Subj: Prepare Yourself For Tonight's Debate! 
Date: 10/9/2008 10:35:43 AM Central Daylight Time
From: PressOffice@email.johncornyn.com
Reply-to: PressOffice.ue.x259286.z190236724@email.johncornyn.com
To: Mitch Dworkin
Sent from the Internet (Details)

Dear Mitch, 

We hope you tune in tonight to the first of two debates in the United States Senate campaign. It will be carried on most PBS networks statewide at 8 p.m. tonight (9 p.m. in San Antonio).

As one of our best supporters, you know Senator Cornyn well as a positive, thoughtful, articulate and tireless advocate for the Texas way of thinking: lower taxes, less government and strong families. I can assure you he will be no different tonight.

State Representative Noriega has a decade of experience trading verbal punches on the State House floor. We expect him to perform quite well tonight. He has mastered the 15-second standard Democratic sound bite, and he'll no doubt roll them out in quantity.

We have faint hopes that we might see a different Rick Noriega tonight - one who advocates positively, for what he believes, rather than one who consistently issues distorted statements about Senator Cornyn. Unfortunately, since Noriega announced he was answering the call of the national liberal left wing blogosphere, he has chosen a path of incoherent attacks. Tonight would be a good time for Noriega to finally run on his decade-long record in the legislature and any positive ideas he might come up with - and get away from regurgitated D.C. Democratic points.

Frankly, we doubt he'll do this. The few times Representative Noriega has advanced policy positions, they've been met with lukewarm reception or even ridicule across Texas. His periodic call for more government, higher taxes and bizarre solutions to national issues (drilling for oil in Iraq) are truly out of touch with Texas, but at least they provided voters with insight into what he would do if elected.

Last month, we proposed a completely positive campaign and urged Representative Noriega to do the same. Sadly, he rejected our friendly gesture out of hand. He apparently intends to concentrate on personal attacks and distortion rather than running on his own modest record.

True to form, Noriega started his ad campaign today by launching a negative TV ad that offers little or no solutions or ideas on the issues of the day. We anticipate tonight will be more of the same. After all, Representative Noriega rarely lets the facts get in the way of a good sound bite.

For those of you not familiar with Noriega, here is what to watch for in tonight's debate:

Rick Noriega will throw out charge after charge: Noriega is a veteran legislator, but you won't hear him talk about his own record. That's because he doesn't have much to talk about. He's passed virtually no legislation in ten years in the House. Instead, he'll try to distort Sen. Cornyn's substantial bipartisan record, and falsely claim that Sen. Cornyn opposes popular programs for veterans, low income children, military personal and students.

He will keep his well-documented temper in check: Noriega is typically angry and abrupt, but he's been advised to tone that down for television. Watch for a softer and gentler Noriega on Thursday. His friends and supporters may not even recognize him.

The Blame Game: Noriega isn't much for solutions, but he's extremely adept at placing blame. Name a national problem of any kind, and it will turn out that "our Junior Senator" is largely responsible for causing it. His theory of throwing everything against the wall - and seeing if anything sticks - will be fully on display. Note also the absence of any positive programs or vision. Noriega is a critic, not a problem solver.

The Elephant(s) in the Room: Some days we aren't sure Rick Noriega is aware of who he is running against. He likes to talk a lot about President Bush. He certainly does not like to talk about the left-wing Senators who have helped him raise money, including Hillary Clinton, Chuck Schumer, Barbara Boxer, Russ Feingold and Al Gore. It would be a surprise if any of them are mentioned.

Noriega-isms: Rick Noriega is a virtual cliché machine, with a real talent for malapropisms. Over the past year, he has rattled off some classics. Here are some of his favorites to listen for on Thursday night. You and your friends might want to place a friendly wager as to how many you might hear throughout the debate!

"We need to kill the snake while we have the hoe in the hand."

"That's a penny wise and pound foolish."

"That dog won't hunt."

"We know what tail wags that dog."

"He's all hat and no cattle."

"Walk the talk."

"He reads the Constitution as 'me the people,' not 'we the people.'"

"Answer the call."

"People need to decide whether they buy a gallon of gas or a gallon of milk."

"Rubber stamp."

"We hold an 18 year old Army Private to a higher standard than a United States Senator."

"Like any job the junior Senator should have to go through a review process. And we as Texans have to decide whether we're going to rehire him."

"I'm fed up."

"Washington double talk."

"We've been told 2+2 = 5, and it just doesn't add up."

"This is a David and Goliath race. But I like David's chances. Nobody likes Goliath."

"The President goes hat in hand."

By the end of two debates this month, Noriega's methods and capability will be obvious to all except the most closed minded. At that point, Texans will reject Rick Noriega because they do not believe he has the temperament, judgment, record or experience that Texans deserves in their United States Senator.

P.S. Please post a comment on Senator Cornyn's blog both before and after the debate.

http://www.johncornyn.com/posts/425?ref=debate1009

All content © 2008 Texans for Senator John Cornyn, Inc.
P.O. Box 13026, Austin, Texas 78711

Subj: Sen. John Cornyn Doesn't Support Our Vets 
Date: 10/9/2008 10:05:48 AM Central Daylight Time
From: info@bravenewfilms.org
To: Mitch Dworkin
Sent from the Internet (Details)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xG2ep9oaVEo

1. Watch the video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xG2ep9oaVEo

Senator John Cornyn Doesn't Support Our Vets  (4:01)

From: bravenewfilms
Added: October 09, 2008

http://txveterans.org

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Subj: Debunked Claims You Might Hear From Big Bad John Tonight 
Date: 10/9/2008 4:40:02 PM Central Daylight Time
From: holly@ricknoriega.com
To: Mitch Dworkin
Sent from the Internet (Details)

For immediate release:
October 9, 2008                    

DEBUNKED CLAIMS YOU MIGHT HEAR FROM BIG BAD JOHN TONIGHT

Houston, Tex. – John Cornyn is in trouble. From his do-nothing approach to health care to his obstructionism on fixing our broken immigration system to his two-faced energy policy, John Cornyn says one thing in Texas and does another in Washington. 

DEBUNKED CLAIM: CORNYN’S TORT REFORM PLAN WILL EXPAND HEALTH CARE ACCESS

Ø  REALITY: John Cornyn's "cure-all," tort reform doesn't work to get doctors to underserved areas. According to the Boston Globe, "But even as younger doctors move into Texas in far greater numbers, they tend to locate in the same urban areas - undercutting one of the strongest arguments for Proposition 12." [Boston Globe, 11/26/07]

McCain Acknowleges Tax Increase in Health Plan  (1:02)

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