Photo credit: Dave Davidson (Prezography.com)
My unabridged Caucus presentation.
Hello, my name is Scott Bailey. I live in rural Earlham. I’m 56 years old. I’ve been married for almost 30 years…to the same woman. We have 8 children…and I fear for their futures and the futures of my grandchildren after what our country has been subjected to for the last 7 years of the Obama administration. Like you, I’m here tonight to try and make a difference by participating in the bizarre political process in Iowa known as the caucuses. Here’s a shout out from Senator Cruz to you, thanking each of you for caring enough to take time out of your busy schedules to have your voices be heard.
Let’s acknowledge the elephant in the room tonight. Recent polls have shown Senator Cruz and Donald Trump in first or second place in recent weeks. I’m always skeptical of polls because, as we saw in 2012, the level of support can change dramatically from just three weeks out leading up to caucus night. This year is no different. What is important is that the most recent polling shows 25% or more of likely caucus voters still undecided. My comments tonight are for your benefit, to help you make your decision on who to support.
While polls can be way off the mark on who is voting for whom, they do a good job of reflecting voter attitudes towards the candidates. And it’s those numbers that I believe will lead Ted Cruz to a very strong victory tonight and give him momentum through the GOP National Convention and the nomination by the GOP for President of the United States.
I’ve heard people claim that Senator Cruz isn’t electable. Pollsters like to ask voters if they view a candidate as favorable or unfavorable. While Cruz has one of the highest net favorability scores, Trump has one of the lowest net favorability among Republicans, Independents and Democrats. In fact Trump’s favorability scores are so low that they’re comparable to Jimmy Carter’s in 1980. In 1980 Bob Dole declared Ronald Reagan was too conservative to win an election and would destroy the GOP. Reagan thumped Carter in the general election and rebuilt the conservative reputation of the GOP. You’ll be interested to know that Bob Dole has endorsed Trump and predicts that Cruz would destroy the GOP. After 8 years of Obama, who’s more electable, Trump, whose scary low net favorability puts him in company with Hillary Clinton and Jimmy Carter, or Senator Cruz? Clearly America is ready for a true conservative like Ted Cruz.
Now, every candidate declares throughout the caucuses and primaries that they’re the most conservative among the candidates. In fact, most of the candidates don’t measure up to what Iowans consider as conservative. So, you can just blindly believe everything a candidate says, even when it contradicts everything they’ve said in the past, but the real measure is, as scripture says in Matthew 7:15-20,
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit.
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”
So let’s compare Senator Cruz’ fruits as they relate to conservatism compared to some of the other candidates. Let us ask, “Where have they stood on the issues? What have they done to demonstrate their conservative credentials? What are their fruits?”
Let’s start with immigration. In 2013 while Senator Rubio, after campaigning for months in FL for the Senate based upon his promise of no amnesty, just a few months later was with the Gang of 8 trying to sell amnesty and citizenship of illegal immigrants to the American voters. Meanwhile, Senator Cruz drafted five poison pill amendments that would have forced Senators to admit their goal was to ultimately offer US citizenship to illegal aliens and dramatically expand legal immigration, knowing full well that the legislation couldn’t pass both chambers with those amendments attached. And he was right. The amendments were rejected by the Senate, revealing the establishment leadership’s true color. The House never brought up the legislation because conservatives there rejected the Senate bill. Now, where was Trump on this issue? In 2013 he’s on record supporting the Dream Act which was Obama’s dream for the slippery slope of amnesty and citizenship. The reality is that Trump was a strong immigration opponent in 1999 but a proponent of a generous pathway to legal status in 2011 and 2012. By 2015, he had switched to strong opposition to illegal immigration, except that he still supports a merit system for many illegal immigrants and touchback amnesty. He wants to spend billions of dollars deporting them with an expedited process of letting the “good ones” back in. Why bother? So, the fruit from Senator Cruz’ efforts was to bring amnesty/citizenship legislation to a screeching halt. And the fruits from Senator Rubio and Trump? There is no fruit, only flip flops and talk that makes no sense.
In 2007 while Cruz was the solicitor general for the State of TX, In the landmark Supreme Court case of District of Columbia v. Heller, Cruz drafted the amicus brief signed by the attorneys general of 31 states, which said that the D.C. handgun ban should be struck down as infringing upon the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms, and the 31 states prevailed. While Cruz was defending the 2nd Amendment rights of Americans in 2000 and has earned an A+ lifetime rating from the NRA, Trump’s 2000 book “The America We Deserve,” says that he “generally” opposed gun control but supported an assault weapons ban and a longer waiting period to purchase a firearm. Of course today his position is different, but what has he done to support 2nd Amendment rights other than talk about it since last July? The fruit of Cruz’ efforts to protect the 2nd amendment were unambiguous then and haven’t changed as affirmed by the NRA. As for Mr. Trump? No fruits. Just talk.
While as a Supreme Court clerk and as solicitor general for TX, Ted Cruz consistently protected the life of the unborn. He argued successfully before the Supreme Court in defense of the federal ban on partial-birth abortion. As a Senator he also submitted legislation to protect the unborn and has argued for the de-funding of Planned Parenthood. On the other hand, Trump is quoted in an interview with Bloomberg Politics in January, 2015. In a sudden and abrupt reversal from his lifelong belief in free choice for abortion, he said, “I’m pro-life and I have been pro-life.” But he also said he believed there should be exceptions in cases of rape or incest. He also made clear that he didn’t think it appropriate to defund Planned Parenthood to end their abortion operations. Planned Parenthood publicly applauded his stance. Eric Ferrero, a spokesman for the abortion advocacy group, said, “Donald Trump seems to have realized that banning all abortions, shutting down the government, and defunding Planned Parenthood are extreme positions that are way too far outside the mainstream for even him to take.” Ted Cruz’ fruits? Defending life of the innocent and championing personhood for the unborn. Repeatedly. Trump’s fruits? Defending PP and advocating for rights for killing the unborn in certain circumstances. And then we have Huckabee and Santorum, the stalwart, reliable conservatives when it comes to social issues like marriage and life, throwing in with Trump against Cruz. That’s just sad when solid men like that compromise their values for personal gain.
Let’s talk about marriage. Senator Cruz has been a staunch defender of marriage being defined as being between a man and a woman.
- In April 2015, Cruz introduced a marriage amendment and bill to defend states that define marriage as between one man and one woman.
- The Restoration of Marriage Amendment amends the Constitution to guarantee the right of the people to define marriage in their laws as the union of one man and one woman and to prevent the courts from ever again misconstruing the Constitution to require that marriage or its benefits be extended to unions other than the union of man and woman.
- The Protect Marriage from the Courts Act of 2015 bars federal courts from ruling on state marriage laws. Pursuant to Congress’ power under Article III of the Constitution to limit the jurisdiction of the lower federal courts and to make exceptions to the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, this legislation restricts the jurisdiction of federal courts to determine the constitutionality of state laws defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
- Cruz has joined an amicus brief supporting the right of states to define marriage.
Where is Trump on the issue? He says the Supreme Court has ruled, it’s the law of the land and it’s time to move on. More rotten fruit.
Speaking of the Supreme Court, the next president will likely nominate as many as four Supreme Court justices. These appointments could point the US back on track to where our US Constitution once again has meaning. Do you want a president that has a very long, solid, unambiguous history of obeying and supporting the US Constitution? Because Ted Cruz’ track record shows precisely how he feels about the US Constitution and he has the fruits of those efforts to back that claim. Meanwhile, last August, Trump told National Review that he thought his sister, federal Judge Maryanne Trump Barry, who ruled in a case allowing partial birth abortion to continue, and is in favor of same sex marriage and gay rights, “would be a “phenomenal” Supreme Court justice.” That’s rotten fruit folks and tells us the kinds of justices he would appoint.
In Iowa, the renewable fuels standard and the ethanol debate are front and center. The renewable fuels industry would have you believe that, if Ted Cruz is elected president, IA stands to lose 73,000 ag related jobs. That’s not just misinformation. It’s a lie. In fact, with the plan outlined by Senator Cruz, IA could well see growth in ag jobs related to the ethanol industry. His plan is to take the EPA’s bureaucratic, heavy handed government regulations out of the mix and allow the renewable fuels industry to offer fuel blends that consumers want, not just the ones dictated by the Federal government. Let the market do its job without government intervention and biofuels could prosper. If we rely upon government intervention we all pay higher prices at the pump for our food and land. And as for self-proclaimed conservative Donald Trump, he’s in favor of continuing government mandates and subsidies paid for by taxpayers just like Governor Branstad, who has been no friend to conservatives.
And how about Obamacare? Senator Cruz has staunchly opposed Obamacare and has repeatedly supported legislation to completely repeal it. In fact, he filibustered on the Senate floor for 22 hours against funding of Obamacare going forward. He was supported by Sen. Mike Lee, a stalwart conservative from UT. Cruz was roundly criticized by the establishment Republican community, most specifically by the go along to get along Republican leadership who have given us nothing but a rubber stamp of the Obama administration. If the establishment is against you, you must be doing something right.
Where does Trump stand on Obamacare? He agrees it’s bad, but he wants to replace it with a single payer, universal healthcare program that will be even better. Excuse me. Did I hear that right? The so called conservative Donald Trump is advocating a government run, taxpayer funded healthcare plan. That’s just downright fruity.
When you listen to the campaign stump speeches you’ll hear Donald Trump claim that, “As president, I will make America great again.” “I, I, I.” Sound familiar? On the other hand, Senator Cruz is far too humble to make such a claim, because he knows he alone can’t make America great again. He he knows that can only happen if WE THE PEOPLE are given the tools and leadership by our president, guided by the US Constitution, to make America great again. Ask yourselves, do we want to elect a king or a president? That’s your choice tonight.
Ted Cruz has unabashedly talked about his faith life and its importance in becoming the man he is today. Several other candidates have also shared with voters the influence of their Christian faith in their lives and how it guides them. If you are a faithful Christian who is looking for a Godly candidate to be your president, then you should know about their faith walk and see how it has inspired and shaped their lives. Don’t take their word for it just because they once quoted a single scripture or held a Bible during a stump speech. Expect more than words. This isn’t judging, it’s vetting. Ted Cruz has not been ashamed of his faith and the need for forgiveness from God. Your president shouldn’t be afraid to share their story. If your choice tonight for president was accused of being a Christian, would there be sufficient evidence to convict him?
The same question should be asked about being a conservative. Is there sufficient evidence to convict them, or would all of the evidence be hearsay and circumstantial? Ted Cruz has been a lifelong constitutional conservative with the fruits to prove it. Trump has acted like a conservative only since he declared he was running for president last July. For a guy who has Tweeted over 30,000 times, there’s little evidence of his so called conservative before then. In fact, Trump has changed parties five times since 1987 and has never even voted in a primary and his pre-2015 Tweets that he hasn’t deleted, repeatedly reveal his progressive values. His political contributions have been substantial, but almost exclusively to prominent Democrats directly or via PACS to politicians like Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry, Harry Reid, Rahm Emmanuel, and to establishment PAC’s for Republicans like John McCain, Mitch McConnell, Lindsay Graham and John Boehner. Of his nearly $800,000 in political contributions over the last 10 years, only $41,000 went to candidates deemed worthy of the label, “true conservatives.” Any fruits come to mind when a person has contributed so much to liberals and establishment RINO’s? Is that evidence to convict Trump of being a conservative?
Since Mr. Trump quoted from “One Corinthians” and is now a scriptural expert, maybe he should familiarize himself with I Timothy 3:1, 3:6:
“If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, . . . he must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.”
In conclusion, do I agree with Senator Cruz on everything? Nope. Are any of those issues deal breakers for me? Absolutely not. No candidate will ever agree with you 100%. But Senator Cruz has managed to coalesce conservatives, Evangelicals and even a lot of activist libertarians who were part of the Tea Party movement based upon his conservative record and personal convictions. Tonight, conservative Republicans have an opportunity to nominate someone who has talked the talk and walked the walk throughout his career, not just since he declared he was running for President, demonstrating by his actions, repeatedly, that he is a true conservative. We have the opportunity to nominate a proven conservative who has shown clearly in the polls that he’s electable, not in spite of his conservative values, but because of them. We have the opportunity to nominate a conservative who has demonstrated the ability to remain calm and collected when under pressure, not resorting to name calling, insults and slurs, unlike one of his opponents. Imagine Senator Cruz, a man with clear, unwavering conservative convictions, debating Hillary “What difference does it make now,” Clinton, or Bernie, “I’ll give you everything for free,” Sanders. The American public is fed up with a liberal administration backed by a do nothing Congress led by establishment Republicans. The time is right to elect a proven conservative who will stand up to liberals and a RINO Congress, just like the time was right after Jimmy Carter’s disastrous administration opened the door to a conservative, two term, Reagan presidency.
The time is right. The time is tonight. Please cast your vote for Ted Cruz and truly make a difference.