Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Congressman vows to carry Domenici's torch

Argen Duncan El Defensor Chieftain Reporter

U.S. Rep Stevan Pearce, R-N.M., said the upcoming elections raise the question of whether the United States will make a hard turn to the left in political ideas or continue with conservative values.

Pearce is running for the U.S. Senate seat that Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., is vacating. Speaking at a hot dog rally on Sunday, Sept. 21, at the home of Rosie and Don Tripp, Pearce said he has the same values as Domenici.

Pearce said when he went to Congress, he fought tax increases.

"Higher taxes kill jobs," he said.

Later in his speech, Pearce said he didn't vote for the G.I. Bill or Renewable Energy Bill because they contained tax increases.

Also, Pearce said he promised to cut wasteful spending and has an 82 percent track record on that goal. He has a 100 percent record on voting pro-life as well.

As for energy, Pearce said the country needs all forms.

"I've supported all the renewable kinds of energy," he said.

Pearce's opponent Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., hasn't supported drilling, Pearce said. Experts say heavy use of renewable energy is 30-40 years away, Pearce said

In hurricanes Katrina and Rita, he continued, no oil spilled from the drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico.

"We've got the technology to keep our environment clean and still drill oil," Pearce said.

On the subject of the financial bailout of lending institutions, the candidate said he differs with President George W. Bush. Pearce said taxpayers took the risk of such actions and a raise in taxes, which would kill jobs, would pay for the bailouts.

Pearce spoke against cutting nuclear weapons research and Los Alamos National Laboratories funding.

As a Vietnam veteran, Pearce said, he does not like war. However, with aggressive behavior from Iran, Russia, Pakistan and North Korea toward different countries, the United States is in a difficult situation, he said.

"We are in a very dangerous world right now, and we can't afford to show weakness," Pearce said.

Nuclear weapons are the biggest deterrent against attack on the nation, he said.

Pearce also said cutting funding to the Los Alamos labs would decrease jobs in the area.

In response to a question, Pearce said he voted for a Base Realignment and Closure list that cut operations at Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis because he knew the base would get a new mission. He said Udall wanted to reconsider all military bases even though the rest in New Mexico were safe in the original list.

A member of the audience also asked about Pearce's stance on the borders.

"Frankly, both parties have kind of abdicated the responsibility," he said.

Ranchers along the Mexican border told Pearce that troops there helped with illegal immigration.

The United States needs to secure both borders and more quickly give people an answer on whether they can immigrate legally, Pearce said.

If people do not want to become citizens, he wants to allow them to be able to legally cross back and forth over the borders to work.

In answer to another question, Pearce said babies born in the United States to parents who weren't citizens were never considered citizens until the issue of illegal aliens' children became politicized.

In the law that specifies babies born under the jurisdiction of the country become citizens, he said, "under the jurisdiction of" meant citizens' children.

"You know, this country was made great, not with big government," Pearce said as part of his conclusion. "It was made great with individuals."

The candidate pledged to keep government out of citizens' lives.

aduncan@dchieftain.com

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