Rick Noriega, The Citizen-Soldier

From the Star-Telegram:

As battalion commander of an infantry unit in the Texas National Guard, [Lt. Col. Rick Noriega] has led troops in Afghanistan and guarded the southern U.S. border.

Noriega said he's running partly because of his warrior ethos, which demands you leave no soldier behind.

"We have 160,000 brothers and sisters right now who I think are being misled by civilian leadership that has never walked the walk," he said.

Noriega claims that his experience at the front lines and the border gives him the expertise to formulate policy based on the realities of war and diplomacy. After five terms as state representative from District 145, he said he's ready to go to Washington to help fill the leadership void.

Turning his attention to immigration, Noriega claimed that Sen. John Cornyn was the administration's first lieutenant in supporting every policy introduced in the Senate except for comprehensive immigration reform. Instead, he said, Cornyn joined the ideological extreme and became an obstructionist.

[Noriega's] five months serving along the U.S.-Mexico border taught him something valuable: "There are bad guys over there doing bad things," he said. Those "bad things" include human and drug trafficking.

Noriega recognizes that as long as the enormous economic difference exists between the United States and Mexico, the flow of undocumented immigrants will not end. He said that "people will continue to do risky things for $15 an hour."

"They may make $8 an hour, but they won't take the risk or leave their families to do something treacherous." he said. Noriega's comprehensive plan would address the supply-and-demand side of the immigration equation.

At the end of his remarks, he offered to take his Democratic audience on a run.

If Noriega wins the Democratic Senate nomination, the citizen-solider will certainly give the Republicans a run for their money.

Read the Full Article at The Star Telegram.

OMFG! Rick Noriega Reads My Blog!

Last month, I was absolutely thrilled when I heard that Melissa Noriega READS THIS BLOG! Today, Rick left me this lovely message on my facebook wall. ^

I think you're amazing Rick.. Thanks for keeping up the good fight. It's going to be a long and difficult road, we know you're the right man for the job. We'll be standing behind and alongside you the entire way.

Thanks for your service, and for giving our state a chance at children's healthcare, for championing education, for supporting our troops, and for all your hard work you've put in for Houston, for Texas, for our New Orleans neighbors and for our great country.

It really is about service, and we appreciate everything you've done, everything you're doing, and everything you're going to be able to do in the future to bring the message in the Senate back to "We The People," instead of "We, Bush and chummies.."

Rick, you're my hero.

Rick Noriega is a HIT in Tarrant County

In one of his first appearances, a group of about 50 welcomed Rick Noriega to Dallas, where he grabbed even more endorsements: Tarrant County State Representatives Lon Burnam, Paula Hightower Pierson and Marc Veasey before heading up to North Dallas for event at the home of Lenna Webb and Bob Franklin.

This comes on the heels of a week of powerful endorsements from Governor Dolph Briscoe, Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby and State Senator Rodney Ellis, and the Texas State Association of Firefighters. An endorsment from Daily Kos appears to be forthcoming next week.

Rick speaks with two decades of military experience under his belt:
"I just got back from two weeks of training at Fort Benning, and when you look at these 18- and 19-year-old kids who will do anything their country asks them to do, you realize they deserve better. They need leadership that is willing to be held accountable."

"Are we as Texans ready to take a step forward? Our state is off track and if we are going to set things right, we must be ready for the campaign of misinformation that John Cornyn and the Republicans are ready to unleash. They'll use this to divide us so they can maintain power. We have to reject that, but it will be a tough fight."

Read the full post from Steve-O at Caravan of Dreams.

Video Highlights from Monday Press Conference Endorsing Rick Noriega

Video from the Monday Press Conference endorsing Rick

From Rick:

"On Monday, I was humbled to receive the endorsement of two Texas Democratic icons: Governor Dolph Briscoe and Lt. Governor Bill Hobby. At a special endorsement event, Governor Hobby joined Senator Rodney Ellis, Senator John
Whitmire, the Dean of the Texas Senate, and my own State Senator, Mario Gallegos to discuss the upcoming race. I invite you to watch video from the event below, as this was a reminder to all of us that Texas stands greatest when we look to the future, bring people together, and hold our government accountable."

Texas Democratic icons endorse Rick Noriega’s exploratory bid for US Senate

Texas Democratic icons — Governor Dolph Briscoe, Lt. Governor Bill Hobby and State Senator Rodney Ellis — endorse Rick Noriega’s exploratory bid for US Senate

(Houston, TX) — Texas Democratic icons Governor Dolph Briscoe, Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby and State Senator Rodney Ellis, who briefly served as Lt. Governor as well, today joined Houston’s Paul Hobby in endorsing Rick Noriega as the next United States Senator from Texas.

Standing together at the George R. Brown Convention Center, where Noriega served as Incident Commander when the facility was turned into a shelter and emergency support network in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, these icons that represent over three decades of Texas leadership called for a restoration of forward looking leadership that responds to the needs of the people.

“What we have here today is more than a list of endorsements,” Noriega declared. "It is a history lesson that teaches us that Texas stands at its greatest when we plan for the future, bring people together, and hold our government accountable.”

Under the weather with a fever, Governor Dolph Briscoe, who occupied the Governor’s Mansion from 1973 – 1979, sent a written statement that paid tribute to Noriega’s service in the military and humanitarian leadership in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. “These times call for a leader like Rick Noriega, a leader with character, a leader who understands Texans are not afraid of the future, and we’re not followers.”

State Senator Rodney Ellis recalled how Noriega has lived out the warrior’s ethos — leave no man behind — from the battlefield to the legislature and in the community. “In the legislature, Rick fought to all Texas children had health insurance. And here in this very building, the George R. Brown Convention Center, he proved that compassion is not a weakness, but part of the very fabric of who we are as Texans,” Ellis explained. “That’s the type of leadership we need in the United States Senate.”

Lt. Governor Bill Hobby, who served Texas from 1973 to 1991, spoke directly to Noriega’s appeal statewide, “It’s time for a US Senator who can bring Texans together,” Governor Hobby declared. “Rick Noriega earns respect for the strength of his convictions, for rejecting the politics of personal destruction, and for his courage to speak to a higher calling in all of us, “Hobby added.

Noriega openly questioned whether John Cornyn’s voting record reflects the values of ordinary Texans, noting that the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) rated Cornyn 85th out of 100 Senators in support for veterans and their families.

“The standard for leadership and service has been set by the gentlemen behind me; not by the man who occupies one of Texas’ two US Senate seats,” Noriega concluded.

Noriega promised that as his exploratory campaign continues to gain momentum, “Texans will get a chance to see the many faces and many perspectives that our campaign represents.”

Rick Makes a Big Splash on ActBlue

From the ActBlue Blog:

Total Contributions last week: $226,262.30
Total Donors: 1794
Avg. Contribution size: $128.33

Here are the Top 5 Recipients on ActBlue last week by number of donors.
1. John Edwards President 520
2. Rick Noriega TX-Sen 154
3. Steven L. Beshear KY-Gov 106
4. Democracy for America Organization 88
5. Tom Allen ME-Sen 84

Here are the Top 5 Candidate Recipients on ActBlue last week by total amount raised.
1. John Edwards President $36,870.80
2. Rick Noriega TX-Sen $12,332.61
3. Gary Trauner WY-AL $11,200.00
4. Jamie Eldridge MA-05 $10,004.61
5. Russ Warner CA-26 $9,196.60

Here are the Top 5 ActBlue Fundraising Pages last week by number of donors.
1. John Edwards 494 $36,031.66 $72.93
2. DFA for Steve Beshear 132 $4,135.65 $21.42
3. Blue America '08 127 $11,533.12 $32.30
4. Netroots for Rick Noriega 91 $10,444.00 $114.76
5. SoCal Grassroots 42 $1,095.00 $26.07

So what does this mean? Rick is definitely getting some momentum! Here's more from the campaign:

This campaign is going to be tough. Rick is a regular Texan who has devoted himself to public service, not personal wealth. Meanwhile, John Cornyn's war chest is being filled by the corporate special interests who owe him for putting their personal agendas ahead of what's right for Texas.

But this campaign isn't going to be won by simply throwing money at the Texas voters. Some candidates have tried that in the past, without much success.

We're going to win because we have the right candidate, the right message, and the grassroots support. But make no mistake, we have to grow our grassroots base to win. To grow our support, we're going to need the funds to get our message out.

Let's show Rick he has the support to win! Please make a contribution, and "Fill Rick's Boots" today.

http://www.actblue.com/page/netrootsfornoriega

Letter from Melissa

Dear Eric,

Hi, I'm Melissa Noriega, career educator, member of the Houston City Council, and wife of Texas' next U.S. Senator, Rick Noriega.

As Rick wrote to you on Monday, he's off for the next two weeks participating in a leadership command course for the Army at Fort Benning, GA. I'm proud of Rick's service to our country in uniform, and there's no doubt he's exactly where he needs to be right now. But that doesn't change the fact that we are in a heated Senate race to defeat John Cornyn, one of the most reactionary Senators in America.

For the next two weeks, Rick can't campaign. He can't meet the voters. And no, he can't fundraise for the campaign. That's where you come in.

Rick and I need you to fill in. With your support, we can beat John Cornyn. Join us and contribute to Rick Noriega's campaign for U.S. Senate today!

http://www.actblue.com/page/netrootsfornoriega

Rick has dedicated his life to public service. In addition to his military service, since 1999, he has represented our East End Houston community in the Texas House of Representatives (I had the honor of serving in his stead while he was deployed to Afghanistan), where he has consistently voted for fairness and equal opportunity for all Texans. Rick also managed relief efforts for over 30,000 of our neighbors from Louisiana at Houston's George R. Brown Convention Center in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Rick is the right person to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate because every day he walks the walk. He has a record of service working to help everyday Texans that our opponents simply cannot match. We need to get that message out to all of Texas, and we need your help to ensure we have the resources to do that.

While Rick is serving our country at Fort Benning, we need you to make the difference.

Please rush an online contribution to Rick today. With your support, we're going to bring change to Texas.

http://www.actblue.com/page/netrootsfornoriega

As a 27-year veteran of the Houston Independent School District (HISD), I know the challenges of educating people. Instead of a classroom of 22 students, in this campaign, we have the challenge of educating millions of Texans about Rick! We can't do that without the financial resources to get Rick's story and message out.

Let's show Rick what kind of support he has in Texas and across America when he returns from his Army training.

http://www.actblue.com/page/netrootsfornoriega

This is going to be a tough campaign, and we're going to need you to help us build our team across Texas. Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Melissa Noriega
Rick Noriega for Texas
Democrat for U.S. Senate

Email from Rick

Just got my first email from the campaign... Here it goes.. it's about the video posted below

Dear Eric,

Click here to watch our new video, "Answer the Call"

As Americans, it is our duty to stand up and speak out when politicians have steered our country off the rails. It is in our very fabric, our soul. It is why I am running against Senator John Cornyn. It's time for Texans to stand up and say, "Enough."

We will not stand by as John Cornyn perpetuates the mismanagement of the war on terror, while protecting polluters over the environment and insurance companies over families who need health care -- all while doing nothing about education, and nothing about immigration.

Texans deserve better.

They deserve a real leader in the U.S. Senate. But we will not win this race by running against John Cornyn. We need to spread our message for change across Texas. Today, we're releasing our second web video, "Answer the Call."

Please take a moment to watch the video, and help spread our message by forwarding this email to 5 of your friends today. Invite them to join our campaign!

Our conversation with the voters of Texas is just beginning. We will engage in an open, honest discussion. I challenge John Cornyn to do the same.

Instead of participating in PR stunts saying "Thank You" to the troops by handing out pizza to soldiers at Dell Diamond, the Austin-area baseball field, John Cornyn should tell the troops he voted against a bipartisan effort to extend dwell time for soldiers with their families in between deployments.

He should tell the soldiers he was 1 of only 9 Senators to vote against the ban on the use of torture on detainees held by U.S. forces and to require the military to follow the Army field manual for interrogations -- a ban that is critical in maintaining America's global moral leadership, while helping to protect our own men and women in uniform when they are captured by the enemy.

He should tell the children of Texas and their mothers and fathers that he recently voted against CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program), a program that ensures millions of children have access to quality health care.

It is time for us to stand up for the common good. It is what our campaign is about, and I need your help in building our team.

Watch our latest web video, and then forward this email to everyone on your email list.

For the next two weeks, I won't be able to write to you. Today, I am headed to Fort Benning, Georgia to participate in the Army's Infantry Pre-Command Course. This is a great honor, and this leadership course will better prepare me for the challenges of command.

I'm proud to serve. I have dedicated my life to service: serving my country, serving my state, and serving my community.

With your help, I plan to continue serving -- as the next Democratic U.S. Senator from the state of Texas. Thank you for support.

Sincerely,

Rick Noriega

First Web Commercial: Service

The first of many, I'm sure. It highlights Rick's history of service for us, and why he's considering moving forward for the next level.

While you're here, why not check out Rick's page at Act Blue. We're trying to get 800 supporters for Rick, and we're a little over a quarter way there. Contribute NOW!