Page 4 - MIN.SOC 17 FEB,2016

U.S. NEWS A3
Bush, Cruz appeal to South Carolina’s military community
The Associated Press
CHARLESTON, South Caroli-
na (AP) — Jeb Bush and Ted
Cruz on Tuesday appealed
to South Carolina, a state
with a large military and
veteran population, with
promises to strengthen U.S.
defense as the next Repub-
lican primary approaches.
Democratic rivals Hillary
Clinton and Bernie Sanders
sought support from black
voters in upcoming nomi-
natingcontests.
South Carolina residents
will cast their votes for a Re- Rubio have accused Cruz
publican nominee for pres-
ident on Saturday. For the
Democrats, the Nevada
caucuses are next.
Polls show Donald Trump
leading with about a third
of the vote in South Caro-
lina, holding a double-digit
lead over Cruz, a Texas sen-
ator. Florida Sen. Bush, the
former Florida governor, is
desperately trying to save
his campaign by finishing
ahead of Rubio and Ohio
Gov. John Kasich. They are
locked in a race to emerge
as the more mainstream
alternative to Trump, the
brash billionaire, and Cruz,
an outspoken conserva-
tive Cruz. On Monday, Bush
had his brother, former
President George W. Bush,
on the campaign trail for
the first time.
Jeb Bush’s comments Tues-
day focused heavily on gun
rights. He also addressed
the Supreme Court vacan-
cy following the death of
Justice Antonin Scalia, say-
ing that he would choose
someone who, like Scalia,
was a “lover of liberty.”
Cruz called for increasing
the number of active-duty
troops, airplanes and bat-
tleships. He did not put a
price tag on his plans, but
pointed to former Presi-
dent Ronald Reagan’s ap-
proach as a model for how
he would get it done.
Cruz said he will pay for it
by cutting federal spend-
ing by at least $500 billion,
selling federal assets and
properties and auditing the
Pentagon to find savings.
Wednesday 17 February

Cruz came under fire from Republican presidential candidate and former Florida Gov. is counting on to act as a
his rivals over what they Jeb Bush, right, accompanied by his brother former President firewall against the surpris-
call a pattern of unethi- George W. Bush, center, and George’s wife Laura Bush, takes ingly insurgent campaign
cal campaign tactics and the stage during a campaign stop in North Charleston, S.C. of Vermont Sen. Bernie
inaccurate statements by Sanders.
the Texas senator who has (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) She capped off her day
shaped his White House bid with a speech at a Harlem
around trust. Trump and public library in which she
Rubio have accused Cruz vowed to protect the eco-
of distorting their records nomic opportunities and
with increasing frequency, voting rights of African-
openly calling him a liar. Americans. The former sec-
The Texas senator shrugged retary of state suggested
off the criticism Tuesday black voters would find her
while campaigning in proposals more far-reach-
South Carolina. Trump and ing than Sanders’ warnings
about economic inequal-
of distorting their records ity and the power of Wall
with increasing frequency. Street.q
“Both Donald Trump and
Marco Rubio have this very
strange pattern where if
you point to their actual
record, if you point to the
words that have come out
of their mouth, they don’t
respond on substance.
They just scream ‘Liar! Liar!
Liar!’” Cruz said Tuesday.
The fiery conservative’s
ability to navigate ques-
tions about his integrity
could well decide his fate
in the crowded 2016 con-
test, where he remains a
top-tier contender.
“He’s lying. And I think it’s
disturbing,” Rubio said in
Beaufort. “I think this is very
disturbing when you have
a candidate that now on
a regular basis just makes
things up.”
Trump was even more ag-
gressive, describing Cruz
the day before as “the
single biggest liar I’ve ever
come across, in politics or
otherwise.” Clinton, the
Democratic front-runner,
made a direct appeal to
black voters Tuesday as
she moved to shore up the
support of minority voters
in advance of nominating
contests in South Carolina
and the Deep South, where
blacks make up more than
half of the Democratic
electorate.
Clinton spent all of Tuesday
in New York City focused
on solidifying the African-
American support her
family has long enjoyed
and that her campaign