John Dendahl wants to know if Governor Richardson is going keep his team of of former journalists and media personalities on the sidelines in the coming months, or if they'll be used in the ultimate power play.
In a letter to Governor Richardson, dated June 20th, Dendahl specifically called out GBR Communications Director, Pahl Shipley and his comments in a June 17th AP article, in which Shipley is quoted as saying:
"The Republican party has chosen a candidate who embraces division and negativity. We welcome the opportunity to hear John Dendahl explain his pro-drug legalization plan throughout the campaign," said Pahl Shipley, a spokesman for Richardson.
Jeff Jones, however, enlightened me today, revealing that those remarks actually came from a press release issued by Shipley. See, I thought that was the just way Shipley talked. I didn't know he actually committed those words to print. Wow, reminds me of another communications specialist who's writing can be faster than their thinking.
But no, according to Jones, this was actually premeditated communications. Pahl banged this one out on his own computer and on his own time (hopefully he spends this time at home) using his emergency supply of official New Mexico Office of the Governor letterhead, fired off what may have been the first shots of the Dendahl / Richardson race to the bottom.
Dendahl, and I think appropriately, asked the Governor to clarify his offices' policy on state workers engaging in political activity, writing:
The purpose of this letter is to inquire into your policies, written or otherwise, guiding conduct of employees of the State of New Mexico with respect to activities in support of your state and national campaigns. If memory serves, Shipley is one of something like two or three dozen former reporters and editorialists now on your public payroll. Your constraining them their activity to bona fide state business seems important at this time.
In view of New Mexicans' deep concern vis-a-vis the ethics of those holding public office, a prompt clarification of this matter by you is in order. Please furnish the information I have requested by return mail, and please let me know if obtaining this information will require a formal request under the Inspection of PUblic Records Act.
But what reason would Damron, I mean Dendahl, have to be concerned about the GBR media arsenal being unleashed on him?
Was Dendahl concerned Shipley's stream of thought press release was actually part of a larger coordinated rapid response effort?
First there was this from Wertheim:
"He is a known obstructionist whose views are outside the mainstream, such as on drug legalization. That's in stark contrast to moving New Mexico forward under Governor Richardson with tax cuts, job creation and health coverage. The candidates could not be in greater contrast."
Which I'm inclined to believe was a written statement and not spoken, but who knows, it could've come from one of his orifices.
Then there were these quotes, spoken I believe, from former Chief of Staff turned part-time Chief of Staff and full-time Campaign Chair, turned paid part-time policy advisor and full time Campaign Chair, turned unpaid part-time policy advisor and full-time Campaign Chair, Dave Contarino, who said:
"For the Republicans to nominate a negative-campaigning partisan in a last-minute political deal strikes me as an act of desperation," said Dave Contarino, Richardson's chief political adviser. "A lot of right-thinking Republicans are going to scratch their heads. Dendahl has been divisive in his own party."
DPNM Executive Director, Matt Farrauto showed restraint, only mildly kicking the downed Damron while in route to the newly designated target Dendahl, telling KOBTV's Todd Dukart:
“it’s hard not to laugh” at the Republican switch.
“They clearly replaced someone who had a low self esteem and was all wrong from the get go, someone who didn’t have any idea what it took to campaign, much less govern,” he said, “with somebody who is all wrong for New Mexico, a guy who’s intolerant, who’s divisive, who’s venomous, and really has not the ability to bring consensus, which is one of the main components of governing.”
Closely echoing the comments of Farrauto, formerly the communications director for the state party before adding Executive Director to his title, were those made in an email statement by his boss, Dem Party Chair, John Wertheim, calling Dendahl "a venomous and divisive radical."
Followed by:
Contarino: "Others have called him a pit bull, and that's a moniker that he's worn proudly for many years," said David Contarino, the governor's chief of staff. "I think the public is as likely to reject a partisan, negative attack dog like Dendahl as they were to reject our previous opponent who had no experience and didn't have any plans for the future.
Wertheim: "The reality, I think, is that most citizens in New Mexico will not take his campaign seriously because he's just out there kind of spouting off," Wertheim said. "We're not going to get involved in that because we've got plenty to talk about with Richardson's accomplishments over the last four years."
Contarino: Richardson's campaign chairman, Dave Contarino, said Wednesday that Dendahl has "made a career out of partisanship and bomb-throwing, negative attacks against Democrats and Republicans alike." "I think a leopard cannot change his spots," Contarino said. "Like any candidate, Dendahl would prefer that the unpopular aspects of his candidacy not be an issue, but that's going to be up to the voters, not to John Dendahl."
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