Liveblogging my Campaign for Change in South Texas

Hello America from the southern tip of Texas!

Yesterday I kicked off a three day campaign tour across South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley, the most Democratic region of Texas, as part of my campaign for the United States Senate. I'm traveling to over a dozen cities, across two dozen counties, on over 700 miles of highway in 72 hours to bring our campaign for change to the people of Texas.

You can follow me on my tour online at www.ricknoriega.com/southtexastour.

Yesterday morning I held a breakfast in Corpus Christi hosted by my fellow State Representative Abel Herrero. Here's a video of the speech I gave there.

(http://www.youtube.com/...)

I then visited some Taquerias in the Robstown area. My parents and other family members joined me as we talked with veterans about the urgent need for change in the way we treat those who have defended this country like I did when I served in Afghanistan as a member of the Texas National Guard. We took some video there which you can watch at the link below.

(http://www.youtube.com/...)

Our next stop in Nueces County was at the Oak Pavilion. I met with some veterans who had contacted Senator Cornyn's office over two years ago to get some assistance with their benefits and have yet to get the help they needed. This is part of the reason of why I'm running. We have to make sure our veterans and those in uniform are treated with dignity and respect and get timely access and assistance to the services we have promised them.

Our campaign stopped in Kingsville for lunch where I spoke to a packed restaurant before getting back on the road to Falfurrias where I met with State Representative Juan Escobar and local county chairs. We took the following video together.

(http://www.youtube.com/...)

Then it was on to McAllen where we responded to President Bush's (last) State of the Union address. I also took Sen. Cornyn to task for doing too little to ensure that a full-fledged Veterans Hospital, not just a clinic, would be built south of San Antonio to serve those have served our country. Health care, both for the greatest generation and the next generation are vitally important for a sound economy and a prosperous society. Here are some of my remarks from last night on those issues.

This morning I have already traveled to our southernmost city of Brownsville for breakfast where I met with the University of Texas at Brownsvile Democrats and the Cameron County Young Democrats. Then it was off to Weslaco to meet with more of our Veterans and then to Edinburg where over 200 people rallied for our cause. Today as we travel along the border, we will be discussing the fallacies of building John Cornyn's border wall which not only divides physical communities and encroaches on our property rights, but divides us as a people.

I've served on this border when I was the Laredo Border Sector Commander in 2006 during Operation Jump Start. A wall would cause ecological harm and devastate the local economies here. We can do this in a better way that makes use of cutting edge technology and enhanced law enforcement techniques. We need to be listening to the experts here on the ground rather than John Cornyn in Washington if we truly care about a secure border that also respects property rights and human dignity.

If you think if change is worth fighting for, please contribute to our efforts to raise $15,000 while I'm on the road spreading our message of change. I also want to let you know that this trip has been made carbon neutral by our campaign. It's the least we can do until you send me to replace John Cornyn where together we can improve our environment and all of the other things we are fighting for as part of this campaign.

We have a historic opportunity here in Texas in 2008. Our Junior Senator John Cornyn is one of the weakest Republicans up for re-election at a time when Texas' population is rapidly changing. Democrats here have had a stretch of bad years in running for statewide office, but this year the polls show that we have a real shot to bring about needed change in Washington, DC. Together we will elect a Democratic president and expand our majorities in the House and Senate.

I hope you'll join with me at www.ricknoriega.com/southtexastour and help shock the nation as we take back Texas this November. I can't do it without your help.

-Rick

P.S. I am between events on the road so I look forward to spending some time in the comments replying to your thoughts and questions.