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Senate Republicans need to decide who their real leader is
Washington Examiner ^ | 12/15/2014

Posted on 12/15/2014 9:46:05 AM PST by SeekAndFind

For all of their foresight on other matters, America's founders were somewhat taken aback by the natural development of political parties. It happened anyway, even during George Washington's presidency. And although party ideology has fallen along different lines at various points in American history, it has long governed the allegiance of a majority of American voters in elections.

In legislative matters, party ideology takes the form of the modern party caucus system. In order to achieve their goals, partisan lawmakers collaborate, choose leaders, and agree on strategies in advance.

On Saturday, lawmakers demonstrated why this system evolved and is necessary. Two conservative senators, Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Mike Lee, R-Utah, discarded the caucus system and put their own tactical plan into action without warning. It did not prove helpful to their cause.

Cruz and Lee derailed a bipartisan agreement on procedure Friday night. Their actions removed the only major obstacle to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., confirming several minor Obama nominations that Republicans strongly opposed. Because Republicans lacked the votes to block the nominations in question, their best and only leverage was to insist on the use of all debate time, running out the clock on the lame duck Congress. It seemed likely that Democratic senators would not tolerate losing their Christmas just so that Obama could get his surgeon general confirmed.

Cruz's and Lee's parliamentary freelancing gave Reid all he needed to advance the schedule by two full days and guarantee the confirmation of these nominations. In exchange for making Reid's job easy on ramming the nominations through, all Cruz and Lee got was a symbolic floor vote against Obama's executive action on immigration. It drew the support of only 22 senators.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: republicans; senate; tedcruz
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1 posted on 12/15/2014 9:46:05 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

There is a natural division between right and wrong.

I think God has a bit of humor in his guidance, and it’s no accident that we are referred to as ‘ring wingers’.


2 posted on 12/15/2014 9:49:59 AM PST by Balding_Eagle (The Gruber Revelations are proof that God is still smiling on America.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Lay the blame on Boehner, not Cruz and Lee. John Boehner IS the problem.


3 posted on 12/15/2014 9:51:58 AM PST by Ray76 (Who gave the stand down order? Benghazi? Ferguson?)
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To: SeekAndFind

The House and Senate GOP have just decided who their ‘real leader’ is.

Our First Dictator, His Heinous - Barrack Hussein Obama.

That is whom the GOP just endorsed as their leader.


4 posted on 12/15/2014 9:53:53 AM PST by INVAR ("Fart for liberty, fart for freedom and fart proudly!" - Benjamin Franklin)
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To: SeekAndFind

House does too


5 posted on 12/15/2014 9:54:52 AM PST by b4its2late (A Liberal is a person who will give away everything he doesn't own.)
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To: SeekAndFind
Their actions removed the only major obstacle to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., confirming several minor Obama nominations that Republicans strongly opposed.

That's a lie. Reid was going to do it anyway this week, and McConnell and the GOP-E were "hoping" that he might reconsider in the spirit of "bi-partnership."

Cruz and Lee just flushed them all of out the bushes (no pun intended).

6 posted on 12/15/2014 9:55:22 AM PST by Timber Rattler (Just say NO! to RINOS and the GOP-E)
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To: Timber Rattler
"bi-partisanship."

Stupid Android autocorrect!

7 posted on 12/15/2014 9:56:11 AM PST by Timber Rattler (Just say NO! to RINOS and the GOP-E)
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To: SeekAndFind

I think that the GOP has demonstrated quite clearly to whom it is loyal and to whom it is not.

It is now time for conservatives to demonstrate that they understand the difference between a hostile enemy and a friend.

The lesser of two evils excuse doesn’t apply anymore, especially seeing that the GOP is, in fact, the greater of two evils.


8 posted on 12/15/2014 9:58:19 AM PST by chris37 (heartless)
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To: Ray76

McConnell is the dufus Republican Senate minority leader right now.

If only he could be replaced to be the Majority leader by Cruz.

This article seeks to undermine Cruz/Lee based on two nominations. Never mind the 25-40 million illegals the bill will fund being legalized.

Effort FAIL!


9 posted on 12/15/2014 9:58:21 AM PST by DoughtyOne (The question is Jeb Bush. The answer is NO!)
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To: SeekAndFind

I know who it should not be.

Mitch McConnell or John Cornyn or Orrin Hatch.

I’ll take Ted Cruz any day at all.


10 posted on 12/15/2014 9:59:36 AM PST by bestintxas (Every time a RINO is defeated a Founding Father gets his wings.)
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To: SeekAndFind

From what I can tell, only 1 senator attempted to fight back against Obama’s amnesty decree.


11 posted on 12/15/2014 10:05:05 AM PST by TexasCajun
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To: SeekAndFind

Nancy Boehner showed just what a Obama Pajama Boi he is!


12 posted on 12/15/2014 10:06:18 AM PST by TexasCajun
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To: DoughtyOne

Roger that. McConnell and Boehner need to go.


13 posted on 12/15/2014 10:07:46 AM PST by Ray76 (Who gave the stand down order? Benghazi? Ferguson?)
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To: SeekAndFind

Money and power, pure and simple.


14 posted on 12/15/2014 10:09:25 AM PST by Patriot777 (Imagine....that we could see Obama being hauled out of the White House kicking and screaming?)
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To: Patriot777

B.O. is their real leader.


15 posted on 12/15/2014 10:19:10 AM PST by Confiscator
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To: Ray76

The real blame is on the morons who keep voting for Rhinos expecting them to behave better than libs!


16 posted on 12/15/2014 10:19:10 AM PST by Confiscator
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To: SeekAndFind

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/gop-cuts-spending-deal-yes-obamas-amnesty-thru-least-feb-27-no-light


17 posted on 12/15/2014 10:23:22 AM PST by Sacajaweau
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To: SeekAndFind

I’m beginning to think that their leader is Marx.


18 posted on 12/15/2014 10:29:29 AM PST by Theodore R. (Liberals keep winning; so the American people must now be all-liberal all the time.)
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To: Ray76

Notice that all of the commentators criticizing Cruz and Lee now for forcing congress out into the open and on the record had nary a harsh word for Boehner when he gave the democrats control of the budget for another year, in spite of the midterm mandate.


19 posted on 12/15/2014 10:36:15 AM PST by skeeter
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To: Timber Rattler

And there is a article here that says he is threatening work this weekend to get the rest through? http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3237441/posts.

I really don’t like some of the pundits on our side. They are weak, lie, misdirect and show their true colors when push comes to shove. So upset.


20 posted on 12/15/2014 10:40:59 AM PST by hotsteppa
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