Star-Telegram Demotes Senate Candidate Noriega

Observations & Commentaries By Eddie Griffin

In Thursday, February 14, 2008 Star-Telegram, reporter John Moritz misidentifies five-term State Representative Rick Noriega as “a lieutenant in the Army National Guard”. Being a lieutenant is one thing, being a lieutenant colonel totally another.

According to Rick Noriega bio, he is a man who answered the call to service in the U.S. Army in 1979 in the wake of the Iran hostage crisis. He was an airborne school and service commander of the 143rd Infantry Detachment, an aide to Brigadier General David Heuer, and aide-de-camp to General Samuel Turk, Adjutant General of the Texas Army National Guard. He became a Lieutenant Colonel in the Texas Army National Guard, and served as deputy garrison commander of the KMTC training facility in Kabul, Afghanistan after 9/11.

Shame on the Star-Telegram for this subtle demotion, which has the net effect of putting incumbent U.S. Senator John Cornyn in a superior position, since it appears that the contest is between a mere lieutenant in the Army Reserves against an incumbent, well respected Bush ally.

In actuality, Rick Noriega is a high ranking officer with recent Afghanistan combat experience.

This was a contest bound to happen. One day a soldier comes home from war and decides to go after the seat of the man who sent us into war. Everybody knows that George Bush and John Cornyn are joined at the hip in Iraq war policy.

Over the years, as the cost of the war in lives and money continue to up, Lt. Col. Rick Noriega was racking up five terms in the Texas State Legislature.

Head-to-Head Different between the candidates for US Senate: John Cornyn is for the war in Iraq and a continuation of the Bush policies. Rick Noriega is for bringing the troops home as fast as possible.

He is no idealist to believe the US can withdraw troops all at once. Instead, Noriega calls for “a rapid and responsible withdrawal”.

Eddie Griffin agrees that withdrawal from Iraq depends on many collaborating forces working toward peace. Although Hillary Clinton appears to be shouting from the roof about bringing the troops home in 6 months after taking office, this is the very inflexible situation we have resisted. Withdrawal must be collaborated with peace efforts, because withdrawal alone will not insure peace.