The Old Eighteen

Noriega responds to Cornyn's lameass video

By now, just about everyone has seen John "The Suburban Cowboy" Cornyn's embarrasingly bad campaign video that aired at the Texas Republican Convention, in which Cornyn dresses up like the cowboy character from the Village People and goes hunting fow wabbits.  Or something.  Anyway, Rick Noriega's campaign has released a video response to the Cornyn promo:

Texas Lyceum poll: Obama, Noriega within striking distance

A newly released poll by Texas Lyceum [PDF] offers some encouraging news for both Barack Obama and Rick Noriega as they face an uphill battle to win their respective races.  The poll of likely voters shows John McCain leading Barack Obama by only 5 points, 43%-38%, with 17% of Texas voters saying they are undecided about who will get their vote.  Ralph Nader and Bob Barr were included in the poll, but only got 1% each - and Nader will probably not be on the ballot in Texas.  With McCain polling well under 50% and a large number of undecideds, Obama has a lot of room for growth and a legitimate chance at actually winning Texas, if the results of this poll are to be taken seriously.

The same poll shows Rick Noriega faring even better, showing John Cornyn with a lead of only 2 points, 38%-36%, and 24% of respondents identifying themselves as undecided.  Noriega has a problem with name recognition and a significant cash disadvantage, but his fundraising appears to be picking up steam lately and he's bound to get a boost from the Obama campaign investing resources in Texas for the general election.  John Cornyn polling at only 38% is a significant sign of weakness for an incumbent, so there's a lot of good news to be taken from this poll for Rick Noriega.

But can this poll be trusted?  The party splits for the poll are 44% Democratic to 32% Republican, indicating that Democrats were oversampled, unless there's been some huge, dramatic shift in party affiliation since the last election.  And 32% of the respondents were Hispanic, indicating that they might also have been oversampled - Hispanics are about 35% of the state population, but have historically tended to lag significantly behind whites and blacks in voter participation.  The poll results are encouraging, but should be taken with a huge grain of salt.

Noriega speaks out against telecom immunity

Here's a new video from Rick Noriega's campaign, in which the candidate speaks out against telecom immunity and calls for Senator Box Turtle to stand up for our Constitution and the rule of law:

I'm glad to hear Rick speaking out against amnesty for the telecoms.  Too bad our presidential candidate isn't doing the same thing.

Why we fight

Posted below are two more videos that caught my eye recently.  The first video is from the Rick Noriega campaign.  I'm not sure if it's meant as a campaign ad, and it looks like it's only being aired on YouTube at this point.  In the video, Noriega and a few of his fellow veterans call on John Cornyn to stop filming stupid promos of himself playing dress-up and pretending to be a cowboy, and to support the New GI Bill.  After you've watched the video, you can click here to sign a petition telling Senator Box Turtle to take his head out of his shell and change his vote:

The other video is an ad from Moveon.org directed at John McCain, that's getting airplay on MSNBC (or at least, that's where I saw it - I assume it's also beng aired on the other cable news channels, at the least).  This is a pretty simple but effective ad that sneaks up on you - it's a powerful illustration of what the stakes are in this election and why we're fighting to defeat McCain.  You can click here to make a contribution so this ad gets as much airplay as possible:

Unintentionally funny campaign videos: The John Cornyn edition

In this introduction video that was played at the Texas Republican Convention this past weekend, John Cornyn gets to dress up like a cowboy, and ride a horsey and everything!  Imagine John Lithgow as the cowboy character from the Village People, and you'll have some idea of what Senator Box Turtle looks like here.  Note to Cornyn: stay away from the fringed suede.  Oh, and tell that lame Johnny Cash impersonator you dug up to sing the song for this video that it's a Jimmy Dean song, and Mr. Dean is probably not amused at the idea of one of his signature tunes being appropriated as a commercial jingle for someone who may be named John, but who is definitely neither big nor bad.

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(via Trail Blazers)

Noriega condemns Cornyn for voting against 21st Century GI Bill

This Memorial Day, as many of us have our thoughts on those who never made it back from their tour of duty, Rick Noriega is thinking about those who do make it back.  In today's Houston Chronicle, he took John Cornyn to task for voting against the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Act, or the "21st Century GI Bill" as it is being called by some, and promised to be a Senator who will support the troops in deeds, not just words:

Today is Memorial Day, and I can think of no more fitting tribute to commemorate those who serve in the armed forces than the ratification of this new GI Bill.

As a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, I have seen countless acts of valor and heroism performed by our troops. They risk their lives for us daily, asking nothing in return but the benefits they have been promised. The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Act was proposed by Sen. Webb as a means of protecting and increasing the educational benefits for those who have served in the military since Sept. 11, 2001. Like the GI Bill enacted after World War II, this 21st century GI Bill will ensure that our soldiers are able to pursue the American Dream for which they have put their lives on the line to defend.

[...] Today's veterans deserve the same sort of benefit that World War II veterans enjoyed. It's not only good for the troops and their families, it's good for our nation as a whole, strengthening our economy and our military recruitment.

Unfortunately, my opponent, Sen. John Cornyn, failed to stand up for our troops. Cornyn was one of only 22 senators to vote against the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Act, continuing his history of turning his back on veterans. Adding insult to injury, Cornyn went so far as to condone and encourage a presidential veto of the bill. Webb's GI Bill passed with the support of 75 senators, including Texas' senior Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Texas needs two senators fighting for our veterans and our families. It is reprehensible that Cornyn supports keeping our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan but refuses to provide for our soldiers once they return home. As a public servant, as a soldier and as a Texan, I am ashamed of Cornyn's continued efforts to deny our troops the benefits they earned defending the United States.

Sen. Cornyn argues that financing higher education for veterans would encourage soldiers to leave the military to attend college. The notion that we should limit benefits to force our troops to stay in the military is morally repugnant. The knowledge I gained while attending college is instrumental in the work I do as a member of the Texas House of Representatives and as a lieutenant colonel in the Texas Army National Guard. I believe that higher education should be a reality for any American who wants it, and I am disheartened by Cornyn's desire to deny this valuable right to the honorable men and women of the armed forces. A stronger GI Bill will help military recruitment, attracting America's most capable and gifted volunteers to the military during a time when we need more troops than ever.

While we take today to honor the sacrifices made by the American soldiers who put their lives on the line to protect this nation, let us not forget their dedication and sacrifice every day of the year. Our armed forces deserve our support while they are in service to America and after they return home.

We call these young men and women the "next greatest generation," and given the opportunity to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate, I will do everything in my power to make sure they are treated that way.

By voting against the 21st Century GI Bill, Senator Box Turtle has proven himself to be nothing more than a sock puppet for George Bush.  Unfortunately for him, while Texans will forgive a lot of shortcomings in their politicians, they won't forgive someone who doesn't support our men and women in the military.  I have a feeling that John Cornyn is going to seriously regret voting against this bill when the poll results begin coming in on the first Tuesday in November.

Senator Box Turtle, why do you hate the troops?

John Cornyn must be feeling the heat after getting slammed by VoteVets.org for his opposition to the 21st Century GI Bill, which passed overwhelminglt in the Senate yesterday with a veto-proof majority despite his voting against it.  Predictably, he has lashed out at his critics while hypocritically wrapping himself in the language of supporting the troops:

"The anti-war crowd is determined to use our men and women in uniform for their political advantage, even if our national security is jeopardized in the process," Cornyn campaign spokesman Kevin McLaughlin said. "The fact that Noriega would associate himself with a group that attacks John McCain [R-Ariz.], an American Hero by any standard, will not go unnoticed by Texans.

They're attacking McCain for his stance on the issues, Senator Box Turtle, which most rational people recognize as well within the bounds of acceptable political behavior regardless of whether or not the person is a "war hero."  To their credit, the fine folks at VoteVets are having none of Cornyn's crap:

What a bunch of jokers.  Jim Webb and Chuck Hagel (who devised the new GI Bill), Rick Noriega (Cornyn's opponent), and VoteVets.org (whose veterans created the ad) have--not surprisingly--all served in a war.  Yet we're the "anti-war crowd" according to the Cornyn campaign.  However, John Cornyn--who was vehemently against serving in a war himself--is, I think, the real "anti-war" guy here, having avoided service during Vietnam.

Regardless, as far as his accusation goes that we're the ones jeopardizing national security, Cornyn actually takes the cake on this one: He's the one who's kept us in this disastrous war in Iraq.  He's the one who's supported policies that have nearly bled the Army dry.  He's the one pre-occupied with Shia-Sunni strife in Iraq, while terrorism flourishes in Afghanistan.  He's the one who voted against giving our troops proper rest and recovery periods--thus weakening our military.  And he's the one who's prepared to kill military recruiting by keeping the GI Bill weak enough to prevent recruiters from using it as a viable "carrot."  In fact, Cornyn's policies are the reason that 60 percent of the military's officers believe that "the military is weaker than it was five years ago."

So I don't think the Cornyn campaign really wants to go there with this "even if our national security is jeopardized" nonsense. Cornyn is a veritable champion when it comes to weakening our national security.  The troops--especially those who've served in Afghanistan--know that.  And we'll keep reminding him--and his constituents--of that fact throughout the year.

John Cornyn can claim to support the troops all he likes, but his record speaks for itself: he has received poor marks on his voting record from the Disabled American Veterans (60% in 2006, 33% in 2005, and a miserable 0% in 2004), the Retired Enlisted Association (6% in 2006 and 0% in 2004), and the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (a grade of D-).  What our troops deserve is someone who will represent their interests in the Senate, and who better to do that than someone like Rick Noriega, who has actually walked in their boots and knows what they have to deal with as servicemen and servicewomen.  Cornyn?  The closest he's ever been to seeing combat is his last viewing of F Troop.

New VoteVets.org ad nails Cornyn on GI Bill

VoteVets.org has a new ad out hammering John Cornyn for his opposition to the 21st Century GI Bill.  Senator Box Turtle, why do you hate the troops?

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(via Eye on Williamson)

Cornyn being mentioned as possible McCain running mate

Please, let it happen.  John Cornyn will have a hard enough time winning his Senate election against Rick Noriega as it is, without having to do so while simultaneously running for VP.  And putting Cornyn on the ticket might help John McCain's numbers in Texas a little, but it certainly won't help him anywhere else.  I don't see it happening, but if it does, John Cornyn as McCain's running mate probably guarantees a Noriega win in November.

Right on cue

Well, that didn't take long:

Thursday's California court ruling striking down that state's ban on gay marriage will spark a fresh push to add a nationwide ban to the U.S. Constitution, Texas Sen. John Cornyn said shortly after the ruling was announced.

"It's certainly surprising. Many of us thought that the efforts to overturn the tradition marriage laws would be confined just to Massachusetts," said Mr. Cornyn, a chief backer of a push to enact a constitutional ban, which failed in 2004.

[...] He noted that during congressional debates several years ago, one argument used by opponents of a constitutional ban was that few states allowed such arrangements, making the drastic step premature.

The California development, he said, reopens that argument.

"I do expect it'll generate some more debate, and I'll be happy to contribute to it," said Mr. Cornyn, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, adding that Thursday's ruling also unleashes a slew of questions about whether other states will be forced to recognize same-sex unions from California.

Yeah, I'm sure you'll be real happy to contribute to that "debate," John - anythng to keep from having to talk about the real issues that actually affect people's everyday lives.