Posted on 02/19/2014 4:18:55 PM PST by servo1969
A leading tea party intellectual has turned against the tea party movement’s favorite senator.
Economist Thomas Sowell, who has long been revered among conservatives, has slammed Sen. Ted Cruz in his last two columns, accusing the Texas Republican of being self-serving and comparing him to President Obama.
“Freshman Senator Ted Cruz says many things that need to be said and says them well,” Sowell wrote in his syndicated column Tuesday, before going on to compare Cruz to President Obama. “Moreover, some of these things are what many, if not most, Americans believe wholeheartedly. Yet we need to remember that the same was true of another freshman Senator, just a relatively few years ago, who parlayed his ability to say things that resonated with the voters into two terms in the White House.”
Sowell continued, suggesting Cruz is only looking out for himself.
“Senator Ted Cruz has not yet reached the point where he can make policy, rather than just make political trouble,” Sowell wrote. “But there are already disquieting signs that he is looking out for Ted Cruz — even if that sets back the causes he claims to be serving.”
Sowell seems to have been most recently irked by Cruz’s actions surrounding the Senate vote to increase the debt ceiling. Cruz threatened to filibuster, forcing several Republicans to either vote for cloture or force a fight over the debt ceiling increase. Republican leaders were seeking to avoid such a politically-risky fight and another possible government shutdown in order to focus on the failures of Obamacare heading in to the 2014 midterm elections.
“Senator Cruz’s filibuster last year got the Republicans blamed for shutting down the government — and his threatened filibuster this year forced several Republican Senators to jeopardize their own reelection prospects by voting to impose cloture, to prevent Cruz from repeating his self-serving grandstand play of last year,” Sowell wrote in his Wednesday column. “The Republicans need every vote they can get in the Senate — plus additional votes by defeating some Democrats who are running for the Senate this fall. It can be a very close call. Jeopardizing the reelection of current Republican Senators is an act of utter irresponsibility, a high risk with zero benefits to anyone except Ted Cruz — and the Democrats.”
In his Wednesday column, Sowell also lashed out against the so-called Republican establishment.
“However unjustified Senator Cruz’s actions, the very fact that a freshman Senator can so quickly gain so many supporters, with so much enthusiasm, ought to be a loud warning to the Republican establishment that they have long been a huge disappointment to a wide range of Republican voters and supporters,” he wrote.
You mean after Tokyo Rove and the GOPe did their best to defeat these ladies don't you?
Being skeptical is good, but casting aspersions on the character of someone like Thomas Sowell, who was fighting conservatism’s battles when you (likely) were a toddler is something quite different.
Sowell’s doing it himself. Did you read either article? He’s trying to save a party overrun with liberals.
If not no; When?
If not us; Who?
Sorry to have to use a quote from a Democrat, but we don't have a GOPe that can say it with a straight face.
So he should be criticized for doing the right thing?
I hope you understand that this paraphrase was my attempt to summarize Sowell’s arguement.
He sees both sides as being responsible for the weakened ability to challenge and win. We are ineffectual and weak and rather than unify and gather strength, we are having an internal fight for direction.
We are violating that old stricture about “dividing our forces in the face of the enemy” in this political battle.
He relishes this seperation and beats each half in detail.
What’s the “right thing” in this context?
The GOP is a liberal party and not worth defending.
Can’t you have a discussion without name-calling?
I am nt being ‘squichy’.
Sowell is one of the most brilliant minds out there. This article from him about Cruz is very surprising, to say the least. The fact that he is getting flak all over for it tells you a lot of other people are surprised too.
But that is all there is to it- it is surprising and curious, from a usually right-on-target writer. In fact this may be the FIRST thing he ever wrote I have not agreed with.
Ah, got it. One of the libertarians. Good to know.
Let me know when they win an election for anything.
Single payer can stay solvent simply by rationing care, which is the ultimate goal of single payer.
Amazingly, this will be the first time the Feebs have ever acknowledged that we should not spend money we don't have.
How would you feel about the opposing defensive coach being in on all offensive huddles?
In case you’ve been missing things, it’s not just the libertarians saying this. There is a large contingent of libertarians, rather, that think the GOP worth defending.
But keep putting party over country and see where it gets us. The “win an election” rhetoric says it all. Lest any forgot, the Tea Party won the 2010 election, and abandoning the Tea Party lost the 2012 one.
Never mind misidentifying the dividers.
I’m far less concerned with Ted Cruz being arguably “self-serving” than I am pleased that he is steadfast in his love of the Constitution.
My observation is that the two wings, the Establishment Republicans and the newly elected solid conservatives had settled in to their fighting positions over the last four months. They are almost comfortable with this fight instead of the the battle that needs to be waged.
Sowell, hardly ever this direct, has slapped both in the face, rhetorically, and we shall see if it has any impact.
I did not call you a name. I said your opinion was squishy.
It was.
Expressing an opinion on a subject by saying you don't know whether or not you agree with it is a "squishy" opinion. If you think that is "name calling", then you have a pretty squishy idea about what is or is not an ad-hominem attack.
“...casting aspersions on the character of someone like Thomas Sowell...
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The linked article includes the words “...Thomas Sowell turns...”. In intelligence jargon, “turn” has a very specific meaning. If you consider it “casting aspersions” to simply point out THE TRUTH that Sowell has suddenly begun attacking (and his words do constitute an “attack” whether you want to believe it or not) Ted Cruz than so be it. And Sowell is using some of the arguments that are advanced in GOPe “talking points” (and, believe me, they exist). It is something of a mystery as to why Sowell has “TURNED” in regard to Cruz, but TURN he has-—whether you accept that or not. Cruz has been, and continues to be, VERY effective with his tactics; and the GOP establishment and their DemocRat counterparts fear him mightily.
Senator Cruz’s filibuster last year got the Republicans blamed for shutting down the government—and his threatened filibuster this year forced several Republican Senators to jeopardize their own reelection prospects by voting to impose cloture, to prevent Cruz from repeating his self-serving grandstand play of last year. …Total mischaracterization. How could a filibuster get the Republicans blamed for the actions of the Democrats?
The Republicans need every vote they can get in the Senate—plus additional votes by defeating some Democrats who are running for the Senate this fall. It can be a very close call. Jeopardizing the reelection of current Republican Senators is an act of utter irresponsibility, a high risk with zero benefits to anyone except Ted Cruz—and the Democrats. …Putting party over country. Even in the case of “needed” votes, how does that explain the deliberate actions of the GOP-e in voting the other way (with the liberal Democratic agenda) instead of standing firm on conservative ground? After all, the latter is what they were voted in for—and the Democrats never, ever worry about voting party line when they are in the minority.
And Ann Coulter is now singing from the same GOPe “talking points” song book. Hell, they’re even in “harmony” and well orchestrated—the RINO Protective League Glee Club.
Analogy is apt enough. We have many old GOPe that cam in on Reagan's Coat tails and they were truly dimocrats, Trent Lott being one that stands out, and then there was Snarlin Arlen.
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