October 12, 2008
The Dallas Morning News

In his six years as Texas’ junior U.S. senator, John Cornyn has earned a reputation as a steady, conservative leader, generally aligned with President Bush.

Political conditions would seem ripe for Mr. Cornyn’s opponent, Democratic state Rep. Richard J. “Rick” Noriega, to exploit Republican vulnerabilities and make the most of his own experience in military affairs and border issues. He hasn’t.

Instead, Mr. Noriega, 50, conveys obstructionist tendencies on key issues while offering unconvincing solutions to some of the nation’s most pressing problems. Although the Houstonian serves admirably as both a state representative and lieutenant colonel in the Army National Guard, he leaves us unconvinced that he’s ready for a role on the national stage.

By contrast, Mr. Cornyn, 56, is senatorial in every respect: congenial, deliberative and authoritative on topics from immigration reform to the war in Iraq or the nation’s ongoing financial crisis. That’s why this newspaper recommends Mr. Cornyn for another six years in Washington.

Mr. Cornyn has an ideal opportunity to show leadership in accomplishing much important, unfinished business. It will mean abandoning Republican hard-liners and nurturing partnerships with moderates to help ease Capitol Hill’s partisan logjam. On important issues like children’s health care and education, he has failed to be the bridge-builder we need.

He has both promoted and hindered comprehensive immigration reform measures. We understand and support his desire for tighter border security, but other reform legislation also needs attention to stop businesses from hiring illegal workers while answering employers’ needs for cheap labor. And the nation must find ways for millions of hard-working and otherwise law-abiding illegal immigrants to regularize their status.

Mr. Noriega doesn’t inspire confidence on immigration. He parts company with his own presidential candidate and Senate leadership to deride the border fence as a “wall to nowhere.” We had hoped to hear something insightful from him on military affairs, with his recent service in Afghanistan, but he fell short on results-driven ideas.

As our nation confronts a historic financial crisis, Mr. Noriega says he would have opposed the recent $700 billion bailout package. Mr. Cornyn acknowledges the package wasn’t a crowd-pleaser, but he correctly backed it, reasoning that you don’t just stand before a burning house and “refuse to put that fire out if it’s going to burn down the whole neighborhood.”

Also running is Libertarian candidate Yvonne Adams Schick, 60, a real estate entrepreneur from Spicewood.This is one in a series of Dallas Morning News candidate recommendations in the Nov. 4 elections.