By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff

IT’S almost eerie how close the federal government seems to be monitoring us. No sooner did the governor announce that he would borrow $30 million, and here comes the U.S. Supreme Court finally issuing a ruling on the bond borrowing case.
Before that, Standard and Poor’s slapped down a credit watch on Guam soon after Gov. Felix Camacho borrowed $6 million for GPSS.
It’s almost as if the Feds and the big boys in Wall Street are monitoring the local media for news about Guam.
In a way, that is good for it shows that we truly have arrived. What was once a backwater territory for the U.S. is now firmly on the radar screen of the powers that be in Washington.
This is only natural because of the ongoing military build-up. Although Guam lost in its bid to homeport an aircraft carrier group, billions of dollars in Pentagon money are still headed Guam’s way because of the Marine relocation and the other expansion programs of the Navy and the Air Force.
This is the reason why Uncle Sam is now closely watching Guam and all the developments here for the island has now become a valuable piece of real estate.
The swift decision by “the Supremes” on the bond borrowing case has not only vindicated former Attorney General Douglas Moylan, it has also boosted the hopes of the Underwood-Aguon team.
With the relative importance that the court seems to be placing on Guam, the UA team is hopeful that its own case will be picked up and decided upon in a timely manner.
Camacho has shrugged off the UA appeal, apparently believing that the UA team is finished politically.
Indeed, the governor seems to think that the next political fight is closer to home and is now ongoing in the conflict over the 2007 budget.
And this time, the governor’s opponents are not just the Democrats but his fellow Republicans, especially Vice Speaker Eddie Calvo, who heads the finance committee.
Much has been said about both the executive and legislative branches of government being controlled by the Republicans. Harmony and cooperation were the buzzwords being thrown about.
But there seems to be a split within the GOP now as Calvo and the other Republicans have accused the governor and his officials of incompetence in dealing with GovGuam’s finances.
The normally genial Calvo is all business this time, his face implacable as he goes through GovGuam’s finances with the same fine and analytical mind that has read the financial statements of the many successful Calvo-owned family businesses.
The governor, on the other hand, has accused the Republican-led Legislature of stalling the budget process, especially criticizing the “destructive politics” in the Legislature.
Camacho, of course, can no longer run for re-election. But you can be sure that Camacho would like to continue being a power broker come 2010.
The governor would certainly like to be in a position to play king-maker in the next gubernatorial election and he can probably see Calvo already as a threat in the next Republican primary.
From all indications, Camacho is grooming Lieutenant Governor Mike Cruz to be the next Republican candidate for governor. When Camacho was away during his Washington trip, Adelup worked extra hard to “project” and build up the acting governor’s image.
Indeed, many are saying that Mike Cruz has “gubernatorial qualities” and he could run in 2010 to preserve the Camacho legacy.
Calvo, of course, has not made any secret of his desire to run for the ultimate prize. He would have run last year, had the Republican primary not been complicated by the entry of Camacho’s estranged running mate Kaleo Moylan.
But with the incumbent governor not eligible for re-election, the door is wide open for other Republican hopefuls.
Which is why we can expect more intra-party bickering as prospective candidates jockey for position.
For feedback and news tips, e-mail gerry@mvguam.com.