Team Carson furious with Cruz

The Hill ^ | 4 Feb 16 | Easley

[xzins]

Ben Carson and his closest advisers are going nuclear against Ted Cruz and his campaign for spreading false rumors that he intended to drop out ahead of the Iowa caucuses.

Carson's close friend and adviser Armstrong Williams told The Hill in an interview on Wednesdaythat the Cruz campaign’s tactics were 'nasty, brutal and deceitful.'

'We've been told all along that Cruz's operatives play dirty and were capable of this stuff, but Dr. Carson never believed it, he felt like they had a respectable operation,' Williams said. 'Now we see firsthand that having integrity just doesn't matter to them. It's about honor and character, either you have it or you don'.t'

Williams said he's certain that Cruz knew the rumors about him dropping out were false but says the Texas Republican allowed his underlings to spread it anyway.

'He's a pure politician and will do anything to win,' Williams said. 'It doesn't matter who he does it to, friend or foe, whatever it takes to win. Cruz has been running as an outsider and calling Hillary Clinton dishonest. Well, Cruz is the one running without honor or integrity, and this shows he's just like everyone else inside-the-beltway.'

Carson has demanded Cruz fire those responsible for spreading the rumor, but Cruz has said he won't do that.

"After all the candidates worked so hard, and Dr. Ben Carson had a staff member lose his life working towards this day, to have someone like Cruz and his people deceive and spread falsehoods is unconscionable," Williams said.

[dynoman]

"The Cruz camp made an assumption that was wrong prescient."

The Cruz camp made an assumption that was wrong prescient perfidious.

[ManHunter]

And why, pray tell, do you assume that any of the idiots who believed it voted for Cruz? It’s just as likely that their votes would go to another outsider, i.e., Trump.

[don-o]

Not into beating dead horses.

I’m guessing the Cruz people had some inside skinny from the Carson staffers who had already come on board to know the trajectory of Ben’s campaign.

And they are proving to be right as current events confirm.

[dynoman]

Yeah??

Gabriel made it up. I was a lie - which is why he tried to deleted it later.

[VanDeKoik]

“Carson needs to get over it. He was never a viable candidate.”

Yeah, how dare he get uppity like that.

Doesn’t he know Cruz is his better? He’s the consistent principled godly honest strong happy conservative warrior that was prophesied to user in God’s kingdom!

If Cruz wants to pull tricks, then in the name of the LORD he is within his mandate from heaven to do so!!!!!!!

[xzins]

Teddy DoWrong of the RCMP?

:>)

[RasterMaster]

Carson should put blame where it should be. There is only one person responsible for Carson's dismal finish...

His polling dropped like a stone after Trump attacked.

[lakecumberlandvet]

Common sense question: Would any Carson supporter change his/her vote based strictly on a rumor that Carson is dropping out? I think a reasonable person would check with someone from the Carson campaign for confirmation. Over 17k voters obviously weren’t negatively influenced by the rumor. I believe that Carson did intend to drop out of the race but decided to use this dust-up to regain some traction by playing the victim card.

[optiguy]

So CNN lied? Why not go after them?

[lancium]

I can’t believe Carson is still vying for Trumps VP slot...

[xzins]

But Trump didn’t take votes and delegates through chicanery.

If Cruz had called Carson a ‘quitter’ as a campaign attack, that’s a little bit different.

[Durbin]

Team Carson is the reason CNN got that schedule. . . . Which turned out to be true. Their salty attitude is starting to annoy me.

[halo66]

Carson getting out of the race was correct all along. If you think his campaign is sustainable that is your problem. No lies were ever committed...

ABC News Politics Verified account
‏@ABCPolitics

NEW: Ben Carson staff to cut more than 30 staff positions today, with more cuts expected after New Hampshire primary. -@KFaulders

[dynoman]

“Trump higher ethical ground? lol thats funny”

Cruz camp’s lies and gutter politics are the higher moral ground??

That’s how “principled” conservatives act on caucus night?

Denial is a dirty river running strong though the Cruz camp.

[DannyTN]

"why don’t we just throw the Constitution while you’re at it?"

By that do you mean, why don't I bring up that Cruz is not eligible?

[texas_mrs]

I think he's been on his way out for awhile.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/national/2015/12/carson_staffers_quit_question_his_readiness_for_white_house

[xzins]

JMHO....I don’t think Carson would go there, but Cruz is toast if Carson uses the race card.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

“Hows the weather out there in la la land?”

You’ll have to tell me.

I’m living in the real world, where I see the strengths and weaknesses of every candidate. In this instance, I wrote about the lack of ethics I am seeing in Ted Cruz.

I would not trust him after what I’ve seen.

[pgkdan]

And why, pray tell, do you assume that any of the idiots who believed it voted for Cruz?

What matters is who the slimeballs spreading the lie at the last minute were working for. I wasn't prepared to cast any blame on Cruz himself until I heard that he gave the go ahead to spread the lie and that following the disclosure of the dirty trick he failed to take any action within his campaign.

[Colofornian]

Guess you don't keep up on threads like this before claiming to speak with authority on a matter. From a FR thread YESTERDAY:

Limbaugh: Rubio Campaign To Blame for Carson Drop-Out Rumors

Quote from that article: According to Limbaugh, however, there are reports that the Rubio campaign is just as much to blame for spreading these rumors, trying to convince Carson supporters vote for Rubio."

Also, see my next post: to Xzins on this same topic.