Ted Cruz challenges Beto O’Rourke to CNN debate, bristles at media ‘puff pieces’

[Elderberry]

Watertown Daily Times 10/13/2018

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas says he wants a chance to expose opponent Beto O’Rourke’s “extreme record” on national television.

On Friday, Cruz challenged O’Rourke to agree to an hour-long debate on CNN on Thursday in McAllen.

“Beto, I’m happy to go to McAllen on the 18th, go to your town hall, and let’s have a real debate with the town hall crowd,” Cruz told reporters before appearing at a Houston rally.

The GOP incumbent’s challenge came as he complained of flattering media coverage of O’Rourke, his Democratic challenger.

“Have y’all noticed that about every two days, there is another glowing media profile of Beto O’Rourke?” Cruz told about 300 supporters at Firehouse Saloon in southwest Houston.

“Their favorite adjective for him, by the way, is ‘Kennedy-esque’ — usually with his hair blowing in the wind,” Cruz continued.

“But the media doesn’t want to cover his substantive record,” he said. “They don’t want to cover his support for impeaching President Trump, the only Democratic Senate nominee in the country (to do so). They don’t want to cover his talking about abolishing ICE (or) the fact that Beto O’Rourke voted in favor of a $10 a barrel tax on oil, on every barrel of oil produced in the state of Texas.”

Fact-checkers have noted O’Rourke has said the duties of Immigration and Customs Enforcement might be shifted to another agency. Also, on the oil tax, O’Rourke actually voted against a nonbinding measure opposing the idea. It was in the context of former President Barack Obama’s discussing ways to raise money for infrastructure.

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