The outspoken father of GOP presidential contender and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz says both Jews and Catholics in the Northeast place their allegiance to the Democratic Party ahead of their religion.
"Unfortunately, in the Northeast, the Jews are Democrats first and Jews second,"
Evangelical pastor Rafael Cruz told an audience at a Palm Beach County Tea Party event.
"This is what has happened to a great many in the Catholic church. They are Democrats first and Catholics second."
A video of the remarks was posted on YouTube by the Democratic group American Bridge, and reported by
Talking Points Memo.
Story continues below video.
The elder Cruz said Americans "need to put principle above tradition."
"There are people voting Democrat because, 'My grandfather or my father voted Democrat.’ Let me tell you something. The Democratic party today is not the Democratic party of John Kennedy. John Kennedy would be a Republican today," he said.
Rafael Cruz raised eyebrows with previous assertions, including his February 2013 comments that black and Hispanic voters are "uninformed" and "deceived," said during a
speech to conservative activists posted on YouTube by FreedomWorks.
The fiery pastor's latest comments came in response to a voter's remark that leaders in the Catholic church haven't helped the GOP cause, TPM reports.
"Too many pastors and priests have not been shepherds," he replies. "They’ve been too scared hiding behind their pulpit," adding that during the Holocaust, the Church turned a blind eye to Hitler's actions.
"The Church, which was a very potent force in Germany at the time, was responsible for crossing their hands and doing nothing," he said.
"We have a responsibility," Cruz said, adding: "Whether you are a pastor or a priest or a rabbi, as a leader you have a greater responsibility than the people in your congregation and we need to assume that responsibility."
Rafael Cruz is not officially part of his son's presidential campaign team, TPM notes.
In the past, he helped his son pull an upset victory in the Republican U.S. Senate primary in 2012, made a barnstorming trip with him to Iowa, where the presidential nominating process begins, and still
regularly introduces him at home-state speaking engagements.
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