Cruz Campaign Press Release - Ted Cruz Sets Record Straight with Karl Rove

HOUSTON, Texas – The presidential campaign of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, today released the following statement from Sen. Cruz and earlier emails between Cruz and Karl Rove setting the record straight regarding Rove's blatantly false recap of their 2009 conversations (as posted here on medium.com).

Sen. Cruz:

"I have known Karl Rove for a long time, and have considered him a friend. I understood that my recounting in my book A Time for Truth the threats he made in the 2009 Texas Attorney General race—and the disparaging remarks he made about President George H.W. Bush—would cause him some discomfort.

"But I never imagined that his response would be a straight-out falsehood. It's disappointing; this is why people are so cynical about politics, because too many people are willing to lie.

"No part of our 2009 conversation concerned my good friend Greg Abbott.

"Below is email correspondence, contemporaneous from that week, demonstrating the veracity of my account. Karl admits, in writing, that his concern was for "the people raising money for the library who are also [then Texas Rep. Dan] Branch fans and will not understand why one part of the Bush family is for not-the-guy while they are raising money big bucks for library."

2009 Email Correspondence:

From: Karl Rove <email address redacted>

To: Ted Cruz <email address redacted>

Sent: Wednesday, July 1, 2009 8:24 AM

Subject: Re: Follow-up from today

thanks — I appreciate your doing what you can to keep this down — the distress you mention is not mine or 43 — it is the people raising money for the library who are also Branch fans and will not understand why one part of the Bush family is for not-the-guy while they are raising money big bucks for library.

Thanks too for clarifying that you asked to visit with 41; be as nonchulant as possible about the gift and we'll muddle through

On Jul 1, 2009, at 12:49 AM, Ted Cruz wrote:

Karl,

I am very sorry if I have done anything to distress you or President Bush 43 in any way.

Over the past several years, you've been extraordinarily generous in providing advice and insight re the AG campaign, and I have endeavored to follow your wise counsel to the letter. When we last spoke in January, you advised that the best way to convince Branch not to run was to bring aboard as many "old bulls" across the state as possible, so that the rest of the state would counteract his natural base in Highland Park. Since then, I've spent 18 hours a day doing nothing but working to follow that course of action, and we've been fortunate to enjoy significant success.

None of that matters, though. I got my start in politics (such as it was) working for you and for President Bush 43, and I've spent much of my adult life working to support the President. The last thing I would ever want to do is place either of you in a difficult situation.

When I asked to visit with President Bush 41, and he very kindly agreed, I imagined that we would spend maybe 20 minutes talking about the race, he would give his insights on Texas politics, and that would be it. I could not have been more astonished when he offered his support and gave me a personal check for the campaign.

Obviously, I recognize that President Bush 41's support is a very big deal, and inded I had been in discussions with his office about our issuing a press release about the endorsement. Given the concerns you expressed this afternoon, I have told 41's office that we will skip the press release altogether (see below).

His support will of course attract attention (much of which will be beyond my control), but I will very much follow your counsel to downplay the support and not highlight it in any way.

My hope is that this race will ultimately end up in a win-win scenario, that Dan will choose to run for the new Dallas congressional seat that will be drawn in 2012 and that he and I can work together as friends and allies for a long time. I know that a number of key donors have been urging precisely that course of action, which, if Dan were to choose to follow, would perhaps alleviate some of the concerns we discussed.

I know that it doesn't rise to the importance of what you have been doing these past eight years, but I do think there is a real need right now for new leadership in the Republican Party, and I am hopeful that this campaign can play at least some role in helping provide that leadership. Your legacy and President Bush 43's legacy, and especially the enormous progress y'all made in the Hispanic community, are too important not to keep pressing ahead.

Karl, you've been a friend and mentor a long time, and I value that friendship immensely. Please let me know anything I can possibly do to address your and President Bush 43's concerns.

Thanks so much.

Ted.

—— Forwarded Message —-

From: Ted Cruz <email address redacted>

To: President George H.W. Bush's assistant <email address redacted>

Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 11:19:00 PM

Subject: Discretion being the better part of valor

Jean,

I spoke with Karl this afternoon, and he expressed real concerns that our drawing attention to President Bush 41's very kind support of the campaign would put President Bush 43 in a difficult position. The last thing I want to do is cause any trouble, so it's probably wiser just to forego this press release.

So, unless you disagree, I think it probably makes sense simply to include 41 on our overall list of donors, but not to do any separate release or anything highlighting his support, for which I remain deeply, deeply grateful.

Thanks so much,

Ted.