Sen. Cruz: Bought and Paid For By the NRA

by: JordanKrueger

Fri May 17, 2013 at 00:29 PM CDT

I was outraged when a few dozen members of the Senate managed to block an up-or-down vote on expanded background checks for gun buyers.

But then my friends at Mayors Against Illegal Guns exposed the donation records of the gun lobby to some of those senators, and it was easy to see what compelled these members of Congress to vote against the vast majority of their constituents: money.

That's why they created this powerful receipt to show how Senator Ted Cruz is bought and paid for by the NRA.

Click here to send a free fax to Sen. Cruz with this receipt from the gun lobby for his vote blocking expanded background checks for gun buyers.

The strengthened background check bill could have saved countless lives. And over 90% of Americans, and 74% of NRA members, supported expanding background checks in this way.1

But because the NRA opposed the plan, these bought and paid for senators helped block an up-or-down vote.2

The 45 members of the Senate who voted against the vast majority of Americans on background checks have accepted over $8 million — just in contributions and independent expenditures — from the NRA and other lobbying groups that act as a front for gun manufacturers.

Putting the NRA's agenda above the will and needs of their constituents is wrong. They need to hear that from constituents like you.

Click the link below to send a free fax of Senator Cruz's gun money receipt straight to his office:
http://act.credoaction.com/letter/gun_vote_receipt_Cruz/

Thank you for taking action against the NRA's corruption.

Jordan Krueger, Campaign Manager
CREDO Mobile from Working Assets

PPP Polls: Ted Cruz a Top 6 GOP Contender for 2016

by: Michael Hurta

Fri May 17, 2013 at 08:00 AM CDT

From PPP Polls' new survey:

PPP's monthly look at the 2016 Republican field for President finds essentially a 4 way tie at the top- Marco Rubio has 16%, Jeb Bush and Chris Christie 15% each, and Rand Paul 14%. Paul Ryan at 9%, Ted Cruz at 7%, Rick Santorum at 5%, Bobby Jindal at 3%, and Susana Martinez at 1% round out the potential candidates we tested.

So 6th place and 7%. On first glance, that's unimpressive, but Ted Cruz has actually put himself in a fantastic position to run for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2016 should he choose to do so. Read on for that analysis.

Would Ted Cruz Birther Himself?

by: Ben Sherman

Wed May 15, 2013 at 01:00 PM CDT

The answer is no. But if the Canada-born Cruz runs for president, as he appears likely to do, he'll be a big ol' hypocrite.

You see, Ted Cruz is a constitutional originalist - a person who thinks the Constitution was set in stone in 1787 and none of it is open to interpretation. On the question of eligibility to be president, the Constitution reads: "No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President."

Clearly, there are many ways to interpret "natural born". Temple University law professor and expert on nationality law recently explained: "It's a question of how our understandings have evolved over time...[recent examples] all pretty clearly establish that the American people are on board with somebody who was born outside of the United States, but who had citizenship at birth." Recent examples of popular interpretation, that is.

But Ted Cruz isn't a fan of constitutional interpretation.

Read more below the jump.  

John Cornyn: Up to His Old Tricks on Immigration

by: americasvoice

Tue May 14, 2013 at 06:19 PM CDT

As a group of eight senators, four Republicans and four Democrats, work together to make progress on immigration reform, there's one senator not in the group to keep an eye on.  His name is John Cornyn.

In fact, Cornyn is famous for posing as reformer even as he works to derail reform.

From 2005 through 2007, the group I headed worked closely with Senators McCain and Kennedy to pass bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform.  In 2005 and 2006 Senator Cornyn teamed up with Senator Kyl of Arizona to propose an alternative bill.  He made eloquent speeches about the need for reform.  He issued positive press releases on his hopes for reform.  He held meetings with advocates for reform.  We believed -- and hoped -- he was positioning himself to be the deal maker on a bill that would fix our immigration system once and for all.

Unfortunately, Cornyn turned out to be typical politician.  All hat and no cattle.  As the immigration bill moved to the Senate floor in 2006, he proposed poison pill amendments to weaken support for it.  He voted against it, even though 23 other Republicans voted for it.  It turned out all that posturing was aimed at undermining, not enacting, reform.

Read more about how Cornyn's up to his same old tricks in 2013.

PPP Polls: Rick Perry Not Worth Including in Presidential Polls Anymore

by: Katherine Haenschen

Tue May 14, 2013 at 02:22 PM CDT

Perry's going to need some ointment for that sick statistical burn.

PPP will have their first national presidential poll out this week that includes Cruz. Will he have a stronger showing than Governor "Oops," who is little more than a rounding error to GOP primary voters at this point?

In the meantime it's just another sign that Perry's reign of terror is drawing to a close. The Republican Legislature has openly pushed back against him on the UT Board of Regents, and even members of his own party are opposing some of his priority agenda items.

The only concern I have with these numbers is that they might convince Perry to stick around for another term as Governor of Texas, since clearly he's got no hope of winning a 2016 Presidential Primary and can't possibly be construed as a "value add" to any national ticket. However, Perry's donors seem to be making their preference for Greg Abbott in 2014 clear, if their contribution trends are any indication.  

Vacant: Texas Federal Judiciary; Cornyn Says They're Trying

by: Edward Garris

Sat May 11, 2013 at 02:00 PM CDT

Our long national nightmare of an empty federal judiciary is finally over.

Gotcha.  Texas still has seven vacancies in federal judgeships in the state.  Two of those slots have been empty for 1,046 days and 1,745 days, respectively.  To put that into perspective, the United States was in World War II for just over 1,300 days.

In March, Republican obstruction forced President Obama to withdraw one of his nominationsfor federal judge in D.C.  In April, his nomination of the eminently qualified Sri Srinivasan to the same court in D.C. went nowhere.

In late April, Senators Cornyn and Cruz of Texas established a 35-person committee to review candidates interested in seeking federal appointments in Texas, including appointments to the federal judiciary. Never mind that there are already committees set up for this purpose, making an already tortuous process even more so.

Texas nominations aren't making national headlines like the two recent nominations to the federal appeals court in D.C. for this one very simple reason: there aren't any.

And John Cornyn would have you believe that President Obama is the cause behind that lack of appointments. The Huffington Post reported Thursday that, in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Sen. Cornyn attempted to make the case for more immigration judges in Texas.  

To see how he fared, read below the jump.

President Obama in Austin, Texas Talking Middle Class Jobs And Education

by: Joe Deshotel

Thu May 09, 2013 at 05:26 PM CDT

His overall theme was that working together we can reignite the true engine of America's economic growth: a rising, thriving, middle class.

To achieve this he said would require three things: making America a magnet for good jobs; helping people earn the education and develop the skills to do those jobs; and ensuring that people who are working hard are able to achieve a decent living.

As part of his visit he also issued an executive order, "to make government-held data more accessible to the public and to entrepreneurs and others as fuel for innovation and economic growth."

"Corporate profits are at an alltime high, but thats not good enough, we have to make sure that middle-class wages are also going up, because most families haven't seen their take home pay rise for years now...There are a lot of reasons for us to feel optimistic about where we are going as a country, especially after all of the tough times we have been through the last several years. That should encourage us to roll up our sleeves and work even harder, and work together to take on the challenges that are holding back parts of our economy."

Governor Perry and Senator Ted Cruz haven't missed the opportunity to have a field day mocking the President over job creation and promoting their pro-business-at-any-cost "Texas model", in advance of his visit. Perry went as far as "greeting" President Obama at the airport with a letter and said that, "If the president is serious about creating jobs in this country, then Texas is the blueprint."

Close but no cigar Governor, according to the White House the President is here, "Showcasing the Innovative Spirit of Austin as a Model for the Rest of the Country".  Our Republican state leaders continue to promote the Texas mirage that low taxes, low services, and low regulation alone are the fuel for our economic success, but the White House sees something very different and so do the facts.

Not only does Texas rank near the bottom on important statistics relating to quality of life, income and savings, but the areas in our state that lead in job creation also happen to be the bluest. Cities like Austin, San Antonio, Houston and Dallas constantly top the growth and job markets for the US and all 4 of their respective counties rejected Rick Perry as Governor in 2010. According to Forbes Texas also has two top 10 cities for green jobs, Houston and Dallas.

More below the jump!

The Way of the Gun: Cruz Talks to NRA; Lege Ignores Supremacy Clause

by: Edward Garris

Mon May 06, 2013 at 02:00 PM CDT

For a group allegedly committed to originalism, first principles, and tri-cornered hats, the Tea Party and its acolytes aren't even going two for three.  Haberdashers, however, you are in luck.

In the shadow of a tragic shooting in Terminal B of Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport, the National Rifle Association held its annual convention in Houston. According to the Texas Tribune, the NRA convention saw Sen. Ted Cruz challenge Vice President Joe Biden to a debate on gun control and crime, and Gov. Rick Perry lobby for guns because "we believe in the God-given right for people to have peace of mind to defend themselves and their family."  Because on the eighth day, God created firearms. Originalism, indeed.

To see how all this misfired this weekend, go below the jump.

Republican Congressman Slams Ted Cruz for Disaster Aid Hypocrisy

by: Ben Sherman

Fri May 03, 2013 at 11:00 AM CDT

They say all politics is local, but Ted Cruz may just be starting to learn that lesson. The New York State GOP is welcoming Cruz as their keynote speaker at a May 29 dinner. But at least one New York Republican can't stand the idea - and it's all because Cruz voted against aid to Sandy victims while demanding it for West victims.

"It's life and death," Rep. Pete King (R-Long Island) told the New York Daily News. "There were really false and phony charges made against the Sandy aid, and if Ted Cruz had prevailed, my constituents would be homeless," he said.

Read more below the jump.

Ted Cruz Considering a Run for President in 2016

by: Ben Sherman

Thu May 02, 2013 at 09:04 AM CDT

Well, now we know for certain. A National Review article came out yesterday in which insider Republicans reveal that Ted Cruz is thinking about mounting a 2016 candidacy for the presidency.

"If you don't think this is real, then you're not paying attention," one GOP insider said. "Cruz already has grassroots on his side, and in this climate, that's all he may need.

"There's not a lot of hesitation there," said a Cruz donor and longtime friend. "He's fearless."

"We all see a path, and he does, too," a former Cruz colleague said. "This isn't someone who needs to be told the obvious. He didn't run for the Senate to get cozy, so no one who knows him is surprised that he's at least looking at it."

What are Cruz's chances? Read more below the jump.