Episode 634 - Pete domenici's secret child

>> IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE A MORE SURPRISING HEADLINE: DOMENICI DISCLOSES SON BORN IN SECRECY. THIS WEEK, FACED WITH THE STORY COMING OUT SOME OTHER WAY, THE VENERATED NEW MEXICO SENATOR PETE DOMENICI ADMITTED HE FATHERED A SON MORE THAN THREE DECADES BACK WITH THE DAUGHTER OF A FELLOW U.S. SENATOR. THE NEWS WOULD HAVE BEEN EXPLOSIVE BACK IN THE LATE '70s, AND SENATOR DOMENICI MIGHT HAVE FACED THE VERY REAL PROSPECT OF A SINGLE TERM IN THE U.S. SENATE, CONSIDERING WHEN THIS HAPPENED, INSTEAD OF THE SIX THAT WE KNOW HIM FOR. NOW, JAMIE, WE KNOW SO LITTLE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED OTHER THAN JUST THE VERY BASICS, BUT I JUST GOT TO SAY THIS. THERE'S NO OTHER WAY TO TALK ABOUT THIS WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT CHOICES AND MORAL CHOICES, WE JUST HAVE TO GO THERE. NOW, MR. DOMENICI WAS 46 AND SHE WAS 24 AT THE TIME. SHE SAYS IT WAS A ONE-NIGHT STAND, IT WAS REGRETTABLE AND A MISTAKE. THAT HAPPENS IN THIS WORLD. BUT HE WAS A SITTING U.S. SENATOR, AND HIS COLLEAGUE, YOU KNOW, HIS COLLEAGUE WAS RIGHT DOWN THE AISLE, SO TO SPEAK. WHAT WAS YOUR INITIAL THOUGHT WHEN YOU HEARD THIS STORY? >> I WAS SHOCKED. I OPENED MY I-PAD, READ THE NEWS, AND I COULDN'T BELIEVE MY EYES. I HAD TO READ IT A COUPLE OF TIMES. I WAS LIKE, REALLY? THIS REALLY HAPPENED? I THINK THAT'S HOW MOST NEW MEXICANS PROBABLY REACTED, AS WELL. BUT, YOU KNOW, I IMMEDIATELY THEN I THINK PIVOTED TO, DOES THIS REALLY MATTER IN THE LONG RUN FOR PETE DOMENICI? BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S EXACTLY WHERE PEOPLE GO, ESPECIALLY FOR A GUY WHO SERVED THE STATE LONGER THAN ANY OTHER SENATOR, HAS BUILDINGS NAMED AFTER HIM, A WHOLE INSTITUTE AT NMSU, MY ALMA MATER, YOU KNOW. >> WHICH WOULD BE JUST THE TIP OF A HUGE LIST OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS, ABSOLUTELY. >> YES, EXACTLY. AND I WONDERED HOW THAT WOULD IMPACT THAT. BUT, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT ABOUT IT IN TODAY'S ENVIRONMENT AND WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE NEWS, THE NEWS ABOUT THE DEBT AND THE SEQUESTER. HE'S PLAYING A PIVOTAL ROLE. HE'S SORT OF COME OUT AS THE SENIOR STATESMAN, IF YOU WILL, WITH ALICE RUBEN, WORKING ON THESE -- >> RIVLIN. >> RIVLIN; EXCUSE ME. LOOKING AT THESE ISSUES. AND I THINK THAT'S -- I DON'T KNOW. I THINK THAT IT ADDS ANOTHER COLOR TO THE WHOLE DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT, TOO. >> SURE. >> AND THEN I THINK PEOPLE PIVOTED ALSO TO THE CLINTON IMPEACHMENT AND SAID, OKAY, THERE WAS AN HYPOCRISY ON THAT ISSUE. YOU KNOW, HE WAS A CHAMPION FOR CHARACTER COUNTS. PEOPLE LOOKED TO THAT ONE, AS WELL. AND I'M LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS GUY DID A LOT OF GOOD FOR NEW MEXICO, AND WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT AS A WHOLE. >> LET ME GO TO SOPHIE ON THIS, BECAUSE I HEAR THAT A LOT. YOU'RE NOT SAYING THIS DIRECTLY, BUT SOME OTHERS ARE SAYING THAT THERE'S THE IT-WAS-A-LONG-TIME-AGO THEORY. YOU KNOW, THAT IT DOESN'T SORT OF COUNT ONCE THERE'S A CERTAIN STATUE OF LIMITATIONS, SO TO SPEAK. >> I THINK THE THINGS THAT YOU DO WHEN YOU'RE 46 DO COUNT. I'M NOT QUITE THERE, BUT I FEEL LIKE WHEN I GET THERE, THEY'LL COUNT. >> THEY COUNTED FOR ME. >> I THINK THAT AS LONG AS SENATOR DOMENICI HAS MADE A CLEAN BREAST OF THINGS, AS LONG AS THERE ISN'T MORE, AND I WOULD SAY TYPICALLY THE COUNSEL HERE IS, IF YOU CAN SAY EVERYTHING, SAY EVERYTHING AND GET IT OUT THERE, BECAUSE THIS SORT OF ANNOUNCEMENT DOES INVITE ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATION INTO ADDITIONAL INQUIRY. SO MY HOPE FOR THE STATE, FOR THE DOMENICI FAMILY, FOR SENATOR DOMENICI'S REPUTATION GOING FORWARD IS THAT HE HAS MADE A CLEAN BREAST AND EVERYTHING IS OUT. I THINK THAT HE DID THE RIGHT THING IN SPEAKING FIRST TO THE ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL. HE SPOKE FIRST TO THE COMMUNITY THAT HAD SUPPORTED HIM FOR SO LONG, AND THAT AT LEAST LOCALLY THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A VERY DIFFERENT STORY IF IT HAD BROKEN THROUGH THE AP, IF IT HAD BROKEN THROUGH THE WASHINGTON POST. HE SPOKE TO US FIRST, AND I THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR HIM AND HIS TEAM. >> I LIKE WHERE THIS IS GOING, ERIC, BECAUSE NOW WE'RE GETTING INTO LEGACY ISSUES AND THE THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE PART OF THE MIX, AS JAMIE POINTED OUT. BUT DID THE SENATOR NOT IN FACT, I HAVE TO ASK THIS, PLY THE PUBLIC'S TRUST A LITTLE BIT DURING ALL THIS TIME? IS THERE SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE LEGACY IN THAT VEIN, THAT HE WAS NOT EXACTLY HONEST WITH US? OR, IN FACT, WAS IT OUR BUSINESS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS? >> YOU BRING UP A VERY GOOD POINT, AND THAT IS, IN FACT, A DOUBLE STANDARD BETWEEN PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND PRIVATE CITIZENS. PEOPLE DO DO THINGS LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S THEIR BUSINESS. IT'S BETWEEN THEM AND THEIR FAMILY. BUT THE DIFFERENCE IS, WHEN YOU'RE A PUBLIC OFFICIAL, PARTICULARLY -- AND I HAVE TREMENDOUS, TREMENDOUS, TREMENDOUS RESPECT FOR SENATOR DOMENICI, I THINK LIKE EVERYBODY AT THIS TABLE. OUR STATE HAS BENEFITED INCREDIBLY FROM HIS SERVICE. BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, WHEN YOU DO GO OUT AND YOU ACTIVELY PROMOTE THINGS LIKE CHARACTER COUNTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, WHEN YOU'RE OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, RUNNING THOSE KIND OF MESSAGES AND SOMETHING LIKE THIS COMES AROUND TO BITE YOU -- NOW, WHO KNOWS WHAT KIND OF INTERNAL PROCESSES HE'S BEEN GOING THROUGH FOR THE LAST 30, 34 YEARS, AND THE MOTHER OF THE CHILD, AND THE CHILD ITSELF. THOSE THINGS TEND TO BE SELF-PUNISHING, AS IT WERE, AND PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU FACE THE PROSPECT, LIKE A SITTING U.S. SENATOR, OF HAVING THINGS LIKE THIS REVEALED. IT'S A TOUGH ARENA, AND WHEN YOU GET INTO THAT GAME, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE GOT TO KNOW IS A POSSIBILITY. >> SURE. CHRIS, THERE WAS A PIECE OUT THURSDAY IN "THE DAILY BEAST" PROPOSING THAT MS. LAXALT, BY NOT SAYING ANYTHING, SPARED A LOT OF PEOPLE A LOT OF PAIN, AND SHE ACTUALLY DID QUITE THE RIGHT THING INSTEAD OF SAYING WHO THE FATHER WAS, EVEN TO THE POINT WHERE WE DON'T KNOW -- I MEAN, THE FAMILY KNEW WHAT WAS UP, BUT BASICALLY, OUTSIDE THE FAMILY. WOULD YOU AGREE WITH THAT, THAT THAT WAS THE RIGHT WAY TO GO? IT WAS HER CHOICE. SHE HUNG IT ON MORALS IN HER STATEMENT. HOW DID THAT HIT YOU WHEN YOU READ THAT? >> OH, WELL, LOOK, I THINK IT'S BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM AS THE MOTHER AND THE FATHER. BUT LET'S GO BACK TO DOMENICI'S LEGACY, JUST FOR A BIT. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE ASKING, IS THIS GOING TO EFFECT HIS LEGACY, AND I DON'T THINK -- I MEAN, IN THE SHORT-TERM, YES, BUT IN THE LONG-TERM, WE HAVE TO LOOK AND SEE HOW MUCH HE'S DONE FOR THIS STATE. I MEAN, HE'S REALLY BEEN A FIGHTER FOR JOBS AND THE LABS. I THINK SENATOR DOLE AT ONE TIME WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT HE WAS TIRED OF HEARING THE WORDS LOS ALAMOS COME OUT OF DOMENICI'S MOUTH. AND THAT'S JUST THE KIND OF GUY HE WAS. HE WAS VERY PERSISTENT ABOUT FIGHTING FOR JOBS HERE, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE HIS LEGACY. >> BUT DOES HE GET A PASS? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? DOES HE GET A PASS HERE? >> I'M NOT SAYING HE GETS A PASS, BUT LOOK, WE'RE ALL HUMAN, WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES. WE TEND TO PUT OUR POLITICIANS ON A PEDESTAL, BUT IN THE END, THEY'RE HUMAN. >> THE CONCERN I HAVE WITH ALL OF THIS IS THAT I THINK MS. LAXALT WAS PROBABLY IN A POSITION, PERHAPS, TO BE ABLE TO RAISE THE CHILD ON HER OWN WITHOUT ANY FINANCIAL SUPPORT, PERHAPS, AND I THINK THAT -- YOU KNOW, IT BOTHERS ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ANYBODY THAT ABANDONS THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES IN THIS WAY. AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT HAPPENED IN THIS CASE. WE DON'T KNOW THOSE KIND OF DETAILS. BUT I THINK IF A PUBLIC OFFICIAL DOES DO THIS, I THINK THE HONORABLE THING IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW THAT THEY HAVE TAKEN FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT CHILD. >> RIGHT, AND WE CARRY FORWARD FROM THERE. >> RIGHT. >> WE DON'T KNOW THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE SITUATION, SO THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS WE DON'T KNOW. AND AGAIN, PERHAPS IT'S NOT OUR BUSINESS. BUT I DO HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION FOR YOU. THE HANDLING OF THE STORY IN THE JOURNAL, THERE WERE A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT EITHER SEEMED UNASKED OR UNANSWERED, MEANING ONE OF THOSE THINGS ABOUT, DID YOU PAY MONEY OVER THE COURSE OF THE CHILD'S LIFE? A LOT OF THINGS. WERE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH THE JOURNAL'S APPROACH HERE? >> MY SUSPICION IS THAT THE JOURNAL TOOK WHAT THEY COULD GET. DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I MEAN, HERE'S A SITUATION IN WHICH DOMENICI AND HIS TEAM ARE COMING IN WITH THIS STORY, THE JOURNAL DOESN'T WANT TO SEE THAT WALK AWAY TO ANOTHER PUBLICATION. SO MY SUSPICION IS THEY TOOK WHAT THEY COULD GET, AND THEY DID THE BEST THAT THEY COULD. I THINK THAT IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF THE COVERAGE GOES FORWARD, WHETHER THEY WILL KIND OF STICK TO THAT NARROW ROW OR WHETHER THEY WILL -- >> BECAUSE THERE'S SOME REPORTING THAT'S STARTING TO COME OUT. OBVIOUSLY THE NATIONAL PRESS IS NOT GOING TO LEAVE THIS ALONE, IT'S EVERYWHERE, SO THEY'RE GOING TO BE DIGGING, THE JOURNAL'S GOING TO DO THEIR BIT, TOO. BUT I APPRECIATE ALL YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS. IT'S A TRICKY ONE TO TALK ABOUT. WE ALL LOVE SENATOR DOMINICI AT THIS TABLE. IT'S A VERY TRICKY ONE TO TALK ABOUT, SO IT'S A DIFFICULTY. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HELP THIS WEEK. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SPECIAL ONLINE "ON THE CLOCK." CHECK IT OUT AT NewMexicoInFocus.org.