Mercer Voices Opinions at Candidate Forum

According to reporter Becky Pallack, covering the Candidate Forum at Rio Rico High Sept 27 for the Arizona Daily Star,  Gabriela Saucedo Mercer said Rep. Raúl Grijalva has “a pathetic track record," questioned Libertarian Blanca Guerra’s dual citizenship, denied that US oil and gas companies receive subsidies and said the Ryan budget “makes a lot of sense."

In what one reporter termed "grade school" behavior, candidates traded barbs, yelled and resorted to name calling. Mercer accused Grijalva of playing the "race card." Grijalva called Saucedo Mercer a conspiracy theorist and Guerra called Mercer ignorant and intolerant toward immigrants and questioned her grasp of the English language. Mercer challenged her  allegiance, pointing to Guerra's dual citizen status.
 

Grijalva has said there will be a personal side to the campaign. He told KGUN Aug 29 that "the allegations, the statements that she's made publicly about me being a Marxist and a Communist and anti-American, that's the other level on which unfortunately this campaign is going to be waged." In the past, Mercer has labeled her opponent "anti-American" and gone so far as to call him, and the President, communists.

Nogales International reported that Grijalva said “Quite frankly, the Tea Party took over the House of Representatives,” adding that gridlock could be resolved by “unchaining the Republican Party.”

Saucedo Mercer seemed unprepared for some issues of discussion. When asked about the Chula Vista Bridge project in Nogales that the Army Corps of Engineers had just recently put on hold, despite available funding, she said that she was not familiar with the project, but she had heard about it from some Nogalians she had met.

But when questioned about her "middle easterner" comments and the overwhelming negative response to them, Mercer responded,  “Well, you know when you have the track record of the current Congressman and the Obama administration all you have to do is resort to the race card.”

KVOA NBC has reported her saying "They're trying to make me look like a racist, I'm sorry who's the racist? ... Grijalva has been advocating for La Raza Studies which is all about race he is a member of MEChA, that is a racist group."

“I failed to say radical Islamic Muslim terrorists," Saucedo Mercer said according to Nogales' report. "Am I being politically correct now? ... I still stand with what I said. I don’t want them here legally or illegally because all they want to do is come and kill us.”

In the comments section of the Nogales Internationl report, reader Habibi states in rebuttal:

I despise what Gabriela Saucedo Mercer for what she represents, "Racism, Biggotry and Prejudice". Gabriela, please do some research and tell the public who are some of the wealthiest men in Arizona, the name of Middle-Eastern families appear prominently on the top of the list, what has the saucedo family contributed to the financial solvency of the Great State of Arizona? "Nothing". And by the way, they are active members of Christian based Religions. They walk around with their checkbooks open to promote the economy in Arizona, the wealthiest happen to be from Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, so drop your veil of ignorance and find the truth and then you will live free. (posted at 8:55 am on Fri, Sep 28, 2012)

Grijalva contended that with saucedo Mercer, “... if we raise any questions about the impropriety of a comment, suddenly it’s a conspiracy by Grijalva and Obama.”

Indeed, Saucedo Mercer has used that theme before. In May 2012, in response to the cancelling of Ethnic Studies in Tucson, she said in the Arizona Daily Independent, "Superintendent Huppenthal ... [and the TUSD Scool] Board acted on behalf of our community and stopped offering classes which create hate and resentment, and more importantly Obama and Grijalva voters.” 

The harshest assault on Saucedo Mercer at the CD3 Candidate Forum came from Libertarian Guerra. Nogales International reported that she "turned to Saucedo Mercer and, from a distance of only a few feet, said: “You have, from the beginning, repeatedly shown ignorance, your lack of understanding, your lack of comprehension, your complete ignorance and intolerance to immigrants. You do not belong as a representative.” Nogales reports that Mercer responded by saying that Guerra started her campaign as a Republican, but changed to Libertarian when she didn’t get the party’s nomination.

There was dicussion of matters that affect the public, and Grijalva later said “not enough” has been done to stop guns from entering Mexico. Saucedo Mercer agreed that “nothing has been done,” but she said, “the reason we have this problem is that Rep. Grijalva has not done his job.” All seemed to agree the Fast and Furious operation was a failure, with Saucedo Mercer calling it “botched” and Grijalva saying it was “ill-conceived.” Guerra suggested we aim at the cartels like we did Osama Bin Laden. Saucedo Mercer offered no alternatives, but recognized that lack of manpower at border entry points is a serious problem.

“We’re building this great port or entry, but we don’t have enough people to staff them,” Saucedo Mercer said. She laid the blame for under staffing at the feet of the Obama Administration but again, offered no solutions of her own.

In the past, Mercer has stated illegal immigration is an "unfortunate" situation and that reforms will fail until the border is secured. She cites the double-layer fence in San Diego County as a success story and she criticizes humanitarian efforts to leave water in the desert, according to the Arizona Daily Star.

Candidates Mercer, Grijalva and Guerra are scheduled for another debate Oct 9 6 pm at the Pima Community College west Campus, 2202 W. Anklam Road. The event will be broadcast on Arizona Public Media on Oct 10.