Free Republic

When Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced a ban on spectators at the Arnold Classic, a juggernaut of a sports festival that brings tens of millions in revenue, the move seemed radical. It was March 3, and the state, after all, had not even had a single confirmed case of the novel coronavirus. But within days, large-capacity events were being canceled nationwide. A week later, DeWine recommended that his state’s colleges suspend in-person classes. Across the country, they soon did. He then closed Ohio’s public schools. Other states followed. And on Sunday, DeWine ordered all restaurants and bars be shuttered. By...

...U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv The U.S. Embassy in Israel is currently in Tel Aviv. Cruz wants to move it to Jerusalem, Israel's "once and eternal" capital.Commerce DepartmentIn a piece for the National Review, Cruz said shuttering the department would "close the congressional cookie jar" and promote free trade.Education DepartmentAnother standard line from Cruz: "U.S. Department of Education, which should be abolished." Cruz is a states' rights guy -- he wrote his college thesis on the 10th Amendment -- and wants to give control of schools to states or localities....Energy DepartmentCruz has said the country needs an "energy renaissance." .......

HENNIKER, N.H. - For months, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) has tried to poach libertarian-leaning voters here away from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). Now, with Paul's exit from the race, Cruz has even more of an opening to make inroads with supporters of the Kentucky Republican. Cruz is running as a tea-party darling and evangelical Christian, constituencies that helped propel him to victory in the Iowa caucuses. But he is also attempting to expand that base, particularly with libertarian-leaning supporters. Here in New Hampshire, Cruz speaks of limited government, gun rights and privacy. "But part of the reason we're more competitive...

...1.) Cruz sticks to the scriptCruz rarely deviates from the script.... His backers value the fact that he's preternaturally on message, believing that the chance of him torpedoing his candidacy with a verbal gaffe is low.2.) His rallies have gotten bigger and flashier... But over the past month, Cruz's gatherings have become bigger and flashier... It felt more like a general election swing...3.) So who shows up to these things?Cruz's rallies tend to be pretty packed, both with die-hard supporters clad in Cruz swag and people on the fence.... The majority of the undecided voters I have spoken with have...

Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.) said Sunday that President Obama's foreign and national security policy has made the world more dangerous, and that the president's prime-time Oval Office address on terrorism had been overly political, failing to clarify how he would defeat the Islamic State."On December 7, 1941, in response to Pearl Harbor, FDR did not give a partisan speech, rather he called on Americans to unite and 'win through to absolute victory'," Cruz said in a statement."If I am elected President, I will direct the Department of Defense to destroy ISIS. And I will shut down the broken immigration system...

PHOENIX — Sen. Ted Cruz strode through a resort here, past booths selling elephant-print scarves, “gently loved furs” and rhinestone pins spelling out presidential candidates’ names — and headed straight into a crowd of screaming women. “Oh, my God,” one exclaimed as she spotted Cruz walking toward her at the National Federation of Republican Women’s annual conference. Cruz (R-Tex.) came here Saturday on a mission to court female Republican activists. His timing may be opportune: As front-runner Donald Trump has come under fire for a string of comments many see as anti-women, Cruz is trying to seize the moment to...

He has crashed Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s show in Iowa, knocked former Florida governor Jeb Bush off course in New Hampshire and sucked up most of the political oxygen this summer. Now Donald Trump is headed south. Trump said Wednesday night that that event was switching venues, from a civic center to a football stadium, because he now expects an attendance of 30,000 to 40,000. Some say Trump’s appeal in the region is different, and according to University of Mississippi journalism professor Curtis Wilkie, it has precedent. “There is a history of outrageous politicians who are able to develop a...

Sen. Ted Cruz continues to defend Donald Trump on immigration. Cruz (R-Tex.), in an interview with "Meet the Press" praised Trump for talking about immigration. Trump has made inflammatory comments about Mexican immigrants, leading Macy's and Univision to sever ties with Trump. Cruz, speaking during his book tour in Marietta, GA., said he likes Trump, whom Cruz said is "bold" and "brash." Cruz said he's not going to attack Trump. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/07/03/ted-cruz-continues-to-defend-donald-trump-on-immigration/

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) said Friday that Democrats are using the shooting deaths of nine people in a Charleston, S.C., African American church as an "excuse" to try to roll back gun rights. "It’s sad to see the Democrats take a horrific crime and try to use it as an excuse not to go after people with serious mental illness or people who are repeat felons or criminals but rather try to use it as an excuse to take away the Second Amendment rights of law abiding citizens," Cruz told reporters after a town hall event here. "Those are altogether...

Paul Pressler, a former Texas appeals court judge who has long been a supporter of conservative causes and active in Texas politics, announced Saturday that he is endorsing Sen. Ted Cruz (R) for president. Pressler, who in 2012 hosted a large group of evangelical leaders who voted to coalesce their support behind Rick Santorum’s presidential campaign as a challenge to frontrunner Mitt Romney, said he announced his endorsement of Cruz at a meeting of conservatives in Washington Saturday. “I feel that Ted Cruz is electable and he stands by his convictions in an articulate manner,” Pressler said in an interview...