Republican Operatives Take Steps Toward Smearing Noriega's Military Service; Noriega Declines to Aid Them

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• Clinton campaigns for Noriega (10/15/2008)
• Former Pres. Clinton In Town To Support Noriega (10/14/2008)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Holly Shulman (713) 847-9637, Sandeep Kaushik (206) 355-9230
Feb. 15, 2008       

"These attacks on individuals who have put their bodies and lives on the line for their country are an outrage to all veterans, and they have to stop," says Noriega

Austin – National Guard Lt. Col and U.S. Senate candidate Rick Noriega today rejected a demand by Republican Party surrogates for John Cornyn that he turn over his personal military records to them.  Noriega is proud to release his military records in upcoming days, but announced that he will make those records available to all the people of Texas, not just to partisan Republican operatives.

Citing a history of ugly and shameful attacks on veteran candidates, Noriega replied, "I am concerned that your intentions in this matter are not honorable.  In the past, some Republicans have conducted dishonest and disreputable attacks on veterans.

"The most obvious example is the shameful 2002 assault on Senator Max Cleland of Georgia, a triple-amputee Vietnam veteran who was smeared with the accusation of being in league with Osama bin Laden."

Noriega states in the letter that he welcomes honest scrutiny of his over two decades of military service, including his deployment to Afghanistan and his service as the Laredo Sector commander in the fight against drug and human trafficking along the Texas-Mexico border.  

In addition, Noriega looks forward to contrasting his long track record of fighting for veterans in the Texas legislature against Mr. Cornyn's dismal record on veterans issues in the Senate, which includes twice voting against increased funding for veteran health care, against funding for armored vehicles, against increasing funding for TRICARE while allowing TRICARE fees to triple, and against protecting soldiers' civilian salaries while serving in Iraq.
 
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Click here to read the military records request letter from Texas Republican Party (PDF)