(Left: this is not Texas Lobbyist Jason Johnson, it is Arizona accused killer Jerod Lee Laughner. We didn't have a picture of Jason - so we used this one since they look a lotta like.)
And what a day to make a comeback! Canada Cruz' hired gun has been all busy trying to do damage control. He tried very cute snarky way, but it didn't work.
Anyway, Political "Consultant" Jason Johnson (JJ), who has been working for Ted Cruz for the past couple of years (first for his aborted race for Attorney General then for current escapade running for the U.S. Senate ) publicly offered up this satirical memo to Texas Lt. Governor David Dewhurst - the runaway frontrunner for U.S. Senate.
Johnson has been a Registered Lobbyist for multiple special interests in the past [ The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, Hartford Financial Services, UST Public Affairs, Liberty Mutual Insurance Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, etc - you know, really small town, "Tea Party" type companies] and joined the growing sleazy chorus of political consultants who go and lobby their clients long ago.
Looks like JJ may have sugar plum visions of expanding his lobby practice to Washington D.C.
The memo was pretty over the top - we'll let you read it with our responses below each paragraph.
Question to JJ: When Canada Cruz was paying you in 2010 out of a state campaign fund (when he was running for, oh, absolutely nothing at the time), weren't you really laying the groundwork for his U.S. Senate race? And how is that not a violation of federal election law? (Just checkin.')
Here's the Memo. (My comments are below in Red Italics - in honor of RedTed: the People's Republic lawyer!)
MEMORANDUM
To: The Honorable David Dewhurst
From: Jason Johnson, General Consultant, Ted Cruz for U.S. Senate
CC: Interested Parties
Date: 10/5/2011
RE: Ducking Dewhurst Debate Prep Cheat Sheet
While it is not customary to offer political advice to one’s political opposition, given the reckless nature of your campaign’s actions yesterday – accusing Ted Cruz of being a “Red” Chinese communist because he supports free trade and opposes Harry Reid’s China currency bill – we figured it is in the best interest of all Texans that we provide assistance should you finally decide to stop hiding, attend some debates, and face the conservative voters of Texas. It is in that spirit, that we offer some helpful tips, should you ever decide to show up for a debate.
Response: 'In that spirit?' Please! Jason Johnson is a political hired gun and registered special interest lobbyist. He makes money off the people gets elected to office. Give me a break.
1. WHEN YOU’RE TRYING TO CONVINCE VOTERS AND DONORS THAT YOU’RE THE UNTOUCHABLE FRONTRUNNER, DON’T ENGAGE IN FALSE AND MALICIOUS PERSONAL ATTACKS FROM YOUR CAMPAIGN EMAIL.
BACKGROUND & FACTS:
Yesterday, your campaign distributed two emails – signed expressly by “Dewhurst for Texas” – that accused Ted Cruz of being a “Red” Chinese communist. Typically, nasty personal attacks are not the practice of strong front runners who have the primary election “in the bag.” Instead, they make one appear worried and desperate to change the topic from one’s own tax-and-spend record. Also, when you’re concerned about the (true) charges that you keep ducking the opposition and voters– now a total of 11 candidate forums you’ve skipped – it’s probably not the best idea to have the attacks come from junior campaign aides. Sorta underscores the notion that you’re afraid to debate Ted yourself.
Response: Yeah, Laura Ingraham might take issue with your boy's debating skills, he sounded kinda cream puffy on her radio program. Ducking Voters? Nope. It looks like Dewhurst has decided to go campaign where he can find 1000 undecided voters, as opposed to 100 people who already know how they're gonna vote. Don't think he needs scheduling advice from you, JJ.
2. DON’T ACCUSE THE CHILD OF A CUBAN IMMIGRANT—WHOSE FAMILY WAS IMPRISONED AND TORTURED BEFORE FLEEING TO AMERICA—OF BEING A “RED” COMMUNIST.
BACKGROUND & FACTS:
Ted’s father was imprisoned and nearly beaten to death in the struggle for liberty before escaping to America. His aunt was tortured by Fidel Castro’s communist thugs. You can read a pretty good synopsis of his family’s struggle for freedom and its impact on Ted in National Review. “Ted Cruz: The Next Conservative Hope” And given your refusal to disclose the details of your clandestine CIA work in South America, well, trust me, this one doesn’t end well.
Response: Sorry JJ, ex-spooks and military veterans like Dewhurst don't violate the oath they took to uphold, serve and defend our country from enemies foreign and domestic. But your boy the 'Hah-vahd' graduate wouldn't know anything about defending our nation since Cruz never served in the military, not even in his native Canada.
3. AT LEAST ARM YOURSELF WITH THE FACTS BEFORE STARTING AN INTERNATIONAL TRADE WAR!
BACKGROUND & FACTS:
While it’s true that China plays dirty pool with their currency, and we must pursue ways to level the playing field, Texas workers and businesses have benefited tremendously from free trade with China and other countries. Remember that Texas is the number one exporting state in America.[1] (You usually try to take credit for this sort of thing.) Between 2005 and 2009, Texas exports to China rose by 80.1 percent, from $4.9 billion to $8.9 billion.[2] And in 2010, Texas exported almost $10.3 billion worth of goods to China![3] Think JOBS, JOBS, JOBS, Lt. Governor, because 2.2 million Texans are working today because of international trade.[4] Far more important than supporting a gimmick bill like this one, you should focus more on ending over-taxation and regulation, the main reasons American jobs head overseas.
Response: You know it's funny, this is just exactly what a Harvard lawyer representing a foreign communist country would be expected to say. And it doesn't change the fact that Cruz is standing with Harry Reid and Barack Obama.
4. NO AMOUNTS OF MONEY CAN ERASE YOUR PAST, SO IF YOU MUST SCORE CHEAP POLITICAL POINTS, BE CONSISTENT. OR DO YOUR BEST TO HIDE YOUR TAX-HIKE PROPOSALS AND PREVIOUS SUPPORT FOR IN-STATE TUITION FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. IN THIS CASE, YOUR PAST POSITIONS SUPPORTING FREE TRADE WERE ACTUALLY A GOOD THING. BUT THIS CONSTANT FLIP-FLOP THING WILL KILL YOU!
BACKGROUND & FACTS:
Today, you claim to be an isolationist and anti-free trade. And your rhetoric is aggressively anti-China. Have you forgotten that in 2009 you accepted an award for “International Understanding” at the “Splendors of China” Tiger Ball??? [5] Or that in 2008, part of your Texas State Senate Agenda included, “Developing Initiatives to Increase NAFTA-Related Commerce?” [6] You released your support of free trade to the news media! If you keep this up, it’s going to take a scorecard to keep track of what your position is on each issue on any given day.
Response: Nobody said that Dewhurst didn't want good relations with China, he just won't give away the store they way Cruz would, and unlike Cruz, Dewhurst's devoid of personal financial or client conflicts of interest when it comes to dealing with the Red Chinese.
5. REMEMBER, YOU’RE RUNNING IN A REPUBLICAN PRIMARY, AND WHILE YOUR PERSONAL WEALTH WILL HELP YOU, IT DOESN’T ENTITLE YOU TO BE SENATOR. A LOT OF TEXANS ARE SUSPICIOUS THAT YOU’RE REALLY NOT CONSERVATIVE, AND LOUDLY GOING AGAINST THE MOST CONSERVATIVE MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE MAY SERVE TO PERPETUATE THAT SUSPICION.
BACKGROUND & FACTS:
The strongest conservatives in the Senate—including Sens. Jim DeMint, Mike Lee, Rand Paul, Pat Toomey, and Marco Rubio—are all united in support of free trade and against the dangerous China currency bill. Some Texas voters might view your latest attack, without even thinking about your liberal record as Lt. Governor, as yet another sign of the type of US Senator you’d be – more of a “gang of six” guy than a principled conservative.
DISCLAIMER: This “Ducking Dewhurst Debate Prep Cheat Sheet” is not intended to be a campaign contribution, but should you accept it, choose to prepare, and actually attend a debate, I will happily disclose it to the Federal Election Commission as in-kind contribution to the David Dewhurst Campaign.
Response: Last time I looked, Dewhurst had won four statewide Republican primaries and general elections in Texas and Cruz and all the names mentioned above had won, oh, none. And don’t worry JJ, candidates don't have to report anything that's worth absolutely nothing.And trust, this memo and the 'advice' in it ain't worth squat.
