Posted on 02/04/2016 12:48:03 PM PST by Hojczyk
New audio obtained exclusively by Breitbart News indicates that as the Iowa caucuses began on Monday night, the campaign called precinct captains informing them that Dr. Ben Carson was suspending campaigning, and instructing them to tell voters they should “not waste a vote on Ben Carson and vote for Ted Cruz.â€
The calls were placed after the Carson campaign had already clarified that Carson was not suspending his campaign.
Nancy Bliesman, a precinct captain for Cruz in Crawford County, Iowa, told Breitbart News that she received two voice mails–one at 7:07 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST), and one at 7:29 p.m.–on the night of the Iowa caucuses, which began at 7:00 p.m.
The first call came from a woman with a phone number out of Galveston, Texas at 7:07 p.m. (transcript follows audio):
[inaudible]…from the Ted Cruz campaign, calling to get to a precinct captain, and it has just been announced that Ben Carson is taking a leave of absence from the campaign trail, so it is very important that you tell any Ben Carson voters that for tonight, uh, that they not waste a vote on Ben Carson, and vote for Ted Cruz. He is taking a leave of absence from his campaign. All right? Thank you. Bye.
The second voicemail was left at 7:29 p.m. from an Iowa phone number that Breitbart News traced back to a Cruz campaign volunteer hotline.
Hello, this is the Cruz campaign with breaking news: Dr. Ben Carson will be [garbled] suspending campaigning following tonights caucuses. Please inform any Carson caucus goers of this news and urge them to caucus for Ted instead. Thank you. Good night.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
OH MY GOD. It is my opinion, that is all. Has nothing to do with Carson or Cruz. Politics is a blood sport. It would make no sense for someone to drop out of the race in the middle of the voting day. Do you want to argue with me instead.
That’s right, Rubio will sneak in as long as there’s a Cruz v. Trump feud going on. From what I see Trump = Gingrich, Cruz = Santorum, Romney = Rubio. Don’t let it work again.
It is one thing to exchange accusations and rhetoric between candidates while in a debate or at a rally or on the campaign trail ... There is opportunity and time to give rebuttal.
But it is quite a different matter to spread a rumor that your opponent is quitting, dropping out of, or suspending their campaign, while a caucus is in progress - and telling the attendees to switch their votes to your guy.
The equivocation you Cruz people attempt is off the rails.
No, we have a problem with those who pretend to be perfect Christians, or else without sin, while they point fingers at the faults of others ...
Only to discover that the “oh so pure and holy” is no better than any other lying gutter snipe that crawls out of the political sewer pipe.
I would to to have names of people who switched their votes as a result. Not internet rumors; but names and precincts of individuals who switched. Bet there aren't many.
As I posted before; everyone was supposed to be inside by 7:00. We voted by 8:00 at mine. Hard to see how this information would have gotten to many people; even realizing many people have smart phones.
It appears many here are missing the point, which is that Cruz, or his staff, took a reported story and ADDED to it in a way that created a narrative totally out of sync with the truth - i.e.: they LIED ... On the campaign trail or during a debate or a rally, that may be done, but there is the opportunity to refute and correct ... However, in the situation of an ongoing caucus, where votes are being cast, no such opportunity exists, or else the situation presents a minimal opportunity to correct the lie.
It is not about whether Trump may have gained x, y, or x in votes ... It is the fact that a man who proclaims himself an honest broker, a man above reproach, a Senator who was brazen enough to publicly shame the leader of the Senate for lying (and deservedly so) yet has the temerity to deny any wrongdoing in what was an obvious conspiracy to defraud his opponent of votes.
For some reason, the black an white issue of corrupted ethics that this duplicity demonstrates seem foreign to most Cruz supporters on FR.
You’ve got play-doh between the ears ... Go back to your sandbox, little boy.
You don’t know that, you cannot know that.
Come on, use some common sense.
The professional politicians, the insiders, Cruz and Rubio, snookered the non-politician outsiders Trump and Carson. Cruz and Rubio have apparently been to slimy politician school. Trump learns quickly though...you can bet none of this crap will happen in any other state.
You are correct. He only said he was 'considering' dropping out after Iowa.
They did. They said not to waste your vote on CARSON and to vote for CRUZ.
Confucious say: Wisdom is in knowing, and not saying.
The ANSWER no one wants to hear. But it is the truth.
He never clarified he was not suspending his campaign
The voice mails never said he was dropping out.
What deceit?
Oh yes they did.
They said he was suspending his campaigning, which was never reported by CNN.
They made the leap, they took it to the next step.
What lie. Please tell us.
“He never clarified he was not suspending his campaign”
Let’s be frank. Ted has a creepy, sleezy, ends-justifies-the-means side.
It’s now been demonstrated over and over. The man imitates Reagan while channeling Nixon in his actions.
That you can try to justify this sleeze by making that statement says as much about you as Ted.
busTed.
What lie?
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