Examiner - Ted Cruz Invests Time at Georgia GOP Convention

News Article

By Jim Jess

Presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) invested time Friday at the Georgia Republican State Convention in Athens as he met delegates and delivered two speeches.

Cruz was surrounded by admirers late Saturday afternoon once delegates discovered his staff room on the second floor of the Classic Center in Athens, where the state's GOP convention was being held. A line formed and a crowd gathered to shake his hand, ask him about issues and pose with him for a photo. Cruz is one of a half-dozen declared Republican candidates for president in what is expected to be a crowded field that may eventually include another 8-10 candidates.

An hour after the photo-ops in the hallway, Cruz was addressing a reception of 100 Republican delegates, which included a stage filled with Republicans who were black and of Asian extraction, evidence of the success of the Georgia GOP's minority engagement program.

Cruz told the crowd that minorities and young people are paying the price for the stagnant Obama economy and that Obamacare is a massive transfer of wealth from healthy young people to everyone else. The solution, he said, is to spread the "fire of freedom" and the message of limited government.

Less than an hour later, Cruz addressed a banquet room filled with hundreds of Republican convention delegates and alternates. The senator spoke without notes or a teleprompter, as he had earlier at the reception. It is obvious that he speaks from the heart, with passion for his principles and issues. No coaching or on-the-job training needed here. For those who have followed politics and heard numerous political speeches--especially from the current president--this is a refreshing change. Cruz knows what he believes and has no problem putting it into words.

The Texas senator spoke of a country in crisis. As he put it, "We haven't reached the point of no return, but we are close."

He then posed the question that would frame the rest of his remarks: "How do we ignite the promise of America?" And he proceeded to lay out a three-pronged approach to do so:

1. Bring back God, growth and opportunity.
2. Defend our constitutional rights.
3. Re-establish American leadership in the world.

Inherent in restoring our nation, Cruz understands there must be underlying moral standards to restore our nation. To re-establish economic growth, he supports a simple flat tax, rolling back burdensome regulations through regulatory reform and repealing Obamacare--"every last word of it." He also said we need positive, patient-centered health care reform.

Cruz made a point to talk about defending our First Amendment rights, aware of the fight in Georgia to pass the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in the Georgia General Assembly. "I will always, always defend the religious liberties of all Americans."

The senator spoke about his work with his pastor to organize a prayer vigil and rally in Houston last year to respond to the mayor of Houston's attempt to intimidate Houston pastors by issuing subpoenas requesting their sermons. This was the result of their opposition to a Houston ordinance that carved out special privileges for the transgendered community, which was opposed by many pastors in Houston. Cruz spoke at the Houston press conference with the pastors and said, "Caesar has no jurisdiction over the pulpit, and when you subpoena one pastor, you subpoena every pastor."

Public outcry from around the nation forced Mayor Annise Parker to back down.

Cruz said we must fight to defend the right to bear arms in the Second Amendment, the protection against unreasonable searches in the Fourth Amendment and property rights in the Fifth Amendment. He also quoted the 10th Amendment, which says that powers not delegated to the federal government in Washington, D.C., are reserved to the states or the people. He pointed out that this included education, and that education needed to be locally controlled, and, ultimately, controlled by parents. This is man who understands our Constitution.

Finally, Cruz spoke of the need to re-establish American leadership in the world, in the midst of a massive failure by the current administration to lead around the world.

The senator compared today's crises to the late 1970s, when Jimmy Carter, not Barack Obama, also offered weak leadership in a troubled world. To turn the country around, said Cruz, we will need a grassroots movement to move power out of Washington and back to the people.

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