Senator John Cornyn

Amarillo Globe-News
October 13, 2008

It's not because he's been a publicity hound, a frontrunner or headline grabber.

Instead, Cornyn has become a solid member of the Texas congressional delegation, serving as an able partner with fellow Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Cornyn is getting a stout challenge this year from Houston Democratic state Rep. Rick Noriega, who brings some unique credentials to this campaign - chief among them being his service as an Army National Guard officer in Afghanistan. Increased voter registration among young voters downstate might help Noriega make his race competitive.

But he hasn't yet made the case for Texans to oust Cornyn, whose conservative philosophy plays well in the solidly Republican Panhandle.

The non-partisan National Journal rated Cornyn the fourth-most conservative senator in 2006. And where does he score well among conservatives?

He has sponsored legislation to permanently repeal the estate tax; he wants to continue the tax cuts promoted by President Bush; he has argued for the need to explore for more domestic fuel sources to wean the nation of its foreign-oil dependence; he has called for tougher sanctions against illegal immigrants, particularly those who break U.S. law.

Moreover, Cornyn has been a champion of open and transparent government on Capitol Hill, just as he was as state attorney general.

Cornyn brought many credentials to the Senate in 2002. He is a former trial judge in San Antonio, a former Texas Supreme Court justice and a former state attorney general.

Granted, he isn't as colorful as Phil Gramm, whom he replaced on Capitol Hill. But he doesn't need to be.

Texans need someone with sober intelligence serving their interests in Washington.

Sen. John Cornyn is that individual.