Gabriel Gomez, the Republican nominee for the Senate in Massachusetts, will be facing off against the Democratic nominee, Congressman Ed Markey in the June 25th special election. Gomez is a former SEAL Lieutenant, who served from 1991 to 1996.

As evidenced by his new ad, Markey is obviously running scared, currently only four percentage points ahead of Gomez. The ad has Gomez and Bin Laden side by side and talks about how a group of former national security and military figures "shamelessly" called out the president for leaking classified information for political purposes. The ad atrociously links Gomez with the terrorist and implies his comments were unpatriotic. The Democratic tactics are obviously designed to distract attention from both the congressman's and the Obama Administration's record on terrorism. American Thinker had the pleasure of interviewing Gabriel Gomez to contrast his views with the congressman, including how this ad and Markey's victory comments show hypocrisy and distortion.

During his fifteen-minute victory speech, Markey basically takes a page from the Liberal handbook. He spoke about his desire to overturn Citizens United, a Supreme Court case allowing unlimited political spending, and protecting entitlement programs; although he does not mention how he will do it. He talks about his record on gun control, stating, "We need to make the NRA (National Rifle Association) stand for Not Relevant Anymore," and listed climate change as one of the most important issues facing America today.

Gomez started the conversation with American Thinker by saying Ed Markey is a "poster boy for term limits," having served for thirty-seven years. When Markey was first elected in 1976, Gomez was playing Little League baseball, and the debt was less than a trillion dollars, not even close to the seventeen trillion today. "I want to pass off a better country to the next generation. If we continue on the same economic path my four young children will not have the same opportunities that I had as a youngster. Markey represents the past, whereas I represent the future."

The former SEAL is not surprised by Markey's outrageous ad and personal attacks, since the congressman does not want to talk about Democratic policies toward terrorism. In looking at Markey's record, there are several bills that he voted against which tied law enforcement and intelligence officials' hands. He voted against a 2006 bill that would have expanded the president's powers to conduct electronic surveillance of suspected terrorists without obtaining a warrant from a secret court. Markey also voted against reauthorizing or making permanent provisions of the Patriot Act, voted against a bill that would have barred the use of federal funds to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center, and voted to allow some Guantanamo detainees to stand trial in the U.S.

Markey's record and his campaign focus on everything but the economy and terrorism. On the other hand, Gomez sees the Boston terrorist bombing as a reminder to all Americans that "we live in a very dangerous world. I finished running the Boston Marathon just before the bombs exploded with my entire family watching. I spoke early of needing to hold this terrorist as an enemy combatant. Now we hear there is a connection to a Jihadi network. Since he [Dzhokhar Tsarnaev] was read his Miranda Rights, something the Democrats make a habit of doing, he has lawyered up, and we might never know the answer to the where, when, how, and who he trained with. Delaying reading him Miranda Rights does not mean he eventually could not have been tried in Federal Court. After having four people killed and over 250 people hurt, some severely, I don't think the people of Massachusetts want to hear about Mirandizing a terrorist."

There is also the contrast between the two candidates on gun control. Gomez noted that his experiences as a SEAL have influenced him considerably regarding issues. He would never vote for a ban "on any type of gun. I am a firm believer in the 2nd Amendment. Every law-abiding citizen should be allowed to buy any type of gun they want. I am coming from a unique position since as a Navy SEAL I have fired every one of these weapons. It is not about the weapon. It is about enforcing the laws and making sure background checks are thoroughly done when a gun is sold, in all cases."

Being in the military, he knows how important national defense is to this nation. He would not have voted for sequestration because "the military cuts were not done in a thoughtful and balanced way. This administration and Congress, through these cuts, have tied one arm behind their backs as the world becomes more volatile. They called up a virus and mailed it to themselves. Those that served this nation should know we still have their back."

Gomez is hoping that the people of Massachusetts will realize him to be a pragmatic candidate. He is the son of Columbian immigrants brought up to be a proud American, and has dedicated his life to giving back to his country. He wants everyone to understand, "I have had huge challenges in my life, including becoming a SEAL. I am prepared and focused on the mission at hand just as I was trained to do as part of a SEAL team. I would rather be part of a solution than stay on the sidelines and complain. I will approach this job with a military man's discipline, a father's sensitivity, and a businessman's experience."

The author writes for American Thinker. She has done book reviews, author interviews, and has written a number of national security, political, and foreign policy articles.