Dem congressman draws a blank on 2nd Amendment

October 27, 2012
The Monitor

McALLEN — Asked Wednesday about the Second Amendment, longtime U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa fumbled for an answer.

“There are so many people in Washington who come and talk to us about the Constitution and the rights that they want kept sacred and that not do anything about them. (sic) That we not change them. That we not amend them,” said Hinojosa. “And I can tell you that — I’m drawing a blank on the Second Amendment, but I think it’s the weapons, isn’t it? The NRA?”

Hinojosa recovered after a brief pause, recalling how the 1999 Columbine High School massacre convinced him America needs stronger background checks at weekend gun shows and that he supports more restrictive gun laws.

“And especially those machine guns. Why in the hell do we have to have machine guns? And don’t touch that, because NRA will come and put you on the black list,” Hinojosa said. “Well, I didn’t go up there to be Mr. Popular. I went up there to do the right thing. To help our community. To protect them.”

Hinojosa spoke Wednesday at a political debate hosted by the McAllen Rotary Club, which drew about 50 people to the Salvation Army building, 1600 N. 23rd St. The 72-year-old Democrat from Mercedes is running for a ninth term against Republican challenger Dale Brueggemann, a businessman from Seguin.

The roughly 45-minute debate touched on everything from education to the national debt. Afterward, though, discussion focused on Hinojosa’s comments, which initially suggested he wasn’t familiar with the Second Amendment.

“That was scary, on the part of Rubén, when he was having trouble remembering what the Second Amendment was,” said Peter P. Pranis Jr., a 70-year-old retiree. After Hinojosa’s comments, Pranis said he passed a note to someone sitting nearby, questioning the representative’s mental acuity.

The gaffe also surprised Brueggemann, a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association who holds a concealed handgun license.

“I’m a little surprised he didn’t know it right off,” Brueggemann said after the debate.

Hinojosa called Brueggemann’s response “just political rhetoric.”

The moderator switched topics and Hinojosa said he wanted to continue the earlier discussion.

“I just wasn't prepared,” Hinojosa said. “He started talking about a totally different question.”