Texas Republicans say party should return to conservative roots
By Brandi Grissom / Austin Bureau
Article Launched: 06/13/2008 04:38:53 PM MDT


HOUSTON -- The GOP must return to its conservative roots and work to relieve pressure on voters' pocketbooks, state and national Republican leaders told thousands gathered for the party's state convention Friday.
"If we abandon our message, our principles, our roots, it's not just elections we need to fear losing, it's our country that we need to fear losing," former presidential candidate and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said.

More than 12,000 Texas Republicans, including about 30 from El Paso, heard from speakers including Huckabee, former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and U.S. Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn.

Former presidential candidate and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was scheduled to speak later in the evening.

The political figures said the party had moved away from the fiscal responsibility and moral conservatism that put Republicans in power more than a decade ago.

To defeat the Democrats this year, they said, Republicans must focus on those values.

"We can learn from our mistakes," said U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who faces a challenge from Democrat state Rep. Rick Noriega, "and we must work to keep or regain the confidence of the American people."

If re-elected, Cornyn said, he would work to limit the size of government, reduce taxes and protect America. He highlighted his support for enforcing immigration laws.
El Paso Republican E.G. Huff, who lives on the West side, said she particularly enjoyed the speech from
Gingrich.
"I love Newt Gingrich," she said. "How could you not love him?"

He called on the GOP to demand that Congress approve drilling for oil in American soil that is currently off limits and the sale of oil in the nation's petroleum reserve.

Those moves, he said, would immediately reduce sky-high gas prices and would eventually eliminate the nation's dependence on foreign oil.

"Drill here, drill now, pay less," Gingrich chanted along with the audience.

U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison echoed Gingrich's call for more oil drilling in the U.S.
"We need energy for Americans, by America, and we need it now," she said.

Hutchison, who has been considering a run for Texas governor in 2010, voiced her opposition to Gov. Rick Perry's controversial Trans Texas Corridor plan.

"We must continue to work together to solve our transportation problems in a fair and honorable way," she said.

The speakers lambasted the Democratic Party and its presumptive presidential nominee U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, urging the GOP faithful to support Republican presumptive nominee U.S. Sen. John McCain.

Like many in the audience, Huckabee said jokingly, McCain was not his first choice as a presidential nominee.

But now that he is the party's choice, he encouraged Texas Republicans to support McCain.

"I think Sen. Obama has gone far enough this year," Huckabee said.

Tom Holmsley, a Republican from West El Paso, said Romney was his first choice for president, but he will support McCain in November.

The issues most important to him, he said, are reducing taxes and encouraging private enterprise.

"I heard positive things about the direction we need to be going," Holmsley said, describing the message he gleaned from speakers Friday, "and that we need to stand our ground."

Brandi Grissom can be reached at bgrissom@elpasotimes.com; (512) 479-6606.








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