TPPF/Empower Texans Debate Wrap Up

If you missed the Empower Texans/TPPF debate last night TPPF has it archived online here.  The hands down winner of the debate was…..Attorney General Greg Abbott live tweeting the event.  To my knowledge he was the only statewide official there who was not on the debate stage and he provided some pretty good commentary and even stayed around after the event to meet and greet with folks longer than some of the Senate candidates.

Below is a round up of some of the news coverage of the debate.

• “Former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz repeatedly challenged Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst’s conservative credentials Thursday night…” (Chris Tomlinson, Texas Republican candidates hold first debate, Associated Press)

• “The challenges we have in Washington are so grave that the answer in this election is not to go with another timid, career politician,” said Cruz, who spent five years representing Texas before the U.S. Supreme Court. “The answer is to go with a proven conservative and fighter.” (Chris Tomlinson, Texas Republican candidates hold first debate, Associated Press)

• “From the outset, former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz took the fight to Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, calling him a ‘timid career politician.’”  (Kate Alexander, Dewhurst on defensive during first Texas U.S. Senate debate, Austin American-Statesman)

• “Cruz, who has won endorsements from several tea party standard-bearers from Washington, said there is an ideological battle afoot and that Dewhurst is not on the side of tea party conservatives.”  (Kate Alexander, Dewhurst on defensive during first Texas U.S. Senate debate, Austin American-Statesman)

• “Cruz, however, cast himself as the strongest leader of the group… Cruz jabbed Dewhurst by suggesting that lobbyists feel obligated to contribute to his campaign, and heaccused Dewhurst of supporting in-state tuition for illegal immigrants and for helping defeat a ‘sanctuaries cities’ bill last year aimed at illegal immigrants. ”  (Gary Scharrer, GOP Senate hopefuls battle in first debate, San Antonio Express-News)

• “Dewhurst, the front-runner for the party’s nomination, spent the night defending himself from attacks — which came mostly from Cruz…Cruz went after Dewhurst immediately, using his opening remarks to criticize the lieutenant governor for failing to attend previous candidate forums”
  (David Muto, The Brief: Top Texas News for Jan. 13, 2012, Texas Tribune)

• “Former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz painted Dewhurst as an election-year convert to hard-line stands on taxes, spending and illegal immigration”
  (Robert Garrett, Senate rivals attack Dewhurst in Debate, Dallas Morning News)

• “Ted Cruz had the most enthusiastic following. He staked out a position on the far right…Cruz got in the best shot when he asked, “Who do you trust?” — the point being, if you are a conservative, it shouldn’t be Dewhurst.”
  (Paul Burka, BurkaBlog)

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