Ron Paul’s legacy belongs to Ted Cruz

As a Libertarian leaning Republican (in Iowa no less), I’m used to my options for Presidential candidates being limited. I’m also used to my choice turning me into an outcast among peers. What I’m about to write may ruffle some feathers among friends, but let’s face it, as the Iowa Liberty movement has grown, we’ve ruffled our share of feathers in the ranks of the establishment, so forgive me if I shake the tree of Liberty for a moment.

Let’s get this straight right out of the gate, there will only ever be one Dr. Ron Paul. The former Texas Congressman is the undisputed contemporary Godfather of Liberty, and he not only cured my apathy in 2008, but he also taught me the principles that led me to my support of Senator Ted Cruz for President.

Through his 2008 and 2012 Presidential campaigns, Dr. Paul managed to build a network of philosophical protégés second to no one in modern politics. Through each and every segment of his speeches and debate performances, he was able to weave consistently through the myriad of complex issues facing our world today.

In May of 2012, nearly two years after the Tea Party had gone to Washington, our movement was looking to build on that momentum, and our standard bearer was still working the campaign trails in search of victories for the cause of Liberty. This was when Dr. Paul made his endorsement of a former Solicitor General from the State of Texas for the office of U.S. Senate against the sitting Lieutenant Governor. Ron Paul endorsed Ted Cruz.

It was on that day, that the Liberty movement began to coalesce around the possibility of a big-time November win. Dr. Paul wasn’t the only Liberty stalwart to endorse Cruz over the heavily favored David Dewhurst in that bitter primary race. Congressman Justin Amash (R-MI), Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), FreedomWorks, and Gun Owners of America all circled the wagons in favor of Cruz.

As an observer, one of the things I like most about Senator Cruz’s approach is that of any candidate for President, he has the best understanding of the separation of powers established by our Constitution.. While advocating for policies, he respects both the limits of executive action from the office he hopes to occupy and the crucial role and oversight from Congress.

Cruz has done more to protect the liberties guaranteed by our Constitution than anyone in the 2016 race – from defending First Amendment rights to free speech and religion and Second Amendment rights to keep and bear arms, to defending U.S. sovereignty against the U.N. as Solicitor General of Texas. He has spent countless hours on the Senate floor joining filibusters to stop illegal drone use against American citizens and illegal searches and seizure of cell phone records, and initiated his own 21-hour filibuster in a courageous effort to defund Obamacare.

What is also refreshing, more as an American than as a member of a single voting bloc, is the fact that he has been overwhelmingly gracious to each one of his competitors as they have entered the race. That will be an invaluable asset moving forward in this campaign. The liberty movement needs to be attracting voters and supporters of other candidates, not turning them off with junior high insults, and feigned intellectual superiority.

I have had the opportunity to meet with Senator Cruz in a small-group roundtable setting on a couple of different occasions. Here’s what stood out most to me. First, this guy really wants the support of the Liberty movement, by name, and has verbalized that request. Second, he refuses to pander. As I sat in a room of people waiting for him to lie to them about any range of issues to win their support, he chose disagreement when necessary, with an explanation his point of view.

As a Libertarian-Republican, my standard is the U.S. Constitution. Senator Cruz meets that standard by every measure. As with any honest voter-candidate relationship, there will be disagreements. But Senator Cruz has an impeccable record of saying that he stands with the Constitution and proving it in action, in votes, and most importantly in pushing back against establishment politicians in Washington, rather than cozying up to score points.

Finally, trust. Hopefully, you’ll agree that we can’t back a candidate that we don’t trust. Part of that trust is the team that he has built around him. Several of the people who are working with Senator Cruz’s Presidential campaign in Iowa, I was lucky enough to have working with me on my State Senate bid last year. They are not yes-men, rather individuals with strong convictions.

Ted Cruz has spent a lifetime fighting to defend the Constitution — our nation’s founding document and the supreme law of the land — which was crafted by our founding fathers to act as chains to bind the mischief of government and to protect the liberties endowed to us by our Creator.

Religious Liberty

Defended Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties against Obamacare’s contraception mandate.
Led the way on several cases including a U.S. Supreme Court case that preserved the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Successfully defended the words “under God” in the Texas Pledge of Allegiance and Texas schools’ moment of silence law in federal district court.
Galvanized national support for Houston pastors who had been subpoenaed by the City of Houston to provide the content of their sermons forcing the City to back down.
Supported the right of students to display banners containing religious content at school sporting events.
Successfully defended the constitutionality of the Texas Ten Commandments monument, winning a 5-4 landmark decision before the U.S. Supreme Court, setting an important national precedent for the right to display similar monuments.
Fought to help the Boy Scouts of America to reverse a district court ruling barring them from leasing a public park.

Second Amendment

Played a crucial role in preventing federal legislation to restrict the Second Amendment rights of Americans.
Authored legislation to strengthen the Second Amendment rights of Americans by allowing interstate firearms sales.
Led 31 states in District of Columbia v. Heller where the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a ban on firearms in a 5-4 landmark decision.
- Honored by the National Rifle Association with a 2008 resolution for his leadership in the Heller case, which noted that his “efforts made this victory for the American people possible.”
- Awarded the NRA’s 2010 Carter-Knight Freedom Fund, which “rewards exemplary activities in the support and protection of the right to Keep and Bear Arms” for his work in the Heller and McDonald cases.
Argued against unreasonable and burdensome gun restrictions before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Recognized by NRA executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre who observed, “Ted Cruz is one of our nation’s leading defenders of the Second Amendment. For over a decade, Ted has fought tirelessly to defend our constitutional right to keep and bear arms, and his leadership was absolutely critical to our major victories before the U.S. Supreme Court.”

U.S. Sovereignty

Fought and won a landmark ruling for U.S. sovereignty in Medellin v. Texas at the U.S. Supreme Court against 90 foreign nations and the President to ensure the supremacy of U.S. legal system against encroachment by international treaties and rulings of the “World Court.”
Cosponsored a resolution urging the president not to sign the UN Arms Treaty, which would have subordinated the Second Amendments rights of American citizens to global interests.

Government Overreach

Called for a special prosecutor to investigate the targeting of conservatives by the IRS.

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