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Commentary: Sen. Ted Cruz’ Courageous Stand Against ‘Washington Cartel’
The Austin American-Statesman ^ | August 4, 2015 | Don Loucks

Posted on 08/04/2015 5:00:49 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

On Friday morning, 24 July, our Texas Senator Ted Cruz took to the Senate floor and did something truly extraordinary: He excoriated the leadership of the U.S. Senate.

No, it was not the Democrats he was after, even though Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) was properly mentioned. It was the Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) who was the object of a nineteen-minute indictment of corruption and dishonesty.

The word “lie” is seldom heard in that chamber, being that the place is so genteel. But Friday was a seminal moment in U.S. legislative history, and Senator Cruz enunciated the issue perfectly.

In typical Cruz fashion, he outlined the facts of the matter at hand, cited the proof and witnesses, and then articulated the inescapable conclusion that Mitch McConnell had not only lied to Cruz about the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) Senate vote in April, but also lied about the reauthorization of the corporate welfare boondoggle called the Export-Import Bank. Not only did he lie to Cruz, promising that the Export-Import Bank issue was dead, McConnell lied to the entire Senate Republican Conference.

After Cruz was used by McConnell to get the TPA passed, he was then double-crossed along with the Senate Republicans who had voiced concern over the TPA and the possible manipulating the Senate rules to get the whole, unsavory mess passed.

There were many twists and turns McConnell and the others in the “Washington Cartel,” as Cruz so accurately named it, perpetrated, and there is not enough room in this brief column to delve into the arcane maneuvers taken, but please take the time to do some internet research to see how true the words Cruz uttered were. (His speech is available YouTube and other sites. It is well worth viewing.)

But Cruz did not just buck party leadership. This time he went up against something much more formidable: The Washington lobbyist establishment. This is where the money and power lies in U.S. Government. A citizen can make all the contributions he wants to candidates, but when outfits like Boeing spend millions of dollars lobbying (buying) members of Congress through indirect assistance, you can imagine who actually has the loudest voice. In fact, an executive from Boeing had said that Boeing could get along without the Export-Import Bank, but “it would make things much easier for them with it.”

Decoded, that means the taxpayers make or guarantee the loans to the mega-corporations and in so doing, give them a major advantage over smaller, non-lobbying competitors. This costs the taxpayers a great deal in the long run. In one aspect, this largess fosters fraud, waste, and abuse. Abuse of you!

It also endangers the U.S. because decisions have been made regarding the TPA and Export-Import Bank that weaken the power of Congress to oversee the deals being made and severely limits Congress’ ability to change or rescind a faulty deal.

Have you heard or read anything of this in the lame-stream news media? Coverage has been sparse. That means that what Senator Cruz said was right on the money.

We should be proud that Cruz and other, principled members of Congress, has the guts to call the fraud on the American people for what it is: A lie.


TOPICS: Texas; Campaign News; Issues; Parties; U.S. Senate
KEYWORDS: 2016election; cruz; election2016; harryreid; mcconnell; tedcruz; texas
What say you?
1 posted on 08/04/2015 5:00:49 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

2 posted on 08/04/2015 5:01:56 PM PDT by cripplecreek (Sad fact, most people just want a candidate to tell them what they want to hear)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

As far as I can see, Senator Cruz is the only one
who has a correct interpretation of our Constitution,
and is not afraid to use it to control our government.

Cruz16.


3 posted on 08/04/2015 5:04:55 PM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

This was published in the Spaceman? That’s it, get out your woolies, because Hell is about to freeze over.


4 posted on 08/04/2015 5:25:13 PM PDT by SuzyQue
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Wow! This from the liberal Austin American-Statesman, no less.


5 posted on 08/04/2015 5:27:16 PM PDT by Texan
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To: SuzyQue

Indeed. This should be getting interesting, real soon.


6 posted on 08/04/2015 5:27:48 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (TED CRUZ. You can help: https://donate.tedcruz.org/c/FBTX0095/)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

“Decoded, that means the taxpayers make or guarantee the loans to the mega-corporations and in so doing, give them a major advantage over smaller, non-lobbying competitors. This costs the taxpayers a great deal in the long run. In one aspect, this largess fosters fraud, waste, and abuse. Abuse of you! “

He’s right.


7 posted on 08/04/2015 5:39:44 PM PDT by stephenjohnbanker (My Batting Average( 1,000) (GOPe is that easy to read))
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To: cripplecreek

Absolutely.


8 posted on 08/04/2015 5:42:29 PM PDT by TADSLOS (A Ted Cruz Happy Warrior! GO TED!)
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To: Texan

Wow, cryptic BS !


9 posted on 08/04/2015 5:42:46 PM PDT by Big Red Badger (UNSCANABLE in an IDIOCRACY!)
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To: stephenjohnbanker

Unfortunately we have corporate welfare fans oozing around underfoot even here at FR.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3320404/posts


10 posted on 08/04/2015 5:46:21 PM PDT by cripplecreek (Sad fact, most people just want a candidate to tell them what they want to hear)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Washington is awash with “CRONY CAPITALISM”. Cruz was correct in calling them a “CARTEL”. It really doesn’t matter whether these politicians are republicans or democrats, their allegience is for the cartel. They could care less what the electorates say, Their only job is filling their pockets from these people on “K” street. They have all become “SPINELESS WHORES”, under the direction of “K” street.


11 posted on 08/04/2015 5:47:27 PM PDT by gingerbread
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I saw the Conservative wing of the GOP has found a winning strategy.


12 posted on 08/04/2015 5:50:04 PM PDT by Fhios (I hope Trump can keep us entertained for the next 6 months.)
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To: Fhios
I saw the Conservative wing of the GOP has found a winning strategy.

What did you see, exactly?

13 posted on 08/04/2015 6:00:07 PM PDT by TADSLOS (A Ted Cruz Happy Warrior! GO TED!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

After the dog and pony show is over I think Ted will pull way up in polling. Hopefully all the way to 1st place because he is the best speaker on that stage period.


14 posted on 08/04/2015 6:03:53 PM PDT by Weaponier (FREE TEXAS!)
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To: Texan

“Wow! This from the liberal Austin American-Statesman, no less.”

Pretty amazing. Austin is Way... left.


15 posted on 08/04/2015 6:11:38 PM PDT by marktwain
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To: TADSLOS

It’s supposed to be ‘see’ instead of “saw” but here goes.

I notice a subtle change in the dialog. I see the sensationalism the media is selling and the reflexive outrage, mostly faux because they’re rather ambivalent with all their wealth and self importance. That is all just distractive noise. Beneath that noise I see that subtle change growing.


16 posted on 08/04/2015 6:53:35 PM PDT by Fhios (I hope Trump can keep us entertained for the next 6 months.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Ted Cruz was endowed by the spirit of the Founders to carry forward American Exceptionalism.

He holds the DNA to be President and he will be. Nothing can stop him from being the President of the USA. He may first be the VP for Donald Trump but he will certainly follow him as President.

Donald Trump is pulling across the entire spectrum of the American Electorate, importantly among the Low Information Voters. But Donald needs Ted because almost everything Donald has expressed has been first touted by Ted Cruz. Ted is ahead of Donald in the messaging. Donald has the charisma to pull in the segments of the population that are unfamiliar with the Constitution and the founding of this country that Ted understands by heart.

Donald Trump is clearing the way for Ted Cruz and vice versa.

If Trump/Cruz is the ticket, conservatives will experience a victory not seen in breadth and scope since Ronald Reagan, and quite possibly bigger.


17 posted on 08/04/2015 7:28:26 PM PDT by Hostage (ARTICLE V)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet; Kale; Jarhead9297; COUNTrecount; notaliberal; DoughtyOne; MountainDad; ...
    Ted Cruz Ping!

    If you want on/off this ping list, please let me know.
    Please beware, this is a high-volume ping list!

    CRUZ or LOSE!

18 posted on 08/04/2015 9:21:58 PM PDT by SoConPubbie (Mitt and Obama: They're the same poison, just a different potency)
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