Posted on 10/14/2013 9:16:36 PM PDT by kristinn
Sen. Ted Cruz met with roughly 15 to 20 House Republicans for roughly two hours late Monday night at the Capitol Hill watering hole Tortilla Coast.
The group appeared to be talking strategy about how they should respond to a tentative Senate deal to reopen the government and raise the debt ceiling without addressing Obamacare in a substantive way, according to sources who witnessed the gathering. The Texas Republican senator and many of House Republicans in attendance had insisted on including amendments aimed at dismantling Obamacare in the continuing resolution that was intended to avert the current shutdown.
Sources said the House Republicans meeting in the basement of Tortilla Coast with Cruz were some of the most conservative in the House: Reps. Louie Gohmert of Texas, Steve King of Iowa, Jim Jordan of Ohio, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Raúl Labrador of Idaho, Steve Southerland of Florida, Mark Meadows of North Carolina, and Justin Amash of Michigan.
The group is a collection of members who have often given leadership headaches in recent years by opposing both compromise measures as well as packages crafted by fellow Republicans. And, it seems, leadership unwittingly became aware of the meetup.
While the dinner meeting was held in a private basement room, the group was spotted by Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who was dining with some other members, including Gregg Harper, R-Miss. McCarthy is a regular at the Capitol Hill watering hole, and a source said he seemed particularly interested in what the group was up to.
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.rollcall.com ...
LOL.
Peter King is going to raging maaaad.
GO Senator Cruz!!!!!
Don’t do it. Lucy will pull the football away again
Interesting as Tom seems to be keeping his powder dry as he runs for the Senate (had a Juan endorsement for his House run)....
“and a source said he seemed particularly interested in what the group was up to.”
Stay the hell out of our affairs, Whiplash. You’re a nobody.
Cruz has been given the torch now, and if necessary, we’ll decapitate the entire House leadership with primary threats for swing members.
Glad to see conservatives getting together to discuss what our next move is. Surrounded by traitors 24/7, it must be good to get away and be among like-minded people.
He’s playing his cards right.
Hahaha. Roll Call is so pathetic...this reads like a bad spy novel..Kevin McCarthy was particularly interested in what they had to say...didnt it occur to Roll Call that Cruz met here on purpose so that everyone could see them in the “popular watering hole”?...I love how Ted just keeps poking these squishes right in the eye...
That’s a lot of talent.
Hope he’s convincing them to send a passable, though conservative, debt lmit bill to the Senate.
Fight on !
I’ve eaten there.
The chips and salsa are excellent.
Good choice.
From Cruz’s standpoint it seems difficult to disagree with the filibuster point that the article makes, especially considering that the Oct. 17 deadline would seem to be a Pyrrhic victory since major federal payments are reportedly not due until Nov. 1. If this is correct, then the House could in theory deliberate on any Senate bill and bat the ball back to the Senate on Halloween eve. What is good for the goose...
So what was McCarthy's secret meeting about?
Ron Johnson didn't vote with Cruz, but with Dingy.
" The deal that is materializing in the Senate is one that Cruz and his House compatriots are unlikely to endorse. But it appears to be one that can pass both chambers with bipartisan support.
" Of course, Cruz and his allies in the Senate could decide to attempt a filibuster of the deal, but doing so would likely push any Senate vote on final passage past the Thursday deadline to raise the debt ceiling. That would mean Cruz and his allies would bear the brunt of any political consequences that might come from a default, including a potential dramatic downturn in the stock market and/or the world economy. Conversely, allowing the deal to move through the Senate without a fight could cost Cruz his pugnacious conservative credentials.
" But from the genesis of the fight to link government funding to defunding Obamacare, Cruz has primarily tried to keep the pressure on, and the fight in, the House."
Ted Cruz Ping!
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I think he can be co-opted. He’s pretty solid on a lot of issues (actually tested, unlike Johnson).
Going to this meeting (when he could just as easily not have) may be a sign that he sees which way the wind is blowing.
Tom Cotton is probably reporting back the details of the meeting
directly to McCain.
One can only hope...
Spot on!!
More likely Cotton attended to report directly back to McCain.
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