All in the Family

I have always felt that New Mexico is like a small town. Everyone seems to know just about everyone. Well, maybe not so much anymore, but still in the world of politics it is true.

For example, today I found out that state Republican Party governor candidate John Dendahl's wife is the administrative assistant for State Land Commissioner Pat Lyons. And that the best man at Dendahl's wedding in 1996 was none other that George Yates, who singlehandedly almost funds the State Republican Party. And that Yates Petroleum is one of the biggest donors to Pat Lyons. Yates is the company that wants to drill Otero Mesa, including lots of state land, our last great piece of unroaded Chihuahuan grass lands in the southern part of the state, which is not to far from Yates home office in Artesia, New Mexico.

It is one of those full circle things that makes politics interesting.