DALLAS — President Bush hasn't left the White House yet, but he's certainly back as an issue in the U.S. Senate race.

Democrat Rick Noriega criticizes incumbent Republican John Cornyn for voting with the unpopular Bush more than any other senator.

Cornyn says he's voting Texas values.

Since his election in 2002, Congressional Quarterly determined that Cornyn supported President Bush in Senate votes 95 percent of the time.

With Bush's approval ratings sagging — even among Texans — Cornyn says this election is about the future.

"Well, President Bush is not going to be on the ballot this time," he told News 8.

Cornyn backed the president on the Iraq war, terrorism and judges.

Cornyn also agreed with Bush in opposing an expansion of children’s health insurance, saying it cost too much.

With more uninsured children in Texas than any other state, Democratic opponent Rick Noriega calls it more of the same.

"You name it — whether it's health care, immigration, every failed policy," Noriega said. "The people of the State of Texas deserve a credible alternative to the status quo."

A Cornyn video shown at the state GOP convention cast the incumbent as a tough, independent senator.

The clip quickly got a YouTube response from an Austin Democratic media strategist. It called Cornyn "Senator Corndog," and called him a Bush "yes man."

Cornyn's campaign says he votes for Texas values, and doesn't apologize for supporting Bush on a strong national defense and the war on terror.

"What they want are elected officials who are actually going to go there and solve the problems," Cornyn said.

But Noriega, a five-term state representative from Houston, says voting with Bush isn't the same thing as voting for Texas.

"Texans want somebody who's going to stand up and fight for Texas," Noriega said.

E-mail bwatson@wfaa.com