Posted on 12/15/2014 5:50:09 PM PST by Jim Robinson
WASHINGTON - Stepping into an elevator on his way out of the U.S. Capitol Friday night, Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell - the next Senate Majority Leader - bid reporters farewell. "See you Monday," he said.
By agreement with Democrats, a budget showdown risking a potential government shutdown had been pushed back a couple of days, creating breathing room for senators in both parties while they made plans for a pre-holiday weekend.
Sen. Ted Cruz had other ideas.
In a maneuver that would put the junior Republican senator from Texas at the center of another high-stakes political drama, Cruz pressed a constitutional point of order to block funding for President Barack Obama's executive action on immigration.
The move, dismissed as futile by leaders in both parties, ignited an instant uproar in the halls of Congress, further burnishing Cruz's image as a tea party firebrand less concerned with pragmatic lawmaking than ideological warfare.
While the political wisdom of Cruz's action will long be debated, veteran GOP strategists said there is little doubt it would play well to the conservative base he needs to cultivate if he runs for president in 2016. At the same time, analysts say it could further damage his prospects for working to advance a constructive agenda with a new Republican leadership intent on shedding Congress' image of dysfunction.
"What's bad for him in Washington is good for him everywhere he needs to win to be the GOP nominee," said Steve Deace, a syndicated radio host based in Iowa, the first-in-the-nation presidential caucus state. "I don't think there are enough words in the English language that adequately describe how much Washington, D.C., is hated by everyone outside Washington, D.C."
(Excerpt) Read more at houstonchronicle.com ...
Go, Cruz, GO!
This is what leaders are made of. Principle and courage. McConnell is a dirty coward and will not be remembered for anything except for his actions that put the Republic in dire straits.
The reason why both the Democrats and the GOP are loathed by the American people is they’re a corrupt cartel whose only interest is serving the rich and powerful.
There’s not much love in the country for Washington’s insider politicians.
GO Ted Cruz!
I love this man
“The move, dismissed as futile by leaders in both parties,”
And there is the Problem right there, the so called leaders. Just because you are in charge does not mean you are a leader.
I vote Ted Cruz for Senate Majority Leader.
Yes. He’s the only one I’ll vote for in 2016.
“... further burnishing Cruz’s image as a tea party firebrand less concerned with pragmatic lawmaking than ideological warfare.”
You just have to chuckle at lines like that. Tell pray what do they call Obama’s executive amnesty and rule by fiat?
They won’t let non subscribers read it.
Yes, Si, Da and Qui!... What he said.
Jim, This great man is a hero. Schools should and will be named after him.He is a conservative. Bush,Romney, Christie Rubio are not conservatives. May God bless this man and God Bless America. NO CAPITULATION !! CRUSH THE RINOS!
Ted Cruz is right. And he votes like we want him to, not like the liars who said they were against ObamaCare and amnesty, and then voted for the Democrats’ 1.1 TRILLION budget that funded every Obama program. (Louisiana’s Cassidy should be renamed Judas, for betraying his voters less than a week after his election.)
So now, making sure Congress controls immigration policy, instead of the President, is ideological warfare???
PING!
The only true Reaganite! and one capable of winning!
Any GOP senator, or house member, who turns down and invite to join Cruz is making a bad bet
There is no way Cruz doesn’t gain momentum. Just an opinion, of course
Not so sure about Gowdy’s anti-amnesty credentials.
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