Vasquez Turns On Guv; Will Support Resolution Condemning Her For Gun Ban; Move Brings Scorn To Freshman Lawmaker From Fellow Dems; "What's Next Gabe? A Trump Rally?" MLG Dump Is His Latest Move To Right As Herrell Positions To Take Seat Back; Some Ponder A Vasquez Primary Challenge

Rep. Vasquez (Potter, Sun-News)

Rep. Gabe Vasquez made a full-blown loan break with Gov. Lujan Grisham and her proposed gun ban by announcing Tuesday that he will join with the majority Republicans in support of a harsh House resolution condemning her actions. 

It was an exceptionally rare move for a Democrat to abandon their Governor, the titular head of the state Democratic Party and spoke to the panic that has now apparently seeped into the Vasquez campaign as they struggle to fend off former GOP Rep. Yvette Herrell who he is expected to face in a rematch for his southern congressional seat next year. 

Herrell already polled one point ahead of him in the just released SurveyUSA.

While Vasquez is trying to curry favor with conservatives in the district, his break with the Governor was not seen as a brilliant move that will keep the conservatives off his back but a potential political folly that could cause him a new set of difficulties with Democrats.

"What's next for Gabe? A Trump rally"? one disgusted longtime Valencia County Dem opined.

That's not only a a reference to Vasquez dumping the Guv but also for going soft on abortion rights by voting for the national defense authorization act that included  antiabortion amendments. He was one of only four Dems to do so. 

Then there's his ignoring of President Biden whose recent appearance in the state was unattended by Vasquez. And he was also a no-show at Biden's ABQ South Valley campaign rally before the '22 election, again fearful of the political consequences and foregoing a golden opportunity to advance our state's many DC interests.

WHY NOT WALK?

Other observers pointed out that Vasquez could show his dissatisfaction with MLG's gun ban, already put on hold by a federal court, by simply taking a walk on the vote or issuing a tepid statement in disagreement as Senator Martin Heinrich did. Or, better yet, keeping his mouth closed tight and not saying much of anything. Instead Vasquez made the break: 

I plan to vote yes on House Res. 684 because, as a responsible gun owner, I support common sense solutions that reduce gun violence. We must produce constitutional, legal, and enforceable solutions that will help protect our children and families.

The resolution was approved by the House Rules Committee Monday but the House adjourned Tuesday without any action. It is not known when or if they will get to it. But Vasquez has already locked himself in. A Senior Alligator analyzed:

He has to be careful. There is still plenty of time for another Democrat to challenge him in next June's primary and this kind of disloyalty--even if Michelle did put her foot in her  mouth--was uncalled for. It speaks to his fear and inexperience and it just might attract a challenger. It's not as though this guy has any real credibility to condemn a sitting Governor. The political pundits have to remember that more than half the vote in the  district now comes from the urban counties of Bernalillo and Las Cruces. 

Others said the national Dems at the DCCC should give up already and encourage a moderate Hispanic woman from either ABQ's Westside or Valencia County to run against Vasquez and push him to the curb. They argue that Herrell is winning the enthusiasm battle and in turn could win the turnout war while Vasquez's political ways could damper enthusiasm among D's. 

OTHER NM DC DEMS

Rep. Stansbury

ABQ progressive Dem Rep. Melanie Stansbury Tuesday made a point of announcing that she will not be joining with Vasquez and the Republicans to condemn the Governor:

I will vote NO on the GOP’s efforts to undermine New Mexico’s executive and distract from House Republican’s complete inability to govern and pass a budget as they careen the U.S. government towards a shutdown. As millions face the prospect of not knowing how they’ll pay their bills, extremists in the GOP are pulling political stunts rather than addressing the needs of the American people, including the epidemic of gun violence. New Mexicans understand that and know we must take action.

Dem Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez voted not to advance the resolution from her position on the Rules Committee but it passed 9 to 3. She expressed disappointment with the resolution during the debate but now she’s being closely watched if the resolution comes to a full House vote. Will she stick with her original no vote or switch in order to have it both ways?

Still, Stansbury and the Dems stand with Vasquez and swallow hard as he morphs into a DINO--Democrat in name only--to keep the House seat in his name.

But why should they, if he is going to continually vote against a majority of his own party? Well, there's really only one reason---he will vote for a Democratic Speaker of the House when the time comes.

HEAT EVERYWHERE

While Vasquez took plenty of heat on the left, he also received it from the right as the NRCC, fighting to take back the seat for Herrell, unloaded on him:

Gabe Vasquez is a defund the police extremist who is only speaking up to cover his own political hide. Voters see through this transparent calculation from an extreme politician.” – NRCC Spokeswoman Delanie Bomar  

For Republicans and other Vasquez critics that statement gets to the crux of his problem. A Senior GOP Alligator remarked:

He may be the most inauthentic politician we've ever had in New Mexico.

And there is evidence to back that up because before he was in Congress Vasquez was one of the most liberal Las Cruces City Council members ever and was caught on video advocating for the defunding of the police. Now he is setting off to convince voters he is actually some kind of conservative Democrat. It's not the policy that will necessarily hurt him most but the blatant hypocrisy of his actions. 

He's simply not believable. 

THAT RESOLUTION 

The title: 

 H. Res. 684 - Condemning the actions of Governor of New Mexico, Michelle Lujan Grisham, for subverting the Second Amendment to the Constitution and depriving the citizens of New Mexico of their right to bear arms. 

The full resolution is here. 

Here in a nutshell is the debate over the resolution:

Congressman Tom Tiffany, a Republican representing Wisconsin, brought the resolution forward to the House committee on rules on Monday. "It condemns the unconstitutional order of New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham that bans New Mexico citizens from carrying firearms in the city of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County," Tiffany said. But Democrats like New York Congressman Jerrold Nadler question how much the resolution will accomplish. "It does nothing to promote health and safety," Nadler said. "It will not make a single American safer from gun violence, nor does it have any effect on the rights of responsible gun owners." 

We’ll pick up the story if and when the full House votes. There was much dysfunction there Tuesday and lawmakers ended the day entangled in budget battles. 

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2023