Greek and John Cornyn: Difference between pages

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Difference between pages)
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
 
 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Future election candidate|article|Cornyn, John}}
{{wiktionarypar|greek|Greek}}
{{Infobox Senator | name= John Cornyn
| image name=John Cornyn official portrait.jpg
| nominee2=[[United States Senate election in Texas, 2008|U.S. Senator from Texas]]
| opponent2=[[Rick Noriega]] (D)
| incumbent2=[[John Cornyn]]
| election_date2=[[November 4]], [[2008]]
| jr/sr1=Junior Senator
| state1=[[Texas]]
| term_start1=[[December 2]], [[2002]]
| alongside1=[[Kay Bailey Hutchison]]
| preceded1=[[Phil Gramm|W. Philip Gramm]]
| succeeded1=
| party=[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| date of birth={{birth date and age|1952|02|02}}
| place of birth=[[Houston, Texas|Houston]], [[Texas]]
| dead=alive
| occupation= attorney
| residence= [[Austin, Texas]]
| spouse=Sandy Cornyn
| children=Haley Cornyn<br>Danley Cornyn
| alma_mater=[[Trinity University (Texas)|Trinity University]]
| religion=[[Churches of Christ|Church of Christ]]
}}


'''John Cornyn III''' (born [[February 2]] [[1952]]) is the junior [[United States Senate|United States Senator]] from [[Texas]]. He is a [[United States Republican Party|Republican]] and was elected to his first term in November 2002, having defeated [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] [[Ron Kirk]], the former mayor of [[Dallas, Texas]].<ref name="a">{{cite web | title="Office of the Secretary of State" | url=http://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist.exe | accessmonthday= September 19 | accessyear= 2007 }}</ref><ref name="b">{{cite web | title="United States Senator John Cornyn, Texas: About Senator Cornyn" | url=http://cornyn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=AboutSenatorCornyn.Biography | accessmonthday= September 19 | accessyear= 2007 }}</ref>He faces the Democratic [[Texas House of Representatives|State Representative]] [[Rick Noriega]] (born 1958) of [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] in the [[November 4]] [[general election]].
'''Greek''' may refer to anything related to [[greace]], including:
*[[Greeks]], the people of Greece
*[[Greek language]], or, more specifically,
**[[Ancient Greek]]
**[[Koine Greek]]
**[[Medieval Greek]]
**[[Modern Greek]]
*[[Greek alphabet]]


==Early life and law career==
==Other==
Cornyn was born in Houston to Atholene Gale Danley and John Cornyn II.<ref>{{cite web | title="1" | url=http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~battle/senators/cornyn.htm | accessmonthday= September 19 | accessyear= 2007 }}</ref> He graduated from [[Trinity University (Texas)|Trinity University]] in 1973, where he majored in [[journalism]] and was a member of the local fraternity [[Chi Delta Tau]].<ref>{{cite web | title="U.S. Senator To Address Trinity University Undergraduates" | url=http://www.trinity.edu/departments/public_relations/news_releases/0422commencement.htm | accessmonthday= September 19 | accessyear= 2007 }}</ref><ref name="b"/><ref>{{cite web | title="Alumni Association Foundation - Chi Delta Tau" | url=http://www.trinity.edu/student_org/chidelts/Alumni/AlumniAssociationFoundation/alumfound.html | accessmonthday= September 19 | accessyear= 2007 }}</ref> He earned a [[J.D.]] from [[St. Mary's University, Texas|St. Mary's University]] [[St. Mary's University School of Law|School of Law]] in 1977, and an [[LL.M.]] from the [[University of Virginia School of Law]] in 1995.<ref>{{cite web | title="U.S. SEN. JOHN CORNYN TO SPEAK AT OPENING OF CENTER FOR TERRORISM LAW AT ST. MARY´S UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW" | url=http://www.stmarytx.edu/news/index.php?section=archives&id=387 | accessmonthday= September 19 | accessyear= 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title="Alumni in the News, 2002" | url=http://www.law.virginia.edu/home2002/html/alumni/alumninews_02.htm | accessmonthday= September 19 | accessyear= 2007 }}</ref>
Greek may also refer to, but not limited to:

*[[Greeks (finance)]], a concept in mathematical finance crucial to the pricing of certain derivatives
From 1999 to 2002, John Cornyn was the Texas Attorney General, the first of thus far only two Republicans to have held the positon. He served in San Antonio for six years as a district judge before being elected as a Republican in 1990 to the [[Texas Supreme Court]], where he served for seven years.<ref name="b"/> In 2005, Cornyn's name was mentioned among possibilities to replace [[Supreme Court]] justices [[Sandra Day O'Connor]] or [[William Rehnquist]].<ref name="c">{{cite news|title=Possible Nominees to the Supreme Court |publisher=''The Washington Post''|date=July 1, 2005|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/01/AR2005070100756.html}}</ref>
*[[Fraternities and sororities]], often called the "Greek System," at colleges and universities.

*[[Greek Theatre (Los Angeles)]]
==Senate career==
*[[Greek (TV series)|''Greek'' (TV series)]], an ABC Family show

In 2004, Cornyn co-founded and became the co-chairman of the U.S. Senate India Caucus.<ref>{{cite web | title="India Caucus formed in US Senate" | url=http://www.indianembassy.org/i_digest/2004/may/india_caucus.htm | accessmonthday= September 19 | accessyear= 2007 }}</ref> Cornyn was selected by his colleagues in December 2006 to be a member of the five-person Republican Senate leadership team as Vice Chairman of the [[Senate Republican Conference]].<ref>{{cite web | title="Senate Republican Conference :: About the SRC" | url=http://src.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=AboutSRC.AboutViceChairman | accessmonthday= September 19 | accessyear= 2007 }}</ref>

While in the Senate, Cornyn has received various awards and recognitions, including the 2005 Border Texan of the Year Award; the National Child Support Enforcement Association's Children's Champion Award; the [[American Farm Bureau Federation]]'s Friend of Farm Bureau Award; the Texas Association of Business's (TAB) Fighter for Free Enterprise Award; the [[National Federation of Independent Business]]'s (NFIB) Guardian of Small Business Award; the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders's (CONLAMIC) Latino Leadership Award; and the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce's (TAMACC) International Leadership Legislative Award; among others.<ref name="b"/>

On [[May 18]] [[2007]], Cornyn was involved in an altercation with fellow (and Senior) Senator [[John McCain]] (R-[[Arizona|AZ]]). "During a meeting Thursday on immigration legislation, McCain and Sen. John Cornyn got into a shouting match when Cornyn started voicing concerns about the number of judicial [[appeal]]s that [[illegal immigration|illegal immigrants]] could receive, according to multiple sources &mdash; both Democrats and Republicans &mdash; who heard firsthand accounts of the exchange from lawmakers who were in the room. Cornyn told McCain, "Wait a second here. I've been sitting in here for all of these negotiations and you just parachute in here on the last day. You're out of line." McCain then [[profanity|cursed]] at Cornyn.<ref name="mccainvscornyn">[http://blog.washingtonpost.com/capitol-briefing/2007/05/mccain_cornyn_cursing_showdown.html McCain, Cornyn Engage in Heated Exchange] ''Washington Post'' Capital Exchange. [[May 18]], [[2007]] Retrieved [[June 21]], [[2007]]</ref>

Cornyn faces re-election in 2008. He is considered potentailly vulnerable because he was elected with less than 55 percent of the vote in a Republican year. His opponent, Rick Noriega, is also a [[lieutenant colonel]] in the [[United States Army]], and decorated [[Afghanistan War]] veteran.

===Committee Assignments===
*'''[[United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary|Committee on the Judiciary]]'''
**[[United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law|Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law]]
**[[United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Refugees|Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Refugees]] (Ranking Member)
**[[United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security|Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security]]
**[[United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Property Rights|Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Property Rights]]
*'''[[United States Senate Committee on Armed Services|Committee on Armed Services]]'''
**[[United States Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Airland|Subcommittee on Airland]] (Ranking Member)
**[[United States Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities|Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities]]
**[[United States Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on SeaPower|Subcommittee on SeaPower]]
*'''[[United States Senate Committee on the Budget|Committee on the Budget]]'''
*'''[[United States Senate Select Committee on Ethics|Select Committee on Ethics]]''' (Ranking Member)

==Political views ==
Cornyn was ranked by ''[[National Journal]]'' as the fourth-most [[conservative]] United States Senator in their 2006 rankings.<ref>{{cite web | title="NATIONAL JOURNAL: 2006 Vote Ratings (03/02/2007)" | url=http://nationaljournal.com/voteratings/sen/lib_cons.htm?o1=con_composite&o2=desc | accessmonthday= September 19 | accessyear= 2007 }}</ref> He is considered by the ''[[Dallas Morning News]]'' to be a reliable ally of President [[George W. Bush]] on most issues.<ref>[http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/DN-immig_13nat.ART0.State.Edition1.38902b7.html "Bush rallies immigration bill's GOP foes"] ''Dallas Morning News'' June 13, 2006.</ref>

===Environment and energy===

In 2005, Cornyn voted against including oil and gas smokestacks in [[mercury (element)|mercury]] regulations. He voted against factoring global warming into federal project planning, and against banning drilling in the [[Arctic National Wildlife Refuge]]. He voted against reducing oil usage by 40%, rather than by 5%. He also voted against removing oil and gas exploration subsidies.<ref name="d">{{cite web | title="John Cornyn on the Issues" | url=http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/John_Cornyn.htm | accessmonthday= September 19 | accessyear= 2007 }}</ref> During his tenure in the Senate, Cornyn has scored 0% on the League of Conservation Voter's environmental scorecard, a system of ranking politicians according to their voting record on environmental legislation.<ref>{{cite web | title="LCV_2006_Scorecard_final.pdf" | url=http://www.lcv.org/images/client/pdfs/LCV_2006_Scorecard_final.pdf | accessmonthday= September 19 | accessyear= 2007 }}</ref> In 2008, Senator Cornyn received $10,000 from [[Exelon Corporation|Exelon]], an energy company that is currently seeking approval to build a nuclear power plant just south of Victoria, Texas.<ref> {{cite web | title= "Exelon Corp. Contributions to Federal Candidates" | url=http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00141218&cycle=2008 | accessmonthday= August 8 | accessyear= 2008}}</ref> Cornyn has been described by Jim Jubak of [[MSN Money]] as one of "[[Big Oil]]'s ten favorite members of Congress," as he has received more money from the oil and gas industry than all but six other members of Congress.<ref>{{cite web | title="Big Oil's 10 favorite members of Congress" | url=http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/JubaksJournal/BigOils10FavoriteMembersOfCongress.aspx?wa=wsignin1.0 | accessmonthday= September 19 | accessyear= 2007 }}</ref>

===Civil rights and law enforcement===

In the 2004 debate surrounding the [[Federal Marriage Amendment]], Cornyn released an advance copy of a speech he was to give at the [[Heritage Foundation]]. In the speech, he wrote, "It does not affect your daily life very much if your neighbor marries a [[box turtle]]. But that does not mean it is right ... [N]ow you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife." He removed the reference to the box turtle in the actual speech, but the ''[[Washington Post]]'' ran the quote, as did ''[[The Daily Show]]''.<ref>{{cite news|first=Lois|last=Romano|title=In Oklahoma, GOP Race Not a Given |publisher=''The Washington Post''|date=July 12, 2004|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43048-2004Jul11.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title="The Boys in the Ban" | url=http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=107990&title=the-boys-in-the-ban | accessmonthday= November 14 | accessyear= 2007}}</ref>

In September 2005, Cornyn sponsored a bill that would allow law enforcement to force anyone arrested or detained to provide samples of their [[DNA]], which would be recorded in a central database.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/23/AR2005092301665.html Washington Post Article, 9/23/05]</ref> He voted to recommend a [[constitutional amendment|constitutional ban]] on [[flag desecration]] and for a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. He also voted for the reauthorization of the [[PATRIOT Act]] and extending its [[NSA wiretapping|wiretap provision]]. He is rated an A by the [[National Rifle Association]].<ref name="d"/> Senator John Cornyn said on December 20, 2005: "None of your civil liberties matter much after you're dead" in a speech supporting reauthorizing the [[PATRIOT Act]].<ref>{{cite web | title="The GOP's 'Give Me Death' Defense on Domestic Spying" | url=http://www.perrspectives.com/blog/archives/000319.htm|}}</ref>

===Abortion and stem cell research===

John Cornyn was rated 0% by [[NARAL Pro-Choice America]], which indicates a [[pro-life]] voting record. He voted to ban [[partial-birth abortion]]s except in cases where the mother's life was in danger and for criminal penalty for harming a [[fetus]] while committing another crime. He also voted in favor of [[parental notification|notifying]] parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions. He voted against expanding research to more [[embryonic stem cell]] lines.<ref name="d"/> He voted to prevent contributions to organizations that perform or promote abortion as a method of [[family planning]], and to prevent funding of organizations that support coercive abortion.<ref>{{cite web | title="Votes by John Cornyn | Congress votes database | washingtonpost.com" | url=http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/c001056/votes/ | accessmonthday= September 19 | accessyear= 2007 }}</ref>

===War, peace, and homeland security===

Cornyn voted against removing troops from of [[Iraq]] by July 2007, and he later voted against removing them by March 2008. He voted against implementing the recommendations of the [[9/11 Commission Report]] and restoring $565 million for states' and ports' [[first responder]]s. He also voted against restricting businesses with ties to [[terrorism]]. He voted against preserving [[habeas corpus]] for [[Guantanamo Bay detention camp|Guantanamo]] detainees. Cornyn was one of only 22 Senators to vote against the [[Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008|Post-9/11 GI Bill]] that expands the educational benefits for soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. <ref>Retrieved on May 23, 2008 http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00137</ref> He instead co-sponsored SB 2938, which gives benefits that are dependent on length of service.{{fact|date=July 2008}}

===Economy and taxes===

Cornyn is a cosponsor of the [[Fair Tax|Fair Tax Act of 2007]].<ref>{{cite web | title="S. 1025: Fair Tax Act of 2007 (GovTrack.us)" | url=http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-1025 | accessmonthday= September 19 | accessyear= 2007 }}</ref> He voted to permanently repeal the [[estate tax]] and for raising the estate tax exemption to $5 million. He voted in favor of $350 billion in tax cuts over 11 years, and supports making President Bush's tax cuts permanent.<ref name="d"/>

Cornyn voted yea on the Economic Bailout Package of 2008.

===Judicial nominations===

John Cornyn voted to confirm [[Samuel Alito]] as a [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] Justice and [[John Roberts]] for [[Chief Justice of the United States|Chief Justice]].<ref name="d"/> In September 2005, during the Supreme Court hearings for Roberts, Cornyn's staff passed out [[Bingo (US)|bingo]] cards to reporters. He asked them to stamp their card every time a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] on the Judiciary Committee used terms such as "[[far right]]" or "[[extremism|extremist]]".<ref>{{cite news|first=Dana|last=Milbank|title="Final Day of Nomination Hearings: Yawn."|publisher=''The Washington Post''|date=September 16, 2005|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/15/AR2005091501245_pf.html}}</ref>

== U.S. Senate election, 2008 ==
{{main|United States Senate election in Texas, 2008}}

[[Texas]] has not elected a Democrat in a statewide election since 1994, but according to recent Rasmussen polling Senator [[John Cornyn]] has an approval rating of 50%.<ref>[http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_senate_elections/texas/election_2008_texas_senate Rasmussen Reports on Texas]</ref> [[Texas House of Representatives]] member/[[Afganistan War]] [[veteran]] [[Rick Noriega]] secured his place as Cornyn's Democratic challenger in the March 4 primary, beating out opponents Gene Kelly, Ray McMurrey, and Rhett Smith. The same Rasmussen poll shows Cornyn leading Noriega by a narrow four percentage points - 47% to 43% - suggesting that this race may prove to be unexpectedly competitive. However, most polls have shown a much wider margin.

Christian activist [[Larry Kilgore]] of Mansfield, Texas, was a Republican challenger for the March 2008 primary election, but Cornyn easily won the Republican primary.<ref>[http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/DN-ussenate_05pol.ART.State.Edition2.46a563a.html Noriega avoids runoff in Senate bid; Cornyn wins easily], Dallas Morning News</ref>

There are three Libertarians, including 2006 LP senate nominee Scott Jameson, running for their party's nomination.<ref>[http://www.tx.lp.org/candidates.shtml Libertarian Party of Texas<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In addition, the Green Party of Texas is seeking ballot access for its candidate David B. Collins.<ref>[http://txgreens.org/drupal/node/43 txgreens.org]</ref>

==Electoral history==
{{Election box begin | title=Texas [[United States Senate elections, 2002|U.S. Senate Election 2002]]<ref name="a"/>}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = [[John Cornyn]]
|votes = 2,480,991
|percentage = 54.7
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = [[Ron Kirk]]
|votes = 1,946,681
|percentage = 43.3
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Libertarian Party (United States)
|candidate = [[Scott Jameson]]
|votes = 35,538
|percentage = 0.78
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Green Party (United States)
|candidate = [[Roy Williams (politician)|Roy Williams]]
|votes = 25,051
|percentage = 0.55
|change =
}}
{{Election box end}}

==Personal life==
Cornyn and his wife, Sandy Hansen, have two daughters, Haley and Danley.

==Pop Culture==
Cornyn gained national attention when he released an advertisement referring to him as "Big Bad John" and it was featured on comedy shows such as the [[Colbert Report]] and [[The Daily Show]]


==See also==
==See also==
[[United States Senate election in Texas, 2008]]
*[[Hellenic]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://cornyn.senate.gov/ United States Senator John Cornyn]
{{CongLinks | congbio = c001056 | fec = S2TX00106 | opensecrets = N00024852 | votesmart = BTX59882 | ontheissuespath = Senate/John_Cornyn.htm}}
*[http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/c/john_cornyn/index.html New York Times — John Cornyn News] collected news and commentary
*[http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=John_Cornyn SourceWatch Congresspedia - John Cornyn] profile
*{{dmoz|Regional/North_America/United_States/Government/Legislative_Branch/Senate/Members/Cornyn,_John_%5BR-TX%5D/}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-legal}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Dan Morales]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Attorney General of Texas]]| years=1999 – 2002}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Greg Abbott]]}}
{{s-par|us-sen}}
{{U.S. Senator box
| state=Texas
| class=2
| before=[[Phil Gramm]]
| start=[[2002-12-02]]
| alongside=[[Kay Bailey Hutchison]]}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Kay Bailey Hutchinson]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Vice-Chairman of the [[Republican Conference Vice-Chair of the United States Senate|Senate Republican Conference]]|years=2007 – present}}
{{s-inc}}
{{s-prec|usa}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Lamar Alexander]]<br><small>R-[[Tennessee]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=''[[List of current United States Senators by seniority|United States Senators by seniority]]''|years=75th}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Norm Coleman]]<br><small>R-[[Minnesota]]</small>}}
{{end}}
{{USSenTX}}
{{TX-FedRep}}
{{Current U.S. Senators}}
<!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] -->


{{Persondata
{{disambig}}
|NAME= Cornyn, John, III
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=junior [[United States Senate|United States Senator]] from [[Texas]]
|DATE OF BIRTH=[[February 2]] [[1952]]
|PLACE OF BIRTH=[[Houston, Texas]]
|DATE OF DEATH=
|PLACE OF DEATH=}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cornyn, John}}
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:Current members of the United States Senate]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Military brats]]
[[Category:People from Houston, Texas]]
[[Category:Prosecutors]]
[[Category:Texas Attorneys General]]
[[Category:Texas lawyers]]
[[Category:Texas Republicans]]
[[Category:Texas Supreme Court justices]]
[[Category:United States Senators from Texas]]
[[Category:Conservatives]]
[[Category:American members of the Churches of Christ]]
[[Category:Trinity University (Texas) alumni]]
[[Category:St. Mary's University alumni]]
[[Category:University of Virginia alumni]]


[[af:Grieks (dubbelsinnig)]]
[[fa:جان کورنین]]
[[arc:ܝܘܢܝܐ]]
[[fr:John Cornyn]]
[[ca:Grec (desambiguació)]]
[[pl:John Cornyn]]
[[ceb:Griyego]]
[[fi:John Cornyn]]
[[cy:Groeg]]
[[sv:John Cornyn]]
[[da:Græsk (flertydig)]]
[[de:Griechisch]]
[[el:Ελληνικός]]
[[es:Griego]]
[[fr:Grec]]
[[ia:Greco (disambiguation)]]
[[li:Grieks]]
[[ml:ഗ്രീക്ക് (നാനാര്‍ത്ഥങ്ങള്‍)]]
[[pt:Grego]]
[[sq:Greqishtja]]
[[sk:Grécky]]
[[th:กรีก]]
[[tr:Yunan]]

Revision as of 16:33, 12 October 2008

Template:Future election candidate

John Cornyn
United States Senator
from Texas
Assumed office
December 2, 2002
Preceded byW. Philip Gramm
Personal details
Political partyRepublican
SpouseSandy Cornyn
ChildrenHaley Cornyn
Danley Cornyn
ResidenceAustin, Texas
Alma materTrinity University
Occupationattorney

John Cornyn III (born February 2 1952) is the junior United States Senator from Texas. He is a Republican and was elected to his first term in November 2002, having defeated Democrat Ron Kirk, the former mayor of Dallas, Texas.[1][2]He faces the Democratic State Representative Rick Noriega (born 1958) of Houston in the November 4 general election.

Early life and law career

Cornyn was born in Houston to Atholene Gale Danley and John Cornyn II.[3] He graduated from Trinity University in 1973, where he majored in journalism and was a member of the local fraternity Chi Delta Tau.[4][2][5] He earned a J.D. from St. Mary's University School of Law in 1977, and an LL.M. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1995.[6][7]

From 1999 to 2002, John Cornyn was the Texas Attorney General, the first of thus far only two Republicans to have held the positon. He served in San Antonio for six years as a district judge before being elected as a Republican in 1990 to the Texas Supreme Court, where he served for seven years.[2] In 2005, Cornyn's name was mentioned among possibilities to replace Supreme Court justices Sandra Day O'Connor or William Rehnquist.[8]

Senate career

In 2004, Cornyn co-founded and became the co-chairman of the U.S. Senate India Caucus.[9] Cornyn was selected by his colleagues in December 2006 to be a member of the five-person Republican Senate leadership team as Vice Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference.[10]

While in the Senate, Cornyn has received various awards and recognitions, including the 2005 Border Texan of the Year Award; the National Child Support Enforcement Association's Children's Champion Award; the American Farm Bureau Federation's Friend of Farm Bureau Award; the Texas Association of Business's (TAB) Fighter for Free Enterprise Award; the National Federation of Independent Business's (NFIB) Guardian of Small Business Award; the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders's (CONLAMIC) Latino Leadership Award; and the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce's (TAMACC) International Leadership Legislative Award; among others.[2]

On May 18 2007, Cornyn was involved in an altercation with fellow (and Senior) Senator John McCain (R-AZ). "During a meeting Thursday on immigration legislation, McCain and Sen. John Cornyn got into a shouting match when Cornyn started voicing concerns about the number of judicial appeals that illegal immigrants could receive, according to multiple sources — both Democrats and Republicans — who heard firsthand accounts of the exchange from lawmakers who were in the room. Cornyn told McCain, "Wait a second here. I've been sitting in here for all of these negotiations and you just parachute in here on the last day. You're out of line." McCain then cursed at Cornyn.[11]

Cornyn faces re-election in 2008. He is considered potentailly vulnerable because he was elected with less than 55 percent of the vote in a Republican year. His opponent, Rick Noriega, is also a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army, and decorated Afghanistan War veteran.

Committee Assignments

Political views

Cornyn was ranked by National Journal as the fourth-most conservative United States Senator in their 2006 rankings.[12] He is considered by the Dallas Morning News to be a reliable ally of President George W. Bush on most issues.[13]

Environment and energy

In 2005, Cornyn voted against including oil and gas smokestacks in mercury regulations. He voted against factoring global warming into federal project planning, and against banning drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He voted against reducing oil usage by 40%, rather than by 5%. He also voted against removing oil and gas exploration subsidies.[14] During his tenure in the Senate, Cornyn has scored 0% on the League of Conservation Voter's environmental scorecard, a system of ranking politicians according to their voting record on environmental legislation.[15] In 2008, Senator Cornyn received $10,000 from Exelon, an energy company that is currently seeking approval to build a nuclear power plant just south of Victoria, Texas.[16] Cornyn has been described by Jim Jubak of MSN Money as one of "Big Oil's ten favorite members of Congress," as he has received more money from the oil and gas industry than all but six other members of Congress.[17]

Civil rights and law enforcement

In the 2004 debate surrounding the Federal Marriage Amendment, Cornyn released an advance copy of a speech he was to give at the Heritage Foundation. In the speech, he wrote, "It does not affect your daily life very much if your neighbor marries a box turtle. But that does not mean it is right ... [N]ow you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife." He removed the reference to the box turtle in the actual speech, but the Washington Post ran the quote, as did The Daily Show.[18][19]

In September 2005, Cornyn sponsored a bill that would allow law enforcement to force anyone arrested or detained to provide samples of their DNA, which would be recorded in a central database.[20] He voted to recommend a constitutional ban on flag desecration and for a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. He also voted for the reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act and extending its wiretap provision. He is rated an A by the National Rifle Association.[14] Senator John Cornyn said on December 20, 2005: "None of your civil liberties matter much after you're dead" in a speech supporting reauthorizing the PATRIOT Act.[21]

Abortion and stem cell research

John Cornyn was rated 0% by NARAL Pro-Choice America, which indicates a pro-life voting record. He voted to ban partial-birth abortions except in cases where the mother's life was in danger and for criminal penalty for harming a fetus while committing another crime. He also voted in favor of notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions. He voted against expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines.[14] He voted to prevent contributions to organizations that perform or promote abortion as a method of family planning, and to prevent funding of organizations that support coercive abortion.[22]

War, peace, and homeland security

Cornyn voted against removing troops from of Iraq by July 2007, and he later voted against removing them by March 2008. He voted against implementing the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Report and restoring $565 million for states' and ports' first responders. He also voted against restricting businesses with ties to terrorism. He voted against preserving habeas corpus for Guantanamo detainees. Cornyn was one of only 22 Senators to vote against the Post-9/11 GI Bill that expands the educational benefits for soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. [23] He instead co-sponsored SB 2938, which gives benefits that are dependent on length of service.[citation needed]

Economy and taxes

Cornyn is a cosponsor of the Fair Tax Act of 2007.[24] He voted to permanently repeal the estate tax and for raising the estate tax exemption to $5 million. He voted in favor of $350 billion in tax cuts over 11 years, and supports making President Bush's tax cuts permanent.[14]

Cornyn voted yea on the Economic Bailout Package of 2008.

Judicial nominations

John Cornyn voted to confirm Samuel Alito as a Supreme Court Justice and John Roberts for Chief Justice.[14] In September 2005, during the Supreme Court hearings for Roberts, Cornyn's staff passed out bingo cards to reporters. He asked them to stamp their card every time a Democrat on the Judiciary Committee used terms such as "far right" or "extremist".[25]

U.S. Senate election, 2008

Main article: United States Senate election in Texas, 2008

Texas has not elected a Democrat in a statewide election since 1994, but according to recent Rasmussen polling Senator John Cornyn has an approval rating of 50%.[26] Texas House of Representatives member/Afganistan War veteran Rick Noriega secured his place as Cornyn's Democratic challenger in the March 4 primary, beating out opponents Gene Kelly, Ray McMurrey, and Rhett Smith. The same Rasmussen poll shows Cornyn leading Noriega by a narrow four percentage points - 47% to 43% - suggesting that this race may prove to be unexpectedly competitive. However, most polls have shown a much wider margin.

Christian activist Larry Kilgore of Mansfield, Texas, was a Republican challenger for the March 2008 primary election, but Cornyn easily won the Republican primary.[27]

There are three Libertarians, including 2006 LP senate nominee Scott Jameson, running for their party's nomination.[28] In addition, the Green Party of Texas is seeking ballot access for its candidate David B. Collins.[29]

Electoral history

Texas U.S. Senate Election 2002[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican John Cornyn 2,480,991 54.7
Democratic Ron Kirk 1,946,681 43.3
Libertarian Scott Jameson 35,538 0.78
Green Roy Williams 25,051 0.55

Personal life

Cornyn and his wife, Sandy Hansen, have two daughters, Haley and Danley.

Pop Culture

Cornyn gained national attention when he released an advertisement referring to him as "Big Bad John" and it was featured on comedy shows such as the Colbert Report and The Daily Show

See also

United States Senate election in Texas, 2008

References

  1. ^ a b ""Office of the Secretary of State"". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ a b c d ""United States Senator John Cornyn, Texas: About Senator Cornyn"". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ ""1"". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ ""U.S. Senator To Address Trinity University Undergraduates"". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ ""Alumni Association Foundation - Chi Delta Tau"". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ ""U.S. SEN. JOHN CORNYN TO SPEAK AT OPENING OF CENTER FOR TERRORISM LAW AT ST. MARY´S UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW"". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ ""Alumni in the News, 2002"". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ "Possible Nominees to the Supreme Court". The Washington Post. July 1, 2005. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ ""India Caucus formed in US Senate"". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ ""Senate Republican Conference :: About the SRC"". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ McCain, Cornyn Engage in Heated Exchange Washington Post Capital Exchange. May 18, 2007 Retrieved June 21, 2007
  12. ^ ""NATIONAL JOURNAL: 2006 Vote Ratings (03/02/2007)"". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ "Bush rallies immigration bill's GOP foes" Dallas Morning News June 13, 2006.
  14. ^ a b c d e ""John Cornyn on the Issues"". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ ""LCV_2006_Scorecard_final.pdf"" (PDF). {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ ""Exelon Corp. Contributions to Federal Candidates"". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  17. ^ ""Big Oil's 10 favorite members of Congress"". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  18. ^ Romano, Lois (July 12, 2004). "In Oklahoma, GOP Race Not a Given". The Washington Post. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  19. ^ ""The Boys in the Ban"". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  20. ^ Washington Post Article, 9/23/05
  21. ^ ""The GOP's 'Give Me Death' Defense on Domestic Spying"". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  22. ^ ""Votes by John Cornyn". {{cite web}}: Text "Congress votes database" ignored (help); Text "washingtonpost.com"" ignored (help)
  23. ^ Retrieved on May 23, 2008 http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00137
  24. ^ ""S. 1025: Fair Tax Act of 2007 (GovTrack.us)"". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  25. ^ Milbank, Dana (September 16, 2005). ""Final Day of Nomination Hearings: Yawn."". The Washington Post. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  26. ^ Rasmussen Reports on Texas
  27. ^ Noriega avoids runoff in Senate bid; Cornyn wins easily, Dallas Morning News
  28. ^ Libertarian Party of Texas
  29. ^ txgreens.org

External links

Legal offices
Preceded by Attorney General of Texas
1999 – 2002 		Succeeded by
U.S. Senate
Preceded by U.S. senator (Class 2) from Texas
2002-12-02–present
Served alongside: Kay Bailey Hutchison 		Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by Vice-Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference
2007 – present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States Senators by seniority
75th 		Succeeded by

Template:Persondata

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Greek&oldid=244799677"