Ted Cruz is Republican Red, Not Communist Red

There are some political attacks that stay with you. Granted, most campaigns turn ugly at some point and the long knives emerge, but as a Republican I am forever hopeful that my party will rise above it all and debate the issues while leaving the ugly to the Democrats. Especially in a primary race, why is that so much to ask?

Yesterday I received an email that disturbed me. I'm on lots of lists, just like all political bloggers are, and so far nothing out of the ordinary has caught my attention as far as personal attacks go. Until yesterday.

The email came from the Dewhurst campaign and I am sad to say that the description of one of his opponents in the U.S. Senate race was labeled "red", as in Communist. While not having the nerve to actually call Ted Cruz a Communist - that is the candidate being attacked - the Dewhurst campaign email labeled Cruz as "red Ted".

And, to top it all off, the email was signed by a staffer and not the candidate himself.

Ted Cruz was a guest on a conservative talk radio show and the host went after him for his work as legal counsel on behalf of a Chinese business in a patent infringement lawsuit against an American. Add to that the legislation in the Senate brought by Senator Reid that amounts to beginning a trade war with China and according to the email from the Dewhurst campaign, the talk show host blasts Ted Cruz for siding with Barack Obama on the legislation. The interview didn't concern the trademark case, just the free trade issue.

The talk show host also is disturbed that other strong conservatives agree with Cruz that the legislation is bad - Senator Mike Lee and Senator Marco Rubio are two. Does David Dewhurst think they are "red", too?

The staffer sent along a video clip from the radio show interview, too. It appears the show host is also distressed that Cruz is a graduate of Harvard. Since when did that become a negative on one's resume? Isn't the Republican party the one that rewards and honors hard work and ambition? The clip is edited to the advantage of Dewhurst so here is the whole thing for you to judge for yourself:

http://www.tedcruz.org/uncategorized/2011/10/04/ted-cruz-on-laura-ingraham/


So, here's a bit of clarification from the Cruz campaign:

DON’T ACCUSE THE CHILD OF A CUBAN IMMIGRANT—WHOSE FAMILY WAS IMPRISONED AND TORTURED BEFORE FLEEING TO AMERICA—OF BEING A “RED” COMMUNIST.

BACKGROUND & FACTS:

Ted’s father was imprisoned and nearly beaten to death in the struggle for liberty before escaping to America. His aunt was tortured by Fidel Castro’s communist thugs. You can read a pretty good synopsis of his family’s struggle for freedom and its impact on Ted in National Review. "Ted Cruz: The Next Conservative Hope" And given your refusal to disclose the details of your clandestine CIA work in South America, well, trust me, this one doesn’t end well.

Ted Cruz has a compelling life story. His parents are to be admired by anyone who can appreciate the desire for a better life in a free country and the strength to pursue that dream.

AT LEAST ARM YOURSELF WITH THE FACTS BEFORE STARTING AN INTERNATIONAL TRADE WAR!

BACKGROUND & FACTS:

While it’s true that China plays dirty pool with their currency, and we must pursue ways to level the playing field, Texas workers and businesses have benefited tremendously from free trade with China and other countries. Remember that Texas is the number one exporting state in America.[1] (You usually try to take credit for this sort of thing.) Between 2005 and 2009, Texas exports to China rose by 80.1 percent, from $4.9 billion to $8.9 billion.[2] And in 2010, Texas exported almost $10.3 billion worth of goods to China![3] Think JOBS, JOBS, JOBS, Lt. Governor, because 2.2 million Texans are working today because of international trade.[4] Far more important than supporting a gimmick bill like this one, you should focus more on ending over-taxation and regulation, the main reasons American jobs head overseas.

4. NO AMOUNTS OF MONEY CAN ERASE YOUR PAST, SO IF YOU MUST SCORE CHEAP POLITICAL POINTS, BE CONSISTENT. OR DO YOUR BEST TO HIDE YOUR TAX-HIKE PROPOSALS AND PREVIOUS SUPPORT FOR IN-STATE TUITION FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. IN THIS CASE, YOUR PAST POSITIONS SUPPORTING FREE TRADE WERE ACTUALLY A GOOD THING. BUT THIS CONSTANT FLIP-FLOP THING WILL KILL YOU!

BACKGROUND & FACTS:

Today, you claim to be an isolationist and anti-free trade. And your rhetoric is aggressively anti-China. Have you forgotten that in 2009 you accepted an award for “International Understanding” at the “Splendors of China” Tiger Ball???[5] Or that in 2008, part of your Texas State Senate Agenda included, “Developing Initiatives to Increase NAFTA-Related Commerce?”[6] You released your support of free trade to the news media! If you keep this up, it’s going to take a scorecard to keep track of what your position is on each issue on any given day.

Would National Review endorse a Communist in Republican clothing? Would consistent conservatives like Senator Mike Lee, Senator Jim DeMint and Senator Rand Paul endorse a Communist in Republican clothing? Widely respected conservative columnist George Will proclaimed that candidate Ted Cruz is "as good as it gets".

Lobbing the "red" charge is unacceptable in any Republican primary. In this case, it is particularly despicable. What ever happened to Ronald Reagan's Eleventh Commandment?

To the Dewhurst campaign, I say this: Ted Cruz is conservative Republican red, not Communist red. Republican primary voters deserve better.

**Full Disclosure and a Disclaimer**
I am President of a Texas Federated Republican Womens Club PAC in Houston. Under the state by-laws, I am unable to endorse one Republican candidate over another in a primary race, as long as I am President. Therefore, my blog posts are not to be taken as a formal endorsement of any candidate at this time. My term expires in January 2012.