Bridenstine endorses Ted Cruz for President

Oklahoma Congressman Jim Bridenstine endorsed Texas Senator Ted Cruz for President in a column on Breitbart this morning. The only other prominent Oklahoman to pick a presidential candidate so far has been Labor Commissioner Mark Costello, who endorsed Scott Walker back in May.

Here is Bridenstine's endorsement column:

Beating Hillary Clinton requires a Republican nominee who will energize all elements of the Republican Party: fiscal conservatives, national security conservatives, values voters, and constitutional conservatives.

Nominating a milquetoast Republican who fails to gain the support of the whole party will cripple Republican enthusiasm and shrink turnout just as it has in previous elections. Since the media is going to chastise Republicans for rejecting the liberal agenda, let’s nominate a solid conservative, energize the Republican Party, and win.

At a time when judicial activism and DC’s perverse incentives are concentrating power in Washington, we need a tested candidate who has confronted the giants from the inside, rejected them, and defeated them. Selecting such a nominee is critical, because nobody comes to Washington and becomes more principled.

I have seen Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) meet the test by standing up to the Washington Cartel. In 2013, when both political parties suggested we needed to change our approach to the Second Amendment, Sen. Ted Cruz ought back and came out the winner. In the same year, when both political parties were moving at breakneck speed to pass a comprehensive immigration bill that included amnesty, Sen. Ted Cruz once again fought back, stood against the Washington Cartel, and came out the winner.

Some say he stands alone, but I say he stands with the American people. I saw that most clearly when he fought with everything he had to defund Obamacare. He told Republicans that funding Obamacare subsidies would create a dependency that Congress would never repeal and the Supreme Court would never overturn. He quoted Ronald Reagan: “A government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth.” After June’s Supreme Court ruling, we now know that Ted Cruz was correct.

Ted Cruz’s courage is grounded in his Christian faith and complimented by amazing intellect and legal training. Before shocking the establishment by overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds to become a U.S. Senator, Ted Cruz was the Solicitor General for Texas. During that time, he argued nine cases before the U.S. Supreme Court — including a Ten Commandments case. The Ten Commandments monument still stands on the Texas State Capitol grounds. He also clerked for conservative Chief Justice William Rehnquist. Even liberal Harvard Professor Alan Dershowitz describes Ted Cruz as among the brightest students he has ever taught… not that Harvard professors are quality sources for political advice.

I have seen Ted with his beautiful family. I watched as his two little girls approached him at the dinner table, paused, yelled “Chase us!” and ran off. Surprisingly, Ted dropped his burger and ran after them as though members of Congress and staff were not even present. He loves his children and his wife. Ted is a man who wants his girls to grow up in the America we all remember and the America his Cuban father had the opportunity to escape to.

Ted Cruz is a proven fundraiser, and that will be necessary to defeat the Clinton machine. True grassroots candidates, like Ted Cruz, generally struggle after the first few primary states due to funding. Ted is different. He will go the distance. This alone should excite and motivate all of us who have been waiting for a full spectrum, grass-roots candidate to vie for the Republican nomination.

I am proud to be the sixth Member of Congress to endorse Ted Cruz for President. I believe he is the strongest candidate and that he will beat Hillary Clinton for the Presidency in 2016.