Posted on 02/13/2014 6:02:07 AM PST by bestintxas
The Senate approved a "clean" debt-ceiling bill on Wednesday, but the real drama occurred just before the vote, when the upper chamber's top two Republicans bucked firebrand Sen. Ted Cruz, voting to end debate and bring the bill to a final vote.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Minority Whip John Cornyn came forward to end Cruz's filibuster on the legislation.
The first-term Cruz, who is backed by the tea party and is from Cornyn's state of Texas, had called for a 60-vote threshold to end debate on the measure.
After discussions among GOP senators on the floor of the chamber, McConnell and Cornyn came forward to cast "aye" votes to end debate — a move called "cloture."
Both McConnell and Cornyn are facing tough primary elections in their home states this spring against tea party-backed candidates.
In all, 12 Republican senators voted to invoke cloture, joining with 53 Democrats and two independents who caucus with Democrats. The bill then advanced to the floor and was approved 55-43 on a straight party-line vote.
Besides McConnell and Cornyn, the other Republicans voting against Cruz were Sens. John Barrasso, Wyoming; Susan Collins, Maine; Bob Corker, Tennessee; Jeff Flake, Arizona; Orrin Hatch, Utah; Mike Johanns, Nebraska; Mark Kirk, Illinois; John McCain, Arizona; Lisa Murkowski, Alaska; and John Thune, South Dakota.
"Hopefully people will understand that McConnell, in the toughest Republican race in the country, had the courage to vote the way the vast majority of everybody understood the vote needed to go," Corker told The Hill after the vote. "He did that, and I think it shows tremendous courage on his part."
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
Being immensely more popular in this state than Cornyn, people would follow Ted's lead.
I always thought it would have been best if Ted would have resigned his Senate job and Perry replace him with a like conservative, then run in primary against Cornyn.
That, my friends, would have been fun to watch the squirming Cornyn campaign.
Newsmax is not telling the whole story here...McConnell and Cornyn HAD to lead those votes because Collins, Mookowski and the other Senate GOP-E hacks refused to take the hit for them. Once they voted first, then the other ten stepped up to vote yes too to try and give them some sort of fig leaf.
He has said that he won't endorse anyone in the primary.
/johnny
“I wonder if now Ted will come out and campaign for one of Cornyn’s primary opponents.
He has said that he won’t endorse anyone in the primary.”
Yes he said that some time ago, but this is now and read what he said about RINOs in article
Personally, I like the idea of having TED CRUZ becoming the Senior Senator from Texas.
Eventually, I would love to see him become Senate Majority Leader.
I believe that is the very best place for Senator Cruz at this point in time.
“Personally, I like the idea of having TED CRUZ becoming the Senior Senator from Texas.
Eventually, I would love to see him become Senate Majority Leader.
I believe that is the very best place for Senator Cruz at this point in time.”
Yes, as much as I would like to see him run for POTUS, we need his fighting kind on the hill instead of the likes of McConnell and Boehner
That is the big news. It indicates that Collins and Murky are taking some heat at home and are tiring of being played for saps to give the leadership cover.
What Ted has done with his filibuster threats is campaigning for Cornyn's primary opponents. All part of the plan.
To be perfectly honest, I do not think that TED CRUZ should run for POTUS. He has no executive experience to speak of and has only been in the Senate for a year.
I hate to say this, but we have already been down this road and the results have been a disaster.
Honestly, I do not think having a Senator in the White House is a good idea.
That’s just my opinion, though.
I called Cornyn’s Austin office and left a very unfriendly message. Tried later and seems like his voice mail is full or busy. One thing I told them was that there are a lot of people trying to ensure his retirement before the general election.
I also told them he may as well take that ad off the radio that says “I stand up to 0 bummer every time”. Conservative, my horses butt. He is nothing but some chicken excrement.
I think it’s interesting how this lead paragraph was written.
McConnell and Cornyn didn’t spurn Cruz, they spurned their constituents and the American people. Cruz knows that, and hopefully everyone in Texas and Kentucky will know it soon as well.
These two rats, McConnell and Cornyn, like sneaking around in the dark and letting other people due their dirty work for them so they can lie about how they would vote.
They got caught, did not have enough votes to have it passed so they were brought kicking and screaming and exposed themselves.
Who would be your choice?
My top three in no particular order. Sarah Palin. James Mattis. Scott Walker.
you said “Yes, as much as I would like to see him run for POTUS, .....”
I agree with the first part, but Cruz is not eligible to the office of president. He was born in CANADA. He should not ever run for POTUS. The Democrat Party (as well as some Republicans) will use this against him, (as they should).
Obama has a fake birth certificate from Hawaii.
Cruz has a REAL birth certificate from Canada!
They will say, “At least Obama was BORN in the USA”.
They get caught all the time, but do people in TX and KY see. NO
I wonder if now Ted will come out and campaign for one of Cornyn’s primary opponents.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Probably not in the Primary, but I’m thinking he will in the run-off. Ted has ba**s. Could you see Ted touring the State with Cornyn’s Primary opponent and doing TV and Radio Ads. Oh, hell yeah.
“Collins, Mookowski and the other Senate GOP-E hacks...” Forced McConnell and Cornyn to vote for cloture.
That’s the ‘big’ story here IMO.
After forcing them to damage their reelection chances then the ‘moderates’ voted- or changed their vote- to support cloture.
Not to provide a fig leaf for Mitch but for their backstabbing.
Cruz really pulled the curtain from the Kabuki show this time.
That explanation, though common, makes no sense.
After all they DID vote for cloture so they didn’t avoid any ‘heat’.
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