Look, we have to keep it one hundred: politicians will tell you absolutely anything to get your vote, then turn around and switch up the second the wind blows a different way. That's exactly what's happening out in New Mexico's 2nd District right now with Rep. Gabriel Vasquez. The man is currently running a tight race to keep his seat in Congress, but a newly leaked video from 2021 just caught him talking out of both sides of his mouth.

Back in 2021, when Vasquez was trying to win over the progressive base to get the Democratic nomination, he was on camera talking big about cutting off fossil fuels. He went on KRWG Public Media and basically laid out a plan to ban natural gas and force everyone to go electric, from city trucks to the stove in your apartment.

"We have to champion a whole bunch of different policies to really mitigate the impact of climate change," Vasquez said back then. "The electrification of our fleet systems, for example, across our federal government and even our local government here in the city of Las Cruces, the electrification of residential developments, the electrification of commercial and municipal developments, limiting the use of natural gas and other fossil fuels and carbon-based fuels and replacing them with electric."

But here's the real problem: New Mexico's entire bankroll is funded by the exact oil and gas industry he wanted to phase out. The Permian Basin is a massive money-maker for the state, employing thousands of regular, working-class people who are just trying to feed their families.

According to the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, the energy sector pulls in a massive $13.1 billion in total revenue. On top of that, the state's Department of Finance and Administration says about $7.5 billion of that cash goes straight into New Mexico's general fund. That's nearly a third of the state's entire budget. We're talking about the money that actually pays to keep the public schools open, pave the roads, and fund the community.

Now that Vasquez is facing a tough reelection battle, his whole tune has changed. Suddenly, his campaign website is talking about how he "stands by the energy workers" and wants an "all-of-the-above" energy approach. It's a classic move—when your job is on the line, suddenly you love the oil field workers you were ready to phase out a few years ago.

When people started asking about the flip-flop, Vasquez's campaign spokesperson, Patricia Santiago, tried to smooth it over. She said Gabe is "proud of his record" on clean energy and clean water, but that he still supports the "all-of-the-above" approach in Congress. Basically, they're trying to play both sides.

His opponent, a former law enforcement officer named Greg Cunningham, called him out on it immediately. Cunningham didn't hold back, pointing out the hypocrisy of politicians who love to spend that oil money while talking trash about the industry behind closed doors.

"Progressives like Gabe Vasquez are first in line to spend our oil and gas money, and then they run around and shame the very industry that funds our schools, builds our roads," Cunningham said.

This isn't the first time Vasquez has had his old tapes come back to bite him, either. He's already had to deal with folks finding videos of him talking about "deconstructing" the police, and another clip where he called New Mexico "stolen land." It's a tough look when you're trying to play the moderate card, and voters are starting to notice who he really is when the cameras are supposed to be off.

Sources: * New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration * New Mexico Oil and Gas Association * City of Las Cruces Municipal Records * Office of Representative Gabriel Vasquez