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WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2001

Its 11 AM on Tuesday morning in New Mexico and the man of the hour is nowhere to be found.

"Russell Means is missing in action," says Native America Calling host Harlan McKosato matter-of-factly. He's sitting in Studio 49 in Albuquerque, telling listeners to hold off while the staff of the six-year-old program attempt to track down their elusive subject.

Russell Means? Missing?

Yes, it's true. The man who seems to be everywhere lately -- protesting Columbus Day in Colorado, blasting mascots in North Dakota, registering to vote in New Mexico -- isn't anywhere right now. And its his day in the spotlight.

But McKosato doesn't seem to be too disturbed. After all, this has happened before. The Oglala Lakota author and actor was scheduled to appear on the nationally-broadcast program last month but the show was postponed until yesterday.

"If Russell does show up," McKosato continues, "we will put him on the air today."

Its 11:45 AM. Russell Means shows up.

Not literally, of course. He's calling from Boulder, Colorado and apologizes profusely for being late, blaming the affair on bad weather and poor cell phone coverage.

Welcome to the campaign. Russell Means for Governor

Russell Means? Governor?

Yes, its true. The American Indian Movement activist people love to hate has caught the fancy of the largely white Libertarian Party of New Mexico, who last month choose him to represent their views in the 2002 race for that state's top position.

If it sounds strange, it is. But Means is up to the challenge and if he has to go to court to prove he's worthy of the job, he will.

"There's a question of whether -- because I'm a felon -- whether I can run or not," he says, referring to a 1975 conviction under a South Dakota which has since been repealed. New Mexico election officials say he can't be Governor because of his record.

But Means -- ever a crafty one when it comes to law disputes -- has found an angle. "Its a million dollars worth of publicity," he says of what he considers to be an imminent court challenge from state officials.

That's if the lawsuit doesn't break the bank of the Libertarian Party first. With just 3,000 registered members, Libertarians are but a small tick on the state's political radar screen.

And party chairman Joseph Knight admits they don't have much funds -- they rely on the generosity of members, just 10 percent of whom actually pay dues -- and face an uphill battle when it comes to defending Means, much less getting enough people to vote for him. Yet in that area, Knight has an angle too.

"There's only one thing that Russell Means has to do to win," theorizes Knight, "and that's to get one more vote than whoever comes in second."

Yes, its true. Or it could be, depending on the circumstances. Thanks to New Mexico election rules, Means in a four-way race could become the state's next leader with just 25 plus-one percent of the vote.

Most likely, though, the race will be a three-way one. Former Congressman and former Energy Secretary Bill Richardson is eyeing the Democrat nomination and would be a popular choice. As for the Republicans, a number of names are floating about, including past successful office holders.

So it appears Means has a shot. Or at least he thinks so.

"Of course I have a chance," he says. "Jesse Ventura had an even more remote chance of becoming the Governor of Minnesota when he ran."

Oh, and Means adds, Ventura's campaign manager wants to work for him. The story seems to get even better by the second, even though Means minutes on the show are already up.

The greater picture of Means campaign won't become clear until the party platform is finalized, which will happen in September. Knight says Libertarian views are tribal sovereignty and tribal gaming friendly and that Native Americans should vote for Means if for no other reason than to reject state intrusions on their authority.

In the meantime, though, Means will make his first public speech as candidate next month.

If he shows up on time.

Only on Indianz.Com:
The Navajo Nation: Where Russell Means Fears to Tread (1999)

Relevant Links:
Native America Calling - http://www.nativecalling.org
Russell Means - http://www.russellmeans.com
New Mexico Libertarian Party - http://www.lpnm.org

Related Stories:
Means is in 'Spotlight' today (7/17)
Means registers to vote in N.M. (7/6)
Means is in 'Spotlight' today (6/18)
Means officially nominated in N.M. (6/11)
In The Hoop: Winners, Losers
Means could get reprieve in N.M. (5/31)
In The Hoop: a Janklow Pardon(5/30)
Means makes it official, sort of (5/29)
Russell Means for President? For Gubna? (5/21)