Lost among all the Obama/Clinton pie fights was the Texas Senate primary race. Rick Noriega not only won the primary, but passed the 50% threshold needed to avoid a runoff. With the primary behind him, the people-powered Noriega campaign can take on Bush lap-dog John Cornyn with full force.
More after the jump...
Just to give an idea of who he's running against, here is Cornyn's statement on FISA:
“Without these critical tools, U.S. intelligence officials would be blind and deaf to the important information that allows them to detect our enemies and deter attacks against Americans and our allies. So I’m encouraged that the Senate finally overcame the partisan obstacles and delays to pass this important wartime legislation to help keep Americans safe. And I urge the House to pass this bipartisan legislation swiftly.”
Here's Noriega's:
"On Christmas morning 2004, outside of Kabul, Afghanistan, my buddies and I drove to our base camp to use the computers. We wanted to be with our kids when they woke up that Christmas. To get there we drove through a near ambush–anytime we drove on the Jalalabad Road, it was risky, and we had an incident on our way.
That Christmas morning, I suspect the government listened to our conversations. They occurred between two countries; Afghanistan and the US. They probably didn't realize the difference in tone in my voice as I spoke to my wife and children that morning as my heart raced still from our encounter on the road. My wife did.
I fought to defend our country and our constitution in Afghanistan. I fought for the right to privacy for every Texan. Mr. Cornyn must now stand up for the privacy of every Texan and American too. We as a nation cannot grant anyone sweeping amnesty if they violated the law.
Americans understand the need for safety and the need for intelligence gathering. What they will not accept is an abuse of power, of crossing the line on American's privacy.
I would join Sen. Dodd in opposition to any retroactive provisions that allow a "get out of jail card" for violating the Constitution. If Mr. Cornyn had ever had the opportunity to have his Christmas conversation listened to by the government, on a day that he feared for his life in a convoy on Jalalabad Road, he would do the same."
John Cornyn is a loyal Bush Republicans, voting with Senate Republicans 97.7% of the time.
Given that few Americans believe we're better off now than we were eight years ago, it's not too surprising voters in Texas are lining up around the block to support an alternative to Cornyn. The numbers are pretty encouraging. Noriega got over 1.1 million votes out of a total of 2.16 million, avoiding a runoff vs. an estimated 200-250k for last cycle's Democratic challenger Barbara Ann Radnofsky out of 500-600k. Radnofsky was forced into a runoff race.
By avoiding a runoff in a crowded field, Rick demonstrates he has broad support. While you can't extrapolate those numbers directly to general election turnout, it is a clear sign that Democrats are excited not only about their presidential choices, but about down-ticket races as well.
So thanks, Texas voters! While you were out voting for Obama or Clinton, you are also helping elect a candidate who's a decorated veteran, against the war, will vote "no" on retroactive immunity, and would work to bring American dollars back home to boost our ailing economy.
(originally posted at The Seminal)