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Just in time for the holidays, the Albuquerque City Council and its mayor are delighting children of all ages with staged antics that make the "Nutcracker" ballet dreary by comparison.

All right: Chances are the "Nutcracker" already seems a tad dreary, compared with just about anything in today's Xbox 360, HDTV world.

Still, among Senate campaigns, council meeting boycotts and, I hope, the demise of the red-light cameras, Albuquerque's civic-minded have a lot on their minds.

Amid this pre-Christmas chaos stand two to four men, depending upon which one wakes up in the morning, I suppose — Councilor Brad Winter and Mayor Marty Chavez.

First, there's the Democrats' delight — Chavez — who politicized the Police Department, championed hate-crimes legislation and, generally, felt that any problem could be legislated into oblivion. You know, like making sure antifreeze is safe from canine consumption.

He's joined by, again, Chavez, scourge of Albuquerque liberals for actions they've deemed far to Republicanesque — such as helping move traffic from the West Side to the east. Giving love to the city's West Side might be the paramount breach of the local liberal Democratic code, one for which he might not be forgiven.

Curiously, some liberals have no problem spending $400 million (and rising) to transport people from Belen to Bernalillo by train. Yet they can't stand the idea of moving people back and forth across the river.

Chavez also moved to cut the sales tax and cracked down on teen hoodlums by fighting to implement curfews and press charges against those defacing public and private property with graffiti. Radical notions to some in his party.

Winter has drawn attacks from Republicans for his perceived drifts from the company line as well. By supporting the smoking ban, for example, Winter condoned the same Big Brother-type intrusion that he seems opposed to today, when he rightly questions the legality and effectiveness of the city's ATMs — er, red-light cameras.

Adding to the schizophrenia are four council members — Sally Mayer, Don Harris, Ken Sanchez and Trudy Jones — who were greatly indignant when Winter acted like a politician and supported himself for council president, after he'd pledged to support virtually everyone else. Like rebellious eighth- graders, the four ditched the most recent council meeting, no doubt to teach Winter a lesson.

Winter was elected to head the council. Lesson learned, yes?

Winter moved quickly to halt the red-light cash cows, pending a mayor-launched effectiveness study. Chavez says he might veto the bill.

Depending upon which Chavez appears, the current Winter and at least three members of the council's Gang of Four will need to get along to override the mayor. We hope.

In fact, red lights, green lights, even luminarias aside, all participants should grant our holiday wish: Dismiss their petty complaints and show up for work.