Cornyn: GOP must return to its roots

Texas senator speaks to Denton County Republicans at dinner

By Dan X. McGraw / Staff Writer

GRAPEVINE — Mumbles of presidential candidates could be heard in every nook of the Hyatt Regency DFW hotel at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport during the Denton County Republican Party’s Lincoln-Reagan dinner on Saturday night.

Cornyn

However, Arizona Sen. John McCain, the party’s presumptive nomination, wasn’t on everyone’s lips. 

Rather, it was how to derail the campaigns of Democratic candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, and at the dinner, Sen. John Cornyn gave the framework to doing just that.

During his 20-minute speech, Cornyn spoke to more than 700 people about the importance of the 2008 presidential election and the need for the party to return to its roots of reform and fiscal responsibility.

“The message we’ve heard tonight, and the one that I’ll continue, is we’ve got a tough fight ahead of us,” he said. “The Democrats are energized, but I believe we can win.”

To do so, Cornyn said, the party must unite behind its presidential candidate, whoever it may be, while also working for reform and fiscal responsibility in Washington.

With the Democrats charging for the White House, Cornyn said they must unite behind the Republican candidate to fight whoever wins the Democratic nomination. 

“We do not need a Barack Obama or a Hillary Clinton as our president,” he said.

While avoiding any direct mention of either candidate’s campaign, Cornyn criticized the Democratic Party’s view on taxes and health care, saying they would not provide benefits to citizens and would hamper others.

Cornyn also said the Democrats’ belief that talking with terrorists would protect Americans does not jibe with reality. Instead, he said, the county must remain strong against terrorism.

“The fact is that a strong America is the world’s best chance for peace,” he said.

He said the Democratic Party is built on taxes and more government, and if elected into the White House, it would continue to spend heavily. The Republican Party, he said, must prevent that by showing to voters that it will return to fiscal responsibility.

Deviating from that responsibility caused the party to lose some momentum in 2006, and the party must address it to have a chance in 2008, he said.

And the 2008 election will be as important as they come.

“This race is the most important election of our lives,” Cornyn said. “This decides the future of our country, and the country we pass down to our children.”

In 2008, Cornyn said, the party cannot count on President Bush, and Bush will be missed when he leaves office. Missing from Cornyn’s speech was any mention of the war in Iraq or McCain.

He reaffirmed Denton County voters’ importance in the 2008 election.

“Denton County is critical to our success,” he said. “This county is a real bellwether for our success around the state, and our state affects what happens in this country.”

Steve Burgess, a candidate for 393rd District Court judge, said the senator’s speech hit the points that Republicans needed to hear.

“It was inspirational and true to the point,” he said.

Before Cornyn’s introduction, Mark Davis, a WBAP-AM radio personality, made the case for Cornyn as a viable candidate for vice president. He said Cornyn would balance out McCain, and he should be a top consideration.

“It would be a ticket that I could support,” he said.

DAN X. McGRAW can be reached at 940-566-6875. His e-mail address is dmcgraw@dentonrc.com.