(Updated) NM-01: Lobo Coach Doesn't Know Darren White

Update: The front page of Darren White's campaign website STILL includes a listing for "An Evening with Coach Steve Alford" in their events section.
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From today's Albuquerque Journal story on the swirling controversy about NM-01 GOP Congressional candidate Darren White's (right) July 16th "Evening with Coach Steve Alford" fundraiser at the home of UNM lobbyist Joe Thompson, it's hard to tell which Republican is telling the biggest whopper. Turns out nobody knew much of anything about the event. They seemed to be participating in the event planning and were set to attend, but -- surprise -- there was only a vague idea about what the party was, why it was taking place or why Alford was asked to attend. The accounts of the people involved in the fundraiser are rather murky and confusing as to the who, what, where, how and why aspects of how things developed.

I guess this bunch has an odd habit of wandering around from place to place with no idea why. They're just out there glad-handing and touting Lobo basketball, right? No politics intended. UNM's VP of Athletics Paul Krebs (left) admits he's the one who asked Alford to attend, but "said he didn’t know the coach would be the main attraction." Oh, and he and Alford merely like to meet leaders in the state. It just so happens that takes place at candidate fundraisers:

Krebs said that while he and Alford have attended past political fundraisers, their attendance is not meant as an endorsement — “it’s in our best interests to be out and about ... and meeting the leaders in the state,” Krebs said.

Somehow some of the major players in the dustup had no idea the event was a big-ticket fundraiser for White or that Alford was scheduled to do anything but stop by to say hi. Alford must be one friendly guy, ready at the drop of a hat to attend parties and greet the guests. Even though the official invitation had allegedly been okayed by party host and UNM lobbyist Joe Thompson, no one seemed to realize that photos with Alford were going to be hawked for $1000 each. But perhaps the most hilarious revelation comes from Alford himself:

Alford told the Journal he agreed to stop by the July 16 event at [UNM VP for Athletics] Krebs’ request, but that doesn’t mean he is endorsing White — or anybody else.

“I wouldn’t know Darren White if he walked in front of me,” Alford said. “It got falsely advertised. I was just stopping by.”

Wow, I guess some jocks really are as disconnected from real life as people sometimes think. Imagine living and mixing with all the monied bigshots in a community as the $1M-a-year basketball coach (left) at the state university and not having any idea about the identity of the county sheriff, who's running for Congress or who the GOP honchos might be within UNM's family tree. Even worse, you discuss your pending appearance as the featured guest at a fundraiser for the said sheriff-candidate as a matter of following orders:

When Alford was asked if he planned to show up, he said: “As long as Paul [Krebs] tells me to.”

The old "I was just following orders" excuse. And then there's White himself, who's blaming everything on, who else, the Dems:

... [White] accused his 1st Congressional District opponent Martin Heinrich and Democratic “political bosses” — including Gov. Bill Richardson, whom he said had Alford at a fundraiser of his own — of putting the full-court press on UNM.

“We wanted to ensure every aspect of this met with the university’s approval,” White said. “This was backroom political pressure. It just stinks.”

I don't know, Darren. It seems clear the controversy erupted quite on its own merits. The event was first publicized as a short item in the Journal late last week, and nothing happened during the long 4th of July weekend. Then the story burst onto the local talk radio circuit this week via KKOB, and it was off to the races. I didn't notice the involvement of any "Democratic bosses" in the unfolding scandal. Mostly, people don't seem to like it when the university's basketball coach takes part in a highly political event not as a citizen, which is fine, but specifically as The Coach.  Darren White doesn't seem to get this distinction:

“A fundraiser is a fundraiser. Whether you’re doing photos or shaking hands, it’s irrelevant.”

You'd think Darren would know better. After all, this is the guy who chaired the Bush-Cheney campaign in Bernalillo County in 2004. He's surely been involved with the ins and outs of all kinds of political fundraising, including what's considered proper and what's not. I guess the Sheriff conveniently forgot about all that. Or maybe he just had his mind on other things, like spending precious law enforcement resources to search relentlessly for misdemeanor chicken-fighting offenders -- so he could get his mug on the local news to help his campaign.

Remember, Darren's resume includes a stint as a TV reporter in Texas. He obviously thinks he knows what sells. But his attempt to use Alford for political gain -- in his official capacity as Lobo Coach -- sure does seem to be backfiring. And rightfully so.

Just one more bit of history. The host of the Darren White-Steve Alford fundraiser, UNM lobbyist Joe Thompson (right), was a Republican State Rep who represented a district in Albuquerque's NE Heights from 1998-2004, and served for a time as minority whip. In 2004, he was arrested for DWI, "hours after attending a bill-signing ceremony to highlight the state's newest effort to crack down on DWI offenders." Why is it that so many Repubs are caught in the act while boasting so loudly about "family values" and "law and order"? Hypocrisy is a many-splendored thing on the right side of the aisle.

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