Ted Cruz Visit: The Campaigns Fire At Each Other

While Ted Cruz is firing up a sizeable crowd this morning in Chattanooga… here are what the party people are saying about him.

————————————————————

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Today, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, continues his #CruzCountry #CruzToVictory tour through the south with several stops in Tennessee. In previous days, events have exceeded capacity as courageous conservatives turn out to support Sen. Cruz. Below is a sampling of the coverage:

Greeted by a crowd exceeding expectations in Huntsville, Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz rolled into the Rocket City on Sunday evening as an apparent candidate on the rise…. Indeed, all but a handful of chairs were removed from the ballroom where Cruz spoke to accommodate the crowd – the vast majority of which stood for the hour that Cruz spoke and took questions from the audience. Cruz made stops in Pelham and Birmingham earlier Sunday as part of a Deep South swing that will take him on Monday to four stops in Tennessee followed by speeches in Mississippi, Arkansas and Oklahoma by week’s end.

————————————————————

Nashville, Tenn. (August 10, 2015) – Tennessee Democratic Party Chair Mary Mancini issued the following statement ahead of GOP Presidential candidate Ted Cruz’s visit to Tennessee, where he is expected to make stops from Chattanooga to Memphis.

“Ted Cruz is just another Republican with no fiscal sense and no idea how to govern effectively. Instead of working to ensure that more Americans would be able to take their children to the doctor when they’re sick, he instead tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act by shutting down of the federal government, costing the economy a staggering $24 billion dollars.

And instead of working for equal opportunity for all American families, his voting and public record shows just the opposite. He opposes equal pay for women, raising the minimum wage, and, on his quest to privatize the program, has described social security as a ‘Ponzi scheme.’

Candidate Cruz represents everything that is wrong with today’s Republican Party. He is an extremist with a hatred of government that is so strong that grandstanding and scoring political points eclipses getting anything done on behalf of the American people.”

————————————————————–

SUPPORTERS OF SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS WELCOMED SENATOR TED CRUZ TO CHATTANOOGA today before Mr. Cruz’s Gravy and Biscuits breakfast campaign event, held at the GraceWorks church. The Sanders group was on the street in front of the event, holding signs to educate the crowd about a viable alternative.

Sanders supporter Matthew Hine said, “We invite the press to contrast Ted Cruz’s extreme Tea Party positions with an approach supported by the majority of voters. Polls show most Americans agree with Senator Sanders on key issues such as reversing climate change, providing tuition free public college and single payer Medicare for All health care. But most voters strongly oppose Mr. Cruz’s agenda” he said.

Group members cited the statement by former President Jimmy Carter last week that the U.S. is not a democracy, but rather an oligarchy where politicians ignore the opinions of all except wealthy, powerful campaign donors.

Georgiana Chitko Kotarski commented: “Mr. Cruz wants billionaires to own the political system. His goal is to eliminate restrictions on the amount of money billionaires can spend to buy the politicians of their choice. Bernie Sanders supports public financing of elections and limits on the obscene amounts of money that have made this country an oligarchy.”

Lana Sutton pointed out that Ted Cruz’s campaign is primarily funded by only 1 person, billionaire hedge fund CEO Robert Mercer. Mr. Mercer has donated over $11 million to Cruz-affiliated super PACS. By distinction, Sanders typical contributor has sent in under $50. “Sanders’ campaign money is coming from individuals, not mega-corporations, super PACS and propaganda machines posing as the news media. It’s time to get corporate money out of American politics, and get real citizens back in public office”, said Sutton.

Fox Murray was concerned that Mr. Cruz disagrees with 98% of climate science experts who say human activity causes global warming, and that Cruz wants to block the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases. “Cruz’s opposition is foolish”, said Mr. Murray. “It’s a good thing Bernie is pushing to reverse global warming so our world will be a better place”, he said.