(D) Tom Udall is said to "point the finger" at the oil speculators as well in a recent article in the National Journal. (Also mentioned in other arguments on Pearce's side.) As Shelly mentioned above, Udall has mentioned the Bush Administration as a cause along with Big Oil. This does call Udall's qualifications into question if he does not provide solutions in step with accusations and complaints.

A recently published poll shows the majority of Western U.S. voters (including those in New Mexico) feel urgent action is needed to reduce oil consumption and global warming emissions. (D) Tom Udall strongly supports alternate energy/fuel technologies in step with these voters' concerns. See the poll by visiting the following link:

The fact that (R) Steve Pearce is a Baptist and a Christian do not necessarily provide him with political favor of the New Mexican voters. While 81 percent of New Mexico's residents are indeed Christian, 19 percent consider themselves 'non-religious' according to the recent census. This is a higher than average percentage of non-religious voters versus other states. It is interesting to note that this same census lists Mormons as a sub-set of an overall faith base: Christian.

Also, it is erroneous what 'most Americans believe', as this race only concerns the residents of the State of New Mexico.

(R) Steve Pearce is absolutely in favor of increased drilling and speculation as an immediate fix to the gasoline price issue concerning many of his New Mexican constituents. "The cure in the short term is to drill in Alaska and off the Florida Coast. ... We can't continue like this," Pearce said in a recent Daily Times article. Pearce's rational is rooted in the fact that something must be done to effect the short term outcome.

(R) Steve Pearce is under enormous pressure to win New Mexico's soon-to-be vacated seat. According to the Majority Rules Blog (Objective Disclosure: This is a pro-Democratic blog site), the Republican Party is defending 22 seats in the 2008 elections, The Democratic Party is defending 12. Also, the Republicans must win 23 of the total 34 contests in order to regain control of the Senate.

According to the HuffingtonPost.com, (R) Steve Pearce has received a considerable amount of money from oil lobbyists, a little over $200,000. Exxon-Mobil revealed on July 31 they had earned a profit for the first six months of 2008 to the tune of $22.57 billion, or $4.25 a share. Udall has an opportunity to spin this fact in his favor in the upcoming televised debates.

Polls can be misleading and it's important for the reader to determine their validity or lack thereof. In contrast to the recent NewsMax poll discussed above, Udall is strongly favored, leading Pearce 59 percent to 34 percent in a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted July 24.

The poll posted on NewsMax.com is reflective of polling conducted June 11-30, 2008. The results were posted Thursday, July 31. Udall indeed leads by a 9 pt margin (with a +/- 4.6 percentage point allowance for error), which leaves a possibility of the gap being reduced to 5 pts. According to the NewsMax.com article, Pearce's voter base is, "the traditional GOP voters: regular church goers and gun owners." If McCain can influence independent and undecided voters between now and November, Pearce may be able to close the gap and make this a closer race than anticipated.

(R) Steve Pearce is said to be 'on the fence' as to his attendance at the upcoming Republican National Convention in Minnesota, according to a spokesman. NationalJournal.com reports there are a handful of Republican representatives and senators who may not be in attendance at the convention, sighting a variety of reasons including personal engagements, campaign obligations and more. (D) Tom Udall has committed to attend the Democratic Party convention in Denver. Bloggers have already jumped on the news of Pearce's possible absence (http://www.rightpundits.com/?p=1786) as a sign he may not be as loyal to the Republican Party and John McCain as conservatives had hoped.

According to local NBC affiliate KOB-TV, (R) Steve Pearce has been conservative in his campaign approach thus far due to limited financial resources. KOB reports Pearce carries an account balance of $500,000 while his opponent, (D) Tom Udall, has resources in excess of $3 million dollars. Republican insiders supposedly predict Pearce will 'come out swinging' soon and take on Udall on a variety of issues. Pearce will have his chance, as Udall has recently challenged him to three televised debates.