Laughable

New Mexico's former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias has a new job - prosecuting terrorists. Yep... the very same prosecutor who failed to prosecute Manny Aragon and company has a new job prosecuting terrorists as a member of the Navy's Judge Advocate General corp.

We've been laughing all morning about the appointment. Here's a man who's claim to fame includes being the "inspiration" for the movie "A Few Good Men" and a failure to find governmental corruption in one of the most corrupt states in the union. Not to mention a prosecutorial style that most closely resembles the blinding speed of a glacier.

Of course, what makes this really funny is that one of Obama's first moves was to halt the tribunals down at Gitmo and today Obama signed an executive order to create a taskfarce on closing the detention facility.

The national security orders would mandate that interrogation techniques in the Army Field Manual be used by all intelligence and law enforcement services; would call for a task force to look at closing the detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, within the year; and would order a strategy be developed for handling detainees in the future.

- foxnews.com

[Sidebar]
Good luck closing Gitmo. Even the tamest individuals being held at the facility are people that no one wants. States don't want them and foreign governments won't take them. Each and every one of the detainees is persona non grata.

We've got a pool going to see how long it takes for Obama to actually close the facility. Our bet is that a year from today Obama's Gitmo will be quietly detaining the same detainees with nary a word from the star struck media.
[End Sidebar]

So now David Iglacial has a job prosecuting terrorists whose prosecutions have been halted and whose detainment may be at an end. Sounds like the perfect job for a prosecutor whose not really all that interested in prosecuting.

Don't worry Mr. Iglesias, you're still the darling of the kook fringe left and there's always your book career.

The Path Unrecognized

We spotted a link to a Washington Post story on the ridiculously stupid David Iglesias non-story while prowling through the Journal Website (hat tip: Jim Belishaw). Mr. Belishaw was upset about the description of Albuquerque by Post staff writer Sridhar Pappu.

"At 9 a.m. on the very edge of the dusty, desolate collection of adobe homes and Vietnamese restaurants that seem to form this city, David Iglesias begins his run through the foothills of the Sandia Mountains. This is not easy terrain. The footing is terribly uneven. The altitude can be unbearable. At certain times one can hear the grumbling of mountain lions and the feasting of coyotes." - The Washington Post

The description is not only generally offensive but in light of the New York Times former correspondent Jason Blair, we were left wondering if Mr. Pappu had ever even visited our fair city. Vietnamese restaurants? Feasting of coyotes? Desolate collection of adobe homes? This guy should be writing fiction... after reading the rest of the Post article, perhaps he is.

In his story, Pappu chronicles the victimization of Iglesias and what a great guy he is/was and how he was wronged by the Department of Justice and the Republican Party, blah, blah, blah. All you really need to know about the "scandal" and the David Iglesias phenomenon is found in just two paragraphs.

"Maher was just one stop on the Iglesias media tour. In embracing the collective lens, Iglesias racked up televised appearances with, among others, Chris Matthews, Larry King, Katie Couric, Tim Russert and Chris Wallace. Strong-jawed and clean-shaven, said to have inspired the dreamy prosecutor played by Tom Cruise in "A Few Good Men," a White House Fellow during the Clinton administration, he's become both the handsome, charismatic public face for the sacked attorneys and a genuine media star. And damn if he hasn't enjoyed it.

"I've loved it," he says. "It's a good fit. It feels really natural. I'll tell you what, from an exposure point of view it's been incredible. Had I stayed a U.S. attorney and not gotten forced to resign, no one would know who I was outside of New Mexico. In a perverse way this has already put me on the national map. My own test is: If it's a show I've heard of, I'll probably do it."' - The Washington Post

The irony here is that Mr. Iglesias - a political appointee - is upset because he lost his job because of politics. Now along with his congressional supporters, he's using politics to attack those who he sees as his enemies. By the way, those in congress who are busy "investigating" the dastardly firing of 9 U.S. Attorney's are calling for the dismissal of yet another political appointee - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Kind of makes your head hurt don't it?

After Gonzales' performance in front of Congress we might agree that it's time for him to go. So, if the A.G. gets the axe, are these same political opportunists (Mr. Iglesias and Senator Schumer you know who you are) going to call for investigation after investigation of the politically motivated firing of Alberto Gonzales? Somehow we doubt it.

A note to Mr. Iglesias, when you decide to write your tell all book and subsequent screen play, you'll want to remember Sridhar Pappu. He seems to have already written the first couple of chapters.

Indictments... Finally!

Now this is what we're talking about! Finally the long rumored indictments were handed down. Indictments that have been promised for at least six months now. Indictments that accuse political power broker Manny Aragon and three others of money laundering and mail fraud related to the construction of the Bernalillo County Courthouse. (ABQ Journal - Subscription Required)

Seems that former Senate Pro Tem Aragon, former metro court administrator Toby Martinez, P2RS engineering partner Raul Parra, and Sandra Mata Martinez, the afore mentioned Toby Martinez's wife, engaged in a scheme to pocket $4.2 MILLION of public money (at least according to the federal indictment).

Three others, architect Marc Schiff, contractor Manuel Guara, and former Republican Mayor Ken Shultz have already signed plea agreements relating to the scheme. According to KRQE News 13:

"Schultz worked as a lobbyist for one of the contractors on the courthouse construction project.

Schultz, Schiff and Guara admitted to conspiring with the other four defendants to defraud taxpayers of more than $4 million during the design and construction of the courthouse."

The reason that we emphasized Republican Mayor Ken Shultz is because news outlets both nationally and locally have either directly or indirectly implied that Congresswoman Wilson and Senator Dominici put pressure on former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias in order to get Democrats. The fact of the matter is that this state is run largely by Democrats and has been for the last 80 or so years. It should come as no surprise that a prominent Democrat was caught up in the FBI's investigation.

Democrats don't hold the exclusive right to greed and unscrupulous Republicans can and do get caught with their hands in the cookie jar. That's why it is so important to have a strong U.S. Attorney that will face down corruption no matter who's involved.

Former U.S. Attorney Iglesias failed us all badly in this regard by letting this rabidly corrupt dog lie. Our Eyes on the Inside (yes we had eyes even before The Eye) have been telling us that indictments have been in the works since at least August of last year and that the FBI investigation had concluded well before that time.

Now it's all up to the attorneys, the judge and the jury... Finally!

Kicking the Sleeping Dog

If you're like us you're sick to death of Iglesias this, Iglesias that. The coverage is non-stop and well... overblown by a political agenda and a 24 hour news cycle. Now, The Eye doesn't generally take a look at this type of thing. We're really focused on what happens here in Albuquerque and EVERYONE has already said just about EVERYTHING that can be said about this waste of ink and airtime.

However, (you knew this was coming) we received an interesting article that appeared in the Albuquerque Journal way back in 1995, back when David Iglesias received his White House Fellowship. Apparently the process involved a series of questions designed to test an applicant’s ability to think on their feet and to determine what kind of person they were.

The most striking answer came when Iglesias was asked the greatest lesson he learned as a child.

"The greatest lesson he learned as a child?

Simple. "Let sleeping dogs lie," he says, recalling a particular childhood experience.

As a curious child growing up in Panama, he explains, he wondered how his dozing dog would react if he blew in its ear. The answer came with a price -- a permanent scar -- but the lesson wasn't lost on the youngster. " (ABQ Journal - Subscription Required)

Let sleeping dogs lie... This state has long been known for its patron system, a form of favoritism that is often indistinguishable from public sector corruption.

The sleeping dog here in New Mexico is public corruption. It sometimes seems innocuous and often looks to be slumbering, but that rabid dog wakes the moment you're not looking and chews up your favorite shoes and your wallet. Disturb that sleeping dog and it will fight back and leave you scarred for life.

As a child, Mr. Iglesias learned his lesson well. Leave that dangerous hound alone even when you have evidence gift wrapped and placed on your desk. Form a task force, give assurances, but never, never disturb its slumber.

Unfortunately, that's the attitude adopted by New Mexicans since the founding of our fair state and has its early roots in our Spanish Colonial Period. That hound or its pups guard our state and local governments and have a voracious appetite when it comes to our tax dollars.

The Eye is all about kicking our local rabid pup. A U.S. Attorney must have the courage to confront all sorts of criminals from mobsters to politicians. And he absolutely must be willing to not only wake that sleeping dog, but to kick it and put it down.