Video: Rick Perry Endorses Sen. Ted Cruz

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry endorsed Ted Cruz for President in the Republican primary, today.

In his video announcement, Perry commended the junior senator from Texas for taking “a bold stand against Obama’s lawlessness” and having the “willingness to take on the Washington Cartel.”

Texas became an economic powerhouse under Perry’s 15 years of governorship, so his endorsement should give Cruz a decent boost.

“I support Ted Cruz for President,” said Gov. Perry. “As an Air Force Veteran, I understand the sacrifices that our men and women in the military make every day to keep us safe. They deserve a commander in chief who values their service, who will keep our military strong, and who will always put America’s national security interests first. Ted has proven that he is ready to serve as Commander in Chief on Day One. He has also proven the willingness to take on the Washington Cartel and restore power and opportunity back to the people.”

“Gov. Rick Perry is a friend and a remarkable public servant,” said Cruz. “He is a proud veteran who bravely served our nation, and he was an extraordinary governor of Texas. It was an honor to serve under him during my time as Texas’ Solicitor General. I am thrilled to have Rick join our campaign. With his principled leadership, we will coalesce conservatives behind this campaign to win the White House in 2016.”

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THE CONSTITUTION STRIKES BACK: “The Cruz-ade”

My husband sent me this funny Star-Wars send-up thinking it was an official Ted Cruz campaign video.

Alas, it is not. It’s by Cruz supporter named Joel Gilbert.

A writer at the Rolling Stone actually found it kind of entertaining:

“It is a dark time for the Republic. A deceptive and radical donkey has seized the capital and shredded the constitution,” the opening crawl of The Constitution Strikes Back reads. “A powerful rebel must arise to unite the elephants and save the nation.”

We won’t spoil the whole thing for you, but we will say it involves a Constitution-powered lightsaber that “Cruz'” may or may not use to ward off RINOs and a donkey-riding President Obama drunk on executive power.

More Silly Season news:

Hugh Hewitt: Ann Coulter Doubles Down On Ted Cruz’ Ineligibility For The Presidency

The Resurgent: These Attacks on Nikki Haley are Bat Crap Crazytown

Ted Cruz Challenges Obama To A Debate On Iran (Video)

On “Hannity” Monday night, Sen. Ted Cruz challenged Obama to a debate on the nuclear deal, charging that if passed, it would make the Obama administration the world’s leading financier of radical Islamic terrorism.

Cruz pointed out that Obama attacked the GOP today, as opposed to disputing the fact that the nuclear deal empowers jihadists.

Cruz extended an invitation to Obama to debate the substance of the nuke deal at any time and place of the president’s choosing.

“If he’s so convinced he’s right on the substance, I will welcome him anytime. And if he’s unwilling to show up, he can send as a proxy John Kerry,” Cruz said. “Let’s debate the substance of how much this endangers the United States of America, Israel and the world.”

I fully endorse this idea – stipulating of course that none of Obama’s usual crutches be allowed – no prompters, no ear phones, no Candy Crowley as Moderator…

I should note that Princeton has a debate tournament named after the Texas Senator as a tribute to his legendary debating skills.

The Ted Cruz Living Memorial Novice Championship is a Princeton-only intramural tournament for Debate Panel novices. The tournament is a way for novices to show off what they’ve learned throughout the year, both to their friends on campus and to the rest of their teammates. Rounds are judged by Debate Panel varsity members. The tournament is named after Ted Cruz ’92, the 1992 Team of the Year, the 1992 Speaker of the Year, the 1992 North American Debating Championship top speaker, and Princeton’s highest-ranked debater at the World Universities Debating Championship.

Obama, during his college years, on the other hand, was known for smoking a lot of weed, doing “a little blow when he could afford it”, being a member of the Democratic Student Socialist Alliance while at Occidental and attending socialist conferences while at Columbia (where he made such an impression on fellow students, no one remembers him.) At Harvard, Obama was known as an insufferable suck-up whose election as President of the Law Review – by his own admission – “may have benefited from the Law Review’s affirmative action policy.”

Yeah, I’d like to see these two debate.

 

#CPAC2015 Full Ted Cruz Speech Blasting Hillary + Hannity Q&A

“God bless CPAC!”  Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) hollered as he took the stage.  “There’s not a single Democrat , here. It’s almost like CPAC invited Benjamin Netanyahu to speak.”

He took a shot at Hillary, saying  CPAC could have had her at the conference but “couldn’t find a foreign nation to foot the bill.”

Cruz said that the way to win the presidency is to use  “all three legs of the proverbial Republican stool.”

He continued, “we bring together conservatives, and libertarians, and evangelicals, and women, and young people, ans Hispanics and Reagan Democrats.”

The Texas Senator explained that the way to do that is to stand with the people – and not Washington – a message he’s repeated time again.

Following his speech, there was a brief question and answer period with Fox News’ Sean Hannity

 

Covering The Iowa Freedom Summit

Eight potential 2016 republican presidential candidates and a host of other GOP luminaries are in Des Moines Iowa this weekend for the “Iowa Freedom Summit,” and your humble blogress is in town to take it all in and capture the special moments (if there are any.)

The guest list includes Dr. Ben Carson, Gov. Chris Christie, Sen. Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina, Mike Huckabee, Rick Perry, Rick Santorum  Gov. Scott Walker, Sarah Palin, Donald Trump, John Bolton, Newt Gingrich and Senators Joni Ernst and Charles Grassley. Four possible 2016 contenders, Senator Rand Paul, Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush,  Gov. Bobby Jindal are skipping the summit.

The Saturday event, which was organized by Citizens United and Congressman Steve King, is sold out.

According to Breitbart’s Tony Lee, some “dreamers” are hoping to disrupt the proceedings.

According to an NBC report, DREAMers are planning “activities around the event, including confronting potential candidates to ask them where they stand on immigration reform and the president’s executive action.” Erika Andiola, one of the DREAMers whoconfronted King last summer in Iowa, reportedly said DREAMers want to “make sure those who are running for the presidency are also being held accountable for what they are saying.” The incident was recorded and the footage immediately made the rounds on mainstream media networks.

After accosting King at an event with Sen. Rand Paul in which King told the DREAMers not to import more lawlessness, DREAMers vowed to have more of such confrontations.

Update:

As expected, there were a few “Dreamers” on the street with preprinted signs outside the venue as we arrived. My shuttle driver, wondered, “what more do they want?”

Live stream of the Iowa Freedom Summit, here.

Follow on Twitter: #IAFreedomSummit

Sen. Cruz’s Vote to Defund Obama’s Executive Amnesty Fails (Video)

Saturday night, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas raised a constitutional point of order against to defund Emperor Obama’s illegal executive amnesty. Via The Hill, his effort failed with 22 senators (less than half of the Senate’s 45 Republicans) voting with Cruz and 74 voting against his point of order.

Cruz explained the reason for his point of order in a statement, Saturday night.

“Forcing a vote on the constitutionality of Obama’s amnesty is important for two reasons. First, since President Obama enacted his unilateral amnesty after the elections, Democrats have never been made to answer for it. Tonight, they will and they will show America whether they stand with a lawless President, who is defying the will of the voters or the millions of Americans who want a safe and legal immigration system.

“Second, it allows Republicans to also show they are committed to ending Obama’s amnesty once and for all in the next Congress. If we agree it is indeed unconstitutional, we have no business funding it when the GOP controls Congress next  year.

“The Constitution matters, and we must defend it. That is why we have fought so hard to ensure this vote.”

Via The Blaze:

The only Republicans voting with Cruz were Sens. Roy Blunt (Mo.), John Boozman (Ark.), Richard Burr (N.C.), Mike Crapo (Idaho), Deb Fischer (Neb.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Hoeven (N.D.), Johnny Isakson (Ga.), Mike Johanns (Neb.), Mike Lee (Utah), Jerry Moran (Kan.), Rand Paul (Ky.), Rob Portman (Ohio), James Risch (Idaho), Pat Roberts (Kan.), Marco Rubio (Fla.), Tim Scott (S.C.), Jeff Sessions (Ala.), Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), Jon Thune (S.D.) and David Vitter (La.).

That leaves the usual suspects voting against – Thad Cochran, Orrin Hatch, McCain, Gramnesty, Corker, Ayotte, Collins — who am I missing?

Of course – Murkowsi, Flake, Kirk, Coats, McConnell!, Wicker, Heller, Toomey, Cornyn, Alexander, Ron Johnson, Enzi, Barrasso.

Coburn, Chambliss and  Inhofe didn’t vote.

The rollcall:

Alphabetical by Senator Name

Alexander (R-TN), Nay Ayotte (R-NH), Nay Baldwin (D-WI), Nay Barrasso (R-WY), Nay Begich (D-AK), Nay Bennet (D-CO), Nay Blumenthal (D-CT), Nay Blunt (R-MO), Yea Booker (D-NJ), Nay Boozman (R-AR), Yea Boxer (D-CA), Nay Brown (D-OH), Nay Burr (R-NC), Yea Cantwell (D-WA), Nay Cardin (D-MD), Nay Carper (D-DE), Nay Casey (D-PA), Nay Chambliss (R-GA), Not Voting Coats (R-IN), Nay Coburn (R-OK), Not Voting Cochran (R-MS), Nay Collins (R-ME), Nay Coons (D-DE), Nay Corker (R-TN), Nay Cornyn (R-TX), Nay Crapo (R-ID), Yea Cruz (R-TX), Yea Donnelly (D-IN), Nay Durbin (D-IL), Nay Enzi (R-WY), Nay Feinstein (D-CA), Not Voting Fischer (R-NE), Yea Flake (R-AZ), Nay Franken (D-MN), Nay

Gillibrand (D-NY), Nay Graham (R-SC), Nay Grassley (R-IA), Yea Hagan (D-NC), Nay Harkin (D-IA), Nay Hatch (R-UT), Nay Heinrich (D-NM), Nay Heitkamp (D-ND), Nay Heller (R-NV), Nay Hirono (D-HI), Nay Hoeven (R-ND), Yea Inhofe (R-OK), Not Voting Isakson (R-GA), Yea Johanns (R-NE), Yea Johnson (D-SD), Nay Johnson (R-WI), Nay Kaine (D-VA), Nay King (I-ME), Nay Kirk (R-IL), Nay Klobuchar (D-MN), Nay Landrieu (D-LA), Nay Leahy (D-VT), Nay Lee (R-UT), Yea Levin (D-MI), Nay Manchin (D-WV), Nay Markey (D-MA), Nay McCain (R-AZ), Nay McCaskill (D-MO), Nay McConnell (R-KY), Nay Menendez (D-NJ), Nay Merkley (D-OR), Nay Mikulski (D-MD), Nay Moran (R-KS), Yea Murkowski (R-AK), Nay

Murphy (D-CT), Nay Murray (D-WA), Nay Nelson (D-FL), Nay Paul (R-KY), Yea Portman (R-OH), Yea Pryor (D-AR), Nay Reed (D-RI), Nay Reid (D-NV), Nay Risch (R-ID), Yea Roberts (R-KS), Yea Rockefeller (D-WV), Nay Rubio (R-FL), Yea Sanders (I-VT), Nay Schatz (D-HI), Nay Schumer (D-NY), Nay Scott (R-SC), Yea Sessions (R-AL), Yea Shaheen (D-NH), Nay Shelby (R-AL), Yea Stabenow (D-MI), Nay Tester (D-MT), Nay Thune (R-SD), Yea Toomey (R-PA), Nay Udall (D-CO), Nay Udall (D-NM), Nay Vitter (R-LA), Yea Walsh (D-MT), Nay Warner (D-VA), Nay Warren (D-MA), Nay Whitehouse (D-RI), Nay Wicker (R-MS), Nay Wyden (D-OR), Nay

UPDATE:

SMH

Only 18 Republicans voted against CRomnibus.

18 Republicans voted NO on the #CRomnibus: http://t.co/06TDo2St0s pic.twitter.com/t7fFeeTGQt

— Roll Call (@rollcall) December 14, 2014

UPDATE II:

Matthew Boyle, Breitbart reports that Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) was whipping votes, according to a congressional GOP aide,   against Cruz’s measure.

Toomey’s office hasn’t responded to a request for comment as to why he was whipping votes against Cruz’s measure, and in favor of Obama’s amnesty.

So bizarre.

UPDATE III:

The Hill: Rand Paul introduces bill to undo Obama’s immigration order

 Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has filed a bill seeking to repeal President Obama’s executive order that delays deportation of five million immigrants, the Courier Journal reported Saturday.

Paul’s bill, “Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act,” is companion legislation to a House bill passed last week from Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.)

The Kentucky Republican’s proposal, posted on his website Friday, prohibits the president from using discretion when determining who to deport.