Posted on 09/20/2013 3:37:47 AM PDT by nikos1121
Even among Republicans, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas is one of Washington’s most divisive figures. Activists love him, but leadership staffers and many of his colleagues can’t stand him — especially his latest effort to connect a government-spending bill with the defunding of Obamacare. After a Senate luncheon on Tuesday, several Republicans told me they’re tired of Cruz’s campaign, and one senator, after rolling his eyes, called it a “Passion play.”
The internecine tensions spilled over to the House on Wednesday, when a group of Republicans knocked Cruz on Twitter for appearing to back down from the defunding fight. Speaker John Boehner had just decided to bring a Cruz-inspired bill to the floor, and instead of rallying the Senate, Cruz issued a statement that left the burden of defunding Obamacare squarely on the lower chamber. “Harry Reid will no doubt try to strip the defund language from the continuing resolution, and right now he likely has the votes to do so,” Cruz said. “At that point, House Republicans must stand firm, hold their ground, and continue to listen to the American people.”
Of course, Cruz’s acknowledgement of the near-impossibility of passing a defunding bill through the Democratic-controlled Senate is an accurate reading of political reality. But House Republicans didn’t care; they were apoplectic with Cruz not only for laying the responsibility for defunding on them, but for making them seem weak. “If Cruz doesn’t help us in the Senate to pass a defunding bill, we’ll end up having to pass a normal CR,” complains a veteran House Republican. “It’ll be pathetic, but I expect him to slam us for it.”
House insiders say a handful of House Republicans cursed Cruz in the cloakroom on Wednesday, and a leadership source says angry e-mails were exchanged among GOP staffers who consider Cruz to be a charlatan. “Cruz keeps raising conservatives’ hopes, and then, when we give him what he wants, he doesn’t have a plan to follow through,” an aide fumes. “He’s an amateur.” Another aide says, “Nancy Pelosi is more well-liked around here.”
Cruz, however, tells me House Republicans are wrong to be infuriated. In an interview, he says his goal was never to whip together votes in the Senate for a defunding bill; it was always to inspire a grassroots uprising that would rattle Congress and President Obama, and hopefully defund Obamacare.
“I’m convinced there is a new paradigm in politics — the rise of the grassroots,” Cruz says. He cites Senator Rand Paul’s filibuster on drone policy, and the debates on Syria and gun control, as recent examples of how an “overwhelming” number of phone calls and e-mails from constituents can force the president to buckle.
“And on Obamacare, I’ve said, from the start, that if typical Washington rules apply, we can’t win this fight,” he explains. “If the forums in which we make this case consist of the smoke-filled rooms of Washington, the votes aren’t there. The only way this fight will be won is if the American people rise up and hold our elected officials accountable.”
Cruz says he “salutes” Boehner and House Republicans for moving forward with a vote on defunding, but he stands by his belief that one vote this week isn’t enough. “When I say the House needs to stand strong, it’s because the fight will be won or lost in the House of Representatives,” he says. “I can’t win this fight, and Mike Lee can’t win this fight,” but he believes the House GOP can.
Cruz’s advisers agree, and Chip Roy, his chief of staff, has pushed back hard against Cruz’s House critics. “Senator Cruz is doing what he said he would do when he came to Washington,” Roy tells me. “He promised to do everything he can to stop Obamacare before it begins hurting real people and further harms our economy.”
“His staff is working with whomever we can to achieve that goal, including House and Senate staff,” Roy adds. “For every story about a staffer grumbling behind the scenes, there are dozens of staffers who tell us how excited they are Senator Cruz is standing up to business as usual.”
For the moment, though, the divide between Cruz and his fellow Republicans is growing. House Republicans will pass their defund-CR bill on Friday, and it will head to a quick death in the Senate. Cruz may shrug off his detractors, but as the deadline for government funding nears, he has become a top target — not just for Democrats, but also for Republicans who want to pin the mess on him.
— Robert Costa is National Review’s Washington editor.
>> FOrget the Peter Kings
Hay, what the # yu talkin bout...
He’s an idiot. That’s right, the powerless, little guy said that...
Well stated. Ted stands against this:
“NIKITA KHRUSHCHEV QUOTE 9/29/1959]
REMEMBER THIS ?
Nikita Khrushchev September 29, 1959
Appeared before the U.N. AND BANGED HIS SHOE ON THE LECTERN?
“Your grandchildren will live under communism. “You Americans are so gullible. No, you won’t accept Communism outright; but we’ll keep feeding you small doses of Socialism until you will finally wake up and find that you already have Communism. We won’t have to fight you; we’ll so weaken your economy, until you fall like overripe fruit into our hands.”
Someone trained obama...........
Do any of these guys have better ideas? Or are they only interested in taking shots at Cruz because they resent the attention he gets?
I’m glad someone is standing up for America. I don’t expect to agree with everything he says, but at least he’s willing to push back against the congresscritter club. That’s more than I can say for 99% of them.
p.s. Where’s Rand Paul on this? Is he silent? Not getting any news coverage? Not fighting? Tired of fighting?
Name YOUR “presidential material”.
Name the person.
Then everyone else can just sit down and shut up.
Right?
Look what happens when you crash the establishment’s party. They get all bent out of shape when someone comes to Washington with the intent to change things as the voters expect them to do. I’m tired of the RINOS and the rest of the D.C. crowd. It angered me when I was listening to Rush this week and he mentioned that several of the richest counties in the country surround the nation’s capital. Yeah, what a shock. All of those tasty government contracts and the private companies in that area getting fat and wealthy at our expense. Limousine liberals feasting with our hard earned money. No wonder they hate Ted Cruz because he wants to break up their little monopoly.
House insiders say a handful of House Republicans cursed Cruz in the cloakroom on Wednesday, and a leadership source says angry e-mails were exchanged among GOP staffers who consider Cruz to be a charlatan. “Cruz keeps raising conservatives’ hopes, and then, when we give him what he wants, he doesn’t have a plan to follow through,” an aide fumes. “He’s an amateur.” Another aide says, “Nancy Pelosi is more well-liked around here.”
RINO establishment types who have no clue what the hell is going on outside of the hallowed halls of congress. Nancy Pelosi is the problem and these idiot moderate Republicans don’t want to accept that because they’re all one big happy establishment family and they don’t like it that Ted Cruz is there to break it up.
Have not watched him in years.
know your enemy
Sun Tzu
Trust me... he has a plan.
Also, I think this is good news. The more people trash him as they have been from both sides the better. I listen to that idiot Beckel talking about us like we’re crazies and I chuckle.
Ted Cruz will be the David... fighting everyone in DC...the Goliath....
In summary...what you say here in your posting is good news...
statements like the one you posted should be put up as a headline for all those who can’t understand what they’re supporting .
They bear repeating and often for all those who push , not bothered or want their open borders, homosexual marriage, lack of freedom of religion etc.
Amen manc! Thank you!
His voice bothers me. He also doesn’t have the look of lets say Paul Ryan. He’s like a kinder version of Jimmy Stewart. He looks more like your pastor rather than your Quarterback.
I don’t know...but you can say the same thing about Rand Paul, and the rest of them...
I’m hoping that his words, and his actions will grow on Americans. Hey, a week or two ago, Boehner was not in his court, now he seems to be a believer.
One more thing...I have this theory, that the guy with the best smile wins the presidency. I think Sarah would wipe up Hillary. Ted has decent smile, but not the knock out good looks, but then again, maybe he needs a good publicist, and make up man... and a little different hair do....
We have a long way to go...
What’s a lurker?
“What’s a lurker?”
Someone who reads but does not post. They outnumber posters on any given thread by about 10-1.
I’m an ex Democrat who saw the light and bailed on them. I just get angry seeing these stupid GOP establishment types who just want to play the game and get along with the Dems. This is such a golden opportunity to blow the Dems out of the water and these damn RINOS are running scared again !! Liberals always play the class warfare card and yet they themselves are the elitist, rich crowd who is out of touch with average Americans. Ted Cruz is a breath of fresh air and not a poser conservative like John McLame.
The current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue has presence. How’s that working out for the country? If we’re so concerned about a candidate’s looks, presence, and how he looks on TV then we’re no better than the low information crowd. That’s how they think. Some of you already have a defeatist attitude for Ted Cruz. Stop it!! He would mop the floor with Bill’s Wife and Uncle Joe in any debate. This lack of confidence even among Freepers is starting to piss me off. Conservatism has to prevail period. There is no other alternative. Our country’s continued economic viability and existence depends on our side!! Remember that everyone.
The presence which matters is the presence of Almighty God.
Some devoutly Christian candidates may get a bit chicken about asserting that, fearing the chorus of ravens that say “Nevermore” at some imaginary co-opting of the state by the church. Individual Christians acting like the lights they are, even when they serve in Caesar’s halls, is not the same thing as the church accepting an “opportunity” to own Caesar which will not turn out well for either the church or Caesar.
In specific, I hope he speaks well and explicitly of gospel based ministries while making it clear that they need to stay independent of government.
Just found the thread so perhaps this was addressed:
“Peter King said something to the effect, “I wish Ted Cruz would just shut up, and mind his own business. Stay the hell out of our business in the Senate, etc etc.”
Cruz is in the Senate, so, the business in the Senate is Cruz’s business.
Peter T King is in the House.
Another thing that should be done.The House should officially CENSURE the dims that walked out of the Benghazi Hearing as the family members of two of the Seals that were killed were getting ready to speak.
That was below despicable.
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