House

Does Hose Speaker Nancy Pelosi know something we don't? The Speaker named Arizona Democrat Raul Grijalva to the much coveted House Ways & Means Committee. Grijalva is rumored to be the front-runner for the Interior position under Barack Obama, but if he does not get the post, his new committee assignment should keep him happy.

U.S. Reps. Trent Franks (R-Glendale) and John Shadegg (R-Phoenix), after voting against the auto industry bailout bill Wednesday night, have come out Thursday with alternative legislation to the bailout path favored by the treasury department and most congressional Democrats.

Franks put out a statement Thursday afternoon endorsing a bill by U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) that would put the funds earmarked for bailing out industries and financial firms and instead use it toward a two-month tax holiday.

U.S. Reps. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Tucson) and Harry Mitchell (D-Tempe) broke ranks with their party Wednesday night to vote against a bill that would commit billions of federal dollars to the resuscitation of the U.S. auto industry.

The bill passed around 8:30 p.m. EST on a vote of 237-170, with all but 32 Republicans opposing the bill or not voting, and 20 Democrats joining with the GOP. Two of them were Giffords, a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats, and Mitchell, who has sought admittance into the Blue Dog coalition.

Congressman Raul Grijalva has been rumored for weeks as the leading candidate to fill the Interior position under Barack Obama. A new name with Arizona ties has emerged as a possible candidate. Kevin Gover who is the director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian is is getting talked about on many blogs as a potential pick. Gover is a former ASU professor and was the assistant secretary of Indian Affairs in the Clinton administration.

Most still consider Grijalva as the front-runner and is getting a lot of outside support as more than 100 environmental groups have urged Obama to make him the choice.

After two days of pre-trial hearings in the federal case against U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Flagstaff), the presiding judge, U.S. Magistrate Bernardo Velasco, may issue his recommendations to trial judge David Bury before the start of the weekend.

According to an official at the U.S. District Court in Tucson, the scheduled venue for Renzi's trial, and where the hearings were held this week, Velasco will likely submit the recommendations by Monday. But Bury, who is set to preside over the trial due to commence March 24, could see them by the end of Friday.

Politicker Photo

Newly elected members of Congress listen to panelists discuss the current economic crisis

CAMBRIDGE - Forty newly elected members of Congress gathered Thursday morning to hear some of Massachusetts' finest economists discuss the current crisis and possible remedies.

And one thing became clear very quickly: No one knows a surefire way out of the mess.

The forum took place at the Institute of Politics at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government as part of its four-day conference this week for recently elected members of Congress. It featured panelists with economic expertise from the Kennedy School, Harvard's economics department and Harvard's law school.

Jeffrey Frankel, an economics professor at the Kennedy School and former member of President Bill Clinton's council of economic advisors, summed up the tone of the meeting in his opening remarks.

"No one thoroughly understands the economic crisis," Frankel said.

Richard Elias

Richard Elias, chairman of the Pima County Board of Supervisors, indicated to PolitickerAZ.com Wednesday that he might be interested at taking a run for the 7th Congressional District seat if U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Tucson) vacates it to become secretary of the Department of the Interior in the Obama administration.

"If that happens, and I certainly wish Congressman Grijalva all the best with it, me and my family would have to take a long, hard look" at a run for his seat, Elias said.

Grijalva is regarded as one of the top contenders for the Interior post, and if he were nominated and confirmed, his departure would trigger a special election to fill his 7th district seat.

A number of Arizonans and national leaders are urging President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team to name U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Tucson) as secretary of the Department of Interior.

Natalie Luna, Grijalva's communications director, told PolitickerAZ.com that a number of environmental groups and other activists within the district have been contacting the transition team to push for Grijalva's nomination.

Also, former 1st Congressional District Democratic primary candidate Howard Shanker, an attorney who has worked extensively on environmental litigation, put out an editorial Monday in which he called Grijalva, "a visionary when it comes to responsible stewardship and multiple use of public lands."

Congressman Raul Grijalva's biggest hurdle to becoming the next Interior Secretary may have been New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. Richardson was an early supporter of Barack Obama and was on the short list of Interior candidates. Word today is Richardson will get the Commerce job which removes one obstacle for Grijalva.

The speculation over Congressman Raul Grijalva continues to grow today. Grijalva appears to be on the short list, and maybe at the top of that short list for Interior Secretary.