Editor,
When I was a boy in the early '50s, my family lived in student housing at New Mexico A & M - now NMSU - in Las Cruces. My best buddy and next door neighbor was Charles Madrid, whose little sister, Patricia, is running for our nation's Congress.
Over the years, I have watched the Madrid family build itself a good and successful working-class American life through their own hard work, intelligence, education, courage, honesty and family solidarity. Among her brothers and sisters are Vietnam veterans, teachers, farmers, businessmen, a research engineer and a doctor. None of these accomplishments have been the result of privilege or special assistance. Every step has been earned.
Patricia's father comes from one of the oldest Tiwa families in the valley, and her mother comes from an old Hispanic family. Patricia represents an authentic tri-cultural heritage here in this most tri-cultural of states.
The family's religious background runs the spectrum from Catholic to born again to Native Church, and even with such differences, it is a spiritually strong and loving family, with the faith to accept each other's ways of worship. From her family, she has inherited strength, integrity and open-mindedness, which are very rare and precious today.
I personally know of no one in our state's political arena whom I would rather see representing us in today's multicultural, class-spanning, religiously diverse, history-honoring and forward-looking America than Patricia.
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Until recently, I have been pleased to say that I considered the upcoming election a win-win situation for New Mexico, as both she and Rep. Heather Wilson would be good for the office, whatever their particular positions might be on the issues. As a former military officer and veteran combat pilot, I have respected Wilson's military record as an Air Force Academy graduate and administrative officer. As a Libertarian with some right-wing leanings, I've had no great problem with her strongly partisan role as a voice for the right and supporter of the current administration's agenda.
I have become terribly disappointed in her with this campaign, however. It is no surprise she has the great advantage of national fundraising support through the help of President Bush and so should be expected to have a well-funded media campaign. It is a shock to me, however, to see she has apparently been taking her campaign strategy from Bush's advisers, as well. So far, I believe that 100 percent of Wilson's television campaign has been not only negative, but crude and utterly untruthful muck-slinging.
There is not a word in any of Wilson's ads about what she herself offers to the voters. Each of those shameful ads has consisted entirely of deliberately unflattering pictures of Patricia and the almost libelous insinuation that she abused her office as attorney general for cheap financial corruption, which, in reality, she was largely responsible for exposing in the state recently.
I find it tragic to see Wilson lower herself to conduct a cheap, shallow and dirty campaign, especially when she is well aware that the allegations are wholly unfounded. Personally, I thought Wilson had more class.
If the issues matter to the voter, I would say vote for the one who represents your position on the issues, whatever you think about her character. If you are more concerned about the personal integrity and character of the person holding the office, then as one who has known Patricia and her family for half a century, I could not more highly recommend you vote for her.
James Nathan Post
Daily Lobo reader
