Republicans want to be tough and say, 'Illegals, you're gone.' But the answer is a lot more complex than that.
— Susana Martinez
Sometimes Republicans engage in number-crunching analysis that doesn't always take the neediest into account.
My parents taught me to never give up and to always believe that my future could be whatever I dreamt it to be.
As the first Hispanic female governor in history, little girls often come up to me in the grocery store or the mall. They look and point, and when they get the courage, they ask 'Are you Susana?' and they run up and give me a hug.
We talked about many issues, like welfare, is it the way of life or hand up? Talked about size of government, how much should it tax families and small businesses? And when we left that lunch, we got in the car and I looked over at Chuck and said, 'I'll be damned. we're Republicans.'
My parents grew that small business from one 18-year-old guarding a bingo to more than 125 employees in three states. And sure, there was help along the way. But my parents took the risk. They stood up. And you better believe they built it.
New Mexico is an environment where we are open for business.
When I first registered to vote I registered as a Democrat.
I absolutely advocate for comprehensive immigration reform.
When I was a young prosecutor, I got called to testify against my boss. I could have backed down, but I didn't. I stood up to him. And he fired me for it.
Growing up, I never imagined a girl from a border town could one day become a governor.
There is one candidate in this election who will protect that dream. One leader who will fight hard to keep the promise of America for the next generation. And that's why we must stand up and make Mitt Romney the next president of the United States.
I fear some of our leaders today have lost the courage to stand up. What we have now are politicians. They won't offer real plans, and only stand up when they want to blame someone else.
Despite what some would have us believe, success is not built on resentment and fear.
I will veto any tax increase.
I registered Democrat because my parents did. They were, we were. There was no thinking behind it.
My dad was a golden gloves boxer in the Marine Corps, then a deputy sheriff. My mom worked as an office assistant.
Success is the American Dream. And that success is not something to be ashamed of, or to demonize.
In New Mexico, I inherited the largest structural deficit in state history, and our legislature is controlled by Democrats. We don't always agree, but we came together in a bipartisan manner and turned that deficit into a surplus. And we did it without raising taxes.
I went to law school. And I became a prosecutor. I took on a specialty that very few choose to pursue. I prosecuted child abuse and child homicide cases. Cases that were truly gut-wrenching. But standing up for those kids, being their voice for justice was the honor of a lifetime.
Growing up I never imagined a little girl from a border town could one day become a governor. But this is America. In America algo es possible.
My parents were Democrats.
