¡Colores!; 1601; The Senator from New Mexico: Pete Domenici; Pete Domenici, George Shaffer Interview

You're going to count to 10 again. I guess I'm curious, what's your first memory of Senator Mitch? Well I, even though I went to Albuquerque High, I got to know Pete in high school because I mentioned my parents passed away and I was orphaned in high school. And Mintusi's, Mintusi family was, it would make sure I'd get involved in the holiday dinners, et cetera, and the Domenici and Mintusi family were very close to Pete's mother and Ralph Mintusi's mother were friends. So that's where I got to know Pete during high school. Then of course in college we were in the same fraternity. How would you describe Pete in the St. Mary's years? Well I just knew him when he was on his best behavior at the holiday functions. Pete's dad was pretty strict with Pete Chopo, his name.

And Baci pretty much told the line. But as I said in high school, basically I didn't know, we didn't hang out, basically. I understand as much as you ate there in holiday dinners, I understand meals and celebrations were pretty impressive over to Domenici. Oh yes, the Italian food, as I said, they started calling me Schaeferini. But in college of course when the birthday group got started, the different mothers would have a birthday for their son and everyone was invited and then one of them would have mind use links since I didn't have it. But those became quite festive. Now what kind of pitcher do you recall on our ball player? What normal was baseball in St. Mary's life? Well I attribute, I'm not seeing him around the fraternity house a lot to baseball because he was between that and Nancy. We didn't see much of Pete on him.

And I remember when he tried out for a plate for the dukes for a while, we'd go to those games. You know, he's bothered now with this shoulder problem. And I think that probably goes back to his pitching days. Although he heard his shoulder throwing a football with his grandson and Ralph Matuce, he said, Pete, you know your dad never told you to never play football. You shouldn't have been doing that. Now he played for the dukes. What was his brief, I mean, did you ever talk about what caused him to say, I need to make a year in there to play the big league, even if it wasn't. Yeah, I don't remember discussing that. Well, give me a sense of what was that whole duke spade? I mean, I actually remember going down there and doing our feet on the grandstand. That was not on the old stadium, of course, but it was. Well, he's just, he's a local boy and made good, really, and they made quite a bit of it. I guess at the end of the day, how would you kind of sum up what role sports and athletics and the fact that he could be so competitive and all.

Just a kind of big picture thing here. What was baseball in sports to Pete and Nancy? I really got qualified to answer that, I don't think. We've never discussed his sports. Politics, then I can help you with, but the sports you end up in our past. Do you know the restaurant story where he got into? Yes. I understand that. Yeah. My business was up on the hill in Chirin's business. So I didn't partake of the Magsons coffees, but yeah, that goes back to him complaining about the way the city was being. The city was being run and the people that he had breakfast with or coffee said, you know, Pete, you oughta either run for something or quit bitching about it. So that prompted his initial run for mayor or for the city council. He later became de facto mayor as chairman of the commission.

Do you help me clear that up? It was at large election and there was no mayor. But how was it that he kind of assumed leadership of the city question? Just from his being on the council and the council members elect the chairman. Of course, it's also nonpartisan. So we're supposed to be nonpartisan. So now you knew him in Washington. What was your relationship out there? I was involved with the national independent insurance agents association. I was their national government affairs chairman and eventually worked my way up through the presidency. I spent a lot of time in Washington and our political office was on a direct line between the capital and my hotel. So I used to go up to his office about 530 in the evening on my way to the hotel and Angela would either tell me, you know, going in or knowing he was busy. So I spent a lot of time with him after hours in his office. He'd be on the phone with a White House budget director.

It was really an insight into how federal government was run. How do you think folks back in New Mexico really get at all those years as a leader of a budget committee? What was really what Senator Dementio was really doing? And he helped me get a sentiment kind of a scope before he was doing that? Well, of course, he was original. His goal was to balance the budget, which they finally did. Unfortunately, the train went off the track. But I don't know, you know, people in New Mexico probably thought he was really leading a high life back in Washington. But I can assure you, having been to his house to watch a Super Bowl during the Reagan administration, inauguration, that they live very modestly. And with eight kids, it was not a glorious life from a lifestyle standpoint. And Pete was very dedicated to making all the meetings and all the sessions.

And so it's now he lives three blocks from Capitol Hill, but still with kids gone. At one time he had seven kids in college. And I know that was a financial strain, even on the US Senator. But what do you, did you know when he first got there? Yeah, I knew Pete, I was appointed to the State Senate in 1969 and ran for election in 1970. In fact, after checking the polling places where I was running, I went to Pete's campaign headquarters and said, looks like we're getting beaten. He said, no, no, I'm way ahead. And I said, no, that's from the southeast. That was when Bruce King defeated him by 25,000 votes. And I got beat, I think, by 65 votes. And it was probably the best thing that ever happened to both of us.

Now, when he first got to Washington, what was he over? I mean, it's our first time there. And it's pretty amazing to hold the machine, the engine that is the United States government. Right. How did he, did he just notice that the grinds don't have it? Well, I wouldn't say it was overwhelmed, but I was there in 1974. I showed up unexpectedly on a Monday night. And the staff said he was on the floor. They were debating the Turkish arms embargo, I believe. It was really interesting. Full, full Senate, people actually talking to one another. In fact, Kennedy was one among them. And I went down to the door after it was over. And Pete came out and he was surprised, of course, to see me. And we were walking back to his office. And he said, you know, I almost got up and made some ex-temporaneous comments on that issue. He said, it would have been the first time I had spoken on the floor. So they'll give you an idea of the politics and the way the Senate has run. He needs to be respectful of the customs and wait your time.

But he was fortunate when the Budget Committee was formed that he became chairman of that. And that was a pretty good chairmanship for a young senator. And he really made his name on that. Now, what do you attribute to the statute and detain that? We were there. I'm quite in awe. I mean, the whole place is shut down because the Homeland Security. We couldn't hear. We had thrown out more things to imagine. Well, he made, and we had, I mean, the Senate radio TV got over it. You're not going to be able to shoot. Well, 36 hours later, we've got all our permits there. They're just like, you did it. How did this happen? It was Chris Geigel's making some calls on the office. What do you, I mean, I was in awe. What do you ascribe, you know, just, you've known him since college, even before. What, what do you think it is inside him that has led to him becoming really remarkable? Well, it's his sincerity and his low key.

He doesn't broadcast his power. And, but when he wants something, he usually gets it. I know when we had the birthday group in Washington, I told him I'd handle mostly arrangements. He had better things to do. And he'd call me on Sundays and say what he had lined up and wondered what was going on. And one Sunday he called and said, what about Sunday? And I said, well, there's only three of us left. I thought I'd take him to Baltimore to the Orioles game. And he said, well, Dallas's playing the Redskins on Sunday. And I said, Pete, I don't think I can get tickets to that. And he said, well, let me see what I can do. And sure enough, he ended up with four tickets. Well, on the way to the game and the cab, he's passing out the tickets. And I said, Pete, I said, there are no seat numbers on these tickets. This must be a corporate box. He said, is that right? He said, I usually just sit up and stand. And afterwards, of course, we couldn't get a cab right back. And after talking to a limo driver and him making calls, we were getting anywhere. And a little pickup went by and Pete went up, knocked on the window and said, say, say, would you do the young couple?

Give us a ride out where we can get a cab. So he said, sure, jump in the back. And so we did. And Pete was up on the toolbox and the back window slid open. And the kid says, where are y'all from? Senator said, where from New Mexico? And he kind of looked up at him. And he said, you're Senator Pete. And he said, yeah. And you see the cars going by. And people just kind of looking in awe as they recognize him sitting on the toolbox in the back of a pickup. And later, he pulled up to the freeway and said, you guys better get down. Because he lived in Virginia and Pete had told him where he lived. And he said, well, I'll take you up there. And four of us hunched over Indian style. And the back of that pickup going 70 miles an hour down the freeway was after thought was kind of scary. But we got up, went through the tunnel to west of the Capitol building and he came out. And he said, all right, Senator, now where do you live? And Pete looked around.

So George tell him where I live. He said, he just, that kind of guy picked me up one Sunday morning when I was staying over the weekend and went by donut shop. And then we went to his house, which is about three blocks from the Capitol. And we were out on the back porch, so to speak, with air conditioner on either side running and had breakfast. I mean, that's just kind of his lifestyle back there. It's very modest. Is there anything any other than that you wanted to share or any other observations about? Well, when I, we, I've met a lot of sellers and congressmen in Washington. And they say you're from New Mexico or they're involved in politics. And they just say, man, you've got one of the best sellers going. I mean, you're just well respected in the Capitol. And I said, it's just a true dedicated public servant. Thank you. That's fantastic.

Okay. You