Cruz calls for Second Amendment protection at gun manufacturer visit

statesman.com ^ | February 19, 2013 | Ben Kamisar

[Tailgunner Joe]

LEANDER — Calling proposals for increased gun control “political” and “wrong,” Republican Sen. Ted Cruz offered an impassioned defense of gun rights Tuesday amid cheers from supporters at a Leander gun manufacturing plant.

“In Washington, there is no liberty that I think is more in the target right now than our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms,” Cruz said.

Texas’ newest U.S. senator warned that Democrats were taking advantage of the Connecticut school shooting in December to push an assault weapon ban and magazine restrictions that strip citizens of their rights.

“The Bill of Rights exists not just to protect rights when they are popular,” he said. “The purpose of the Bill of Rights is to stand as the protection of the rights of law-abiding citizens when the passions of the moment are inflamed.”

According to Cruz, restricting sales of certain weapons would not deter criminals, who would simply circumvent the law, leaving law-abiding citizens “vulnerable to criminals.”

He added that he believed legislators can reach a bipartisan consensus on encouraging states to submit mental health records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. As of Oct. 31, 2011, the Mayors Against Illegal Guns reported that 23 states, plus the District of Columbia, submitted fewer than 100 mental health records. The same report found that Texas had the sixth-highest rate of mental health records submitted per 100,000 inhabitants.

The senator, who was endorsed by the National Rifle Association, spoke to a small crowd inside Leander-based LaRue Tactical, which manufactures rifles and accessories. Some of its semi-automatic rifles are similar to weapons that assault weapon legislation could target. Cruz later took a tour of the facility.

Mark Fingar, LaRue’s marketing director, said business is surging because customers fear the prospect of gun restrictions. Cruz fighting “the good fight” to preserve the right to bear arms is more important than any effect that legislation could have on Larue’s bottom line, he said.

“We are more afraid that the Second Amendment itself is going to be affected, let alone our business,” he said. “That is inconsequential.”

Inside the manufacturing plant, the senator also took public questions on immigration reform and admitted he is not optimistic that Washington will pass any reform. But Cruz leveled the blame squarely at President Barack Obama, who he said is stuck in the mode of the “perpetual campaign.”

“In my opinion, the single most important obstacle to passing common-sense immigration reform right now is President Barack Obama because he is seeking political and partisan advantage rather than trying to fix the problem,” Cruz said.

[Paleo Conservative]

Cruz is panning out just as I thought he would. I figured Dewhurst would just be another member of the Republican minority, but Cruz would be a leader.