State of Texas Archives: on Principles & Values
Allen West:
Religious coexistence "would give away our country"
During a March 2011 town hall, West talked about the "Coexist" movement, saying of their bumper stickers: "Every time I see one of those bumper stickers, I look at the person inside that is driving. Because that person
represents something that would give away our country. Would give away who we are, our rights and freedoms and liberties because they are afraid to stand up and confront that which is the antithesis, anathema of who we are."
Source: ThinkProgress.org on 2022 Texas Governor race
Jul 29, 2021
Allen West:
Likened Democrats to Nazis, Socialists, Communists
During his brief tenure in Congress, he made headlines when he said Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels would be impressed with the media tactics used by Democrats. He called
President Obama "a low-level Socialist agitator," according to news reports. He claimed to know that up to 81 members of the Democratic Party were members of the Communist Party.
Source: Houston Chronicle on 2022 Texas Gubernatorial race
Jul 6, 2021
Allen West:
I don't serve Trump; I serve God, country and Texas
West said he would not be deterred by an incumbent having the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. Trump has already backed Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick for reelection. "You know, I don't serve President Trump.
I serve God, country and Texas," West said. "So that does not affect me whatsoever."
Source: Texas Tribune on 2022 Texas Gubernatorial race
Jun 4, 2021
Chad Prather:
Texas is no longer the Texas that most Texans think it is
Called the "modern day Will Rogers," Prather is equally at home on stage or screen, musing on topics from politics, and family life to whatever inspires him on that day. He is fast becoming the face of the everyman and conservative common sense voice.
Prather believes the great state of Texas should be a leader in the US and number one across all categories. Unfortunately Texas is no longer the Texas that most Texans think it is. He believes that trend must change by putting Texas FIRST!
Source: 2021 Texas Gubernatorial campaign website Prather2022.com
Jun 1, 2021
Don Huffines:
If we lose Texas, we are going to lose the free world
We will stop bowing down to the federal courts. This is Texas. We don't care what John Roberts thinks. He and other sellouts on the Supreme Court have proven that they cannot be trusted to protect our liberty or state sovereignty. It's time to restore
Texas values.I used to say, if we lose Texas we lose the country. Now, I say if we lose Texas, we are going to lose the free world.
Source: 2021 Texas Gubernatorial campaign website DonHuffines.com
May 30, 2021
Don Huffines:
I have the courage to save our great state: TEXAS FIRST
Lying politicians will go to extraordinary lengths to cover their tracks. I saw the corruption in Austin firsthand during my four years in the Texas Senate. I'm a proud fifth-generation Texan, husband, father, grandfather, and a self-made entrepreneur.
I'm tired of being lied to. We all are. Texas deserves real leadership. No excuses. We're running out of time, we have the solutions, and I have the courage to save our great state. Our greatest days are coming. TEXAS FIRST.
Source: 2021 Texas Gubernatorial campaign website DonHuffines.com
May 30, 2021
Chad Prather:
COVID: Would prefer UFOs to masks and vaccines
Prather was fired up about the growing number of Americans contracting COVID-19 after having been fully vaccinated. "We talked about the UFOs and the aliens last night," Prather began. "If you can hear me, if you've made contact, come pick me up.
I want to go with you." He went on to say he would rather go with the aliens than live life among the insanity related to COVID, masks, and vaccines.
Source: BlazeTV on 2022 Texas Governor race
May 21, 2021
Don Huffines:
Republican leaders can't be trusted; don't follow platform
Many Republican leaders should not be trusted, Huffines warned. "They are duplicitous and they are liars," he said. "You know why? Because you might hold them accountable. You might hold them accountable to their campaign promises.
You might even hold them accountable to our party platform.""Have you ever seen our elected Republican leaders, our statewide leaders have this in their hand, our party platform?" Huffines said, brandishing a paper copy.
Source: Dallas Morning News on 2022 Texas Gubernatorial race
May 10, 2021
Greg Abbott:
Prevent government from shutting churches during pandemic
Freedom of Religion is enshrined in the First Amendment. And yet, some government officials across the country shut down churches during the pandemic. Even in Texas, some local officials tried closing churches. That is wrong.
We must ensure that freedom to worship is forever safeguarded. I want a law this session that prevents any government entity from shutting down religious activities in Texas.
Source: 2021 State of the State Address to the Texas legislature
Feb 2, 2021
Allen West:
2020 election: Only one view of Constitution (pro-Trump)
After the U.S. Supreme Court jettisoned Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's ludicrous lawsuit challenging election results in four other states, West reacted as I feared he would, including this: "Perhaps law-abiding states should bond together
and form a union of states that will abide by the Constitution." He believes his interpretation of the Constitution is the only one that matters when it comes to something as pivotal as the selection of a president of the United States of America.
Source: Austin American-Statesman on 2022 Texas Gubernatorial race
Dec 11, 2020
Allen West:
Branded Texas GOP with motto used by QAnon
West quickly steered the GOP into unnecessary controversy regarding his adoption of a motto for the party--"We Are the Storm"--that's also used by followers of the QAnon conspiracy theory. The phrase comes from a popular meme: "Fate
whispered to the warrior, 'You cannot withstand the storm.' The warrior replied, 'I am the storm.' " (West has described the quote as a reference to Psalm 29, which talks about the voice of God being heard through a storm.)
Source: Texas Monthly on 2022 Texas Gubernatorial race
Dec 1, 2020
Chad Prather:
I'm going to help Texas secede from socialism that's coming
I'm going to help Texas secede from the socialism that's coming.
Who's coming with us? #Prather2022
Source: Twitter posting on 2022 Texas Governor race
Nov 7, 2020
August Pfluger:
Running to fight socialism and support rural voices
Texas Scorecard asked Pfluger to describe what inspired him to seek higher office. "We need someone who will stand up for what this district needs and what our country needs. I am no stranger to service, and [we] have committed our lives to public
service. This is a different way to serve." Pfluger said it is worth stepping up to fight against socialism and for the interests of the district. "We need someone who will stand up for rural voices, for the energy industry's voice," he said.
Source: Texas Scorecard on 2020 Congressional TX-11 election
Feb 20, 2020
MJ Hegar:
Reasons for becoming combat pilot same as running for office
Why running: "I do feel like I have set out a path of my life to never again be too small or too weak to protect the people I love," Hegar told the
American-Statesman. "Becoming a combat pilot and rescuing people off the battlefield, and now, I feel like I'm doing the same thing. The reasons I put the uniform on are the same reasons I'm running for office."
Source: The Austin American-Statesman on 2020 Texas Senate race
Feb 19, 2020
Sema Hernandez:
Member of Democratic Socialists of America
Hernandez says she's a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. "I'm running to end the systemic poverty, systemic racism, and the ecological devastation that is brought on by policy violence, 40 years of neoliberal policy violence,"
Hernandez explained. "If that means putting me on their radar as a socialist for representing the working class, then so be it."
Source: Fox-24 KPEJ on 2020 Texas Senate race
Dec 23, 2019
Cristina Tzintzun Ramirez:
Endorsed by Working Families Party
Tzintz£n Ramirez's credentials are getting a boost with the endorsement of the Working Families Party, a labor-aligned third party. "We think she's the true progressive in the race, and that's why we're getting behind her," said Jorge Contreras, the
party's state director. "We've worked with Workers Defense and Jolt" -- two organizing groups that Tzintz£n Ramirez helped start -- "and we see that she's actually been throwing down for a long time in the state."
Source: The Texas Tribune on 2020 Texas Senate endorsements
Dec 13, 2019
Cristina Tzintzun Ramirez:
Every single family wants the best for their children
My mom is the oldest of nine kids from Mexico and my dad's a white American that met her while traveling in a VW bus in Mexico in the '70s. I grew up with this great perspective that, while there were a lot of differences in my Anglo and Mexican
families, at the end of the day every single family wants the same thing, regardless of where they come from, the color of their skin, who they pray to or who they love. We all want our children to be safe and healthy and go to great schools.
Source: KVUE-TV ABC on 2020 Texas Senate race
Dec 1, 2019
MJ Hegar:
Stop electing people whose lifelong dream is to be a senator
We need to stop electing people whose lifelong dream it is to be a senator. Because when you put somebody up there who is doing this as a fulfillment of their life's ambition, the probability that they will do anything to get re-elected is higher.
We need to start electing people who can do without public office, that will put themselves up. And if you see something in their character that you identify with and you share values with, vote for them. And if not, then don't.
Source: Politico.com on 2020 Texas Senate race
Oct 24, 2019
John Kasich:
OpEd: Realism & anti-liberalism define #NeverTrump ideology
Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich [at SXSW in Texas, offered his own] flavor of Heartland hotdish. Kasich, who ran against Trump in 2016 and is possibly thinking of doing so again, knows he comes off as self-righteous and tried to mitigate it in his convo
with David Maraniss, but was still kinda annoying in his "blunt" "tell it like it is" realism and anti-liberalism (the core #NeverTrump ideology) mixed with teeth-grinding mawkishness. He does believe in climate change, though.
Source: Mike Clark-Madison, Texas Tribune on 2019 SXSW conference
Mar 10, 2019
Lupe Valdez:
Supports Texas Bill of Rights, rooted in Democratic values
I proudly support every plank of the Texas Democratic Party's Texas Bill of Rights. From strengthening our economic security to defending the dignity and
respect of every human being, these progressive ideas are rooted in Democratic values and are shared by a common sense majority of Texans.
Source: 2018 Texas Gubernatorial campaign website LupeValdez.com
Oct 9, 2018
Sema Hernandez:
The time to break the Patriarchy is now
I am the first Latina in Texas History running for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. As a Latina running for Congress, I see many trying to tell me I don't belong, but that is what the
Patriarchal system is designed to do, oppress women & women of color. The time to break the Patriarchy is now.
Source: Houston Chronicle on 2020 Texas Senate race
Mar 2, 2018
Beto O`Rourke:
Supports Congress term limits; leaving House after 6 years
U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, a Democrat and ex-punk rocker who pulled a stunning upset to win his House seat six years ago, plans to declare his candidacy for the Senate seat held by Ted Cruz. O'Rourke's fledgling campaign has scheduled an announcement in
El Paso, his hometown. He has traveled heavily in Texas over the last three months making contacts, barely concealing his political plans. "I'm very moved to do it,"
O'Rourke, 44, said in an interview, adding that he had reached the "emotional decision" about his candidacy.O'Rourke is a three-term congressman and, as a rare term-limits supporter among Democrats, likely would have been around for just one
additional term in the House. He drew thousands of livestream followers earlier this month by making a cross-country, bipartisan auto journey from San Antonio to Washington with U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-San Antonio, after a snowstorm canceled flights.
Source: San Antonio Express-News on 2018 Texas Senate race
Mar 29, 2017
Jodey Arrington:
The inerrant Bible is the source of all truth
Q: Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.Arrington: I believe in the Gospel of Jesus according to the Bible, which I believe to be God-inspired and inerrant. My values, principles for life, and world view are derived from the Bible, the
source of all truth. I believe man's greatest need is to be reconciled to God through the forgiveness of sins, and that only through belief in God's son, Jesus, is this made possible. I believe that all men have sinned and are in need of God's grace and
mercy. I believe God's grace and mercy is sufficient to forgive all sins for all time, no matter who you are or what you've done.
Q: Which political philosophy best describes you?
Arrington: Very Conservative
Q: What in the nature of mankind
caused America's Founders to carefully limit powers in the Constitution?
Arrington: Pride is the root of all sin. One element of pride is the desire for power for personal interests. Power, unchecked, can easily corrupt.
Source: 2016 AFA Action iVoterGuide on Texas House race
Nov 8, 2016
Jodey Arrington:
Stop targeting citizens for their religious beliefs
Uphold the Constitution and Protect Against Federal Over-reach and Abuses of Power: Under the Obama Administration, federal agencies have abused their powers to target citizens for political and religious beliefs, enacted regulations to strangle
industries they don't like, and shackled our citizens to inept and failing government programs that we don't want and can't afford.
Cutting and limiting the federal government is not only about taking back OUR tax dollars and reducing an out-of-control federal debt, it's also about taking back our freedoms and the powers granted to our states.
Breaking Washington's stranglehold means returning our nation back to "We the People" and unleashing the great American innovative, entrepreneurial, and independent spirit.
Source: 2016 Texas House campaign website JodeyArrington.com
Nov 8, 2016
Ben Carson:
Our nation is heading off the abyss of destruction
If someone had tried to describe today's America to you 30 years ago, you would have listened in disbelief.
Americans know that our nation is heading off the abyss of destruction, secondary to divisiveness, fiscal irresponsibility, and failure to lead.
Source: 2016 CNN-Telemundo Republican debate on eve of Texas primary
Feb 25, 2016
Donald Trump:
Make America great again
My theme is make America great again. We don't win anymore. We don't win with trade, we don't win with the military. We can't even knock out ISIS.
We don't win in any capacity with healthcare. We're going to make a great country again. We're going to start winning again.
Source: 2016 CNN-Telemundo Republican debate on eve of Texas primary
Feb 25, 2016
John Kasich:
America's great, and you can shoot for the stars
My father carried mail, and his father was a coal miner, and my mother's mother was an immigrant, could barely speak English. And I'm standing on this stage. There's a lot of young people watching tonight. You can do whatever you want to do.
America is an amazing country, where a kid like me can grow up to run for president of the United States. To all the young people that are out there, your hopes, your dreams, pursue them. Shoot for the stars. America's great, and you can do it.
Source: 2016 CNN-Telemundo Republican debate on eve of Texas primary
Feb 25, 2016
Marco Rubio:
Do we prey on anger & fears, or hopes & dreams?
We have to find our identity as a party and a movement. Thirty-six years ago, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush began the Reagan Revolution. They defined conservatism as limited government, free enterprise, and a strong national defense.
They also appealed to our hopes and dreams. We have to decide if we are still that kind of party, or if we're going to become a party that preys on people's angers and fears. I hope we remain that movement that appeals to our hopes and dreams.
Source: 2016 CNN-Telemundo Republican debate on eve of Texas primary
Feb 25, 2016
Ted Cruz:
I hear, "I didn't vote for you but you did what you said"
Texas provided my family with hope. Here, my mom became the first in her family ever to go to college. Here, my dad fled Cuba and washed dishes, making 50 cents an hour to pay his way through the University of Texas. When I ran for Senate, I promised
27 million Texans I would fight for you every day, and not for the Washington bosses. As I travel the state, Democrats tell me I didn't vote for you, but you're doing what you said you would do. As president, I will do the same.
Source: 2016 CNN-Telemundo Republican debate on eve of Texas primary
Feb 25, 2016
Greg Abbott:
Defend "One Nation, Under God" in our Pledge of Allegiance
Greg Abbott fights for the principles of faith, family and freedom to make Texas a better place to live and raise a family.Greg Abbott successfully defended the constitutionality of the Ten Commandments on the Texas Capitol grounds all the way to the
US Supreme Court. He also represented all 50 states in defending the words "One Nation, Under God" in our Pledge of Allegiance, and in defending prayer during the Presidential Inauguration ceremony.
Source: 2014 Texas Gubernatorial campaign website, GregAbbott.com
Nov 4, 2014
Emily Sanchez:
Opposes keeping God in the public sphere
Q: Do you support or oppose keeping God in the public sphere?
A: Oppose.
Source: E-mail interview on Texas 2014 Senate race with OnTheIssues
Sep 19, 2014
Emily Sanchez:
Spicybrown for Senate: Top of Green Party ticket
With U.S. Senate candidate Emily "Spicybrown" Sanchez of Del Rio at the top of its ticket, the Green Party of Texas will field a large slate of statewide candidates and numerous local contenders in November's general election.
Sanchez, who is challenging Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, previously lived in Laredo, where she was the Green candidate for Webb County tax assessor-collector in 2012, capturing 17 percent of the vote against a Democrat with no GOP opponent.
Source: San Antonio Express-News on 2014 Texas Senate race
Jun 22, 2014
David Alameel:
Defeated LaRouche Democrat in primary
Kesha Rogers wants to impeach President Obama, has been known to appear with a picture of the president with a Hitler mustache, and is more likely to be seen at a Tea Party rally than at Democratic Party functions. She frequently mentions Franklin D.
Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy as the true Democrats who represent an era and an approach that is ideal for the party."I represent the true interests of the Democratic Party and the nation," she says. In fact, she is persona non grata to Democrats, the
subject of a resolution by Texas Democrats that essentially disavows her.
Still, on Tuesday, she will be on the Democratic line. In March, Rogers managed to hold David Alameel to under 50%. The Lyndon LaRouche Democrat won House primaries in
2010 and 2012, losing to Republicans but getting 30% of the vote.
And how does Alameel explain how Rogers managed to push him to a run-off? Voters, he said, simply didn't know who she was in March, but now they do.
Source: Washington Post on 2014 Texas Senate race
May 27, 2014
Steve Stockman:
Lost campaigns in 1990 and 1992 before winning in 1994
If At First You Don't Succeed... The CQ Roll Call members database reveals that 18 members of the 113th Congress mounted multiple unsuccessful campaigns before finally winning a seat.AMONG TWO-TIME LOSERS:- Rep. Steve Stockman, R-TX, elected in
1994, lost primary in 1990, general election in 1992.
- Sen. Tom Udall, D-NM, elected to the House in 1998, lost primary in 1982, general election in 1988
THREE-TIME LOSERS:- Rep. Paul Broun, R-GA, elected in 2006, lost general election in
1990, primary in 1992, Senate primary in 1996
- Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, D-HI, elected in 2010, lost primary in 2006, special elections in 2003 and 2010
- Rep. Collin Peterson, D-MN, elected in 1990, lost primaries in 1982 and 1988, general elections in
1984 and 1986.
- Sen. Bernard Sanders, I-VT, elected to the House in 1990, lost general elections for the Senate in 1972 and 1974 and for the House in 1988.
- Rep. Juan Vargas, D-CA, elected in 2012, lost primaries in 1992, 1996 and 2006.
Source: Cong. Quarterly Rollcall magazine on 2014 Texas Senate race
Mar 20, 2014
David Dewhurst:
PAC ad: "Shattered Vision" calls Cruz a false conservative
During the Q&A portion of the debate, Dewhurst needled Cruz for not going on record to support Sen. John Cornyn's bid for a GOP leadership position.The filing deadline for the first quarter of 2012 was Sunday. Dewhurst raised $1.7 million and
Cruz raised $1.3 million.
The night before the debate, the Texas Conservatives Fund, Dewhurst's Super PAC run by Dewhurst's former chief-of-staff, put out a new attack ad on Cruz. "Shattered Vision" calls
Cruz a "false conservative" whose law firm has donated over $200,000 to Obama's campaign, sides with Chinese businesses over American ones, and opposed lowering property taxes in 2006. The ad's epic graphics, dark imagery and daunting music make
Cruz out to be some sort of Manchurian candidate. Essentially, standard Republican fare, but a sign nonetheless that Dewhurst will be hitting Cruz back hard until Election Day.
Source: BurntOrangeReport.com on 2012 Texas Senate Debate
Apr 21, 2012
Ted Cruz:
OpEd: His law firm donated $200,000 to Obama's campaign
During the Q&A portion of the debate, Dewhurst needled Cruz for not going on record to support Sen. John Cornyn's bid for a GOP leadership position.The filing deadline for the first quarter of 2012 was Sunday. Dewhurst raised $1.7 million and
Cruz raised $1.3 million.
The night before the debate, the Texas Conservatives Fund, Dewhurst's Super PAC run by Dewhurst's former chief-of-staff, put out a new attack ad on Cruz. "Shattered Vision" calls
Cruz a "false conservative" whose law firm has donated over $200,000 to Obama's campaign, sides with Chinese businesses over American ones, and opposed lowering property taxes in 2006. The ad's epic graphics, dark imagery and daunting music make
Cruz out to be some sort of Manchurian candidate. Essentially, standard Republican fare, but a sign nonetheless that Dewhurst will be hitting Cruz back hard until Election Day.
Source: BurntOrangeReport.com on 2012 Texas Senate Debate
Apr 21, 2012
Rick Noriega:
Served in Afghanistan as Lt. Colonel in Army National Guard
Throughout the Senate race, Noriega has talked up his experience as a lieutenant colonel in the Army National Guard.
The Houston state legislator served in Afghanistan and along the Texas-Mexico border in his Guard role.
Source: 2008 Texas Senate Debate reported in Dallas Morning News
Oct 17, 2008
John Cornyn:
Criticizes Noriega for campaigning during Hurricane Ike
Cornyn tried to cancel the statewide broadcast of his first TV ad [due to Hurricane Ike], but wasn’t able to keep it from airing in Dallas, Austin and Amarillo today. Noriega, who was tweaked by the Cornyn camp for not canceling two campaign events as
the storm moved inland, chided Cornyn for broadcasting campaign spots. “They chose to run an ad when 3 million people still don’t have power in the state of Texas,” said Noriega’s campaign.
Cornyn criticized Noriega for stumping in Killeen even as his
Houston district “was pounded by Ike.” Cornyn’s campaign said, “This isn’t a time for gotcha politics. Everyone seems to realize this but Rick Noriega. He and his staff should be ashamed and owe those affected by Ike an apology.”
Noriega’s campaign
responded, “Gotcha politics? Our entire campaign has been evacuated to Austin by Hurricane Ike.” The campaign noted that Noriega, a Texas National Guard officer, reported to Austin’s Camp Mabry Sunday to help with hurricane response support efforts.
Source: 2008 Texas Senate debate reported in The Dallas Morning News
Sep 17, 2008
Barack Obama:
Go beyond the divisions so that the government can work
If we can’t inspire the American people to get involved in their government and if we can’t inspire them to go beyond the racial divisions and the religious divisions and the regional divisions that have plagued our politics for so long, then we will
continue to see the kind of gridlock and nonperformance in Washington that is resulting in families suffering in very real ways. I’m running for president to start doing something about that suffering, and so are the people who are behind my campaign.
Source: 2008 Democratic debate at University of Texas in Austin
Feb 21, 2008
Barack Obama:
Life experiences taught me how to bring people together
Q: I’m wondering if you will describe the moment that tested you the most, that moment of crisis.A: What I look at is the trajectory of my life because I was raised by a single mom. My father left when I was two, and I was raised by my mother and my
grandparents. There were rocky periods during my youth, when I made mistakes & was off course. And what was most important, in my life, was learning to take responsibility for not only my own actions but how I can bring people together to actually have a
impact on the world. Working as a community organizer with ordinary people, bringing them together and organizing them to provide jobs and health care, economic security to people who didn’t have it, then working as a civil rights attorney to fight for
those who were being discriminated against on the job. It’s the reason that I have the capacity to bring people together, and why I am determined to make sure that the American people get a government that is worthy of their decency and their generosity.
Source: 2008 Democratic debate at University of Texas in Austin
Feb 21, 2008
Barack Obama:
Actions can be seen in 20 years of my public service
Actions do speak louder than words, which is why over the 20 years of my public service I have acted a lot to provide health care to people who didn’t have it, to provide tax breaks to families that needed it, to reform a criminal justice system that had
resulted in wrongful convictions, to open up our government and to pass the toughest ethics reform legislation since Watergate, to make sure that we create transparency to make sure that we create transparency in our government so that we know where
federal spending is going and it’s not going to a bunch of boondoggles and earmarks that are wasting taxpayer money that could be spent on things like early childhood education. If you talk to those wounded warriors at Walter Reed who, prior to me
getting to the Senate, were having to pay for their meals and have to pay for their phone calls to their family while they’re recovering from amputations, they’ve said that I’ve engaged not just in talk, but in action.
Source: 2008 Democratic debate at University of Texas in Austin
Feb 21, 2008
Barack Obama:
People understand we must bring the country together
There is a fundamental difference between us in terms of how change comes about. Clinton of late has said: Let’s get real. The implication is that the people who’ve been voting for me or involved in my campaign are somehow delusional. The 20 million
people who’ve been paying attention to 19 debates and the editorial boards all across the country at newspapers who have given me endorsements, including every major newspaper here in the state of Texas. The thinking is that somehow, they’re being duped,
and eventually they’re going to see the reality of things. They perceive reality of what’s going on in Washington very clearly. What they see is that if we don’t bring the country together, stop the endless bickering, actually focus on
solutions and reduce the special interests that have dominated Washington, then we will not get anything done. The reason that this campaign has done so well is because people understand that it is not just a matter of putting forward policy positions.
Source: 2008 Democratic debate at University of Texas in Austin
Feb 21, 2008
Barack Obama:
Suggesting that I plagiarized Deval Patrick is silly
Q: Clinton accused you of plagiarism [of a speech by MA Gov. Deval Patrick]. How do you respond?A: It’s not a lot of speeches. There are two lines in speeches that I’ve been giving over the last couple of weeks. I’ve been campaigning now for the last
2 years. Patrick is a national co-chairman of my campaign, and suggested an argument that I share, that words are important. Words matter. The implication that they don’t I think diminishes how important it is to speak to the
American people directly about making America as good as its promise. Barbara Jordan understood this as well as anybody. That I had plagiarized from somebody who was one of my national co-chairs who gave me the line and suggested that
I use it is silly, and this is where we start getting into silly season, in politics, and people start getting discouraged about it. What we shouldn’t be spending time doing is tearing each other down. We should be spending time lifting the country up.
Source: 2008 Democratic debate at University of Texas in Austin
Feb 21, 2008
Barack Obama:
Wouldn’t be running if I didn’t think I was prepared
I wouldn’t be running if I didn’t think I was prepared to be commander-in-chief. My number one job as president will be to keep the American people safe. I will do whatever is required to accomplish that. I will not hesitate to act against those that
would do America harm. That involves maintaining the strongest military on earth, which means that we are training our troops properly and equipping them properly, and putting them on proper rotations. There are an awful lot of families who have been
burdened under two and three and four tours because of the poor planning of the current commander-in-chief, and that will end when I am president. It also means using our military wisely. On whether or not to go to war in Iraq, I showed the judgment of a
commander-in-chief. Clinton was wrong in her judgments on that. That has significant consequences, because it has diverted attention from Afghanistan where al Qaeda, that killed 3,000 Americans, are stronger now than at any time since 2001.
Source: 2008 Democratic debate at University of Texas in Austin
Feb 21, 2008
Barack Obama:
I have shown the right judgment to lead
I’ve heard from an Army captain who was the head of a rifle platoon supposed to have 39 men in a rifle platoon. He ended up being sent to Afghanistan with 24 men, because 15 of those soldiers had been sent to Iraq. As a consequence, they didn’t have
enough ammunition, they didn’t have enough humvees. They were actually capturing Taliban weapons, because it was easier to get Taliban weapons than it was for them to get properly equipped. That’s a consequence of bad judgment. On going into
Iraq originally, I said this is going to distract us from Afghanistan, fan the flames of anti-American sentiment, and cost us billions of dollars and thousands of lives and overstretch our military. I was right. On the question of Pakistan,
I’ve said very clearly that we have put all our eggs in the Musharraf basket. That was a mistake. We should be going after al Qaeda and making sure that Pakistan is serious about hunting down terrorists, as well as expanding democracy. I was right.
Source: 2008 Democratic debate at University of Texas in Austin
Feb 21, 2008
Hillary Clinton:
Called by my faith & upbringing to serve others at young age
I resolved at a very young age that I’d been blessed and called by my faith and by my upbringing to do what I could to give others the same opportunities and blessings that I took for granted. That’s what gets me up in the morning. That’s what motivates
me in this campaign. I am honored to be here with Obama. I am absolutely honored. Whatever happens, we’re going to be fine. We have strong support from our families & our friends. I hope that we’ll be able to say the same thing about the American people.
Source: 2008 Democratic debate at University of Texas in Austin
Feb 21, 2008
Hillary Clinton:
I have the experience to be commander in chief
Q: Are you suggesting that Obama doesn’t have the experience to be commander in chief?A: For more than 15 years, I’ve been honored to represent our country in more than 80 countries to negotiate on matters such as opening borders for refugees during
the war in Kosovo, to stand up for women’s rights as human rights around the world. I’ve served on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and worked as one of the leaders in the Congress on behalf of Homeland Security in the challenges we face.
Source: 2008 Democratic debate at University of Texas in Austin
Feb 21, 2008
Hillary Clinton:
My own crises are nothing compared to what people often face
I’ve lived through some crises and some challenging moments in my life. I am grateful for the support and the prayers of countless Americans. People often ask me, “How do you do it? How do you keep going?” I just have to shake my head in wonderment,
because with all of the challenges that I’ve had, they are nothing compared to what I see happening in the lives of Americans every single day. I was honored to be asked to speak at the opening at a center designed to take care of and provide
rehabilitation for our brave young men and women who have been injured in war. Those who had lost limbs were trying with great courage to get themselves in without the help of others. Some were in wheelchairs and some were on gurneys.
The speaker representing these wounded warriors had had most of his face disfigured by the results of fire from a roadside bomb. The hits I’ve taken in life are nothing compared to what goes on every single day in the lives of people across our country.
Source: 2008 Democratic debate at University of Texas in Austin
Feb 21, 2008
Hillary Clinton:
Words matter, but actions speak louder than words
Q: Are you saying that Obama is all hat and no cattle?A: I have said that about Bush, and our next president needs to be a lot less hat and a lot more cattle. Obama & I have a lot in common. We both care passionately about our country. We are devoted
to public service. We care deeply about the future, and we have run a very vigorous & contested primary campaign, which has been by most standards, very positive & extremely civil. In our efforts to draw those contrasts & comparisons, we obviously try to
let voters know how we see the world differently. I offer solutions. That’s what I believe in & what I’ve done. It’s what I offer to voters because it’s part of my life, over the last 35 years, working to get kids health care, to expand legal services
for the poor, to register voters, and to make a difference. This country has given me so much. There are differences between our records and our accomplishments. Words are important and words matter, but actions speak louder than words.
Source: 2008 Democratic debate at University of Texas in Austin
Feb 21, 2008
Hillary Clinton:
Using passages from other’s speeches is change you can Xerox
If your candidacy is going to be about words, then they should be your own words. That’s a very simple proposition. Lifting whole passages from someone else’s speeches is not change you can believe in, it’s change you can Xerox. If you look at the
YouTube of these videos, it does raise questions. There is no doubt that Obama is a passionate, eloquent speaker, and I applaud him for that. But when you look at what we face in this country, we do need to unite the country, but we have to unite it for
purpose around very specific goals. It is not enough to say, “Let’s come together.” We’ve got to look hard at the difficult challenges we face, especially after Bush leaves the White House. The world will breathe a sigh of relief once he is gone.
But then we’ve got to do the hard work of not just bringing the country together, but overcoming a lot of the entrenched opposition to the very ideas that both of us believe in, and for some of us have been fighting for, for a very long time.
Source: 2008 Democratic debate at University of Texas in Austin
Feb 21, 2008
George W. Bush:
Our guiding philosophy: Individual rights & responsibilties
Throughout the ages, individuals, more than armies or nations or politics, have shaped the course of events. Every triumphant achievement, every great decision. in the final analysis came about because of the acts of individuals. Our Constitution rights
are rights which belong to and are exercised by individuals. That idea is the guiding philosophy of our nation. But implicit in those rights is responsibility-to respect the rights of others, to treat our fellow man the way we want to be treated.
Source: Powell Lecture Series, Texas A&M Univ.
Apr 6, 1998
George W. Bush:
Base “responsibility era” on Judeo-Christian values
Our society holds dear Judeo-Christian values that have stood the test of time: love your neighbor, give an honest day’s work for an honest day’s wages. Tell the truth and be honest. Don’t cheat or steal. Respect others, respect their property and
respect their opinions. And always remember: you are responsible for the decisions you make. And that is the hope for my generation’s legacy: that we usher in the responsibility era. We can change today’s culture from “if it feels good, do it”.
Source: Powell Lecture Series, Texas A&M Univ.
Apr 6, 1998
George W. Bush:
De-emphasize economics; focus on compassion
Government can’t solve all our problems. Economic growth can’t solve all our problems. In fact, we’re now putting too much hope in economics, just as we once put too much hope in government. Reducing problems to economics is simply materialism. The real
answer is found in the hearts of decent, caring people who have heard the call to love their neighbors as they would like to be loved themselves. We must rally the armies of compassion that are in every community.
Source: Powell Lecture Series, Texas A&M Univ.
Apr 6, 1998
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