Noriega Campaign Takes Shape
July 16th, 2007 at 8:59 pm
State Rep. Rick Noriega announced his Senate exploratory committee today. He sounded like a man who wouldn’t have to explore much longer before officially entering the race.
For those who will follow this closely, get ready to hear Noriega say “the call to service” many times over the next few months. The phrase was the backbone of nearly every point he made in his short speech today and during the Q&A. Noriega offered it as both his motivation for entering politics, as well as a quality he saw in military colleagues in Afghanistan and in ordinary people who worked frantically to help Katrina evacuees. To Noriega, the phrase applied equally today as it did to the men who died at the Alamo, which was why he held his press conference outside the Capitol in front a monument in their honor — a source of no slight discomfort to a sweaty press corps.
One experience Noriega opted not to play up was his experience on the border as part of his National Guard duty. It was obvious he wanted to keep the focus of his message on the administration and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The war, he believes, is the issue most important to voters. When asked if he thought being Hispanic would be an advantage, he downplayed it, saying he’d leave that speculation to the pundits. Asked proddingly if he didn’t think immigration was the big issue, he said, “I think there are others that would like to make immigration the issue.”
Given his view on the importance of the war, the first thing he would do, if given the opportunity, is to implement the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group. “Stubbornness is not a foreign policy,” he said of the current plan, his best one-liner of the day.
And of course Noriega was asked about the formidable fundraising talents of his primary opponent, attorney Mikal Watts. The state rep mostly dodged the question, offering no specifics on his own fundraising and trusting that the people of Texas would heed the call to service once again.
July 16th, 2007 at 11:30 pm
It is no wonder Noriega is afraid to talk his Texas National Guard experience on the border near Laredo.
Earlier this year, Noriega engaged in a huge feud with Homeland Security Director Steve McCraw about Noriega’s efforts to have border security transferred to the Texas National Guard.
This issue will destroy Noriega in the wake of the recent arrest of Laredo-based Texas National Guardsmen Jose Torres, Julio Pacheco, and Clarence Hodge for running an immigrant smuggling ring using a van leased by the National Guard.
August 13th, 2007 at 5:34 pm
[…] campaign released it’s latest video today, which by appearances borrowed heavily from his appearance in front of the Capitol to announce his candidacy in July. Same backdrop, same “Answer the Call” message, even […]