Noriega rips Cornyn

As he walked toward his speech in the commissioners' courtroom, Rick Noriega stopped and noticed the Ector County Veterans Services office, which was closed on Tuesday.

Noriega, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas, said veterans' issues are particularly close to him, since he's a U.S. Army veteran. He still serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Texas Army National Guard, where he trains an infantry battalion.

Noriega, a state representative from Houston, blasted the record of his Republican opponent, incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn. He accused Cornyn of siding with doctors who avoid diagnosing veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, instead diagnosing them with less-costly illnesses.

"To continue to vote for sending our sons and daughters over there and not provide the services which they have earned is immoral," Noriega said.

On immigration, Noriega said Cornyn wants to take private land to build a border fence that won't work, likely giving corporations "sweetheart" deals in the process.

"Our local and state law enforcement is having to pick up the tab, because the federal government is not doing its job," he said.

On the issue of gas prices, Noriega questioned why the United States isn't using the oil available in Iraq.

"(Cornyn) wants to tap into our finite resources," he said. "I think that's pennywise and pound foolish. They think if we could just tap into ANWR or offshore Florida, all our problems will go away."

From Noriega's Harvard education to his military experience, Odessa attorney Richard Abalos said Noriega has what it takes to end the Democrats' 20-year dry spell in winning Senate elections.

"He's actually been there, done that. He's the real thing," Abalos said after the speech at the Ector County Annex building. "The other candidates we've had have been good, but he's got that charm. He's got that speaking ability."

And Noriega used that speaking ability Tuesday to repeatedly rip Cornyn and Republicans.

"I will not allow someone who has dishonored my brothers-in-arms to come here and disinform and misrepresent the facts," Noriega said. "Texans are fed up. They are not buying what the other side is saying anymore."