Representative Pearce has gotten a lot of attention due to his being a Republican elected as U.S. Representative in a blue state, New Mexico, in a district that's only 34% Republican. While some look to him as a guide for other Republicans, he's more pragmatic.
He was on C-Span's Washington Journal last month, and he presented himself very well. Click to watch it. He's an old white guy, which according to lefty commentary is a turn-off unless he happened to be a Democrat. But he's smart and well spoken. And he has that rare talent of being able to articulate a complex topic in a way that anyone can understand.
So he's a good spokesperson for fiscally conservative ideas. As for the proposition that Republicans need to woe Hispanics, he explained that he got reelected by doing old fashioned campaigning, talking to folks, finding areas of agreement, and driving 100,000 miles a year to cover his district.
Immigration was on the minds of several of the Washington Journal callers. The "pathway to citizenship" that some are suggesting for illegal immigrants is an insult to those who came legally, he says. However, the path to immigration shouldn't be so difficult. If someone wants to come here to work, that's understable. Let them come work. After all, there's a shortage of workers in parts of New Mexico.
But citizenship is another matter all together. A secure border is the key. The reason people are frustrated is because the government has not done anything to make the system work in an orderly way. The government says the border is secure. But people along the border say otherwise. Rep. Pearce has a simple test for it: The price of illegal drugs. If the prices skyrocket, then that's good evidence the borders are secure. Illegal drug prices have been stable for a long time, so one has to be suspicious of the government reports that the border is secure.
The real issues though, are the debt and deficit. These are areas where Democrats and Republicans shouldn't have that much difference. Rep. Pearce told a caller that printing money to solve the deficit just isn't working. See Argentina and Cyprus, for example.
The residents in his district should be proud to have a representative like Steve Pearce. Makes a Texan want to move there.
Fine, you can have him and I'll help with the move.
Posted by: Ivan White | April 10, 2013 at 03:18 PM
New Mexico -- blue on top, red on bottom. And a Republican governor. NM a very interesting state, Ivan.
Posted by: Geo | April 10, 2013 at 04:17 PM