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Beto mostly accepts Cruz’s debate terms

Looks like we’re on.

Rep. Beto O’Rourke

Beto O’Rourke, the Democratic nominee in Texas’ U.S. Senate race, is accepting Republican incumbent Ted Cruz’s proposal to debate five times over the next three months, though O’Rourke also is suggesting a few changes to the plan — including having a sixth debate in his hometown of El Paso.

“I look forward to debating Senator Cruz and am grateful for the schedule you have proposed,” O’Rourke wrote in a letter Friday to Cruz strategist Jeff Roe. “I would suggest only a few small changes.”

Roe quickly responded to O’Rourke, writing in a letter that the plan “isn’t an open negotiation” and largely not entertaining any of O’Rourke’s suggested changes. Roe, however, did express openness to having a debate in El Paso — not as a sixth meeting, but as a replacement for one of the five previously named cities.


“At each debate, our fellow Texans should be able to raise any issue and do so in an unscripted town hall format,” O’Rourke wrote. “Those issues should include ones you have already proposed and those you did not, including, but not limited to: serving our veterans, public education, money in politics, farming and ranching, the environment, civil rights and social security.”

In his response, Roe did not directly address O’Rourke’s ask for the town-hall format but said “most of the topics you suggested will already be included in the broad topics” the Cruz campaign initially outlined.

See here and here for the background. Sounds like the main points are agreed on, and while there may be some tweaking around the edges, what you see is more or less what you’re going to get. May others follow this example (they won’t).

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  1. Manny Barrera says:

    All I can say if the election was between Trump and Cruz, I would have to vote for Trump. But Cruz and anyone else, anyone is better.

  2. Bill Daniels says:

    Now that the Koch brothers are supporting Democrats, I wonder if Beto will benefit from their money along with the others mentioned?

    Hey, didn’t you guys passionately hate the Koch brothers because they were Republican shills? Wow. Turns out, they are just another part of the uniparty. It took a Trump to expose their true colors. Trump is exposing a lot of people as uniparty.

    I’m going to enjoy seeing Dems crawfish on the Koch brothers, now that they are backing Dems.

  3. Manny Barrera says:

    You guys hate, I hate, everyone but Bill hates, I get it.

    But misdirection does not help here Bill, everyone knows that Cruz is the Koch brother’s lap dog.

  4. David Fagan says:

    This country is so very close to what it fears most, a one party system. Without the Democrats it would be achieved, as well as without the Republicans. They need each other.

  5. Bill Daniels says:

    Get real, Manny. The Koch brothers are for open borders. Cruz is most decidedly NOT for that, whereas Beto unashamedly IS for open borders. Based on that issue, why would the Kochs NOT support Beto? They already got the tax cuts, that’s done. They no longer need Cruz, now they need people who will abolish ICE and allow illegals to flood into the US, unchallenged.

    Enter Beto.

  6. C.L. says:

    @Bill… Do me (and us all) and drop a web link to a candidate, any candidate, that’s for open borders – you know, where citizens of the adjoining countries freely traverse across the geographic border lines, unimpeded by checkpoints, free of any border security personnel, etc.

  7. Manny Barrera says:

    Bill why do you persist with your lies, neither the Koch brothers nor Beto are against open borders. Anyone that does not adhere to hate all dark skin people is someone that Bill and liked minded rabbits must hate.

    You are a racist Bill, you hate brown people. I have been making that statement for quite a while, you have not changed, it is part of you probably came from your upbringing.

    If you think that hate somehow will keep winning elections, you are going to be in hell for the rest of your life, might consider moving in with your Russian brothers.

  8. Manny Barrera says:

    are for open borders

  9. Bill Daniels says:


    If you want to abolish ICE, you want to remove the government’s ability to remove illegal aliens from the country. That’s open borders by another name. Same goes for sanctuary cities. Do you want a list of cities that are “sanctuary cities?”

    “Progressives’ rallying cry to Abolish ICE was largely in response to the Trump administration’s failed “zero-tolerance” policy at the border, which separated more than 2,000 immigration children from their parents. In a way, Abolish ICE has been a more symbolic opposition to Trump’s immigration agenda as a whole.

    The platform saw some early electoral success when Democratic Socialist Alexandria Ocasia-Cortez, who campaigned on Abolish ICE, beat out established top New York Democrat Rep. Joe Crowley late last month in the New York midterm primaries. Already, potential 2020 contenders like Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) have backed the idea.

    But support for Abolish ICE as an actual policy idea isn’t as clear-cut. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has called for “an immediate and fundamental overhaul” of the agency but stopped short of saying it should be disbanded altogether. Even Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) came under fire for initially dodging the idea. He eventually came out in support of abolishing and restructuring the current ICE agency. ”


    First, the Kochs want lower priced labor, and illegal aliens depress wages. Why would they NOT want open borders? They are spending their own money supporting candidates that support it.

    Pro-tip: You’ve already shot your wad with your cries of racism. That’s all you got, you used it, and now you just sound pathetic.

    Make your argument why anyone who manages to sneak into the US should stay and get all the goodies any American citizen can get. Bonus points if you can do that without an appeal to emotion. Make your argument for why America should NOT pick and choose who it allows in to this country, just like every other country around the world, including [gasp!] Mexico and the totally not shithole countries of Central America.


  10. Bill Daniels says:


    This is from Beto’s campaign site:

    “Reform our immigration laws to legalize the status of millions of immigrants already in our country and ensure a fair path to citizenship for those inspired by the opportunity and ideals that we present to the rest of the world.”

    There’s a word for that……amnesty, and that perfectly encapsulates the open borders message. Think about it. If you were against open borders, you’d recognize that all those millions of illegals here must be sent back. Period.

  11. C.L. says:

    @Bill…. Me thinks you’re confusing an open borders policy with sensible immigration reform.

  12. Manny Barrera says:

    Bill why would I quit referring you to a lying Russian loving racist rabbit? The shoe fits wear it proudly.

    No Bill, You show me where I have stated what you wrote, you made that shit up just like you made everything else up and then ask me to prove something I have never said.

    Bill I have already established that you are a paid troll, so how much do they pay you?

  13. Manny Barrera says:

    For the record Bill, remember this I have probably been against illegal immigration since before you were born. I have had family members in union have to deal with it. I have personally seen what it does to many people in the construction industry. I even wrote an article that was published in the Chronicle stating that NAFTA would result in massive number of people from Mexico have to come north.

    If you even had a decent mind you would recall that what I have often stated is why not use e_Verify first. The Republicans control both houses and the Presidency, why not pass that law?

    What you confuse is the fact that you refer to people as “Illegals”, people are not “Illegals”. Those people look just like me or my children or grandchildren, so why would I let racist trash call them “Illegals”. I could post 12 pictures half of them paperless people the other people born here and you could not tell the difference. You got all riled up when I suggested that I could agree with gun control since old white people like to use guns to commit suicide. But Us People have to allow racist like you to use names that we find offensive? Why you don’t think I deserve the same respect.

    Find the rock that you crawled out from and slither back under, Please.

  14. Bill Daniels says:


    LOL! Evangelicals don’t want to ban abortion, they just want common sense abortion control. See how that sounds?

    If you don’t want illegal aliens locked up until they can go through the legal proceedings to be deported, AKA “catch and release,” and you want to abolish ICE, the folks that are responsible for deporting people, then what do you have? A: Open borders.

    You know why you are so upset right now? The left tells you, “hey Manny, you’re special, also, you’re a victim.”

    Trump tells you, “hey Manny, you’re an American citizen.”

    Trump is working hard for ALL American citizens, but you’re pissed, because you want to know what he’s doing for the Latino community. He ain’t doing shit for the Latino community. He’s doing shit for the American community. He doesn’t recognize your ‘special’ status and that makes you apoplectic.

  15. C.L. says:

    Damn, never should have fed Bill.

  16. Manny Barrera says:

    What drugs do you take Bill? The moment that racist Russian loving piece of manure went down those escalators, I knew he was a racist. In case you can’t figure it out it was your man god, Trump. I don’t even understand what he has accomplished the only promise he has kept is the tariffs. Wall, the Mexicans would pay for it, right Bill. Where are all those laws to deal with immigration?

    Promise to pull out of NAFTA, how is that working?

    Promise universal health care, how is that working?

    Draining the swamp, how is that working?

    Constitutional amendment for term limits for Congress, still waiting;

    Ban on federal employees lobbying, still waiting;

    Ban on Senior officials lobbying for foreign government, no cigars there;

    The biggy, promise to raise taxes on the very rich, how is that working out.

    Promise on infrastructure, how is that working?


    Trump labeled anyone that looked “Mexican” rapists, drug dealers, criminals. Whether he meant paperless people or not did not matter, because I look Mexican, but my family on the Spanish side has been in what is Texas before the Pilgrims landed in America. The Native American part has been here for at least 8,000 years.

    Bill, you are hopeless, why not go post on Big Jolly, maybe tomorrow he may have another article that has not been there for over a week. Because you hopefully a paid troll or you have extremely serious racism problems. Hate kills the person that carries it, think on that Bill.

  17. Manny Barrera says:

    You are right C.L.. Goodnight end of this discussion.

  18. David Fagan says:

    How do people argue pro immigration reform and in the same breath argue “Russian inflation”? Wouldn’t that be “Russian Immigration Reform”?

  19. Jules says:

    What is Russian inflation?

  20. David Fagan says:

    “Russian infiltration” bad auto correct

  21. Jules says:

    No, Russia infiltrating our elections is not the same as immigration reform.

  22. David Fagan says:

    But people who immigrated from Russia, if they were involved or not, would be accepted the same way as other immigrants under reform. Point being, arguing immigration reform includes people from all immigrant countries, including Russia. So, being vehemently critical of one group of non US citizens while arguing in favor so vehemently in favor of one group of non US citizens creates an irony. Thus “Russian Immigration Reform”

  23. Jules says:

    David, total nonsense.

  24. David Fagan says:


    Immigration reform would involve all immigrants from around the world. So, how can one be so concerned about the security issues involved with the Russians while also demanding reform when it involves people of other nationalities? All the while deriding those who claim national security when it comes to immigration reform? The whole atmosphere doesn’t make sense.

  25. Jules says:

    I’ve seen Reality Bites, I know what irony is. And still total nonsense.

  26. David Fagan says:

    Haven’t seen reality bites, and I’ll take that as a compliment, you’re so sweet!

  27. Jules says:

    Lol, I guess I should post definitions of “nonsense”, “compliment”, and “sweet”.

  28. Bill Daniels says:


    I think I can tighten up David’s argument just a bit. You’re in a tizzy because ‘muh Russia bought some bs Facebook ads,’ and you think they hacked the DNC e-mails, even though it’s just as plausible that Seth Rich sent that info to Wikileaks, based on the download speeds of the information, and the fact that the FBI hasn’t seized any laptops of random people killed here in Houston who were robbed, although they had nothing taken.

    Did the FBI seize the laptop of the heart doctor who got murdered? No? They seized Seth’s laptop. Hmmm.

    David is telling you that Mexico has been interfering in our elections the old fashioned way. No Facebook ads or hacked e-mails with Mexico, they send actual Mexican citizens here illegally, to take advantage of our birthright citizenship laws and MAKE Mexican voters who can legally vote in the US. We are talking about MILLIONS of Mexican anchor babies who have reached voting age that are influencing our elections by actually VOTING, not buying an ad. They even have a word for that…..reconquista.

    It’s a valid concern, just as, or more valid than ‘muh Russia’ interfering. How many actual votes did Russia put on the big board on election night? How many Mexican anchor babies put votes on that board? Which country really interfered with our election?

  29. Steve Houston says:

    Bill, tightening up a portion of that comment one step further, if a baby is born here, he is a US citizen per the US Constitution. You can add adjectives to that as you see fit or describe it in any other way but the law has been settled on that fact for longer than any of us have been around. The idea that the sovereign country of Mexico is purposefully sending it’s citizens here to breed and vote is about as nutty as the conspiracy theories of the left we’ve been subjected to.

    If some of you want to change the 14th Amendment, do what you tell the gun haters to do with the 2nd Amendment and follow the process to change it. Correct me if I’m wrong but historically, Latino voting has been far below par as well, hardly the stuff of international conspiracy theories, at least until Trump started flapping his gums and motivated many more of them to vote.

  30. Bill Daniels says:


    I’m not arguing that the US born children and grandchildren of the millions and millions of illegal aliens who have flooded across our border are not US citizens. They are. I’d like to explicitly end birthright citizenship, which could be done either by amending the Constitution, or stacking the SCOTUS with originalists who understand that granting citizenship to freed slaves in the US /= handing out citizenship to anyone who can make it here and drop a kid. That would also go a long way towards NOT separating families.

    That they are US citizens doesn’t make them NOT ‘sleeper agents’ of the Mexican government, and make no mistake, they are Mexican citizens as well. Also, you poo poo the notion that Mexico is intentionally exporting its poverty here on purpose. Might I remind you that the Mexican government published a comic book for their not uneducated, not impoverished citizens on how to successfully sneak in and avoid detection in the US. That’s not a nutty conspiracy theory, it’s fact. Mexico depends on the remittances sent by their army of illegal aliens who have infiltrated our borders. It’s one of the biggest sources of revenue for Mexico, behind Pemex.

  31. Bill Daniels says:

    *children of freed slaves

  32. Steve Houston says:

    Bill, the article, one from 2005 by the way, provides no evidence of the sleeper agent theory, refuting it by pointing out how many of their citizens die while crossing as the motivation for the comic book. That part of the advice is to avoid discos because police might raid them makes it hilarious too. But if you think sleeper agents get their instructions from widely distributed comic books, it’s not my place to ridicule you. I don’t think you’ll get very far trying to convince enough states to try and amend the Constitution, nor with stacking the court, but it’s your right to try so have at it.