Numerous media outlets are reporting that Sen. Ted Cruz (TP-Texas) will announce his candidacy for President today at Liberty University in Virginia. It’s very rare for a candidate to announce at a venue away from his home state. But Cruz’s time in DC has shown that his political agenda has almost nothing to do with Texas or improving the lives of Texas citizens. The Cruz agenda appears to be about one thing and one thing only – the greater glorification of all things Ted Cruz. And one has to admit that it has been a remarkably success so far. Red cannot recall a junior senator raising such a ruckus in his first term of holding any political office. Which raises the question of what it is that qualifies Cruz for President – beyond being 35 years old and a natural born citizen of the U.S.? And speaking of that second requirement – where do the “birthers’ stand on the undeniable fact that Cruz was born in Canada? Red doesn’t question Cruz’s technical qualification for the highest office, but how can one have questioned Obama’s qualification for the office and then ignore the same problem with respect to Cruz. For a decent analysis of the situation see Rick Ungar’s column in Forbes.

Texas Republicans are convinced that the right to bear arms is a God-given right.  This has been a primary argument in their fight to bring concealed carry and open carry of firearms to Texas campuses.  It leads to some interesting exchanges on the Senate floor.  Such as when Sen. John Whitmire (D- Houston), the longest serving senator, questioned gun rights advocate Sen. Brian Birdwell (TP- Granbury).

Whitmire:  “You believe it’s a God-given right to arm yourself and to defend yourself. I don’t want to put words in your mouth. Is that the premise of your legislation?”

Birdwell: “The Declaration (of Independence) says we are endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights and that to protect these rights, governments are instituted among men to preserve them. Article VII of the U.S. Constitution brings forward the Declaration as original law, therefore, creator and God are the same to me.  The right to self preservation and the right to defend one’s life is God-given because of the language in our Declaration and Article VII of the U.S. Constitution.”

Whitmire:  “And you’ve explained that to me and I do not understand fully the God right…I don’t remember in the Sunday school lessons or in my Scriptures that God spoke, obviously to weapons, or concealed weapons holders.”