Photo credit: Dave Davidson (Prezography.com)
As editor of Caffeinated Thoughts, I believe one of our strengths is having multiple contributors who have different experiences and perspectives. This, of course, is within of the confines of a conservative Christian worldview. It will mean that we will have disagreements from time to time about candidates and issues. Today, David Shedlock wrote a piece that contrasted the records of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX). David favors Huckabee and is not a fan of Cruz, and I have no interest in censoring what he writes. He disagrees with Cruz’s position on marriage. I understand why, and I get there is legitimate disagreement on how to proceed on this issue at the federal level so I don’t really want to address that in this post.
I do want to discuss what David wrote about Cruz’s record on life. I regret not having a discussion with David about this prior to publication, but since his remarks have been public on the website all day I believe a clarification is in order.
The Cruz position is actually a step backwards for the pro-life movement, as well. Morally, abortion is a national sin. Cruz can say he has done all he can to stop abortion. But Ron Paul’s pro-abortion supporters knew that his position would not stop abortions at all. He could brag all he wanted about proposing laws that would outlaw abortion nationally, but he knew they would never see the light of day,
Huckabee should hammer this home during the remainder of the presidential primary season. 2015 is the time to make this clear, not 2016. Cruz position is pro-choice, Huckabee is the pro-life alternative.
David is entitled to his opinion, but not to his own facts. Just because a candidate takes a federalist position on marriage does not mean he will automatically apply it to the life issue. I’ve never heard Cruz express that abortion should be an issue left to the states (and I have been to a number of Cruz events along with other candidate events). I believe based on the 5th and 14th Amendments one can make an argument for federal involvement in the issue so a federalist argument is pretty weak anyway.
Here are the facts about Cruz’s pro-life position that I think out of fairness to the candidate needs to be clarified.
- Cruz has received a 100% rating from the National Right to Life Committee.
- He voted for numerous defunding measures for Obamacare and Planned Parenthood since being voted in the Senate.
- He voted in favor of the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act.
- He voted for the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act which he co-sponsored (something he wouldn’t have done if he believed abortion was an issue just for the states).
- He is a co-sponsor of the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Act.
- Cruz said that the unborn are “absolutely” persons under the 14th Amendment.
- Cruz was endorsed by Georgia Right to Life and has signed their personhood pledge.
Cruz has never been adverse to pro-life legislation so, unfortunately, David’s criticism is not backed up by facts. I believe we should hold all candidates to account, but we shouldn’t distort a candidate’s record in order to lift up our candidate of choice.