Pearce seeks high GOP leadership position

Two days after he won almost 60 percent of the vote in his bid for re-election, U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., announced he wants to be vice chair of the GOP conference.

That would make Pearce the fourth most powerful Republican in the House.

In a letter Pearce plans to send to colleagues Monday, he wrote that he can lead the GOP to “refocus and refine its message so it resonates once against with the American people.”

“Let’s not kid ourselves. Two days ago, we endured a crushing defeat that compels us to look deep within ourselves,” Pearce wrote. “As many pundits have commented, the American people did not vote for Democrats, they voted against Republicans. They did not vote against our values or our policies, however. They rejected us – and our message.”

Pearce said the “hostile mainstream media” was partly to blame, but the GOP had to take most of the credit.

“… we talked too much about the wrong things in the wrong way. As a result, the American people stopped listening to us,” Pearce wrote. “We must reconnect with them quickly and effectively or risk even heavier losses in two years, which would decimate our ability to impact the direction of our nation.”

Pointing out that he won re-election in a district with a Democratic majority, Pearce said he can help the GOP “lay the foundation for a new majority.”

“Traveling thousands of miles through a district that is larger than the state of Pennsylvania, I have earned a reputation for listening to my constituents while articulating a clear agenda of strong family values, accountability, and responsibility,” Pearce wrote. “In this Democratic district, I work constantly to convey my strong convictions and unbending principles in a manner that builds consensus across the political spectrum.”

“The American people believe in limited government, low taxes, a secure border, and safe communities,” Pearce wrote. “It’s time to resume our conversation with them regarding how we plan to achieve these goals.”

Pearce, who already has a reputation for ignoring the media, wrote that, like former President Reagan, the GOP must now “go over the heads of the media to reach the hearts of the people.”

The letter indicates that Pearce’s strategy over the next two years is to take on the Democrats, and perhaps to hold firm on ideological issues like the war in Iraq while refining how that is conveyed to the public.

Pearce, by losing more than 40 percent of the vote in this week’s election to a rookie opponent who spent less than $150,000, showed himself vulnerable in two years to an attack from a strong Democratic challenger.

His response will set the stage for a war.