Republican Rivalry Simmers as Paths and Styles Diverge

NY Times ^ | November 1, 2013 | JONATHAN MARTIN

[SoConPubbie]

DES MOINES — Senator Ted Cruz calls his colleague Rand Paul a “good friend.” The two men are the stars of the Tea Party movement, propelled to Washington by activist fervor and allied in their effort to restrain the reach of the federal government.

But when Mr. Cruz went to New York City to meet with donors this summer, he privately offered a different view of Mr. Paul: The Kentucky senator can never be elected president, he told them, because he can never fully detach himself from the strident libertarianism of his father, former Representative Ron Paul of Texas.

Word of Mr. Cruz’s remarks reached Mr. Paul’s inner circle, touching off anger and resentment.

And the incident further inflamed a rivalry that has been quietly building as the Republican Party tries to grapple with the force and power of its Tea Party wing.

. . . .

Mr. Cruz and his aides believe he is uniquely suited to galvanize conservatives, pointing to his leadership of the effort to cut off funding for the Affordable Care Act — confrontational, pugnacious, disdainful of President Obama. Mr. Cruz, 42 — a Texan, a born-again Baptist and son of an evangelical preacher — also connects naturally with Christian conservatives, many of whom have become foot soldiers in the Tea Party and view Mr. Paul as too unorthodox on social issues.

Mr. Paul’s inner circle privately derides Mr. Cruz as “the chief of the wacko birds,” echoing a phrase from Senator John McCain of Arizona. And, while allowing Mr. Cruz to lead the charge on Obamacare, the Kentucky senator has quietly been reaching out to more establishment forces within the Republican Party, trying to prove to big donors and mainline Republican organizations that he is more than a Tea Party figure

[SoConPubbie]

	"If we must have an enemy at the head of Government, let it be one whom we can oppose, and for whom we are not responsible, who will not involve our party in the disgrace of his foolish and bad measures." - Alexander Hamilton "We don't intend to turn the Republican Party over to the traitors in the battle just ended. We will have no more of those candidates who are pledged to the same goals as our opposition and who seek our support. Turning the Party over to the so-called moderates wouldn’t make any sense at all." -- President Ronald Reagan "A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice." - Thomas Paine 1792 "It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." - Samuel Adams "If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams

[SoConPubbie]

Ted Cruz Ping!

If you want on/off this ping list, please let me know.

Please beware, this is a high-volume ping list!

Beware the source, NY Times!

[Cringing Negativism Network]

Lots of time before the next election.

Just keep talking about both of them.

:D

[Paladin2]

Dr. Paul is wrong on any number of issues.

POTUS he will not be.

[SoConPubbie]

Just keep talking about both of them.

Unless Rand Paul walks back, completely, his Amnesty plan, he does not deserve, nor should he be, POTUS.

[a fool in paradise]

Romney is insisting that Chris Christie is like himself, the “Republican” governor of a liberal stronghold and “the most electable” Republican candidate.

Why would Democrats vote for Democrat lite?
Why would Republicans vote for Democrat lite?

None of it makes any sense. And the “most electable” candidate who said that was neither elected in 2012 nor did he choose “the new most electable” as his running mate (who did everything he could to trumpet the praises of Obama in October/November 2012).

[Cringing Negativism Network]

Well yeah.

I’m not actually for Ron Paul either.

Just saying. Lots of time to work out details.

[sickoflibs]

The 2016 election is far away so instead of the usual popularity contest how about Paul and Cruz compete against each other and show us how effective they are at beating Obama in fights. by getting him to back down, or his members in congress to turn on him in votes?

Not excuses but actually beating him?
Got ~ 2 years or more.

[txrefugee]

So noble of the NY Slimes to worry about Ted Cruz’s political future. This waste of ink was an excuse to keep Obama’s stinking failures off their front page, no doubt, but who even buys this worthless rag?

[Graewoulf]

” - - - While Mr. Paul was overheard on a hot mike plotting strategy with Mr. McConnell, Mr. Cruz was receiving tongue-lashings from his Republican colleagues at private senators-only luncheons. - - - “

Yup! We know!

Randy-boy is perfecting Cave-In tips from Son-of-a-Mitch, while Cruz is being energized by the vile remarks of the Democrat’s Republicans.

2014 is going to be a GREAT upset election for the sorry Congressional RINOs !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[skeeter]

The NYT would rather we not focus on the total wacko leftwing radicalism that has become mainstream in the democrat party.

[Twotone]

Leave it to the NY Slimes to try to start a war between Rand Paul & Ted Cruz. Shear stupidity if they let them get away with it.

[freedom1st]

I like both Senators Cruz & Paul, but there is nothing “wacko” about Ted Cruz. The left is falsely trying to label him. It won’t work.

[duffee]

I don’t have to agree with a candidate on every issue but amnesty would be a surrender of our Constitutional Republic and our country.

[Georgia Girl 2]

Cruz or Paul either one is fine with me. I am hoping Paul does walk back his amnesty plan. Other than that I am fine with him.

But do not expect the GOP establishment to go gently into that good night. They will fight tooth and nail to nominate somebody like Crispy Kreme, Paul Ryan, Jeb Bush et al.

Remember how we got Mitt? Did any of us really want Mitt in the beginning? I didn’t want Mitt in 2008. I didn’t want Mitt in 2012 but somehow by August I was cheering for him at the National Republican Convention. This what always happens.

So lets keep our head this time and not let the elites pick our candidate for us.

[Vigilanteman]

Exactly. Conservatives need to unite on a candidate sooner rather than later. Rick Santorum could have been the nominee if Newt had gracefully bowed out after losing Florida. Even after losing two southern states to Santorum on the same day, he still hung on for ego's sake.

Would Santorum have done better than Romney? Hard to say. But I don't see how he could have done worse.

[LibLieSlayer]

Exactly.

[AllAmericanGirl44]

No kidding, who writes this tripe? And really, who believes it? If they are going to drive a wedge between Cruz supports and Paul supporters, it would aid their grand plan to name names of who said what.

This is more show for the LIV’s, imho.