Cruz: We're 'one liberal justice' from irreparable damage

CLARINDA, Ia. – The U.S. is "one justice away" from a liberal Supreme Court causing enough damage for the nation to become unrecognizable, Texas Republican Ted Cruz said Friday.

"One more liberal justice and our right to keep and bear arms is taken away from us by an activist court. One more liberal justice and they begin sandblasting and bulldozing veterans memorials throughout this country. One more liberal justice and we lose our sovereignty to the United Nations and the World Court," Cruz said when responding to how he would treat appointing justices to the court.

Cruz, a U.S. senator and presidential hopeful, has made similar statements earlier in the campaign cycle.

After the Supreme Court made rulings upholding the federal health care law and legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide, Cruz called for Supreme Court justices to face retention elections.

Cruz was in the middle of a five-stop tour Friday through parts of southwest Iowa as he continues to seek his party's presidential nomination. A new Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Politics poll released the same day put Cruz in third place in Iowa among likely Republican caucusgoers.

Still, Cruz faces a blockade from neurosurgeon Ben Carson and businessman Donald Trump. Carson took the top spot in the poll and Trump came in second.

Iowa political observers have also noted Cruz has to fend off other competitors – such as former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal – who are competing for similar voters.

Mary-Alice Blake Gilson, who lives in West Des Moines but heard Cruz speak in Atlantic, said she is supporting Jindal. Even so, she said she wanted to see Cruz and other candidates to stay informed.

Follow Iowa Caucus news, photos, videos with Iowa Caucuses App:

iPhone or iPad

Android

Also visit:

DesMoinesRegister.com/IowaCaucuses

Candidate tracker and calendar in Iowa

Sign up for Caucuses Newsletter

"In case (Cruz) gets the nomination, then I would liked to have seen him. … I’m big on information," she said.

While registered as a Republican, Blake Gilson said she voted for President Barack Obama in 2008. She later voted for Mitt Romney in the 2012 election, saying she could no longer support Obama.

"I think he lied to us," she said.

In Clarinda, retired farmer Michael Pattavina asked Cruz about his commitment to investigating and defunding Planned Parenthood.

"I think he’s taking it too far because I think Planned Parenthood does more to prevent abortions than all the pro-life (programs) put together," Pattavina said. "I think these women need the program. If you shut them completely down, you’re denying millions of women health care."

A self-described "Bernie Sanders man," Pattavina got into a mini debate with friend Jane Jensen about the merits of Sanders and Cruz.

While Pattavina questioned the trustworthiness of Cruz, Jensen said she didn't want to support a socialist like Sanders.

"He wants to give away the farm and I’m not going to vote for anyone who" wants to do that, said Jensen, who has put Cruz and Carson at the top of her list.

Throughout his stops Friday, Cruz touted his campaign's money haul so far this cycle – $26.5 million – and that his operation has kept a large part of that cash on-hand for future use.

"We have over $3.5 million more in the bank than Jeb Bush does, which, to be honest, is absolutely nuts," Cruz said.

That amount doesn't take into account money held by Super PACs supporting Cruz or the other candidates.

AT THE EVENT

SETTING: Cafe restaurants in both Clarinda and Atlantic.

CROWD: About 60 in Clarinda and 50 in Atlantic.

REACTIONS: The Clarinda crowd awarded Cruz with consistent stops for applause and a standing ovation. In Atlantic, the group was less noisy but just as attentive.

WHAT’S NEXT: Cruz will stop in Marshalltown and speak at the Iowa Grassroots Coalition's Candidate Honest Assessment Summit in Waterloo on Saturday.