Posted on 06/25/2015 6:44:02 PM PDT by Isara
In a speech on the Senate floor and written statement, Ted Cruz used some interesting language to describe his opposition to the Supreme Court's ruling that upheld a key provision of the Affordable Care Act.
"Robed Houdinis" to describe the justices, who "hide their prevarication in legalese." The cloaked illusionists, as Cruz called them, "transmogrified a ‘federal exchange’ into an exchange ‘established by the State.' "
Cruz chose the word transmogrified for two reasons -- its meaning, which is to change, and because it is a sly shout-out to one of his favorite comic strips, "Calvin and Hobbes."
In the strip, Calvin creates a transmogrifier from a cardboard box that is turned upside down.
"You step into the chamber, set the appropriate dials, and it turns into whatever you'd like to be," a strip from 1987 reads. "It's amazing what they can do with corrugated cardboard," Hobbes replies.
The transmogrifier, and transmogrification, appear in other strips. Calvin later employs a portable version of the transmogrifier, modeled on a water gun.
Cruz's use of the word was very intentional.
"I’m a huge Calvin & Hobbes fan -- Bill Watterson is a comic genius -- and the reference was very much intentional. Since Chief Justice Roberts doesn't possess Calvin's transmogrifier, he shouldn't be trying to change the words of federal statutes," Cruz said in a statement.
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(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
How can you not love a Calvin and Hobbs fan.
Rush Limbaugh also snapped up the term.
I was a huge Calvin and Hobbes fan as a kid. Speaking of made up inventions, this reminds me of the Hogan’s Heroes episode Klink vs the Gonculator.
Considering the courts are entertaining fantasy to keep Hussein’s UnAffordable Care act live, any criticism is valid.
BAN HUAC!!!
Mr. niteowl77
How can we get that POTUS into that box?
You transmogrify, then you play calvinball.
“transmogrification”
Wonderful word for the Obama world view and domestic policy transformation.
since they make up the rules as they go and words no longer have any meaning, it's more like 
I perfer calling what the SCOTUS is doing what it is....Newspeak
from 0bamacare to SCOTUScare...
Yeah I think obamacare is more like Calvinball. It started out as what - 300 pages, and now goes to the ceiling?
oh. yeah.
You must love Calvin. And Hobbes.
Only the humorless could not. Only the progs.
I know Limbaugh has been using the word on his show almost since he started
Big C&H fan. But for the first time in my adult life, I’m ashamed of my country.
Umm, the Supreme Court plays Calvinball with the law. It doesn’t use a Transmogrifier.
Huge shout out to Cruz, though. Calvin and Hobbes was one of the sharpest and wittiest strips of all time.
Yeah, that and the term "disgronificator," as well.
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