POLITICAL BRIEFING

WORKING THE WEST: The little-noticed endorsement Clinton got last week from New Mexico’s All Indian Pueblo Council not only may boost his prospects in a hotly contested state, but it provided a glimpse of a wider tactical effort. . . . Throughout the interior West, Clinton operatives have sought to rally support for their cause among American Indians. The campaign printed bumper stickers that declare: “Discover the Indian vote.” And when Clinton appeared at a rally in Missoula, Mont., recently, aides arranged for the heads of most of the state’s tribal councils to have choice seats up front and for tribal drums to join the more traditional marching band that greeted him. . . . The nod he received from the New Mexico group--which represents the state’s 19 Pueblo Indian communities and typically has declined to back a single presidential candidate--could prove especially worthwhile. American Indians account for roughly 5% of New Mexico’s registered voters, enough to swing a close race.