Sen. Domenici's Pajama Moment

An incident involving New Mexico's senior Senator Pete Domenici that was reported in the Washington subscription-only publication, Roll Call, was picked up yesterday by the national blog, The Raw Story. Today, the story was front-paged at Daily Kos, adding fuel to the rumors and speculation that Sen. Domenici's level of health and/or mental fitness may preclude him from running for another six-year term in 2008. Of course this could also just be a case of Domenici's adoption of the kind of outfit allegedly favored by home-based bloggers since day one.

From Raw Story:

According to some staffers, a Republican Senator has been wandering around the Senate office buildings in his pajamas, Roll Call reports.

"We had a number of reports Friday that Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) was wandering the halls of Senate office buildings in his jammies," Mary Ann Akers writes. "Two staffers said they saw the Senator wearing 'tartan' or 'buffalo plaid' pajama bottoms and a 'loose-fitting shirt.' By the end of the day, one informant called to say she heard Domenici was walking around in his boxers."

From Roll Call

"What are people talking about 'walking the halls'? I work!'" the 74-year-old Domenici said, sounding a tad indignant that folks would assume his lightweight wool plaid pants were pajamas. "These pants have two pockets like any else."

He explained he wears the hunting pants around the house and if he leaves to go to the office, "I don't necessarily take them off."

They're comfy, and they're fun, he said. "People stop me to talk about them. They're Christmasy, they're black and white."

The names of several New Mexico politicos are being bandied about as possible candidates for Domenici's seat including NM-03 Congressman Tom Udall, AG Patricia Madrid, Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez, current Lt. Gov. Diane Denish and even Gov. Bill Richardson, should his executive branch ambitions fade. Mayor Chavez has said he wouldn't run for the Senate seat unless Sen. Domenici decides not to run for another term. Given that stories like the pajama incident are already making their way into the political dialogue, Chavez just may get the chance.