U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz on Saturday said that to resurrect America's greatness it was necessary to revive the economy, defend the Constitution, and restore America's place in the world arena.
Appearing at the conference themed "America at Its Best," Cruz told more than 3,000 attendees to the Western Conservative Summit in Denver that "the single biggest lie" is that Republicans are the party of the rich.
"The rich have done fine with big government," he said. The ones most hurt by big government are those who are struggling.
The event, in its fifth year, is sponsored by the
Centennial Institute, the think tank of Colorado Christian University. It is being held at the Colorado Convention Center and the Hyatt Regency Denver.
Alluding to NSA eavesdropping, Cruz invited the audience to "please leave your cell phones on. I want to make sure President Obama hears every word I say."
He said it seemed as if Obama was "going down the bill of rights trying to violate one at a time."
Cruz said, "We need to defend the Second Amendment" adding that, "In Texas, we define gun control as hitting what you're aiming at."
He said, the 10th amendment defines and limits the powers of the federal government. Washington's power does not extend to education. "I would repeal every word of Common Core. Education should be [decided] at the local level," said Cruz.
Other speakers during the three-day event, which began on Friday, included former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Heritage Foundation President Jim DeMint, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, retired pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson, and Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Tim Scott of South Carolina.
On the economy, Cruz said the country was trapped in a Great Stagnation. "We need to fight to bring back jobs, growth, and opportunity. Growth does not come from government — it comes from small business."
To achieve economic growth it is necessary to facilitate tax and regulatory reform. "The simplest road to tax reform is to abolish the IRS and move to simple flat tax," said Cruz.
As for what to do with 110,000 out of work IRS agents, Cruz said "we can always put them on our southern border. Seeing so many IRS agents would scare off anyone who wanted to come to America," he told the crowd.
Regarding regulatory reform, Cruz said he would "repeal every single word of Obamacare."
Cruz visited the U.S. Border Patrol station in McAllen, Texas, on Saturday morning with conservative commentator Glenn Beck, whose Mercury One effort handed out food, supplies, and toys to illegals and family members.
He said he agreed with Obama that what was happening at the southern border was a humanitarian crisis. "But it is a crisis of Obama's own making. It is a direct consequence of President Obama's lawlessness."
Tens of thousands of migrant children are coming because Obama has signaled that they will be able to stay, he said.
On Thursday,
Cruz called on Congress to defund Obama's 2012 directive to defer deportation for illegals who were brought to the U.S. as children as a condition for approving his $3.7 billion emergency aid request to address the border crisis.
On foreign affairs, Cruz said that it was necessary to restore American leadership in the world. The vacuum created by Obama has been filled by Russia, China, and Iran.
"Bullies and tyrants don't respect weakness," he declared.
Turning to the Middle East, Cruz said "We need to stand with our unshakable ally the nation of Israel. We need to lift Israel up in prayer as right now Hamas rockets are raining down on them."
The Texan said he was optimistic about the country's future. The Obama era reminded him of the 1970s when Jimmy Carter in the White House. "If there is one person thrilled at the job President Obama is doing it is Jimmy Carter," said Cruz.
Americans rose up and replaced Carter with Ronald Reagan. The economy grew and the country's place in the world was restored.
"I am optimistic because of your passion. All over this country people are waking up. I am doing everything to mobilize the grass roots" and to restore the shining City on the Hill that is America, Cruz concluded.
Earlier Saturday, Palin told attendees that conservatives should support her call for impeaching President Obama.
"There's only one remedy for a president who commits high crimes and misdemeanors, and it's impeachment," said Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate,
The Washington Times reports. "It's the 'I word.'
"You don’t need some fancy law degree hanging on your wall there to know laws are not being enforced today," Palin added. "Illegal immigrants all over the world also know that."
Palin called for Obama's impeachment over the border crisis two weeks ago. Since October, more than 52,000 immigrant minors — mostly from Central America — have been arrested while trying to enter the U.S. illegally after crossing the Rio Grande River in South Texas.
She challenged lawmakers who attack President Obama's refusal to enforce laws to follow through with action.
"Okay, politicians, what are you going to do about it?" Palin asked. "Let’s call their bluff. I’m calling their bluff because we need a little less talk and a lot more action."
Jindal opened the conference on Friday, charging that Obama was working to redefine the American dream.
"If you listen to this president’s policies, if you listen to his rhetoric, you hear a president trying to divide us by class, by geography, by gender, by race," Jindal said, according to the Times. "You hear a president talking to us about how government needs to get bigger and more intrusive and more powerful."
The Republican governor, who is considering a White House run in 2016, said that Obama's vision for America was one where its "best days are already behind us."
That outlook is far different from the one Jindal said his parents taught him about the United States. They emigrated from India to Louisiana shortly before he was born in Baton Rouge in 1971.
He was elected The Pelican State's governor in 2007.
"I don’t know about you, but the American dream I learned about from my parents was never about ending," Jindal said,
according to the Times. "It was never about class warfare. The American dream I learned about was an America whose best days were always ahead of us."
In his remarks on Friday, Carson called on "Republicans, Democrats, people of faith and people of common sense" to start working together to solve the problems facing the country.
"Our country is in a lot of trouble," said Carson, also considered a 2016 GOP presidential candidate,
The Denver Post reports. "It's really in critical condition."
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