Posted on 07/09/2012 5:56:57 PM PDT by SharpRightTurn
Updated, 6:09 p.m. The Texas Republican establishment on Sunday came out hard against former state Solicitor General Ted Cruz (R) in his upstart Senate bid.
Nearly every state Senator signed an open letter addressed to “Fellow Texans” that offered a defense of Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who is running against Cruz in a July 31 GOP primary runoff to replace retiring Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R).
The letter never once mentions Cruz by name. But it makes clear the state Senators’ displeasure with statements he has made on sanctuary cities, state spending, the state’s Transportation Security Administration “Anti-Groping” bill and a state income tax.
Eighteen of 19 Republican state Senators wrote that statements “have been made that are untrue regarding the records of Lt. Governor David Dewhurst, the Republican Texas Senators, as well as Governor Rick Perry.”
Part of the political context of the Senators’ defense of Dewhurst is that in his duties as lieutenant governor, he also serves as the president of the Texas Senate. Any criticism leveled at his record could also be interpreted as a knock on the records of each of these state Senators who have worked with him over the years to move legislation.
The one state Senator who did not sign the letter was Brian Birdwell. He opted out, citing a previous commitment to neutrality in the race.
The Republican federal delegation has been much more silent about the race. So far, only Reps. Michael Burgess and Ron Paul have entered the fray. Both have endorsed Cruz.
The winner of the runoff will most likely be the next Senator from Texas. Roll Call rates this race as Safe Republican.
UPDATE: Cruz has personally responded to the letter on his website.
In his “Open Letter to David Dewhurst,” Cruz twice accused the lieutenant governor of “hiding behind” supporters. He then point by point countered the issues the state Senators addressed in their letter.
SECOND UPDATE: Also, in his Open Letter to David Dewhurst, Cruz writes describes the GOP state Senators’ letter as “drafted by a lobbyist for the City of Austin.”
He then links to a screengrab image of software showing the name “Michael Grimes.”
In addition to being posted on his campaign website, the Cruz campaign sent the Cruz letter to his supporter email list.
But Grimes flatly denies he wrote the letter.
“I had absolutely nothing to with this letter,” Grimes told Roll Call. “And if the Cruz folks had called me beforehand and asked me, I would have told them, but they didn’t.”
Other sources say that the letterhead was designed by a staffer at a consulting firm called The Eppstein Group. Grimes, who is no longer at the firm, once used that computer and the sources say that is how his name surfaced in the computer software.
Grimes does currently lobby on behalf of the city of Austin.
Two staffers working for different state Senators said that their understanding is that the state Senators wrote their letter together. Each staffer said that they were unaware of the letter’s existence until just before it was released to the media on Sunday.
The Cruz campaign had no comment.
Lone Star Freepers: how's it looking for Cruz in your estimation?
Don’t forget Dewhurst’s vile partner in crime, Joe Straus, with who he killed all anti-illegal alien legislation last year. The two of them should be blacklisted from the TX GOP. Traitorous bastards.
Pathetic.
Signs for Cruz are showing up in my subdivision. I haven’t seen even one for Dewhurst.
The support from Rs in Austin may well hurt Dewhurst. Our legislature has done a bad job because of Dewhurst and the R legislative leadership (Straus needs to go).
Sink DewCrist, the sleazy liberal RINO !
“Signs for Cruz are showing up in my subdivision. I haven’t seen even one for Dewhurst.”
Good news. That was the sort of report we were hearing about Mourdock/Lugar when Mourdock started surging.
Fingers crossed.
“He can’t debate the issues, so he attacks.”
Sounds like JugEars.
Having lived in Texas and having family still living there... this would make me more inclined to vote for Cruz. If the machine is against you and you are not a dim... you must be a principled Conservative and my natural ally!
LLS
“Sink DewCrist, the sleazy liberal RINO !”
Hear, hear!
How is it looking for Cruz? All the right people are against him and that is good enough for me, I’m all for Cruz.
Dewdrop is just another rich liar in my book.
Dan Patrick endorsed this letter? He just joined the ranks as another rich liar. His little radio station is now off my dial and has been for quite some time now.
Texas is the biggest little minded state in the Union and that is saying a lot. Color me cynical but finding a politician that is a good and honest man is like trying to find a virgin in a whore house.
“Any criticism leveled at his record could also be interpreted as a knock on the records of each of these state Senators who have worked with him over the years to move legislation.”
If the shoe fits boys, wear it. What this last Texas Congress did was less good than bad in my book.
I KNOW what DEWhurst’s record is and consequently everyone in my household will be voting for Ted Cruz!
Personally I’m sick and tired of folks peeing down my leg and telling me it’s raining!
Heard the same in DFW. Pathetic, same old cr@p attack ads. Must be desperation time in the DewTurd camp.
“this would make me more inclined to vote for Cruz. If the machine is against you and you are not a dim... you must be a principled Conservative and my natural ally!”
I agree, that would be the logical thing for anyone who is was not completely asleep at the wheel—if the establishment guys who never make a meaningful change for the good line up behind one candidate, you know that candidate should be radioactive.
What’s really going on here is that some very big money donors are calling in markers right and left to try and get DEWhurst elected so they can protect their open borders.
“All the right people are against him and that is good enough for me, I’m all for Cruz.”
That’s the way I see it in the primaries, particularly if I don’t know anything about the candidates. Look who lines up behind them and, while it may not be a fool-proof technique, will usually give you a pretty good picture how they shake out.
“I KNOW what DEWhurst’s record is and consequently everyone in my household will be voting for Ted Cruz!”
I hope the majority of the run-off voters will be following your lead. Kudos to you.
translation: Cruz is winning.
Yet again, the GOP-e eagerly attacks a conservative while campaigning timidly against liberal Democrats.
It’s maddening.
“What’s really going on here is that some very big money donors are calling in markers right and left to try and get DEWhurst elected so they can protect their open borders.”
I have no doubt you are right about that. A lot of “to hell with America, I make more money with illegal labor” businesses have a lot at stake if their massive, illegal, third-world labor pool is whittled down.
Amen!
LLS
“Yet again, the GOP-e eagerly attacks a conservative while campaigning timidly against liberal Democrats.”
Yep, the McCain syndrome writ large.
I’ve been in the trenches of Texas politics for a very long time now and you can take it to the bank. THAT is what is driving this and nothing else.
Did somebody pluck the wings off that pesky gnat?
My vote will be for Ted Cruz. dewhurst can drip away.
“Did somebody pluck the wings off that pesky gnat?”
I think the fact that the phrase “Republican establishment” is getting to be so toxic is why Rove was claiming earlier this campaign season there was no such thing.
Since 2010 and the head-on challenge by conservatives/tea partiers, the party elites are still trying to figure out how to put down the rebellion.
“My vote will be for Ted Cruz. dewhurst can drip away.”
Bump, and good for you.
Welcome to what might be called the “Texas paradox.” Go the Texas Republican State Convention, and you will run into what is doubtless one of the three most politically conservative statewide gatherings in these here United States.
The same conservatives that make these conventions the unbelievable experiences they are then fund, fuel, and focus the campaigns of Republicans running for seats in the State House and Senate — so much so, that both are now overwhelmingly Republican....
And, yet.... And, yet... these RINO frauds merrily go their way to Austin and happily sell those same conservative donors and visitors down the river — not once in awhile — but vote after vote, session after session.
Texas has a reputation worldwide for its take-no-nonsense sense of liberty, but... you cannot find that in the RINOpublican-run Legislature.
Other states pass laws restricting Sharia Law — but not Texas.
Other states pass laws recognizing the citizenry’s right to open carry of weapons — but not Texas.
Other states pass laws recognizing the citizenry’s right to carry CHL (CCW) into any restaurant or bar — but not Texas
Other states pass laws recognizing the citizenry’s right to “Constitutional carry” (or, carry without recourse to licensing) — but, you guessed it, not Texas
Other states pass laws strictly legislating against illegal aliens — but not Texas.
And on and on it goes.
It is my hope that the Republican senate phonies who came out against Cruz are assuring themselves of primary opposition next time around. They came out against him, because Cruz’s charges against Dewhurst stung them, as well, for their complicity in Dewhurst’s cowardly, duplicitous, go-along-to-get-along legislative ways.
The Tea Party has much work to do in Texas.
We can start by making sure Ted Cruz “cruises” to the nomination, and, finally, to the Senate.
Next Senate election, we also need to primary John Cornyn, too . . . .
. . . . And, also, to primary all these sellout RINOs who do not merit our respect.
I will be in town to vote for Cruz on July 31, but I know so many will back Dewhurst because they have “heard” of him. Cruz is much less well known to the Republican primary voters who do as they are told time after time.
Let’s hope for a repeat of the Deb Fischer phenomenon and that Cruz buries Dewhurst.
Anybody know what happens if dewdrop vacates his seat? Does Goodhair appoint a replacement or do the sinators appoint one of their own as interim until the next regular election?
BTW---I really hope TX Freepers down in Jeff Wentworth's district turn out in droves to send him packing. Been trying to get rid of that RINO abortionist POS for decades! This will be a rare opportunity.
That authoritarian idiot Dan Patrick signed it. After last year and his putting in terry stop legislation I knew he was all for big government. Luckily the terry stop failed and cops can’t just stop and gestapo you here yet.
His radio station became a “don’t listen to” after hearing that crap.
I asked him on air one time why anyone would want to pay the punitive property taxes in Texas, and what he planned to do about it...The answer was not good.
I expect the local club gang wants to keep a pal in office, I can’t wait for the townhalls coming up.
And I don’t see TED POE having signed this POS
That is telling me a lot.
One camp has an internal poll saying they are winning by a large margin and the other camp has 18 of the 19 members of the state senate led by the other candidate to whom they give their endorsement. Not much more can be expected from either camp and thus in my book not of much value.
Texas in person early voting runs from July 23 thru July 27. July 31, 100+ temperatures, few races on the ballot may make for an exciting runoff for those who follow such things.
Yup and now Dewhurst is inferring that Cruz was working for the Chinese Gov.
Would these be the same pencil-necked, sell-out RINOs who squandered an entire legislative session without getting a tough anti-illegal immigration bill passed in this state? Those RINOs?
They can KMA. Go Cruz!
Like yesterday!
And I don’t see TED POE having signed this POS
That is telling me a lot.
You reckon Poe was even asked to sign it since he’s not a state senator?
If the Texas Senate had bothered to do something useful with their HUGE REPUBLICAN MAJORITY, they might have some credibility in defining who’s conservative.
But other than passing a token Voter ID bill (after spending nearly a decade rejecting it, until just before Perry ran for president), they haven’t done jack. NOTHING on illegal immigration, NOTHING on taxes (other than raise them with a business), NOTHING to reform education, just about NOTHING. Other states, like Arizona, Alabama, and Louisiana are running circles around us.
They are PATHETIC and I’m supposed to listen to them tell me who to vote for? LOL!!!!!!!!!!!
I’ve heard a few of those commercials today myself. What little respect I had left for Dewhurst is pretty much gone now. I don’t know how any self-respecting Republican senator could openly support him now.
Would not expect the slitheirng GOp to do anything other than that.
Yet Dewhurst is running more attack ads saying that Cruz is supported by pro amnesty groups.
The RINOs are coming! The RINOs are coming! Awake TEXANS! AWAKE!
Got a phone poll yesterday, only 4 questions, no tin cup for donations. Specifically asked about this race, which provbably lead to the 49 to 40.
The Texas GOPe is scared.
Cruz will prevail.
Got a phone poll yesterday, only 4 questions, no tin cup for donations. Specifically asked about this race, which provbably lead to the 49 to 40.
The Texas GOPe is scared.
Cruz will prevail.
I’m pretty sure Patrick has his sights set on dewdrop’s job.
My State Senator, Brian Birdwell, did not sign..Good for him.
There ... I fixed it.
The republican legislature with the RiNo Straus at the helm didn’t have the b@lls to pass the sanctuary cities bill and the TSA groping bill and Cruz is calling them out on it. That’s what the whole flap is about.
I think Cruz has a good shot at taking it.
I was curious if my state senator signed this letter so I read the article. I could be missing it, but I can’t find anything. Wouldn’t be the first time..won’t be the last.:)
The thing I found interesting..the article states 18 of 19 senators signed...nearly all. There are 31 or 32 state senators. So it would seem 18 is not “nearly all”.
Somewhat misleading statement, imho.
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