The Evening Brief: Texas Headlines for Feb. 19, 2013
New in The Texas Tribune
• Cruz Talks Guns, Deflects Hagel Accusations: "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.'"
• Texas Senators Slam State's Testing Regime: "State senators took turns publicly condemning Texas' student assessment system — the implementation of which one lawmaker called a 'colossal failure' — at a Tuesday Education Committee meeting."
• Bill Calls for Emergency Alarms at Texas Schools: "Legislation filed by state Rep. Eddie Rodriguez, D-Austin, would require Texas school districts to equip their campuses ...
Comments (34)
Andrew Goldberg via Texas Tribune on Facebook
have a drink of water teddy
Ron Blancarte via Texas Tribune on Facebook
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_maxloyZb5q1qjpepyo1_500.jpg
Jolyn Brand via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Nope. We have LOTS of smart Hispanics on our team. Rubio isn't smart, but it takes the genius that is Cruz to say "smart and intelligent". Here's a hint buddy: those words are synonyms. You even SOUND stupid.
Cal Morton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
...ah yeah, that's it.
Ron Blancarte via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Threatening? No. I find him to be the ultimate in hypocrite. The man built himself up utilizing government programs and utilizes them for his family members. But in the same breath as touting them, he turns around and blasts them as entitlements.
IMHO, I feel he is more of what the entire GOP seems to be right now, obstructionism. And it is too bad, because we have a country here to run, and getting in the way isn't going to solve problems, it is only going to make more.
Elizabeth K. Burton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
See, there's the problem—Rubio as the criterion for intelligent conservatism.
Bambi Clark via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I just laugh now when I see him. He is a joke.
Jose B. Gonzalez via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Rubio is no threat... Outside of FL he CAN'T win over any significant number of Latino votes... The Republican Party is mistaken if they believe that simply a candidate with a Hispanic last name is going to win over the Latino vote... Just goes to show that the Republican leadership truly believes - Latinos are a bunch of dumb @sse$...
Sergio Jaramillo via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Sorry, but that's really not it. I listened to that speech and i felt it was the same recycled Romneyisms that just led them to a humiliating electoral loss in November. The problem is not the face but the message and it will not be well-received no matter what minority you have giving it (Cruz, Rubio, Cain, etc). The GOP seems to be being led to a Waterloo and it is not going to be pretty. Once they lose Texas, it will really be over as a national party (consider the fact that they lost Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, etc). I should add that I also finding interesting that these so called "saviors", the likes of Ryan and Rubio, were unable to even deliver their home states in the past election. If this is the best they have, they are in deep trouble.
David Huang via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Marcooooooo.
Susie Martinez-Dominguez via Texas Tribune on Facebook
No, we see thru the smoke and mirrors
Jim Hsu via Texas Tribune on Facebook
So smart, he's not sure if earth was 1,800 years old or substantially older. So smart, he forgot to take a final sip of water before his speech.
Soupy Head via Texas Tribune on Facebook
i like politicians with nice hair. that is all.
David McLemore via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Does Cruz always speak of himself in the 3rd person?
Oto Cantu via Texas Tribune on Facebook
This damn Cuban is a crazy bastard. He is a freaking lunatic and a jerk.
Philip Sorrells via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Who is Ted Cruz. He seems quite mad....
Neil Moyer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Rubio/Cruz national ticket...yeehaw!
Lorell Eisma Costello via Texas Tribune on Facebook
No, it was just funny......
Axel Gerdau via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Nice job complimenting somebody else and flattering yourself in the process.
Toni Mikel via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Nope! I don't support Marco Rubio because he doesn't support me or poor or middleclass. Take a look at his voting record online. Last Tuesday he wouldn't even vote for women raped and voted no for Violence Against Womens Act. He didn't vote for 1st Responders or Sandy Victim Storm Relief. Hell! How often does Florida make use a Goverment Storm Relief! Geeshz! He's just a pretty face, charming tongue. A wolf in Sheeps clothing working for corporate America and tea party zealots that rather cripple the economy that do commonsense cuts.
Hugo Castro via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Teddy, you are better off without Rubio. He takes away more than he adds.
Cheryl Cox Brinkman via Texas Tribune on Facebook
think again...
Ward Adams via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Ted Cruz is about as "Hispanic" as Rick Perry.
Sergio Hernandez De Santos via Texas Tribune on Facebook
What I'm afraid is that Rubio is what today passes as intelligent, smart Hispanic, that is really frightening
Ju Teixeira via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Cruz playing the race card?
R L
Well, the Facebook friends are out with full ignorance on display. You all really are gnashing teeth at the thought of articulate, accomplished Hipanics that don't buy into your failed ideology.
Pedro Gutierrez via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Cruz's father is from Cuba, I think that qualifies him as "Hispanic"
Johnny Hughes via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Crazy Cruz cannot give Texas a bad name, just himself.
Don Foard via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Can Republicans reinvent themselves with some SANE Hispanics, Blacks, and Women? Wonder if they can find a right-wing wacko gay person to place in front of a tv camera. Not yet.
Don Foard via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I'm not a "European Style Socialist Liberal", but I can't seem to get ready for these hypocritical Republicans, either. Guess I'll stay moderate/independent.
raffaele cafagna
Cruz was born in Canada and his father is from Cuba ; better than kenya .
raffaele cafagna
Get over yourself. He's only a senator. And an exceptional one at that!! At least we know a little about him, where he was born, who his real father is, what's on his passport and college records, and that he is a Naturalized American first, politician second. Besides, Cruz earned his degree, it wasn't honorary. No matter how much Obama spends, he'll still never be natural born according to the US Constitution. And when did he declare his candidacy for prez?
Johnny Hughes via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Crazy Cruz' wife works for Goldman Sachs. Will Crazy Cruz recuse himself in Wall Street reform discussions? I'll lay nine to one against.
Charles Voith
Cruz's biggest advantage is that 73% of Americans DO NOT trust the U.S. federal government...according to the most recent Pew Research poll. Andy Cohut, Pew president, said on PBS Newshour that 73% distrusting the federal government is unprecedented.
So Cruz can rant and rave against the feds and crony-capitalist/crony-unionist/crony-welfarist politicians all he wants...because he speaks-out-loud for 73% of Americans.
I am an independent voter who voted for Cruz because I am one of the 73% who did not want to send crony-capitalist David Dewhurst to Washington so he could grow our federal debt even more...just like Kaye Bailey Hutchison did. Did you know that our federal debt was$4 Trillion when Kaye Bailey Hutchison was first elected senator in 1993...and that she retired in 2012, leaving us with a federal debt of $16 Trillion?? She was complicit in profligate spending that increased our federal debt 300%. No wonder she lost to Rick Perry by 25 points in 2010.