started a comprehensive program after the gas lines of the 1970s, we would be fixing the environment now.
It no longer matters who's fault it is about the environment. It no longer matters if man caused it or not. Stop debating the cause and just fix the problem. If we don't, we will see the Dark Age in spades.
These debates should be done. Just go to the energy-moon by 2020. There should be no more questions. Fund R&D for renewables until the price-points become more affordable. Pass funding for power companies to build nuclear, solar, wind, geothermal, tidal, etc. until they can't pass up the opportunity to make it part of their business model or go out of business.
Senator Pete Domenici, what will you legacy be? What fruit will your last few months produce? Anything?
I knew Pete when he was at UNM, and he dated one of my best friends and sister Tri Delt...Nancy. Nancy and I went to Highland High together, also. We attended the Newman Club for Catholics and I was supposed to marry his best friend, Mike K., but unfortunately, I did not. Pete and Nancy are two of the finest people I've ever known. I've seen them once a few years ago in the Albuquerque Airport, but I doubt he remembered me. However, a person's character is formed early in life, and they have wonderful character.
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