Subject: The Brief: Cruz Goes All In Ahead of Make-or-Break Indiana
From: The Texas Tribune <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 2 May 2016 11:06:05 +0000
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 http://texastribune.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db&id=87a800dc5f&e=df70708b10

** The Brief: Cruz Goes All In Ahead of Make-or-Break Indiana (http://texastribune.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db&id=3cadda8475&e=df70708b10)
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by John Reynolds | May 2, 2016
http://texastribune.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db&id=5bd665183b&e=df70708b10

** The Big Conversation
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The Ted Cruz campaign plans stops all across Indiana today in a final push for victory in what is likely a make-or-break state for the Texas senator.

The polls, though, are indicating it could be a difficult day at the ballot box on Tuesday for Cruz. The Tribune's Patrick Svitek reported (http://texastribune.us3.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db&id=388d0e6d21&e=df70708b10) that an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Sunday morning found Donald Trump leading Cruz by 15 points in the state — 49 percent to 34 percent.

"Even worse," Svitek wrote (http://texastribune.us3.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db&id=2714b485a3&e=df70708b10) , "58 percent of respondents registered their disapproval of Cruz's deal with [Ohio Gov. John] Kasich, with only 22 percent calling it a major factor in deciding their vote.

"Cruz's campaign is pushing forward, dispatching him and seven surrogates — including Indiana Gov. Mike Pence — on 10 stops across the state Monday, an unprecedented schedule of campaigning that nonetheless does not come close to its busiest day ahead of the Iowa caucuses. All the while, the campaign and its allies are pouring millions of dollars into digital, radio and TV advertising throughout Indiana, largely attack ads against Trump."

Politico, meanwhile, was reporting over the weekend that Cruz aides were saying that a defeat in Indiana "would significantly narrow" his chances (http://texastribune.us3.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db&id=81e6539d6f&e=df70708b10) at denying Trump the nomination.

"Within the campaign, some are turning to the question of what’s next. One senior aide said there had been no discussion about dropping out before the final primary contests are held on June 7 but noted that Cruz wouldn’t be eager to prolong a campaign he was convinced he couldn’t win. ... The private angst within the campaign stands in stark contrast to public statements from Cruz himself, as the candidate showed no hint of concern in an appearance before the California Republican Party convention here on Saturday."

The New York Times reported that the momentum-sapping defeats recently suffered by Cruz is also hurting his efforts at courting convention delegates (http://texastribune.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db&id=c372bacb0c&e=df70708b10) , a strategy that he's relying on to snag the nomination during a contested convention.

"It turns out that delegates — like ordinary voters — are susceptible to shifts in public opinion. And as the gravitational pull of Mr. Trump’s recent primary landslides draws more Republicans toward him, Mr. Cruz’s support among the party’s 2,472 convention delegates is softening, threatening his hopes of preventing Mr. Trump’s nomination by overtaking him in a floor fight."

Delegates and party officials told the Times (http://texastribune.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db&id=906921bd15&e=df70708b10) that they "are ready to move on and unite behind someone so that Republicans are not hopelessly divided heading into the general election. And many delegates cite concerns about whether Mr. Cruz is really a better choice."

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Energy Future Holdings Files Second Bankruptcy Plan (http://texastribune.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db&id=26caab3771&e=df70708b10) , by Jim Malewitz — Energy Future Holdings, Texas’ largest power company, is going back to the drawing board in its efforts to emerge from one of the largest corporate bankruptcies in American history.

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** The Day Ahead
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•    Gov. Greg Abbott will address the Texas National Day of Prayer Breakfast gathering at 7 a.m. in Austin.

•    Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick will present medals and resolutions to surviving family members of peace officers who died in the line of duty in 2015 as part of an 11 a.m. memorial ceremony on the south steps of the Texas Capitol. The ceremony is hosted by the Texas Chapters of Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.).

•    The House Appropriations subcommittee overseeing the portion of the budget funding natural resources, business and economic development and regulatory agencies holds a 10 a.m. interim hearing (http://texastribune.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db&id=d916fdf057&e=df70708b10) in the Capitol extension to look at funding for the state parks system.

•    The House Environmental Regulation Committee meets at 1 p.m. in the Capitol extension (http://texastribune.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db&id=1fd12368fa&e=df70708b10) to examine how well local entities are keeping waterways clear of trash and debris.

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Apple in Austin: More than 2,000 new jobs created since 2012 (http://texastribune.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db&id=50df5f37c7&e=df70708b10) , Austin American-Statesman

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GOP shuns electronic ballots at open convention (http://texastribune.us3.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db&id=037107cbe5&e=df70708b10) , Politico

Texas under Trump: Experts see economic trouble, uncertain on energy and abortion (http://texastribune.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db&id=04ae058933&e=df70708b10) , The Dallas Morning News

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Players, coaches on board with new UIL pitch count proposals (http://texastribune.us3.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db&id=4c5e122483&e=df70708b10) , Corpus Christi Caller-Times

** Quote to Note
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“Ted is an immigrant. He is Hispanic. We can unify this party.”

— Heidi Cruz, in a remark about her husband at an Indiana campaign stop (http://texastribune.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db&id=8571000b4b&e=df70708b10) on Saturday that prompted the campaign to say afterward that she meant to call Cruz the son of an immigrant

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•    A Conversation on Mental Health Matters (http://texastribune.us3.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db&id=6496f5cfff&e=df70708b10)  on May 10 at KLRU Studio 6A in Austin

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