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Dear Editor,
A little more than a month ago, US Senator John Cornyn authored an editorial piece in your paper about our space program and it’s astronauts ("Texas and wide open spaces," July 19, 2006). I am sure that, since this is an election year, Senator Cornyn was happy to talk about this program, instead of other programs which he was involved in changing through legislation—like cutting Medicaid and Medicare.
I am also sure, for the same reason, that Senator Cornyn was attempting to, in some way, identify himself with the heroes of our space program. Elected officials like Cornyn often want to identify with real heroes during an election year. But Cornyn is far from a hero.
Why, aside from trying to identify himself with the heroes of the space program, would John Cornyn write this editorial? Cornyn brags about sponsoring legislation that would create a coin to honor the heroes of our space program. I think from this he hopes to make the voters of the Rio Grande Valley believe that he cares about our other heroes—the men and women who are injured and killed in the War in Iraq.
But, looking at John Cornyn’s voting record, sponsoring legislation to create a coin for the space program is about all this senator has done. You see, Senator Cornyn has not only voted against senior citizens’ health care programs, against funding education, against cleaning up the environment, against programs to create more fuel-efficient cars, but he has voted against veterans' benefits and against restricting businesses with terrorist ties. Cornyn would love to ride into office again, on the coattails of real heroes, you see. But he does absolutely nothing to support them. That coin is about the only thing Cornyn’s got to brag about.
In the meantime, Cornyn’s got a lot to hide. If you look at his voting record, you will find that, in March of 2006, Cornyn voted against establishing the Senate Office of Public Integrity. And not surprisingly, he has voted no on reforming the system which allows lobbyists to give gifts to elected officials. This is the office that would police people like Cornyn and their ties with lobbyist firms. Up to his neck in the Abramoff scandal, Cornyn would much rather his voters focus on a coin than his ties with Ralph Reed and the Indian casino payoffs.
Good people of the Rio Grande Valley, don’t let slick politicians like John Cornyn pull the coin trick on you again. John Cornyn has taken all the good citizens of Texas for a ride. And not on a spaceship, either.
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