On the passing of Pete Domenici –
New Mexico’s longest serving member of the United States
Senate, Pete Domenici, has died. He stepped
down from the Senate years ago when a medical diagnosis revealed a serious
health issue that, apparently never materialized.
Anyway, I got to know Pete Domenici when he was serving as
Albuquerque’s City Commission Chairman (the de-facto Mayor). And, he worked hard at getting to know the reporters.
It was either during his run for Governor, or his run for
the US Senate, that I went by the Domenici house on Madison NE in
Albuquerque. I arrived shortly after
breakfast, to be greeted by his lovely wife Nancy, and a huge pile of
dishes. She had just finished feeding
Pete, herself, and their 7 kids. There
were pots and pans and dishes everywhere – and I think they were eating off
benches because there wasn’t room for chairs in the small kitchen. Things changed.
In 1970, he chose to step to a bigger stage and run for
Governor of New Mexico against one of the state’s most prominent, and best
loved politicians, Bruce King. Pete
lost.
During the campaign, I traveled much of the state (TV news
did that back in those days so the public could be informed of the issues –
they don’t really do that anymore).
I recall one stop, specifically. It was at a supermarket in Socorro. I was a reporter one-man-band, carrying the
camera and taking film of his hand shaking.
Because I had been on TV, people would come up to me to say hi, and I
would then point them in the direction of Pete Domenici and strongly suggest
they go shake HIS hand so I could take their picture. I’m not sure he realized that more recognized
me at that time, than knew him.
Fast forwarding a couple years to the campaign he won to
become the United States Senator in 1972 – replacing Clinton P. Anderson. Domenici was fortunate enough to have a donor from
California that loaned him a 20-seater airplane that flew across the state time
and time again. Because the plane was
big enough, and fast enough, quite often the campaign would call reporters and
ask them to “come along for the ride”.
Of course, the candidate got coverage on TV (or print, or whatever).
After the campaign was over, I got to sit in the co-pilot
seat when the plane was returned to home base in southern California. I do not know, to this day, who owned the
plane or who provided it to the campaign – such things weren’t reported in
those days.
During his term in the United States Senate, I had occasion
to interview him quite often, and for about 12 years “work with him” on
legislation involving the Rural Electrification Act. That’s the FDR program that guarantees loans
for consumer owned electric cooperatives to extend, or continue to provide
electricity to farms, ranchlands, and other places in this country that
investor-owned-utilities would not serve.
The government guarantees provided light and power to “the little guy at
the end of the line”.
Domenici, as Budget Committee Chair, played a significant
role in keeping the wolves (republicans who didn’t like the New Deal program)
away. He was the recipient of a
national award for supporting the program through many years.
While political leaders certainly aren’t white knights all
their lives, nor is anyone,
I can say, without question, that Pete Domenici was
good for New Mexico. He worked hard for
us, and we appreciate it. And, I appreciate the opportunity to have worked with
him, covered him, and gotten to know him.
He always called me “Beemer”!
I’ll never forget that!
