Posted on 10/21/2014 5:36:31 AM PDT by bestintxas
Should Republicans take full control of Congress after the midterms in a few weeks, Sen. GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said in a new op-ed that they should focus on the key priorities of improving the economy, protecting civil liberties and defending national security.
Priority No. 1 is jump-starting the economy by passing the Keystone XL Pipeline, opening up land for energy exploration and limiting the EPA from implementing new rules he said will destroy coal jobs and drive up energy bills. Also on the list: Pursue “all means possible” to repeal Obamacare, which he said a Republican president will do in 2017, secure the border and rein in “judicial activism.”
“The Senate should stop confirming activist judges who will impose their own policy preferences, such as striking down state marriage laws,” he wrote in USA Today. “We must uphold the Constitution.”
He also called for a halt to the “culture of corruption,” such as banning congressmen from becoming lobbyists; setting term limits; imposing tax reform and abolishing the IRS; auditing the Federal Reserve; passing a balanced budget amendment; repealing Common Core education standards; and dealing “seriously” with the “twin threats” of the Islamic State terrorist group and a nuclear Iran.
“We should lead boldly,” he wrote. “No Washington games. We will either pass a serious agenda to address the real priorities of the American people — protecting our constitutional rights and pulling us back from the fiscal and economic cliff — or the Democrats will filibuster or veto these bills. And, if they do so, we will have transparency and accountability for the very next election.”
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Buy American.
That should be his number one issue.
She was merely a placeholder for the real deal.
He will lead boldly.. the rest of them? Not so much.
Cruz is the unpolitically correct senator that actually does the job he was elected to do. I hope he runs for president. I think it’s very possible he could win it and it might be the imported illegals that turn on the DemoRats that do it. Oh wouldn’t that be justice served cold?
Awesome list. Too bad it is just HIS list.
I don’t he has any chance of winning the Presidency but he will get my vote.
Cruz has my support. Even though a few others match my positions a little better, Cruz will clearly stand up for conservative values, he can get voters excited, and he’s willing to run. I plan on supporting him, and I hope FR will do the same - better to settle on an extremely good candidate while the RINOs are still battling over which weak candidate’s turn it is than to dither between conservatives until the GOP-e forces their chosen one on us.
Then let's make it OUR list, and share it with as many as possible.
Time after time,
I sit and I wait for your call.
I know I'm a fool but what can I say,
whatever the price I'll pay.
For you, Madame Blue.
Once long ago... a word from your lips,
and the World turned around.
But some how you've changed, you're so far away.
I long for the past and dream of a day,
with you, Madame Blue.
Sweet Madame Blue,
gaze in your looking glass.
You're not a child anymore.
Sweet Madame Blue, the future is all but past.
So dressed in your jewels,
you made your own rules.
You conquered the World and more,
Heavens door.
AMERICA, AMERICA...AMERICA, AMERICA (repeat many times).
Red, White, and Blue,
gaze in your looking glass.
You're not a child anymore.
Red, White, and Blue,
the future is all but past.
So lift up your heart,
and make a new start.
Lead us away from here..."
Courtesy of the band Styx. "Suite Madame Blue". One of the favorites on the "With Love and Affection" slideshow VetsCoR created long ago to support our troops.
In the midst of all of the leftists’ systematic destruction of my country, Cruz is one of the few humans who gives me any hope for the nation’s future.
Unfortunately Cruz won't be leading; Boehner and McConnell will. Cruz will be the voice in the wilderness that the establishment ignores.
An important key there is judicial reform. “Reigning in” federal judges is less important that firing many of them. While typically this could be done through impeachment, that is very rare. So an alternative means is the restructuring of the federal judiciary.
This primarily takes two persons, the chairmen of the house and senate judiciary committees. They should consider everything from enlarging the Supreme Court from 9 to 13, and many other structural changes.
And importantly, the zinger is to retire a LOT of radical federal judges by reordering their courts so they no longer have jobs.
They can also kill off much of the “high profit” legal gambits, like class action suits, malpractice, and liability, by limiting the amount lawyers can get in fees. By doing this they could crush a huge number of Barratry oriented leftist legal schemes.
They can repeal the ACLU subsidy of allowing legal costs in lawsuits involving religion. This has been a bounty to scoundrels, mostly suing schools over petty religious expressions.
They can also streamline the death penalty both at the federal level and in federal appeals from the states. These would in no way make the system unfair, just make it so that federal judges opposed to the death penalty cannot drag out such cases for decades.
I see no other person that has the ability to save our republic other than Ted Cruz. Imagine the frenzy and demonizing he will face with the leftist media...it will be beyond vile....I have even donated to Cruz directly and besides my Governor of Maine Mr. Lepage and Bruce Polloquin Cruz is the 3rd politician I have ever given cash to. I am not a rich man and I value every dollar that I get. I hope he runs and the American electorate is aware of what is on the line.
“We should lead boldly....”
Kudos to Cruz for not splitting the infinitive.
I actually doubt that. If the GOPe gets the Senate it won't be because everyone hates Obambi. Cruz and a few others, will have set the new standard, simply because so many want to return to our roots.
I believe the old guard will have much to think about, and we all know how they flip-flop. If they flip towards conservatives, great. Remember, how the House won the majority because of conservatives? The McPains, Gramnesty, and the do nothing AckConnell still cherish their jobs. However, you can bet Sen. Collins will always disregard our Constitution. At least Snow is gone.
If only the Founding Fathers had put term limits in the Constitution or as an Amendment. But then, they couldn't foresee self-serving politicians that would spend their life dictating our inherent rights and spend so much time trying to establish a legacy through their unnecessary and over-bearing legislation.
If only I had a time machine...what I would tell Mr. Washington, Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Adams. Mr Madison and all the Fathers of our nation what happens when you don't include term limits in your Constitution.
Texas has the right idea with legislative sessions being every other year. The less legislatures are in session, the less harm they can do. That's second on my list after term limits - reduced Congressional sessions.
When the GOPe gets the Senate then why should we expect them to behave any differently? They will have shown that they can ignore the Tea Party in races like McConnell's and Corchran's and Roberts's and Alexander's and still expect the conservative wing to vote for them. They will conclude, rightly, that they owe that part of the party nothing and will go on doing business as usual.
If only I had a time machine...what I would tell Mr. Washington, Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Adams. Mr Madison and all the Fathers of our nation what happens when you don't include term limits in your Constitution.
If you had a time machine the only thing I would add to your plan is take videos with you. A picture is worth a thousand words and a view of today's candidates would make our Founding Fathers add term limits so fast our heads would spin.
Without looking at my handy dandy pocket Constitution on my desk, I think it would take a Constitutional Amendment to limit their terms and/or enforce them to judge by "original intent", which is THE biggest problem with the Supreme Court and State courts regarding their own State Constitutions, not to mention appellate regional courts. Talk about a run on sentence.
There is no solution other than a Constitutional Amendment, and I'm all for it. The USSC has TOO much power and so often make their decisions within their own bias and past ill-conceived precedence rather than "original intent".
Personally, I think the the Executive Branch should have more limitations even more than the Judiciary Branch. Third on my list after "term limits" and "reduced Congressional sessions.
Here are ten critical priorities for the 2015 Congress:
First, embrace a big pro-jobs, growth agenda. For six years, the Obama economy has been trapped in stagnation, hurting millions. A Republican Congress should immediately help Americans get more jobs by embracing America's energy renaissance. This means passing legislation to make it easier to build energy infrastructure, such as the Keystone pipeline. But, we need an energy policy that's bigger than Keystone. An effective energy plan would also protect innovative energy technology, such as hydraulic fracturing, from being handcuffed by the federal government. We can also open up land for exploration and ensure that American companies can export liquefied natural gas around the world. And, lastly, stop the EPA from implementing rules that will destroy coal jobs and drive up our electricity bills.
Second, pursue all means possible to repeal Obamacare. There is a reason Obamacare has miserable 37% approval ratings: it has caused millions to lose their jobs, be forced into part-time work, lose their health insurance, lose their doctors, and pay skyrocketing premiums. It simply isn't working. We should pass repeal legislation (forcing an Obama veto), and then pass bill after bill to mitigate the harms of Obamacare. Prevent people from having their healthcare plans cancelled, prohibit insurance company bailouts, eliminate the provisions forcing people into part-time work, and repeal the individual mandate.
Perhaps, President Obama vetoes every one. But each has powerful appeal with the electorate who are hurting under this law, and Democratic senators may not be quite so eager to join their 2014 colleagues in losing their jobs over Obama's refusal to listen to the people.
In 2017, I believe a Republican president will repeal Obamacare in its entirety. In the interim, we should pass positive healthcare reform to start over, allowing the purchase of insurance across state lines, expanding health savings accounts, and making health insurance, personal, portable, and affordable.
Third, secure the border and stop illegal amnesty.Today, we're facing a humanitarian crisis of 90,000 unaccompanied children at the border, along with growing national security threats. We should welcome and celebrate legal immigrants who follow the rules, and at the same time honor the will of the people and prevent any more illegal amnesty.
Fourth, hold government accountable and rein in judicial activism.We need real oversight of the administration's lawlessness and abuse of power. The IRS's illegal targeting of citizen groups, the wanton violation of religious liberty and privacy rights, the lawless implementation of Obamacare, the EPA's assault on manufacturing jobs and war on coal, and the debacle of Benghazi — all should be the subject of careful, sober Senate hearings.
And the Senate should stop confirming activist judges who will impose their own policy preferences, such as striking down state marriage laws. We must uphold the Constitution.
Fifth, stop the culture of corruption.Crony capitalists are standing in the way of commonsense reforms, whether it's abolishing the Export-Import Bank or keeping the Internet tax-free forever and unconstrained by job-killing regulations. We can stop the Washington corruption, in part, by reining in corporate welfare, imposing a lifetime ban on members of Congress becoming lobbyists, and fighting to pass a constitutional amendment to require term limits for Congress.
Sixth, pass fundamental tax reform, making taxes flatter, simpler, and fairer. Moving towards a simple flat tax would treat all Americans more fairly and end the massive time and costs wasted in dealing with the IRS; we should let taxes become so simple that they could be filled out on a postcard. Ultimately, with a Republican president, we should abolish the IRS and end its abuse of power and violation of Americans' constitutional rights.
Seventh, audit the Federal Reserve. Americans are seeing near-zero interest rates on their savings accounts while median incomes are falling, and millions of people are facing higher gas prices, food prices, electricity prices, health insurance prices. Enough is enough, the Federal Reserve needs to open its books — Americans deserve a sound and stable dollar.
Eighth, pass a strong balanced budget amendment. We should pass a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution to stop out-of-control spending by Congress and the president. More than $17 trillion in national debt shows how badly we need structural reforms to stop bankrupting our kids and grandkids.
Ninth, repeal Common Core, so that local curriculum is not mandated by Washington bureaucrats. We should also do all we can to expand educational choices for parents and children and allow every child access to a quality education, regardless of race, class, or zip code.
Tenth, deal seriously with the twin threats of ISIL and a nuclear Iran, including passing legislation that strips American citizens who join ISIL of their U.S. passports so they cannot return home and wage jihad against innocent men and women. We must rebuild our military, protect our nation, and restore America's leadership in the world.
However, I'm not sure he is legally qualified to run for president. Yes, I know Obambi was not either, but since he claimed to be born in Hawaii, and no one has disproved that even with all the evidence. Ted Cruz admits openly that he was born in Canada, while his Father was born in Cuba. Just read his Mother was born in Delaware which makes her a natural born citizen.
Obambi has so convoluted the "original intent" of the Founding Fathers, I'm no longer sure what makes a citizen eligible for the presidency. If Cruz is eligible, he's got my vote and other support.
Romney? Really? Again? Jeb Bush?...ugh. Governor Christie?...are you kidding me? Always the same liberal GOP elite. I didn't use to believe, but I do now that the top GOPe figure whose turn it is. Dole? McPain? What a waste of my votes.
Yes, I'll still vote for whatever Pubbie they put up. I refuse to sit home and not counter a vote for Hillary. I'm hoping Warren runs - she will be decimated in any Pubbie debate.
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