Doing My Part For The Left

John Cornyn is campaigning in Texas and distorting the truth about his tenure in the US Senate. He is a senator who has been more concerned with his own wallet and his party’s welfare than he has been of the American People.

Read the press release from the Rick Noriega Campaign:

Houston, Tex. – Today John Cornyn came to Collin County trying to
distort his record of blocking all legislation this summer that would
have helped Texas families. Texans are used to breaking records, but
under John Cornyn’s watch, it hasn’t been the good kind: record high
gas prices, record numbers of Texans in poverty, and record numbers of
Texans uninsured.

“Texas’s rubber-stamp junior Senator has been hurting Texas families,”
said Holly Shulman. “This summer alone, he blocked funding for the
troops, blocked all efforts to lower prices at the pump, blocked
housing reform, and chose to block tax breaks for Texas families and
more. Texans deserve a leader, not a lap-dog for the administration’s
failed policies.”

Question: Why would John Cornyn block a pay raise for our troops after
voting himself a pay raise?

Cornyn Blocked Funding For The Troops. John Cornyn blocked legislation
funding for a pay raise for our troops, improvements in health care
for troops and their families, and an authorization for $3 billion in
combating improvised explosive devices. [S. 3001 Vote #195 7/31/08]

2003: Cornyn Voted to Raise His Salary By $3,400. In 2003, Cornyn
voted to table an amendment offered by Senator Russ Feingold to block
members of congress from receiving a 2.2 percent cost of living salary
increase during fiscal year 2003. Cornyn then voted in favor of the
final appropriations bill that included funding for Members of
Congress. As a result, pay for members of congress increased from
$154,700 to $158,100. [Vote 406, 10/23/03; Vote 410, 10/23/03;
Congress Link, accessed 8/9/07]

· Cornyn Didn’t See Connection Between Opposition to Minimum
Wage Increase and Congressional Pay Raises. In June 2006, Cornyn
dismissed Democrats attempts to link support for increasing
Congressional salaries to opposition to an increase in the federal
minimum wage. Cornyn said, “I have no doubt the congressional pay
raise is universally unpopular, but … I don’t see the connection.”
[National Journal's Congress Daily, 6/30/06]

Q Question: Why would John Cornyn wait until after Rick Noriega sent
a petition to ask the Iraqi’s to stand up and pay their own way?

John Cornyn Changed His Position On Iraqi’s Weak Reconstruction
Efforts. John Cornyn waited until yesterday to take a tougher stand on
weak Iraqi reconstruction efforts, five days after Rick Noriega called
on Texans to sign a petition. This came after weak statements from
Cornyn spokesman Kevin McLaughlin, saying that “Senator Cornyn
believes the Iraqis should pay for as much of the reconstruction
effort as possible.” And this isn’t the first time, Cornyn’s had to
change his tune after being shamed by Rick Noriega. Cornyn voted
against oversight in Iraq 15 times. [S.2400 Vote #120 6/16/04; HR
3058, Vote #259, 10/19/05; HR 2862, Vote #228, 9/14/05; S 1042, Vote
#316, 11/10/05; S 2766, Vote #176, 6/20/06; HR 2658, Vote #278,
7/16/03; HR 5631, Vote #236, 9/7/06; HR 1495, Vote #168, 5/16/07; HR
1591, Vote #147, 4/26/07; S.Amdt. 4885 to H.R. 5631, Vote # 233,
9/6/06, passed 54-44; HR 2658, Vote #281, 7/16/03; HR 2658, Vote #283,
7/16/03; HR 2658, Vote #279, 7/16/03; H 2658, Vote #287, 7/17/03; S.
Amdt. 1275 to H.R. 2658, Vote # 284, 7/16/03, passed 51-45]

Question: Where does Sen. Cornyn stand on the Bush administration’s
policy to redefine birth control pills as abortion?

John Cornyn Has Not Taken a Position As To Whether Texans Should Have
Access To Birth Control. A Houston Chronicle editorial this week came
out against Bush administration’s “draft regulation that would
classify most birth control pills, the Plan B emergency contraceptive
and intrauterine devices as forms of abortion,” and allowing health
care workers to “refuse to counsel women on their birth control
options or supply contraceptives.”

Question: Why would John Cornyn block the core of T. Boone Pickens’
plan while advocating energy independence? In the same bill, he voted
against tax breaks for Texans, against child tax credits and against
reducing college tuition rates?

Cornyn Blocked the Centerpiece of Boone Pickens Energy Plan –
Renewable Tax Credits. The Dallas Morning News reported that “[T.
Boone Pickens] might be disappointed” when Sen. John Cornyn “blocked a
big tax bill that would have extended a tax credit on which wind
developers rely for another year.”

Cornyn Blocked Tax Breaks for Texans, Blocked Child Tax Credits, and
Blocked Reducing The Cost Of College For Students. Senator Cornyn
voted against bill that would have allowed Texans to deduct their
state sales tax from their federal taxes. The bill also would have
increased the child tax credit for nearly 1.2 million Texas children,
lowering their families’ tax burden. The bill also would have lowered
college costs for Texas families. The package also included tax
incentives for renewable energy producers. [S 3335 Vote# 192 7/30/08]
[HR 6049 Vote #147 6/10/08; #190 7/29/08] Tax Policy Center national
estimate, distributed by state based on CBPP analysis of the 2005
American Community Survey]

Question: Does John Cornyn plan to debate Rick Noriega?

Senator Cornyn Hasn’t Agreed To Debate. Rep. Rick Noriega, who
according to recent polls is within the margin of error, has
challenged Cornyn to debate. Cornyn told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
“We’re talking about the formats and how many, but I think come
September, certainly not later than October, we’ll be teeing it up.”
But the Noriega campaign has yet to hear from Senator Cornyn.

Question: Texas has the highest uninsured rate in the nation, and more
than one million uninsured children. Does John Cornyn really think
health care in Texas is great, and why did he vote six times against
expanding Children’s Health Insurance?

Cornyn Voted Six Times Against Children’s Health Insurance. In 2007,
Cornyn voted six times against bi-partisan legislation to extend
children’s health insurance funding and expand it by $35 billion over
five years. The bill contained funding to provide coverage for an
additional 3.2 billion kids while including $100 million in funding to
improve participation in the program. To offset the expansion, the
legislation would have increased the tax on cigarettes by 61 cents to
$1 per pack and raised taxes on other tobacco products. The bill
would have provided coverage to pregnant women and dental coverage to
children enrolled in the program. States would have to meet new
requirements before being allowed to expand eligibility beyond 300
percent of poverty. [Vote 307, 8/2/07; Vote 352, 9/27/07; Vote 353,
9/27/07; Vote 401, 10/31/07; Vote 402, 11/1/07; Vote 403, 11/1/07;
Financial Times.com, 8/2/07; DPC, 7/31/07]

John Cornyn is not the type of senator that the great state of Texas or America deserves. We need to elect a true leader to office. Rick Noriega is such a leader and needs our help and our donations.