'Cruz country' bus tour looks South

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) will spend much of August on an eight-state “Cruz Country” bus tour through the South, as his team looks beyond the first four 2016 states to March’s delegate-heavy SEC Primary states, including Georgia and Texas.

Cruz advisers say they’re not only vigorously competing in the early states, but already organizing the so-called SEC states (a nickname from college sports’ Southeastern Conference), with advertising planned through March 15.

An adviser said the objective of the bus trip is “to ensure that by the time other candidates get to the March 1 voting states following early state voting, Ted Cruz will have his support shored up, energized, organized, and ready to compete and expand.”

The tour will stop in South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas.

“The clear message is that as a Texan, Ted Cruz is paying attention to the region and will demonstrate his commitment to gain their support long before anyone else gets there,” the adviser added.

“The Cruz campaign believes that Bush, Walker and Rubio have made a flawed political calculation to compete in the establishment bracket and, therefore, position themselves as moderates in the race, leaving Cruz as the only well-funded conservative candidate.”

The Cruz adviser continued with a football analogy: “Cruz could run to the left — and face Bush, Walker, and Rubio — or run to the right, and face Carson, Huckabee, Santorum, and Jindal.

“As the best organized and funded candidate in the conservative lane (he raised more hard dollars that any other candidate including Bush), after the early states, Cruz can quickly consolidate conservative support and go head-to-head with whoever emerges as the choice of the establishment.”

Here are the opening-week stops of the bus tour, with Texas events planned for later in August:

— Friday, Aug. 7: 1:00 pm – Charleston, SC … 5:30 pm – Savannah, GA … 8:00 pm – Oglethorpe, GA

— Saturday, Aug. 8: 11:30 am – Atlanta (Red State Gathering) … 4:00 pm – Newnan, GA … 7:30 pm – Midland, GA

— Sunday, Aug. 9: 11 am – Birmingham, AL … 2:00 pm – Pelham, AL … 6:30 pm – Huntsville, AL

— Monday, Aug. 10: 11:15 am – Murfeesboro, TN … 1:30 pm – Brentwood, TN … 6:30 pm – Jackson, TN

— Tuesday, Aug. 11: 9:00 am – Tupelo, MS … 12 pm – Olive Branch, MS … 2:30 pm – Memphis

— Wednesday, Aug. 12: 11:30 am – Little Rock, AR. … 2:30 pm – Russellville, AR … 6:30 pm – Van Buren, AR

— Thursday, Aug. 13: 12:00 pm – Oklahoma City … 4:00 pm – Bartlesville, OK (event with Rep. Jim Bridenstine) … 7:00 pm – Tulsa, OK.

He'll sure beat the "ESTABLISHMENT REPUBLICAN" Jeb AMNESTY Bush and his Viva La Raza WIFE !

Let's get VERY CLEAR on TED CRUZ and Immigration:

Immigration As the son of a Cuban immigrant, Sen. Cruz celebrates LEGAL immigration. He has championed measuresto secure the border, reform the LEGAL immigration system, and uphold the rule of law. Americans, and particularly Texans, have witnessed the harmful effects of an unsecure border,endangering the lives both of citizens and those who enter illegally. President Obama’s policies have encouraged drug smugglers, child abusers, murderers, and other dangerous criminals to traffick immigrant children into our nation under life-threatening conditions. In the summer of 2013 we witnessed a humanitarian crisis at our Southern Border, propelled by PROMISES OF AMNESTY FROM THE WHITE HOUSE . Immigrants deserve a better system in which they will be welcomed to the United States safely and with dignity. As a critical step to protecting families and inviting more people to enter LEGALLY, in 2014, Sen. Cruz proposed legislation TO PREVENT OBAMA FROM ILLEGALLY EXPANDING AMNESTY . The House acted to solve the ongoing crisis and passed bills that closely mirrored Sen. Cruz’s proposals,but regrettably the Senate DemocRATS REFUSED TO ALLOW A VOTE on the measures. In 2013, Sen. Cruz proposed amendments to the “Gang of 8” bill that wouldstrengthen border security, expand green card opportunities, increase high-skilled “H1B” visas, PREVENT ILLEGAL ALIENS FROM RECEIVING WELFARE BENEFITS , and enforce the rule of law.

ALSO from On The Issues :

Ted Cruz on Immigration End Obama's illegal amnesty via Congress' checks & balances Q: How to respond to the split within your party on immigration? What you're saying isthat the Republicans should vote to fund the governments for all departments except one:no funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which handles immigration, rescinding President Obama's executive action, and if he vetoes that, he's responsible for shutting down the department. The problem isthat's almost exactly what you did with the government shutdown across the entire government in 2013 with ObamaCare, and it backfired badly on your party. CRUZ: All across this country, Republicans campaigned, saying: if you elect a Republican Senate, we will stop President Obama's illegal amnesty. We need to HONOR WHAT WE SAID . We should use the constitutional checks and balances that we have TO REIN IN THE ABUSE OF POWER OF THE EXECUTIVE.Step #1 is IF the president implements this LAWLESS AMNESTY, that THE SENATE WILL NOT CONFIRM ANY executive or judicial nominees. Defund amnesty; and refuse any nominees until rescinded Q: How would you rescind President Obama's executive action on immigration? CRUZ: We should use the constitutional checks and balances that we have TO REIN IN THE ABUSE OF POWER OF THE EXECUTIVE .Step #1 that I have called for is the incoming majority leader should announce IF the president implements this LAWLESS AMNESTY, that THE SENATE WILL NOT CONFIRM ANY executive or judicial nominees,other than VITALl national security positions, for the next two years, UNLESS AND UNTIL the president ENDS THIS LAWLESS AMNESTY . That is AN EXPLICIT AUTHORITY given TO the Senate. Q: Are you saying the Senate should REFUSE TO CONFIRM the president's new nominee for attorney general? CRUZ: We have to REIN IN the executive. And step #2, we've got is THE POWER OF THE PURSE,and we should FUND ONE AT A TIME the CRITICAL PRIORITIES of the federal government,but ALSO USE THE POWER OF THE PURSE TO ATTACH RIDERS . No path to citizenship for 1.65 million illegals in Texas When discussing what to do about the 1.65 million ILLEGAL immigrants living in Texas, … CRUZ again saidHE DID NOT SUPPORT A PATH TO CITIZENSHIP FOR ILLEGAL immigrants living in America, … Give police more power to ask about immigration status Cruz accused Dewhurst of using his position as head of the Texas Senate to KILL A BILL last year that would have given police more power to ask anyone they detain about their citizenship status--a charge Dewhurst denied. Both agreed that the US has FAILED TO SECURE ITS BORDER with Mexico, and said they OPPOSE AMNESTY for ILLEGAL immigrants and the Obama administration's new directiveallowing many young illegal immigrants brought to the US as children to be exempted from deportation. Boots on the ground, plus a wall Border wall: James and Leppert OPPOSE A WALL, Dewhurst and CRUZ tout "boots on the ground" AND A WALL IN SOME PLACES . Triple the size of the Border Patrol CRUZ on immigration: Wants to TRIPLE [the]SIZE of Border Patrol. Says Dewhurst supported in-state tuition for kids of ILLEGAL immigrants. Dewhurst: I have always been against an amnesty program."If they want to be a citizen, they ought to go home and reapply." Dewhurst says he was against tuition for children of illegal immigrants. Strengthen border security and increase enforcement Ted Cruz has worked to STRENGTHEN BORDER SECURITY and help ensure that America remains a nation of laws. Among other efforts, he has worked on efforts to INCREASE PENALTIES for felons WHO ENTER THE COUNTRY ILLEGALLY . Ted authored a U.S. Supreme Court amicus brief on behalf of 10 states in Lopez v. Gonzales,ILLEGALLY .

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