John Cornyn's Worst Nightmare? Rick Noriega!

Lt. Colonel Rick Noriega with his National Guard unit deployed to the war zone two years ago. Noriega, a Democratic state representative from Houston. Now he is seeking the U.S. Senate in his race against first-term Republican John Cornyn.
"It's time this state had people in Washington, D.C., who have the wartime experience to understand what is going on," said Noriega, a lieutenant colonel in the Guard who supports the U.S. effort in Afghanistan but wants to end the military involvement in Iraq.

Cornyn, who has not served in the military, has been a key Senate ally of President Bush's policies in Iraq. He supported the surge in troops Bush ordered this year and backs the president's plan to withdraw some troops in the coming months. Both he and his campaign aides have said they would not engage in back-and-forths with any Democratic rival until after the primaries.

Noriega said he's been facing and meeting challenges all his life. He enlisted in the military in 1979 as a private after the taking of the American hostages in Iran inspired him to serve his country. Five years later, looking to complete his college education, he enrolled in ROTC at the University of Houston. That set him on his course to become an officer in the National Guard and to pursue his civilian career, first as a teacher and then as energy company executive after earning a master's at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. He unsuccessfully ran for the state House in 1992.

"I've always had a very strong desire to be involved in public service, whether it's with the Guard serving in Afghanistan or along the Texas-Mexico border, or in the Texas Legislature," he said.
Noriega's accomplishments in Austin include bills that increased benefits for custodial grandparents, removed the statute of limitations for prosecution of fatal hit-and-run accidents and required bilingual notices to residents living near convicted sex offenders. He said his most far-reaching legislative accomplishment was his sponsorship of the 2001 bill that made Texas the first state to provide in-state tuition rates and financial assistance for qualifying immigrant children.
Not long after returning from Afghanistan, Noriega was tapped by Houston Mayor Bill White to coordinate efforts to shelter evacuees from Hurricane Katrina. And his Guard unit was assigned to assist law enforcement activities along the Rio Grande.
His campaign just picked up the endorsements of General Wesley Clark, Senator John Kerry, and members of the Texas Democratic Congressional delegation.

Here's how you can help make Cornyn's worst nightmare a reality.
http://www.ricknoriega.com/