Cornyn booed during Texas tea party

By The Associated Press

Texans who think government is too big and taxes are too high rallied on the lawns of the Texas Capitol and courthouses across the state on the Fourth of July, at times interrupting the remarks of Sen. John Cornyn in Austin.

From Gilmer and Lufkin in East Texas to McAllen in the Rio Grande Valley, hundreds of people gathered for Independence Day "tea parties."

In Austin, Cornyn was booed at the start and close of his remarks critical of federal spending and taxes. Cornyn, a Republican invited by organizers to speak, drew some boos for voting for the federal bailout of Wall Street last year.

"I'm not part of Washington," Cornyn said after the speech, the Austin American-Statesman reported. "I happen to work there, but on behalf of Texas, and I can vote 'no' on these reckless spending bills, on the refusal to cut taxes."

Republican Gov. Rick Perry told the Austin crowd that Washington needed to hear them "loud and clear" on a message of cutting spending and taxation and shrinking the government.

Perry also drew some boos on his support of toll roads to alleviate traffic congestion.

Many in the crowd of hundreds in Austin wore stickers that read, "I resist Socialism."

In Lufkin, organizers urged the crowd to call President Obama and tell him "we are not happy, and we are working to make Texas free from his legislation."

Members of the crowd booed as the names of Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were read.

"I believe that President Obama was elected because we failed to lead," Ted Cruz, former solicitor general of Texas, told the Lufkin crowd. "But I also believe that his greatest legacy as president will be that he inspired a new generation of

conservatives to rise up and defend our liberty."

In Longview and Gilmer, tea party participants signed petitions and were urged to tell their Washington lawmakers how they feel.

A crowd estimated at more than 25,000 attended a tea party at Southfork Ranch near Dallas on Saturday.

In the Rio Grande Valley, members of the Rio Grande Valley Tea Party Association gathered at a race track to hear the Declaration of Independence read, watch fireworks and a car race.

"The Constitution seems to have been misplaced in Washington lately," said Roxanna Herring of McAllen. "We would like it to come back in style."

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)