It's the Votes, Stupid
Why you should vote for Jeff Bingaman. Or Steve Pearce.
But not both.
Unlike the daily papers, Desert Exposure does not endorse candidates. While such endorsements can occasionally be useful, especially in races for more obscure offices, they can also be self-contradictory: Take, for example, the Albuquerque Journal's recommendations for US House of Heather Wilson, Steve Pearce—and Tom Udall. If the paper's editorial board really thinks returning Pearce to Congress is a good idea, it's baffling why it would also endorse Udall, whose vote on almost every key question would cancel out Pearce's (or Wilson's, generally).
Because ultimately that's the point of representative democracy: How will the person you vote for represent you in Washington? In the case of Pearce, for example, his feel-good TV ads about his father and "values" beg the question of how his "values" will be translated into votes in Congress. Your own values may not match his—if, for example, you think stem-cell research and trigger locks on guns are a good idea and drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge isn't.
Fatuous or misleading campaign ads aside, all we really have to go on when it comes to deciding whether a senator or congressman deserves re-election is how they've voted. Here, then, is a selection of key votes since 2004, arranged chronologically, by Pearce and by Sen. Jeff Bingaman, both of whom are asking you to return them to the nation's capital. This information is adapted from Project Vote Smart; for a complete list of key votes and detailed explanations of each measure, go to www.vote-smart.org.
Rep. Steve Pearce
Terri Schiavo Incapacitated Persons Protection Bill Y
Bankruptcy Reform Bill (means testing to declare bankruptcy) Y
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Drilling Amendment (strike language allowing drilling) N
Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act Y
Medical Marijuana Use Amendment N
Patriot Act Amendment - Library Records (restrict searches of libraries) N
Flag Desecration Resolution Y
Small Employer Health Benefits Plan Amendment N
CAFTA Implementation Bill Y
Firearms Manufacturers Protection Bill (protect against lawsuits) Y
PATRIOT Act Reauthorization bill Y
Reverse the Raid on Student Aid Amendment N
Trigger Lock Amendment (prevent enforcement of trigger-lock law) Y
Voting Rights Act Reauthorization Y
Same Sex Marriage Resolution (constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage) Y
Pledge Protection Act of 2006 (restrict court rulings on Pledge of Allegiance) Y
Stem Cell Research Bill (provide for human embryonic stem cell research) N
Death/Estate and Minimum Wage Bill of 2006 (increases minimum wage to $7.25, estate-tax exemption to $5 million, extend expiring tax provisions) Y
Horse Slaughter Prohibition Bill N
Secure Fence Act of 2006 (700 miles of border fence) Y
Sen. Jeff Bingaman
Alberto R. Gonzales, for Attorney General (confirmation) N
Minimum Wage Amendment (increase to $7.25) Y
Bankruptcy Reform Bill (means testing to declare bankruptcy) Y
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Drilling Amendment (keep ANWR closed to drilling) Y
Child Safety Lock Amendment (require gun locks when sold) Y
CAFTA Implementation Bill Y
Firearms Manufacturers Protection bill (prohibit lawsuits) N
John Roberts, Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court (confirmation) Y
To Increase the Maximum Federal Pell Grant Amendment Y
AIDS Drug Assistance Program Amendment (increase funding) Y
Medicare Prescription Drug Amendment (allow government to negotiate drug prices) Y
Samuel Alito, Associate Justice (confirmation) N
USA PATRIOT and Terrorism Prevention Reauthorization N
English as National Language Amendment N
Employer Verification Amendment (illegal immigration) Y
Immigration Reform Bill Y
Same Sex Marriage Resolution (allow Senate vote on constitutional amendment) N
Triple-Layered Fencing Amendment (370-mile border fence) Y
Troop Redeployment Amendment (US out of Iraq by July 2007) N
Flag Desecration Constitutional Amendment N
Stem Cell Research Bill Y
Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 (allow oil and gas leases) N
Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill of 2006 (increases minimum wage to $7.25, estate-tax exemption to $5 million, extend expiring tax provisions) N
Although the bills considered by the House and Senate do not always exactly match up and, when they do, Pearce and Bingaman do sometimes agree, overall Southwest New Mexico voters are represented by two men in contradiction to each other. Whoever's views you most closely align with, it makes no sense to also vote for the other incumbent. Although practically speaking neither Pearce nor Bingaman's underfunded opponents has a chance, logically, if you vote for Bingaman's re-election you should also support Al Kissling for Congress. If you think Pearce best represents you, you should vote to replace Bingaman with Allen McCulloch.
Ask yourself: How will they vote? Then vote accordingly. That's the only way our representative democracy can function, and the only way to get something done in Washington about the issues that matter most to you.
However you vote on Nov. 7, we hope you'll continue to vote for Desert Exposure as your favorite publication—especially given two improvements instituted as of this issue. Eagle-eyed readers may notice that our pages feel a tad more substantial and look a bit whiter. That's because we've upgraded our paper stock throughout both sections, switching from newsprint to a heavier, brighter paper that will also better accommodate our advertisers' increasing demand for color. (It should also make black-and-white ads "pop" better, too.) We may experience some growing pains as we make the switch and learn to get the best reproduction; we trust you'll bear with us as we work to make Desert Exposure better than ever.
The other improvement in this issue shouldn't take any getting used to: You can flip to page B35 and start enjoying our new crossword puzzles right away (we're talking about the print edition only; online visitors get a new, improved search engine for our back issues). We've "user tested" these puzzles and think they're just right—not too easy, not so hard as to induce existential despair. But give them a try and tell us what you think. You might say this is one of those things on which your vote really does make a difference
David A. Fryxell is editor of Desert Exposure.