The Brief: Aug. 6, 2012

The Big Conversation:

Ted Cruz capped off a whirlwind week with his first appearance on national Sunday morning political TV.

In a 10-minute interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday, Cruz offered his take on how he'd serve in the U.S. Senate if elected in November.

"I am perfectly happy to compromise and work with anybody — Republicans, Democrats, libertarians," Cruz said. "I'll work with Martians if — and the 'if' is critical — they are willing to cut spending and reduce the debt. The problem so many Republicans have fallen into is they compromise going backward."

Cruz also praised Mitt Romney, saying Tea Party supporters would rally behind the presumptive Republican presidential nominee before November.

"I think conservative grassroots and the Tea Party are going to be overwhelmingly behind Mitt Romney," he said, adding, "I have yet to meet a single Tea Party leader that is not going to vote for Mitt Romney and work hard for him."

Wallace then asked Cruz, the son of a Cuban immigrant, about Romney's struggles to woo Hispanic voters. Cruz responded that Romney should appeal to the community's conservative values.

"The Hispanic community, the values that resonate in our community, are fundamentally conservative," he said. "They are faith, family, patriotism. … A friend of mine, a Hispanic entrepreneur, asked me a question some time ago. He said, 'When is the last time you saw an Hispanic panhandler?' I think it’s a great question. I’ll tell you, in my life, I never once have seen an Hispanic panhandler, because in our community it would be viewed as shameful to be out on the street begging."

He added, "And I think what Gov. Romney needs to do, what he is doing, is defending those values and making the case that the Obama agenda has been incredibly destructive to the Hispanic community."

Culled:

• Diane Henson, a Democratic justice on the state's 3rd Court of Appeals, has been removed from ruling on Tom DeLay's appeal of his money-laundering case, the Austin American-Statesman reports. DeLay's attorneys had targeted Henson for a speech she made at the 2006 Texas Democratic convention in which she said she was running for the "court of appeals that would hear the appeal of Tom DeLay, if by chance he was convicted." Another justice will be appointed to hear the case along with Democrat Woodie Jones and Republican Melissa Goodwin.
• Just how far to the right will a handful of new conservative members push the state Senate in November? With the help of Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who spent months brandishing his conservative credentials on the campaign trail, Republicans may get to pass bills on issues like sanctuary cities and school choice. "To me, school choice is the photo ID bill of this session," state Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, told the San Antonio Express-News. Democrats, though, are urging caution about such on such moves. "If they do something like an Arizona law and vouchers, I'm sorry, my peeps will go out," said Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio.
• The federal government on Friday released the details of a plan President Barack Obama announced in June that would save some illegal immigrants from deportation proceedings and let them apply for work permits. Among other details, the government noted that immigrants who apply will not likely face repercussions during the process unless they lie, attempt fraud or have been deemed a threat to national security.

"There were decisions made in my campaign that going forward, I will do different." — David Dewhurst to reporters on Friday

Must-Read:

• Jason Stanford: How Ted Cruz Won, The Huffington Post
• Cruz was able to dominate through social media, Houston Chronicle
• How effective can Ted Cruz be in drawing Latinos to GOP?, The Dallas Morning News
• UT medical school would cost $4.1 billion over 12 years, records show, Austin American-Statesman
• In Preparing Students for College, a Struggle, The Texas Tribune