General Clark Speaks For Noriega

Everyone knows General Wesley Clark. General Clark served his country honorably in the military for most of his life. His distinguished record is enviable and above reproach. Now General Clark is giving his active support to a fellow military man for U.S. Senator from Texas -- Lt. Col. Rick Noriega. Here is what General Clark has to say:

Just over two years ago I was asked to get involved, to take a chance -- to help a veteran, who had been drafted into his race, facing long odds and an entrenched Republican incumbent with a huge campaign war chest in a red state.

Today, we call that candidate Senator Jim Webb.

There's no doubt in my mind that we have the same opportunity in Texas -- that in four months, we can elect Rick Noriega the next U.S. Senator from Texas.

Rick faces a difficult and close race this November. Your financial support has brought Rick's campaign a long way since last year -- but he still needs your help. Please contribute to Rick's campaign today!

I know you've heard from both Senator Jim Webb and Senator Jon Tester recently. I can tell you that two years ago, the so-called experts didn't give either of them much of a chance. But when I hit the campaign trail for Jim in Virginia and Jon in Montana, I saw something different. I saw voters ready for change, an enthusiasm from the grassroots that the pundits were missing.

I see the same thing in Texas. The movement to draft Rick into the race was a remarkable organic groundswell from the grassroots. The record turnout for the Democratic presidential primary was incredible. Rick's historic victory in his primary sent a signal that we have the right candidate to beat John Cornyn.

With Rick Noriega, we have a candidate Texans will be proud to vote for. I know Rick personally, and I know he'll be a great Senator for Texas.

At a time when we are facing increasingly serious foreign policy and national security challenges, Rick's leadership and first-hand knowledge will be of paramount importance.

At a time when people are facing record-high gas prices and sky-rocketing health care costs, Rick's commitment to Texas families, not Washington special interests, will be critical. Please make a contribution to Rick today.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Wes Clark

I have been donating a small amount to Rick's campaign for several months now, and I will continue to do so until the election in November. I urge you to give also. It doesn't have to be a lot -- just give what you can. Every little bit helps. Just consider it to be a gift to the state of Texas. Nothing will help Texas more than to send Rick Noriega to the United States Senate.

Donations can be made by using the ActBlue button in the sidebar to the right.

Cornyn Should Reject Hagee's Anti-Catholicism

A couple of weeks ago, our Republican senator stood on the same stage with John McCain as he received an endorsement from San Antonio preacher and bigot, John Hagee. Since then, McCain has repudiated Hagee's hateful statements about the Catholic Church. Hagee (pictured above) had called the Catholic Church "the great whore", "the antichrist" and a "false cult system".

Republicans like Cornyn are quick to condemn people like Louis Farrakhan and his Nation of Islam, but they don't mind crawling into bed with other hatemongers who are just as bad, if not worse. Hagee is one of those right-wing fundies that's convinced that he's right and everyone else is a sinner or worse.

His bigoted descriptions of the Catholic Church are beyond the pale of decency. McCain finally realized this and repudiated it. It's time for Cornyn to do the same, that is, unless he agrees with those views.

Democratic spokesman Hector Nieto put it well when he said, "The Texas Democratic party would hope to see Sen. Cornyn do the right thing and denounce Hagee's comments, but after watching Cornyn vote lock-step for President Bush and Karl Rove's radical agenda for the last eight years, no one here is holding their breath."

I'm not holding my breath either. Cornyn is very comfortable with the "holier-than-thou" fundie crowd -- he's one of them. I don't expect him to stand up for tolerance.

Fortunately for Texans, We 've got another candidate running for the U.S. Senate this year against Cornyn. His name is Rick Noriega. Noriega is a candidate who believes in tolerance, fairness and equality for all Americans. Check him out at Rick Noriega for Texas. I think you'll like what you see.

But Cornyn already has a huge war chest. If you can, give Rick a few dollars so Texas can have a great senator. It doesn't have to be much -- every five or ten dollars will help. I don't have much money myself, but I've been sending him $30 a month and will continue to do so. I urge you to help also. Consider it your gift to Texas.

This Man Is NOT Running For Senate

You probably know the gentleman pictured above. His name is Gene Kelly, and he was a good actor and an excellent dancer. BUT HE IS NOT RUNNING FOR THE U.S. SENATE IN TEXAS THIS YEAR! In fact, he passed away in February of 1996.

The Gene Kelly on the ballot in Texas is a different person. He tosses his famous name into some Democratic race in every Texas election. He doesn't campaign, but just counts on his name to confuse voters into voting for him. Don't be fooled and waste your vote, because he is not a serious candidate.

There is an excellent Democratic candidate on the ballot this year. His name is Rick Noriega. He has been a businessman, has served in the Army, is currently an officer in the Texas National Guard and is a Texas State Representative.

He has served his country in Afghanistan. During the Hurricane Katrina relief effort, he was in charge of helping the evacuees in the Houston area. He has also commanded the National Guard as they patrolled the border between Texas and Mexico. And he has been a very effective representative in the Texas legislature.

For the first time in many years, we have a good chance of defeating one of our ineffective Republican senators here in Texas -- John Cornyn. Rick Noriega has the experience and the grassroots support to make a great senator for Texas. But first, he must win the Democratic primary.

If you haven't voted yet, I urge you to go to the polls and vote for a great senate candidate -- Lt. Col. and State Representative Rick Noriega.

Noriega Has Primary Opponents ?

That may sound like a silly headline to some. Of course there are three other names on the ballot in the U.S. Senate race. But frankly, I never hear anyone talking about the other three.

It may be different in other parts of the state, but here in the Panhandle, all the attention is on State Rep. Rick Noriega. There is no talk about whether he can win the primary. The talk up here is about whether he can beat Cornyn (and a lot of us believe he can).

I know that one of Noreiga's primary opponents has the name of a famous dancer and actor (who is dead for those of you who may not know). But even considering that some may vote for him thinking he's the famous dancer, and others may vote just because they think it's cute to vote for a famous name, I really don't think those votes will amount to much.

I may be going out on a limb here, but I would be shocked if Noriega got less than 65% of the vote. Personally, I think he will do even better than that.

This is the best candidate we've had in years, and for the first time in years, I think we actually have a good shot at electing a Democrat to the U.S. Senate.

Senator Noriega. It's got a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

I Finally Meet Rick Noriega

Democratic Senate candidate Rick Noriega took his campaign to the Llano Estacado last weekend. He started in Amarillo on Friday morning, went to Plainview in the afternoon and wound up the day in Lubbock. He said he planned to finish the weekend in El Paso.

I took a couple of hours off from work and went to Amarillo's Ambassador Hotel at 9:30am, figuring this was probably my best chance to meet Rep. Noriega. There was a good turnout for a workday morning. I didn't count, but it looked like about 50-60 people showed up. That's pretty good when you consider the event was virtually ignored by our right-wing newspaper and other media.

I must admit that Lt. Col. Noriega is a very impressive man in person. I have never seen a politician better at working a room. He went around and met each person and had something to say for each person. He gives you a firm handshake, looks you square in the eye, and gives you the impression that there's nothing more important than talking to you. And he didn't rush through the room. He gives each person the time to say their piece or ask their question and get a thoughtful answer or statement.

After meeting everyone, he then gave a rousing speech on the need to replace our current senator. If I hadn't been a Noriega supporter when I showed up, I certainly would have been when I left. I wish there was a way to let Rick Noriega talk to every voter for five minutes -- he would win in a landslide.

I knew we had a good candidate in Rick Noriega, but in the back of my mind I wondered if any Democrat could win in this red state. But he put my mind at ease Friday morning. Rick Noriega is a great candidate and I think old "Box Turtle" John will be going down to defeat in November.

NOTE - Rep. Noriega was kind enough to let me get a picture with him (I'm the scruffy one on the right.)

Noriega Campaign Is Off And Running

State Rep. Rick Noriega officially kicked off his campaign for for the United States Senate last Saturday. He spoke before the Sun City Democrats, making the case for replacing John Cornyn. Lt. Col. Noriega also laid out the reasons we must withdraw our troops from Iraq.

Three others have filed for the position in the Democratic primary, but only one of them showed up at the event -- teacher Ray McMurrey. McMurrey is trying to paint Noriega as the candidate picked by the "party bosses". He could not be more wrong.

Noriega was not picked by party leadership, but instead was convinced to run by a groundswell of support from the grassroots of the Democratic Party. He has that grassroots support because ordinary Democrats see him as a candidate with enough substance to actually beat Cornyn.

I know that I couldn't care less who the party leaders support. I support Noriega (and have been sending him monthly donations) because I really believe he is the best possible Democratic candidate in 2008. I also think he'll make a great senator. Thousands of others believe the same.

There are two other candidates. One (Rhett Smith) has lost races for governor and mayor of San Antonio when he ran as a Republican. I can't consider his candidacy as a Democrat as anything but a joke.

The same goes for perennial candidate Gene Kelly. The 81 year-old candidate runs in every election, but does no campaigning. He simply relies on having the same name as the famous actor and dancer. Surely, voters have figured out by now that the dancer is dead, and the politician with his name is not serious.

It would be good for Noriega to defeat these opponents in the primary without a runoff. That would show that he is truly the best candidate to oppose (and defeat) Cornyn.

I don't think Lt. Col. Noriega will have much problem in South Texas where he is well known. But I urge my Democratic brethren here in North Texas to climb on board the Noriega Express. Talk to your friends and family, and send a few dollars his way if you can. It's important.

It's important because we must beat Cornyn, and Noriega is the man who can do it.

Noriega Makes It Official

It's official now. Texas has a great alternative to "Box Turtle" John Cornyn for the 2008 election for U.S. Senate. Yesterday, Rick Noriega marched into Democratic Party headquarters in Austin and filed the necessary paperwork to be a candidate for the senate in the Democratic primary.

Just the thought of Rick Noriega being our next senator gives me goosebumps. Senator Noriega -- that just sounds right. What a breath of fresh air that would be after the two incompetents that have been representing Texas!

But that's still a long way off. First, there's an election to win, and even though Cornyn is one of the worst senators in Washington, that won't be easy. That's because Cornyn has a huge amount of money with which to wage his campaign.

It would really help if Noriega could raise some significant funds of his own. We have a great candidate and workers willing to wear out some shoe leather. Now we just need to raise some money to help them out. I sent a check a couple of days ago, and I'll send another before Christmas (I'll consider it a Christmas present to Texas).

If you love Texas, I urge you to send some funds to the Noriega campaign. Texas desperately needs a good man in the senate. You can use the ActBlue button on the right of this blog to donate online. Or you can send a check or money order to:

Rick Noriega Campaign

PO Box 231163

Houston, Texas

77223-1163

It doesn't have to be a lot. Even $10 or $20 dollars will help. Just give. A donation to the Noriega campaign would make a wonderful gift to our state.

Thanksgiving Message From Rick Noriega

As a contributor to his senate campaign, I wasn't surprised to get a holiday greeting from Rick Noriega yesterday. That's just the kind of class individual that he is. But what made me feel even better was to learn that he is thinking of others on this holiday -- our brave soldiers serving their country in Afghanistan and Iraq. This is what he had to say:

"As you enjoy this Thanksgiving holiday, we hope you'll also take a moment to extend your support, encouragement and a warm greeting to our men and women in uniform, who are separated from their families as they serve in Iraq and Afghanistan.

An easy way to let them know they're in our thoughts and prayers is to send a text message. You can either click on this link http://ga6.org/ct/FpsfLS61MP9P/text or send a text message to 89279 (TXASY) before Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 22.

As one who knows the sense of longing and homesickness when serving abroad, messages from home help our troops get through the more challenging times, and lets them know their sense of service and sacrifice pay tribute to the best of American values.

We wish you and your family a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving."

Rep. Noriega is absolutely right. We should all be thinking of those who are serving our country in the military on this holiday. We should be thankful to have such brave men and women putting their lives on the line for us.

Whether we oppose the war in Iraq or not, it certainly wouldn't hurt any of us to take a few minutes to let these soldiers know that we appreciate them.

Thank You Mikal Watts !

Yesterday, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Mikal Watts withdrew from the race for the Democratic nomination. He said, "After spending the last several months putting everything into this campaign, I have seen the toll this effort has taken on my children. For these reasons, my wife and I have made the decision that I will not be seeking the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate in 2008."

Whatever his reasons for withdrawing (and I have no reason not to believe what he said), he has done Texas Democrats a huge favor. Although I am a supporter of Rick Noriega, I admit that Watts was a formidable opponent. Had he decided to go all out, Texas Democrats could have wound up with a candidate bruised and drained of resources after a tough primary fight.

Now that will not happen. Barring some unforseen occurrence, Rick Noriega will be the Democratic candidate. He can now spend the money he raises fighting against "Box Turtle" John Cornyn, and not another Democrat. This increases his chances of getting elected.

Thank you Mikal Watts. Although you will not be the senate candidate, you have earned yourself a lot of respect and good will among Democrats.

I had already cast my lot with Rick Noriega for this campaign, and I would not have supported or donated to Watt's campaign. But should he run for office in the future, I would have to give him serious consideration.

A Note From Noriega

I received the following letter from State Representative and Lt. Colonel Rick Noriega on 10/3/07. I'm sure many of you received one just like it -- especially if you're a contributor to his campaign fund.

But I was impressed with the letter and wanted to print it so those of you who have not yet jumped on board the Noriega Express can see how a candidate with class runs a campaign.

Texas needs Rick Noriega in the U.S. Senate. That fact was driven home in the last few days when Cornyn again voted to deprive young children of healthcare.

Cornyn has consistently voted against the best interests of the people of Texas. The excellent blog Dig Deeper Texas listed many of these votes in an October 3rd post. Check it out -- it's a pretty shocking list of bad votes. We have got to get this fool out of the senate.

If you haven't joined the Noriega campaign yet, I urge you to do so now. Rick needs you, and so does Texas.

Here is Rick's letter:

I'm in Washington, D.C. today, working to gain national support for our campaign to defeat John Cornyn next November.

People are listening.

That's because this week your financial support helped us answer the question everyone had for our campaign: Can we raise enough money to compete against John Cornyn and his powerful special interests money machine?

With over $570,000 raised last quarter from friends like you, we answered with an emphatic "Yes!"

Just online, our campaign raised $158,860 from over 1,100 donations via ActBlue. That made our campaign the most successful non-incumbent Senate candidate on ActBlue during the 3rd quarter. This is an incredible demonstration of our grassroots support that our competitors simply can't match. That doesn't happen without you.

You stepped up when I was away for two weeks of army training to help our campaign continue to raise funds in my absence. You stepped up in these last few weeks by helping us shatter our $25,000 online fundraising goal by over 50%. You stepped up in the face of those critics who told us we couldn't compete with the big-moneyed interests with a campaign built by real Texans.

For all these reasons and so many more, I thank you.

There's no question; your work has projected us to the next level and onto this national stage. Together, we will work to get our state and our nation back on the right track by finding ways to bring people together.

We can't stop now. We have to continue to expand our base of support to defeat John Cornyn next year. So please take a moment, and click here to tell your friends and family to join our campaign.

Finally, hundreds of you are collecting petitions to get us on the ballot. We've set a goal of obtaining 25,000 signatures to get my name on the ballot. This is 5 times the legal requirement of 5,000, but I know we can do it because of our unparalleled grassroots support. If you haven't printed a petition, and want to help, click here.

Thank you again for all you do.

For Texas and For America,
Rick NoriegaDemocrat for U.S. Senate

Texans Have A Clear Choice For U.S. Senate

Texans have a choice between three clearly different candidates for U.S. Senate this year.

The Republican candidate is the unpopular incumbent -- "Box Turtle" John Cornyn. If you want a candidate that has been bought and paid for by lobbyists and corporate interests, and if you want a candidate that supports continuing the Iraq war, and if you want a candidate that kowtows to the wishes of the religious right, then "Box Turtle" is the candidate for you. I personally find him totally unacceptable.

The second choice is running as a Democrat. He is super-rich San Antonio attorney Mikal Watts. Mr. Watts is sinking millions of dollars of his own money into his campaign. It's almost as if he thinks he can buy the election. He has also let it be known that he supports the un-Democratic notion that a woman should not have the right to govern her own body. Again, I find him totally unacceptable.

It is not until we get to the third choice that we find a true man of the people. He is a businessman, a military officer and a state legislator. He is a man that supports worker's rights, women's rights and minority rights. He is also a man that sees the illegality and futility of the Iraq war, and wants to help extricate America from that mess. He is Lt. Colonel and State Rep. Rick Noriega, and this is what he has to say:

Our nation is headed in the wrong direction. It is lead by those whose choice is to divide Americans to maintain power. It is the vision of the powerful that are either unwilling or unable to unite people, to foster common ground for the common good.

We as a nation have been the envy of the world when we have maintained our moral compass. I believe we have begun to let that slip away.

Our mismanagement of the war on terror, the acrimony of the national debate on immigration issues, the squandering of the environment, the inability to provide reasonable health care, the decay of our respect for human rights, the refusal to improve education, the willingness to sacrifice the many for the few....we are losing our global moral leadership.

I believe Rick Noriega is the best choice Texans have for the U.S. Senate. If you still haven't made up your mind, I urge you to visit his website at ricknoriega.com, and check out some other political blogs. Most of them will happily tell you why Noriega is the best candidate.

Once you've seen what Noriega stands for, I think you'll agree he's Texas' best choice. Then do as I have done, and give him some financial help. It doesn't have to be a lot -- just send whatever you can afford. He doesn't have the incumbency or the millions of dollars the other candidates have. He's depending on thousands of little guys like you and me kicking in a few dollars to help him put our country back on the right track.

Send a few dollars, talk to your neighbors and friends and then vote for Noriega in next year's primary. You'll be glad you did.

David Van Os Supporting Rick Noriega

When I checked my mailbox last night, I had received the following letter from from a man I have immense respect for -- David Van Os. It seems that Van Os is also supporting Rick Noriega for Senate. I'm sure that many of you received the same letter, but for those of you who didn't, I am reprinting it below.

Van Os was the most exciting and qualified statewide candidate that Texas Democrats have had in years (and I hope he runs again). He has earned his credibility, and I urge you to read and think about his views on the senate race.

Next March the voters in the Texas Democratic Primary will choose a Democratic nominee to challenge John Cornyn in the General Election for the seat he holds in the U.S. Senate. It will be a contested Primary; opposing candidates are already campaigning hard.

Rachel and I unequivocally support Lt. Col. and State Representative Rick Noriega

Rick is a man of impeccable principle, honor, and courage. He served our country with honor and courage in a tour of military duty in Afghanistan. He served the community with distinction and competence as Houston Mayor Bill White's specially appointed director for the sheltering of Hurricane Katrina refugees. For several terms as a representative to the Texas House of Representatives from a Harris County district he has served his constituents and his state as a reliable voice for level playing fields for working people.

I know Rick Noriega. He will be a U.S. Senator in the great populist traditions of the old Texas, the kind of U.S. Senator we haven't had the pleasure of having represent us in a long time. The office of Senator Noriega will not be a private playground for the moneyed corporate elites as it is with Senators Cornyn and Hutchison. It will be an office for all the people. He will represent the people of Texas with honor, distinction, and integrity.

Rick's main opponent for the nomination is a wealthy, exceptionally skilled trial lawyer who has achieved spectacular success on behalf of injured parties in major class action lawsuits against the corporate manufacturers of dangerously defective products. I have nothing but respect for Rick's opponent for his courtroom successes and for the immense good his successes have done for his clients and for consumers.

But I have a problem with his message in the race for the Democratic nomination to challenge Cornyn, which is, "Nominate me because I have millions of dollars to spend against Cornyn." This is a message that says the most important qualification for citizens offering themselves for public service is how much money they can bring to the table. This is a message that reinforces everything that's gone wrong in our political system. It is a message that expresses disdain for all our grassroots efforts and struggles to restore the rule of the people in place of the rule of money.

This is not a matter of choosing between second choices. Rick Noriega would have my support no matter who his Primary opponent was, because Rick is an unequivocal FIRST choice. Rick Noriega has the right qualifications, the right convictions, the right experience, the right courage, and the right heart. He refuses to be deterred by having to overcome big money to rise to the challenge to replace the Bushite puppet John Cornyn with a people's representative.

Rick is not a wealthy man. He is a community servant. Thus the extent of his resources will be determined by what we the people are willing to contribute.
To show that Rick has the people-power behind him, I've joined the drive to sign up 800 donors to his exploratory campaign in four weeks. That equates to 200 donors a week, 29 a day. If you will join this drive, your donation will help change the equation. This Senate race has the potential to change Texas; and as Texas goes, so goes the country.

You can join the first 800 by donating any amount today, $10, $25, $50, $100, or whatever you wish -- at http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=scrx6ccab.0.wtbdbdcab.tty6eybab.7411&ts=S0265&p=

http://actblue.com/page/netrootsfornoriega. I've joined the 800 and I would be proud to have you join me.

David Van Os