Cruz Talks Guns, Deflects Hagel Accusations
LEANDER — Calling President Obama’s recent gun control initiatives “cynical” and “wrong,” U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz said on Tuesday that lawmakers “should focus our efforts on deterring and punishing violent criminals."
Citing his work as an attorney, and speaking in front of more than 100 employees at LaRue Tactical, a weapons and accessories manufacturer that makes a variety of semi-automatic rifles, Cruz said that “strict punishments” are “where are energy needs to be focused.”
“You leave law-abiding citizens and their families vulnerable to criminals when you strip their constitutional right to defend themselves,” he added.
Cruz also said that ...
Comments (91)
Martha Dunkelberger via Texas Tribune on Facebook
It depends. Does he have an actual plan to deter crime? Or is this just another one of Cruz' "whatever Obama wants, I want the opposite" moments?
Elaine Dennis Adkison via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I can't imagine any words coming out of Ted Cruz's mouth that I would agree with! He is nothing but a showboat and a dangerous fool!
Robert Adams via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I am sorry America, that my state gave this guy any say in anything.
Patrick Trotter via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Yeah, the death penalty has worked so well, hasn't it.
Martha Dunkelberger via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Does Cruz understand that people who are mentally ill are actually more likely to be victims of violence than they are to be perpetrators? This man is just a lightening rod. He has no interest in making policy, just obstructing.
Richard Stewart via Texas Tribune on Facebook
HE has an Agenda that far exceeds the criminals ! He doesn't care about you or me or Obama or the Republican Party !
Burwell John Thompson III via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Yes
Jack Suggs via Texas Tribune on Facebook
No, Texas Tribune, I don't agree with a big mouth bigot like Ted Cruz.
Gregory S Windham via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Communist bred Canadian born tool of the Koch brothers. A
Nick Zwegchen via Texas Tribune on Facebook
This guy is joke...thank God he is Canadian!
Jeff Scroggin via Texas Tribune on Facebook
We have more people in prison than any other country in the world. Hows that working out for us?
Catherine Uptain Carr via Texas Tribune on Facebook
In Texas, we put people in prison that are "the easy catch," not necessarily the real criminals. Then they learn how to be real criminals while in prison.
Matthew Cowan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I guess none of you actually read the article. His statement on the issue is that current laws and restrictions need to be enforced. Laws on the books about illegal gun possession do work. But they do not work if you do not enforce them. Nothing radical, dangerous or showboating about that.
Matthew Cowan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Death Penalty does work. It works better when applied swiftly and with certainty.
Matthew Cowan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Actually Nick, he is American.
Mike Moeller via Texas Tribune on Facebook
If the death penalty is not effective, then name one inmate who was executed who went on to commit more crimes?
Toby Marie Walker via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I'm continuously amazed at the "civility" of the left while hurling insults and names. I support the Senator, we DO need to enforce existing laws! VP Biden says that we can not support the laws we have now, so my question is this: Why do we need more? Laws do not stop criminals, law enforcement catches them.
Rob Turk via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Yes I agree with Cruz.
Rick Archer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Cruz is a dolt. Just looking to line his pockets.
Dyrinda Tyson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
We have a court system for that already.
Martha Dunkelberger via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Matthew Cowan, can you do me a favor and cut and paste where it says in the article that there are laws on the books that work? Are you referring to his statement about mental health records? Because, see, I don't have a tendency toward paranoia, but I would be very concerned if "the government" began collecting data on its citizens mental health...You do understand that a teenager's suicide attempt with a bottle of Tylenol would be on his/her mental health record for the rest of his life....Is that enough to restrict him/her from owning a gun?
Sherri Stults Gaither via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I would prefer to call what is referred to as gun control "efforts to control gun violence.". And, certainly we should punish violent criminals. In Texas, we can do it with all those education $$ we cut. God know with cuts in education, we will be needing more prisons.
Amy R. Eldred via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Thank God Ted Cruz has the cajones to stand up for the rights of Americans. We need many more like him in the House and Senate. Most of them are so afraid of the media and Obobo that they just sit back and whine. We have plenty of laws that are already on the books that are unenforced and because of the political correctness which has overwhelmed the country, we cannot talk about someone's mental health. In Texas, about the only remaining mental health system is the prison system because it is so hard to get help for someone who exhibits mental health issues. So, we need solutions for these things. Taking guns away from law abiding citizens isnt one of them. (The 2nd Amendment is critically important to retaining liberty yet the democrats want to disarm us and leave us to the mercy of those wishing to do us harm. A populous must be able to defend itself from all enemies foreign and domestic.)
Alan Hurwitz via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Mr. Cruz is not a stupid man, but he is a grandstanding, radical right, extremely calculating politician. Never thought I would say it, but here's one Democrat who misses Sen. Hutchison.
Matt Haertner via Texas Tribune on Facebook
No. I don't. About anything.
Pun Nio via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Would you feel safe in a lecture or seminar knowing that strangers have concealed weapons? Welcome to Texas college campuses.
Mike Walton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Yes, I agree with Ted.
Edgar Alvarez via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Yes , I agree with Cruz
Mike Moeller via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@Pun Nio, I would much safer with students and teachers with concealed handguns. http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/rsd/chl/reports/convrates.htm
Jim Ray via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@Pun Nio Yes, I'd feel completely safe knowing that some American citizens are armed in the classroom.
Andrew Goldberg via Texas Tribune on Facebook
you can't agree or disagree with vague statements about law enforcement policy, and I DO NOT agree that the President's initiatives are colored by emotion nor are they "Wrong" that's the teapot calling the President black.
Jim Ray via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I seriously don't understand why democrats, and liberals especially, are so quick to give up their rights and liberties, in the name of big government. Your children are going to have to live with your decisions. It's annoying that leftists are fighting to "fundamentally change America" to what they think will be a utopia but will more likely resemble Stalinist Russia when they're done.
Leona Pickett Young via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Yes, I would most definitely feel safe in a lecture or seminar knowing that some of my fellow attendees were properly carrying concealed weapons. Our very freedom is under attack. First, the Second Amendment, when it's gone, the rest of our hard-won freedoms will also be gone.
Rick Archer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Jim look into ALEC and the Koch brothers to see whose taking away rights. The federal government is the smallest it's been in a long time.
Martha Dunkelberger via Texas Tribune on Facebook
But you're ok with people giving up their mental health histories? As long as it's not happening to you, I guess....
Chris Morgan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I agree
Kurt Schneider via Texas Tribune on Facebook
If your mental health history turns towards violence (such as the Aurora shooter, the Columbine shooters, the VA Tech shooter, the Newtown shooter, the Giffords shooter, and frankly just about every mass shooter out there), then hell yes I think 'the gummint' should put that into the NICS system.
The problem is not guns, it's mentally ill people with guns. The states are supposed to report that, and they're not. Let's fix that first, instead of a knee-jerk reaction to Sen. Cruz.
Matthew Cowan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Martha, in the article Cruz states that we “should focus our efforts on deterring and punishing violent criminals." That is consistent with what Cruz has said earlier on the failure of the Federal Govt to prosecute gun crimes. He has pointed out that there have been thousands of people who have filled out fraudulent background checks that have not been prosecuted. It is true that the states are not sharing data that according to law they are suppose to report.
You bring up an interesting point about mental health Martha. In Texas, it is very hard to get someone declared incompetent because they want to make it hard to take away someone's rights. What type of information on a persons mental health records is needed? What standard of determination is used? Is it consistent and standardized in a state? Does those standards vary from state to state? I feel he is concerned about where the line should be and how to strike the right balance on these types of records and their usage. That is a discussion he wants to have and that we as a nation need to have.
Toni Mikel via Texas Tribune on Facebook
The VPPresident initiatives that President is asking for is going to help get criminals; he took advice from sheriffs and policeman and military and noted what they want. That included the ban of assault weapons, tighter background checks and reduced clip size because they are tired of being out gunned. Doesn't look like assault weapons ban will go thru but all those other initiatives like prosecuting people who buy weapons for felons or mental health reform looks like it might make it. I think Cruz just stalling for another big No! That's all these Republicans do is kick it down the road.
Martha Dunkelberger via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Kurt, none of those shooters had mental health histories. See my earlier post about the fact. (FACT) that people who are mentally ill are much more likely to be victims of violent crime than they are to be perpetrators. Talk about a knee jerk reaction.
Martha Dunkelberger via Texas Tribune on Facebook
But, to be clear, I don't disagree that mentally ill people with guns are the problem -- but there is no reliable way (to my knowledge) to predict which people will be the ones that shoot up a movie theater or a classroom and which people will be the ones who focus all their mental illness into violent fantasies and video games and never ever act on them.
Douglas Wilkerson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@ Jim Ray, it's not just democrats that do this.It seems that more and more, we're ready to give up our rights to feel safe, from people that want to give up our gun rights to those willing to give up our right to privacy . You see this in democrats and republicans alike. People cannot handle the fact that the world they live in is chaotic and unpredictable, and there's always some politician there to sell us a false sence of security for the price of our liberty.
Sergio Hernandez De Santos via Texas Tribune on Facebook
If Tío Ted was from any other state he would end up in Fox, but me thinks he's headed for the Governor's crib
Matthew Cowan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Martha, There are degrees of mental health issues. That is an issue that needs to be recognized. Fact is that the Colorado shooter had already shown troubling signs that should have been a cue to the mental health expert who had been seeing him. It is reported that he had seen at least 3 mental health experts at school and that one of them reported him to a campus threat assessment team and a campus police officer over concerns about her patient.
In Colorado mental health care providers must warn authorities of potential violent behavior only when a patient has communicated a serious threat of imminent physical violence against a specific target. Is this standard to stringent? Again how do we balance their right to privacy and rights in general?
I know we focus on these three cases each dealing with mental health issues. How many people who have mental health issue rise to this level of concern? How many have actually acted out in this manner before? While it is good to have a discussion on mental health, are we being overly concerned?
R L
Not one policy Obama has put in place has worked or been an improvement. Nothing Obama has done has helped the economy, nothing he has done has helped put people to work, our employment rate is abysmal. Why would anyone ever want to do anything Obama wants?
R L
Ted Cruz has been a successful lawyer and has successfully argued many cases before the United States Supreme Court. Ted Cruz actually knows the law and the US Constitution. I will take his word for what is right with respect to the Constitution before I would accept one word from the fool Obama.
Martha Dunkelberger via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I think we are Matthew. I think that whenever someone decides to pull the trigger of a gun with another human being in their sights, there's a break with their mental health. I don't mean to say that people who shoot in self defense are mentally ill. Please don't think that. Instead, I think that we have to suspend our humanity when we willingly take action that we know could be deadly to another human being. I do not believe that there are reliable ways to determine who will do that with no provocation whatsoever vs. one who will go looking for a way to assert his/her "authority" over someone vs. one who is actually acting in a way that will keep him from his own bodily injury. Blaming "the mentally ill" is just as short sighted and just as incomplete as blaming guns all by themselves.
Rodney Gottselig via Texas Tribune on Facebook
If every citizen with a valid drivers license carried a concealed hand gun the criminals would never leave there house.
Matthew Cowan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Martha, I agree that just blaming the mentally ill for the problem is not the solution. But perhaps we are creating a type of "mentally ill" people and we just do not see it. I have a link that I think begins to show us why these incidents are happening. Until we get to the root cause, they will continue to occur.
http://www.battlefortruth.org/Sandy_Hook_Elementary_Searching_for_Answers.asp
Matthew Cowan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Another good article on the issue Martha, http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/01/08/are-raising-generation-deluded-narcissists/
Rodney Gottselig via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Seventy five percent of mentally ill are not mentally ill the just play the mentally ill card.
Carey Hyson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
We should pick our leaders with a gun duel. I call Dick Cheney.
Kerry Phillips via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Some of you guys don't have a clue and don't do your research. The fact is that Ted is doing what he was voted in to do. Representing those of us that want less government and we want the government to work within the bounds of the constitution. There are literally hundreds of laws on the books that if enforced would limit crime, but they can't be enforced for two reasons: 1. There are not enough officers to enforce the laws because of all of the liberal entitlement programs, etc that are out there leaving cities and states broke where (in some areas) they have to layoff officers. 2. There are too many laws on the books based on big government feeling the need to watch over us too much, thus there is physically no way to enforce all laws (and as said above, prisons become full). It has been proven time and again that guns are not the problem, people are the problem. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE BAD PEOPLE IN THE WORLD AND YOU CAN'T GOVERN THEM BY PASSING LAWS AGAINST LAW ABIDING CITIZENS. If you don't want guns, fine, don't buy them, but leave the reast of us "law abiding" citizens alone and stop trying to force your beliefs and fears on us.
Adele Roberson
Like Texas does not have enough moronic people representing (?) its interests we now have Stockman and Crus in the manure pile. . We already have Gohmert who has managed us all to be embarressed by his big mouth at least once a week.For instance:
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) on Monday speculated that President Barack Obama had been using a product called the Ostrich Pillow to sleep while four Americans were killed in Libya last year.
______ Louie Gohmert is such an idiot. He was the loudest in the Republican Party for an invasion of Iraq where the US saw more than five thousand of our military killed and another 30,000 wounded but he has spent so much time chastising the Obama administration about Benghazi, - even Gohmert should finally realize that all questions have been answered and we need to move on.Republicans are always yaping about this government spending too much money and yet he and his mafia spend more money on foolishness like the stupid investigations. Always investigations.... such morons.
Gaylund Bowling via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Matthew, I believe the best way to keep this from happening is to have armed citizens..the mentally ill aren't so mental that they always choose a place that there are no conceal carry or gun free zones to do their dirty deeds. For some reason our politicians don't put 2 and 2 together, they just say "we'll make more Gun Free Zones". The reason I believe this is, is because they don't want to actually solve the problem. They need the problem to exist so they can justify to us, the voters, why we must elect them. The same reason that most liberal politicians support sooo many programs for the poor. No one ever realizes that those programs are designed to keep them poor. You can get 80k worth of assistance if you are a single mom of say 3 kids...if you make less then 20k...but as soon as you make 20k, you get nothing...which encourages you not to make more then 20k, therefore keeping you in poverty and therefore giving you a reason to continue to vote for the politician that is going to keep giving you assistance. We must overhaul this system. We must have accountability for the ppl on Assistance and give continue assistance after they reach 20k for instance but give them less assistance so they have a reason to make more money.
Ruth Ray via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@ Martha Cowan, what do you mean none of these shooters had mental health histories? The VA Tech shooter was clinically diagnosed with selective mutism, as well as a major depressive disorder. He was removed from a course at VA Tech for "menacing" behavior, he was reprimanded for stalking and harrassing female students. Two years prior to the shooting, Cho was found "mentally ill and in need of hospitalization" by New River Valley Community Services Board. If VA had the same consistency that some other states have in reporting this data, he likely would have and should have failed a background check to purchase a firearm. Adam Lanza (CT Shooter) FAILED a background check to purchase a firearm, so he stole his mothers.
Ruth Ray via Texas Tribune on Facebook
The point is, it is estimated that between 500,000 - 1,000,000 people stop crimes or avoid crime while defending themselves with a firearm. If we stop the 11,078 firearm related homocide deaths (2010 figures), by banning guns, then we don't know how many of the 500,000 -1,000,000 additional law abiding citizen deaths we may cause. Just saying. If we look at the harm guns do in the hands of criminals we should also assess the good they do in the hands of the good.
Martha Dunkelberger via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Thank you for the links, Matthew. The Battle For Truth reference is pretty anecdotal, by the author's own admission. But, there is some truth in the reference to the frayed fabric of society. Heck, look higher up in the thread. I think at some point I was called a libtard...if not here, then somewhere else today. The Fox News reference was not familiar to me. I have looked into Twenge's work very superficially in the last 15 minutes. It seems that she's reporting that narcissism is on the rise, but that it has been for the last 30 years. So, taken along with the Battle For Truth information -- that suggests that the rise in shootings since 2010 is somewhat of a lagging indicator. She seems to be a well-respected researcher -- it would be interesting to see how she would respond to Ablow's characterization of her research.
Matthew Cowan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Ruth, there is no Martha Cowan. You meant @Martha Dunkelberger. No need to put our name together. She is happily married to someone else.
Matthew Cowan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@Ruth Ray, that is good research. I thought there was more to the others but could not place my finger on it
Kory S. Booth via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I agree with Cruz 100%, he's a breath of fresh air.
Austen Wood via Texas Tribune on Facebook
yes I agree w Ted Cruz... He's rep'n Texas well
Gary C. Miller via Texas Tribune on Facebook
He shore is pretty
Sheila Samsal via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Why do we care what the left feels or says? That are like children following in mass behind a person that won't prove who he is or what he stands for. At least Cruz is trying to do SOMETHING that he is doing what the people of Texas has asked him to do. He didn't get there by illegal votes..proved who he was..and what he stood for. Which is more than I can say, about the person occupying the White House ON MY TAX MONEY!!
Shawn Foxall via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Yes I agree with him ! If we would focus on the laws we already have and enforce them we wouldn't need a new set of useless laws that will only hurt law abiding citizens. Stand up for the 2nd amendment !!
Martha Dunkelberger via Texas Tribune on Facebook
All accurate, Ruth. Sorry for the mis-representation. I'm going to be sticky, however and say that 2 of 7(?) is it 7 or 8? still makes my point that we can't reliably identify these people before they snap.
Martha Dunkelberger via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Matthew -- see Sheila's comment above re: the fraying of the fabric of society. Why should we care what other people think, indeed.
Matthew Cowan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Martha, I agree that it is problematic to say you can predict an out come or identify them. That is because mental illness is not generic or same from one person to another.
Susan Boothe Baird via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Ted Cruz is my new Senator Hero! You go Senator Cruz! God Bless You and God Bless Texas!
Betty Newton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Go Cruz!!!
Stanley Moore via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I agree that Cruz is a tool. Tio Tomas.
Ruth Ray via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@ Matthew and Martha. Sorry, I did not mean to combine your names.
Ruth Ray via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Martha, if you specifically name the 7 or 8 cases to which you are referencing, I'm sure that more than 2 of 7or8 had mental health issues that were diagnosed. Holmes, of Aurora, CO was seeing 3 mental health professionals. It is still debated as to whether or not he was taking psycotrophic drugs. Eric Harris, the Columbine leader, was taking Luvox, known to cause suicide and harmful thoughts towards others in teens. One could argue, we do not have a gun problem, but a teen/young adult medication problem.
Ruth Ray via Texas Tribune on Facebook
As sad as a Columbine or any of these instances are, I think some could have been prevented, or lessened to a degree if we did not have theatre, workplace and school gun free zones. These may as well be called victim zones.
Ruth Ray via Texas Tribune on Facebook
The 100 or so people killed annually in these "gun free zone mass shootings" should not infringe on the sane, law abiding 500,000 -1,000,000 people who defend themselves. I have a better solution. Strictly enforce the gun laws we already have on the books. If you are caught selling a stolen weapon, or using a gun in a crime, automatic 20 years! If you know that someone lives with you and they are on medication for a mental health issue and they use your weapon to committ a crime, 1 year jail for the person who allowed their gun to be stolen by an insane family member. If I lived with a troubled individual, I'd LOCK or remove firearms from my home. Obviously if you have a roommate and they don't tell you they are under care and they are sick and you don't know, then not your fault. However, Adam Lanza's mom was researching ways to have him committed and she has a stash of firearms and ammo lying around? Bad idea IMHO. She should have stored them at a friends, in a safe deposit box or bought a tough to get into gun safe. She knew her son was a head case on drugs that cause suicide. It was her job to remove tools that allow that to be accomplished more easily.
Ruth Ray via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I agree that there is no 100% effective way to know who is going to "snap" and cause harm to others. Instead of taking away rights, we should be researching why people were less likely to snap 50 years ago and shoot up a classroom or workplace. Self medication? Lack of loss of importance of life? (society that prefers abortion to consequence).
Kathleen Hart
This man shames the great state of Texas. His treatment of former senator Hagel-whether you agree with Hagel being made Secretary of Defense or not-were characterized by major news outlets as being as bad as the tatics of Joseph McCarthy. And if you want to think "major" means "left-wing", you're wrong. He was even admoinished, in public, at the hearing, by his fellow Republican, John McCain. Texas has so many problems that need to be solved, and such great potential.
Cruz is not working on either. It's a lot easier to accuse people of things they never did and get on TV and social media than it is to solve problems. In acting this way, he has the betrayed the trust of his constituents-not that I think he cares
Gus Brown via Texas Tribune on Facebook
While I personally believe that the NRA gun lobby is dysfunctional and paranoid, I do agree that there is very little violence that additional legislation can prevent. If someone gets an orgasm firing 100 rounds into a empty oil barrel on weekends, so what. If that person didn't use the assault rifle and large clip for anything other than shooting up a shooting range, that person didn't do anything wrong and shouldn't be denied his or her orgasm. But in exchange for that privilege, would conservatives please stay out of people's bedrooms, women's vaginas and private relationships????
Ruth Ray via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Gus, what liberals don't understand is that most conservatives want to stay out of the private lives of other citizens. We draw the line though at being required to throw away 7 month old babies that are accidentially not killed during abortion and discarded into the trash, if you are referring to women's parts in that respect. In other respects, yes, govt. should be out of women's business, including paying for their pathetic birth control. Go use birth control. Just don't make me pay for it and don't call murder an acceptable form of birth control.
Kate Hart via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Ruth, I suppose you're not aware that Congress, backed by the NRA, took away the funding from agencies like the National Institutes of Health to do research on gun violence. Sen. Cruz supports this-Kathleen=Longview
Ruth Ray via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Research on Gun violence is important, but not exactly a national priority. When we can balance the budget and stop sentencing my two children to pay back our generations debt, then Congress "backed by the NRA" should approve to pay for such research. I would consider that an extra, after military, infrastructure, etc. Once we can pay for necessary items, we should dump extra money into research on gun violence...oh and a cure for cancer, and how to prevent the many many automobile deaths each year.
Ruth Ray via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Kate, can you tell me why Congress wants to impose restrictions on rifles and doesn't seem to touch hand guns? In 2010 there were 358 gun murders involving rifles. There were 6009 involving pistols. Another 1939 in which the type of firearm used was unreported. Logic would say that if Congress really wanted to stop gun violence they would not infringe on freedom's of millions of rifle owners to prevent 358 rifle deaths. My personal belief, is that tragedies are an excuse to restrict our freedoms. Most murders are thugs, gangsters, drug crime, etc. with an overwhelming majority of perps using pistols. We should have stiff penalties for those caught in such crimes. Where is the voice for the 6009 pistol deaths of 2010. All we hear about are "assault" type weapons that cause such a small minority of the problem.
Robert Pearson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I absolutely agree with him.
Ed Caffrey via Texas Tribune on Facebook
The senator needs to learn humility, spend a bit of time learning his way around the new job before alienating even those on your side of the aisle. He will do the state of Texas no good if no one repects his opinions because he gives one every time a camera or microphone is in the vicinity.
Michael S. Lingerfelt via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Not True Ed. Ron Paul stood alone many times of many issues and he still made a difference.
JoJo Mullins via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Yes, I agree with him. Law-abiding Americans are NOT the problem, criminals who won't obey the law, no matter what, are the problem! Disarming the general public will only make them victims to these criminals. Just look at Chicago and our gun free schools! Sad, but true..............
Carolyn Mata via Texas Tribune on Facebook
He thinks he always knows more than Obama. It's personal.
Bill Asher
Perry, Abbott and Cruz... a renaissance of the "Three Stooges"…but there is nothing funny or entertaining about the harm these three can do to the State, its citizens and its reputation...
donald baker
Ted's support of my gun rights is exactly why I voted for him and will never vote for any Democrat for any reason
Dale Curry
Personally, I am NOT a fan of Hagel. But for Cruz to attack this decorated Vietnam Veterans loyalty is the very definition of arrogance. For him to lodge unfounded attacks is the essence of Joe McCarthy. Perhaps if Cruz went back to his native Canada, they might have more tolerance for liars and men willing to attack our Servicemen for political gain.
So, no Tribune, I do not agree with Cruz. He is a liar and a fraud. And I look forward to working to ensure this man is a one termer.
Rudy Gonzales
Trying to act like an educated man, Ted, the TEA-quest-traitor, has shown himself as grossly incompetent and inept in doing the work he is charged with doing for every Texan. Ted, the TEA-quest-traitor, falls firmly into Bobby Jindal's "Stupid Party" comment. Ted, the TEA-quest-traitor's critical mass opposition is only from those intent on slowing down the first black president and building hurdles and road blocks against every action he takes. It is all about controlling Obama in any way and every way Ted, the TEA-quest-traitor and his cronies can. Ted, you're are sick! You are the ones we call mentally challenged and should not hold office. Your version of "speaking the truth" borders on radical extremism of the "white power" Ku Klux Klan and John Birchers in America. You and your cronies have made it your vendetta to shut down the Health Care Act which has already gained Supreme Court review. By knowing you cannot run for president, being you were born in Canada, you have made it your duty to screw over anything Obama presents. Your arrogance and hard-line standings have made you the pariah of national politics. You follow the writings of TEA party elitist who want to impose Ayn Rand teachings and beliefs onto others and in no way emulate Ronald Reagan and his legacy. Last I heard, Obama won decisively in total votes and Electoral votes. Bobby Jindal's "Stupid Party" comment resonates with your close association with John Birchers(B-1), Birthers(B-2), Evangelicals(E), Libertarians(L) and the omnipresent TEA-types.(T) Ted Cruz still hasn't disavowed party members like Todd Akin, Paul Ryan, Roger Rivard, Rick Berg, Richard Mourdock and John Koster(all R) who wanted to define rape and demean women. In fact, you voted against Violence Against Women Act(V.A.W.A.) which is turning women against the TEA-quest-traitors in Washington. Ronald Reagan once said: If you're afraid of the future, then get out of the way, stand aside. The people of this country are ready to move again. You and your party extremes are responsible for at least 17,000 kids dying without adequate healthcare during W’s 8 years while HUGE TAX CUTS were passed for the filthy rich and TRILLIONS have spent on the war in Iraq they LIED to get us into! Texas needs to make changes in Austin to fix the errors of the past. "Sweep your state Capital CLEAN....in 2014" "Sweep the House CLEAN....in 2014" "Sweep the Senate CLEAN....in 2014