Topic category:  Partisan Politics

At last Texas United States Senator Ted Cruz boarded the Trump train, showing more sense and decency that Ohio Governor John Kasich and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, now the leading contenders for Sore Loser of the Year.

Last Friday Cruz posted this welcome message on Facebook:

"This election is unlike any other in our nation’s history. Like many other voters, I have struggled to determine the right course of action in this general election.

"In Cleveland, I urged voters, 'please, don’t stay home in November. Stand, and speak, and vote your conscience, vote for candidates up and down the ticket whom you trust to defend our freedom and to be faithful to the Constitution.'

"After many months of careful consideration, of prayer and searching my own conscience, I have decided that on Election Day, I will vote for the Republican nominee, Donald Trump.

"I’ve made this decision for two reasons. First, last year, I promised to support the Republican nominee. And I intend to keep my word.

"Second, even though I have had areas of significant disagreement with our nominee, by any measure Hillary Clinton is wholly unacceptable — that’s why I have always been #NeverHillary.

"Six key policy differences inform my decision. First, and most important, the Supreme Court. For anyone concerned about the Bill of Rights — free speech, religious liberty, the Second Amendment — the Court hangs in the balance. I have spent my professional career fighting before the Court to defend the Constitution. We are only one justice away from losing our most basic rights, and the next president will appoint as many as four new justices. We know, without a doubt, that every Clinton appointee would be a left-wing ideologue. Trump, in contrast, has promised to appoint justices 'in the mold of Scalia.'

"For some time, I have been seeking greater specificity on this issue, and today the Trump campaign provided that, releasing a very strong list of potential Supreme Court nominees — including Sen. Mike Lee, who would make an extraordinary justice — and making an explicit commitment to nominate only from that list. This commitment matters, and it provides a serious reason for voters to choose to support Trump.

"Second, Obamacare. The failed healthcare law is hurting millions of Americans. If Republicans hold Congress, leadership has committed to passing legislation repealing Obamacare. Clinton, we know beyond a shadow of doubt, would veto that legislation. Trump has said he would sign it.

"Third, energy. Clinton would continue the Obama administration’s war on coal and relentless efforts to crush the oil and gas industry. Trump has said he will reduce regulations and allow the blossoming American energy renaissance to create millions of new high-paying jobs.

"Fourth, immigration. Clinton would continue and even expand President Obama’s lawless executive amnesty. Trump has promised that he would revoke those illegal executive orders.

"Fifth, national security. Clinton would continue the Obama administration’s willful blindness to radical Islamic terrorism. She would continue importing Middle Eastern refugees whom the FBI cannot vet to make sure they are not terrorists. Trump has promised to stop the deluge of unvetted refugees.

"Sixth, Internet freedom. Clinton supports Obama’s plan to hand over control of the Internet to an international community of stakeholders, including Russia, China, and Iran. Just this week, Trump came out strongly against that plan, and in support of free speech online.

"These are six vital issues where the candidates’ positions present a clear choice for the American people.

"If Clinton wins, we know — with 100% certainty — that she would deliver on her left-wing promises, with devastating results for our country."

"My conscience tells me I must do whatever I can to stop that.

"We also have seen, over the past few weeks and months, a Trump campaign focusing more and more on freedom — including emphasizing school choice and the power of economic growth to lift African-Americans and Hispanics to prosperity.

"Finally, after eight years of a lawless Obama administration, targeting and persecuting those disfavored by the administration, fidelity to the rule of law has never been more important.

"The Supreme Court will be critical in preserving the rule of law. And, if the next administration fails to honor the Constitution and Bill of Rights, then I hope that Republicans and Democrats will stand united in protecting our fundamental liberties.

"Our country is in crisis. Hillary Clinton is manifestly unfit to be president, and her policies would harm millions of Americans. And Donald Trump is the only thing standing in her way.

"A year ago, I pledged to endorse the Republican nominee, and I am honoring that commitment. And if you don’t want to see a Hillary Clinton presidency, I encourage you to vote for him."

Cruz's conscience should tell him to campaign for Trump in Wisconsin (and if it hasn't Trump campaign manager and former Cruz supporter Kellyanne Conway should tell him).

Cruz needs to make up for being the skunk at the garden party that was the night Trump accepted the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.

As I wrote in "Laura Ingraham Tried Mightily to Keep Ted Cruz from Self-Destructing, But Cruz Insisted" (www.webcommentary.com/php/ShowArticle.php?id=gaynorm&date=160721):

"In refusing to endorse Trump, Cruz looked even smaller than he did when he attacked 'New York values' during a debate before the Iowa Republican primary and was immediately schooled by a soft-spoken Trump.

"Cruz has only himself to blame.

"[Laura] Ingraham even posted this draft of a speech that Cruz eventually will realize he should have delivered:

"'First, I would like to speak directly the millions of Americans who supported Heidi and me throughout this campaign. I want you to know that it was an honor and a privilege to have your support. We felt your love, we appreciated your prayers, and we were humbled by your trust.

"'I know many of you are disappointed in how our campaign ended. Believe me, I know how it feels.

"'The story goes that once, when Abe Lincoln was asked about an unsuccessful election, he said that he felt like a boy who stubbed his toe — it hurts too much to laugh, and I’m too old to cry.

"'But now you and I have to decide what comes next. As you have heard tonight, I will never, ever stop fighting for my beliefs. I will never, ever stop working to help this country live up to its ideals — no matter who is in the White House. As you and I both know, principles are more important than politics.

"'So the big question for me is this: How can we best advance our principles? And after prayerful consideration, I have concluded that we must stop Hillary Clinton from being elected. There are many, many supporters of Donald Trump who share our views and who will be happy to work with us to advance the conservative cause. That’s just not true of Hillary’s supporters.

"'If the Republicans win this fall, we can continue the debate over what comes next. But if Hillary wins, she will do everything possible to rig the courts, trample the First Amendment, and stymie any significant opposition. Her entire career is marked by unrelenting hostility to traditional Americans, social conservatives, and free market capitalism. Furthermore, she has always placed her own personal interest — including her financial interest — ahead of the country’s good. That’s just who she is, and she’s not going to change.

"'Therefore, I will be supporting Donald Trump for president. I have gotten to know Donald quite well — we’ve spent a lot of time on stage together during the past year. We do not always agree. Sometimes we violently disagree. He has said things about me and my family that I thought were unfair and out of bounds — and I’m sure he thinks I’ve said unfair things about him. But I believe he is a patriot, and I believe he wants to make America great again. I want to help him help this country, and I hope all of my supporters will do so as well.

"'God bless us all, and may God bless and protect these wonderful United States of America.'

"Cruz needs a do over, but he's doubling down instead."

At last Cruz realized that Ingraham was right.

Now he needs to make a Trump/Pence win in Wisconsin his next mission in life.

It's the least a natural born Canadian who wants to avoid the embarrassment of not being renominated for the United States Senate in 2018 can do!

Michael J. Gaynor

Biography - Michael J. Gaynor

Michael J. Gaynor has been practicing law in New York since 1973. A former partner at Fulton, Duncombe & Rowe and Gaynor & Bass, he is a solo practitioner admitted to practice in New York state and federal courts and an Association of the Bar of the City of New York member.

Gaynor graduated magna cum laude, with Honors in Social Science, from Hofstra University's New College, and received his J.D. degree from St. John's Law School, where he won the American Jurisprudence Award in Evidence and served as an editor of the Law Review and the St. Thomas More Institute for Legal Research. He wrote on the Pentagon Papers case for the Review and obscenity law for The Catholic Lawyer and edited the Law Review's commentary on significant developments in New York law.

The day after graduating, Gaynor joined the Fulton firm, where he focused on litigation and corporate law. In 1997 Gaynor and Emily Bass formed Gaynor & Bass and then conducted a general legal practice, emphasizing litigation, and represented corporations, individuals and a New York City labor union. Notably, Gaynor & Bass prevailed in the Second Circuit in a seminal copyright infringement case, Tasini v. New York Times, against newspaper and magazine publishers and Lexis-Nexis. The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed, 7 to 2, holding that the copyrights of freelance writers had been infringed when their work was put online without permission or compensation.

Gaynor currently contributes regularly to www.MichNews.com, www.RenewAmerica.com, www.WebCommentary.com, www.PostChronicle.com and www.therealitycheck.org and has contributed to many other websites. He has written extensively on political and religious issues, notably the Terry Schiavo case, the Duke "no rape" case, ACORN and canon law, and appeared as a guest on television and radio. He was acknowledged in Until Proven Innocent, by Stuart Taylor and KC Johnson, and Culture of Corruption, by Michelle Malkin. He appeared on "Your World With Cavuto" to promote an eBay boycott that he initiated and "The World Over With Raymond Arroyo" (EWTN) to discuss the legal implications of the Schiavo case. On October 22, 2008, Gaynor was the first to report that The New York Times had killed an Obama/ACORN expose on which a Times reporter had been working with ACORN whistleblower Anita MonCrief.

Gaynor's email address is gaynormike@aol.com.