By James Thompson

As the Republican buffoons prepare to take the stage for a debate free of “hard questions” it seems important to shine a little light on these champions of mendacity. In Texas, particularly Houston, we have a serious problem with cockroaches. Over the years, I have learned that when you shine a light on the cockroaches, they have a tendency to scatter and run. By the way, in Houston we have some very large cockroaches.

In the Houston Chronicle today, there is an article which discusses the obfuscated history of Ted Cruz’ father. The stories about Rafael Cruz are so convoluted that it is difficult to ascertain the facts. Although Sen. Ted Cruz would happily mislead us to believe that his father “fled the tyranny of Fidel Castro,” when you shine a light on Cruz’ father’s history, it appears to contradict the picture Sen. Cruz paints. Several accounts suggest that Cruz’ father supported the revolutionary struggle against the US backed dictator Batista in Cuba which was led by Fidel Castro. It turns out that Mr. Cruz was arrested by the Batista storm troops and he successfully finagled an exit from Cuba to Austin, Texas in 1957. 1957 was two years before Castro and the revolutionary forces in Cuba seized political power from Batista. So, it turns out that Cruz’ father not only supported Castro, but he was opposed to and fled from the US backed dictator, Batista. So, it appears that Sen. Cruz has struck a major blow for mendacity.

Sen. Cruz is well known for his efforts to shut down the US government and his pernicious anti-immigrant stance.

Another Republican buffoon who will take the states tonight in the Republican debates is no stranger to mendacity. Ben Carson has been recently outed for his misleading statements about a fantasized scholarship to the West Point Academy, a prestigious military institution of higher learning.

Mr. Carson is well known for his racist, anti-Islam demagoguery.

Donald Trump, another of the leading Republican buffoons might be described as a farce wrapped inside a joke. Some people asked the question “How can you tell when Donald Trump is lying?” The answer that many people have come to is “When his lips are moving.”

Mr. Trump and Mr. Carson seem to be locked in a struggle to see who can be the most vicious anti-immigrant politician since Adolf Hitler.