Empower Texans Newsletter – January 19, 2014

If we lose freedom here, there is no place to escape to. This is the last stand on Earth.” — Ronald Reagan

Candidates for the March primary are starting their sprint for the finish line, and we’ve made a few more endorsements.

And when you consider the, ahem, quality of the opposition, it is all the more important each of us to cheer the good guys on a little louder and fight alongside them a little stronger.

The Fight Right Now
Last night we witnessed 600 grassroots Texans gather to support taxpayer champion and Tarrant County activist-turned-legislator, Jonathan Stickland.

“The fight is right here, right now,” Mr. Stickland said to the cheering packed room. He is absolutely right: If Texas’ lone star is to shine brightly in the field of blue on Old Glory, we must get it right in 2014.

Anyone who says the effort to turn Texas ‘blue’ is a November problem is flat-out wrong. Liberals andestablishment Republicans are at work right now undermining conservatives in Republican primaries.

Let me be blunt: it is not enough to “vote Republican” – we must “vote conservative” if we are to save Texas.

Is Branch Detached, Disinterested or Defiant?
The three Ds — that’s how our communications coordinator Morgan Williamson examines the statements of moderate State Rep.–turned Attorney General-hopeful Dan Branch on ObamaCare. She reviewed an interview in which Mr. Branch waffled around the fight against ObamaCare, even while spouting platitudes about going after Medicaid fraud.

As various news outlets have written, the biggest fraud this election cycle is Dan Branch’s own candidacy where the loud-and-proud legislative moderate is suddenly trying to pander to conservatives.

Cruz Calls Paxton A Fighter
We do have a proven fighter in the Attorney General’s race. As U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz said recently: “Ken Paxton is a tireless servant. Ken Paxton stands and fights, whether it’s fighting against ObamaCare or fighting for Voter ID, or fighting to defend our Religious Liberty and I’m proud to say Ken Paxton is my friend who fights hard in the state of Texas..”

Carona: Pro-Life “Evil”
Republican State Sen. John Carona of Dallas is on a rampage against conservatives (even as he fraudulently calls himself a conservative). This past week he told the Dallas Morning News that the leader of Texas Right to Life, Elizabeth Graham, “is evil.” The reason for his scorn? Her group has been pointing to his own senatorial record. The nerve!

As the Good Book notes, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil…” Fortunately, Mr. Carona is being challenged by fiscal conservative (and pro-life champion) Don Huffines.

Stooges For Big Government?
Austin’s establishment lobby interests are on full attack against three stand-out conservatives – Jonathan Stickland, Matt Schaefer and Charles Perry. The candidates opposing them are little more than stooges for the grow-government crowd.

Challenging Mr. Stickland is Andy Cargile, most famous for pushing a “day-time curfew” to punish homeschoolers. He told the city council local police should profile anyone “who looks around” before getting into their car.

Out in Lubbock, the challenger to Mr. Perry is Steve Massengale. AgendaWise.com has shown that as a school board member, Massengale has directed tens of housands of tax dollars to his own printing business. He’s on record calling for a massive tax hike in Lubbock, one use of which could be to build a monorail. Yes,a monorail. In Lubbock. You really cannot make this stuff up.

Meanwhile, in Tyler, lobbyist Skip Ogle is taking on Mr. Schaefer. Not only has Ogle funded Democratic campaigns against Republicans, he recently announced his support for major boondoggle spending projects like taxpayer funding for a statewide high-speed rail. Choo-choo or ching-ching?

Now Dewhurst Is (Conveniently) Against Hollywood
For more than a decade, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst has gone along with sending millions of dollars to Hollywood liberals through the state’s film subsidy program.

Last week Mr. Dewhurst sent out a campaign email subject-lined “Stand up to Hollywood” in which he rightly decried a Hollywood event raising money to fund abortion projects in Texas.

Where has this David Dewhurst been? He and his colleagues in the legislature have been sending millions and millions of your tax dollars to fund liberals in Hollywood. Rather than stop the flow of money years ago, he’s just now bellyaching… coincidentally when he’s in a tough re-election battle.

Of course, Mr. Dewhurst has also been saying what the Wall Street Journal (and basic math) indentified as a 25 percent increase in state spending last year was a conservative budget. So, there you go…

TFR Endorsements
Texans for Fiscal Responsibility announced several new endorsements this week. For the Texas House, we have endorsed Matt Beebe in House District 121 against incumbent Joe Straus. We also endorsed Court Alley in the open-seat race in House district 108.

I’m also excited to announce our endorsements in the Supreme Court of Texas races. While the ethics for good judicial conduct do not allow judicial candidates to speak on how they will rule on matters, we can review how they (and their opponents) have acted.

To that end, TFR strongly endorses the re-election of:
Place 1: Nathan Hecht (Chief Justice)
Place 6: Jeff Brown
Place 8: Phil Johnson

They are each being challenged in the GOP primary by candidates being backed by Democrat trial-lawyers.

All three justices — Hecht, Johnson and Brown — have honorably and ably served our state on the high court with distinction as conservative jurists.

The fight is here. The fight is now. Let’s get going!

For Texas,
Michael Quinn Sullivan
& the EmpowerTexans.com Team