Posted on 11/30/2015 2:00:58 PM PST by Isara
Ted Cruz is being slammed for comments he made in Iowa over the weekend. Here's RawStory with a typical characterization:
In a frantic effort to pin blame on the Planned Parenthood terror attack on Friday on anyone but the anti-choice right, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said that Christian extremist Robert Louis Dear was "registered as an independent and a woman and transgendered leftist activist" at a press conference on Sunday.
The Texas Tribune reported on Cruz' attempt to distance his party and presidential campaign from the attack at a campaign stop in Newton, Iowa.
Sounds pretty bad. But did he really say that? I'm not so sure. Here's the Times:
Speaking to reporters in Newton, Iowa, Mr. Cruz said "we don't fully know the motivations of this deranged individual" in the shooting, which killed three people and wounded nine.
Mr. Cruz added, without prompting, that the suspected gunman, Robert L. Dear Jr., was "registered to vote as a woman." He suggested that there was "very little evidence" tying the shooting to anti-abortion sentiment, a cause frequently invoked by Mr. Cruz and his fellow Republicans in the presidential primary.
When a reporter cited news reports that Mr. Dear had said "no more baby parts" after he was apprehended, Mr. Cruz replied, "Well, it's also reported that he was registered as an independent and as a woman and a transgender leftist activist."
This construction was inartful, and, given how the media always reacts to such comments, it was naive. But I'm not convinced that it was "frantic" or that Cruz was "blaming" anybody. Cruz's team argues that their candidate was "not saying with certainty that the gunman was a 'transgender leftist activist,' but rather highlighting how little was known about him definitively." That rings true to me, especially given how keen Cruz was to label the murderer as "evil."
The Texas Tribune's reporting makes me even more skeptical:
"The media promptly wants to blame him on the pro-life movement when at this point there's very little evidence to indicate that," Cruz said.
When a reporter reminded Cruz it has been reported Dear made a comment about "baby parts" while being apprehended, Cruz retorted, "It's also been reported that he was registered as an independent and a woman and a transgendered leftist activist. If that's what he is, I don't think it's fair to blame on the rhetoric on the left. This is a murderer."
Cruz's claim appeared to be based on a voter registration form that lists Dear's gender as female. "We know that he was a man who was registered to vote as a woman," Cruz said.
Asked if we could call the shooting an act of domestic terrorism - as former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has - Cruz again urged caution about drawing conclusions from the shooting at this point.
"I would call it a murder, and we'll see what the facts are," Cruz replied. "It was a multiple murder of what appears to be a deranged individual. And it was horrific, it was evil, and we'll find out more out about the facts, but I don't think we should jump to conclusions."
"If that's what he is." "At this point." "We'll see what the facts are." "We'll find out more about the facts." "I don't think we should jump to conclusions." These are hardly the words of a man hoping to "pin" a crime on an innocent party. Inconvenient as it might be, we still don't actually know what happened in Colorado. What did we expect Cruz to say: "Boy, those pro-lifers are terrible, amirite"?
If there is a criticism to be made, it is that Cruz often comes across as a guy who is trying to impress the debate judges rather than to actually advance his message. That's a problem in a presidential candidate, sure. But it's a different problem than recklessness or dishonesty.
The evil of the leftist pols, media and their facebook mobs never cease to amaze me. I should be used to this by now. But seeing everyone who is not a liberal depicted as a crazed lunatic doesn’t get old for me. I newly load some more ammo.
Meanwhile the media is making sure that it protects hillary by not asking her the same embarassing questions that it asks Republicans.
The possessive of “Cruz” is not “Cruz’.”
It’s “Cruz’s.”
BTW: The plural of “Bush” is not “Bush’s.” The plural of “Clinton” is not “Clinton’s.”
In other words, he used the exact same wording that the journalist addressing him used.
I hope the Senator does not backtrack.
I'm glad he's defending Ted. A little consistency would help.
“Christian extremist Robert Louis Dear”
Christian extremist, eh?
I’ve failed to read anywhere that Dear was a Christian. But letting that slide for a minute, how come the guy who shot up Ft Hood is a lone wolf, and not a Muslim Extremist?
Or the guy who shot up the Family Research Council office is not a Gay Marriage Extremist?
Yeah, just imagine Cooke if Trump had said this. LOL
So let ask the Left wing propagandists pretending to be “Journalists” this question
“You are aware that the police office killed in Colorado Springs defending the abortion clinic was a Pro Lifer right”?
And now you know what it feels like...when the government controlled media takes after your candidate with gnashing teeth...
Hope your ready.....
Why is Ted even being asked about this? He didn’t pull the trigger, doesn’t support the actions of this maniac, and it’s not in a state he represents.
Yup! We’ve been predicting this, haven’t we? Now let’s see the Trump haters deal with this. Since I admire Ted, I will NOT be piling on. (Are there any Trump fans who dislike Cruz?)
They've been going after Cruz going back several years. And with the low popularity of the press, it's a badge of honor when they do it.
I have never said anything bad about Cruz, in fact I have stood up for him on more than one occasion, so if you think I’m jumping on Cruz, best fix your glasses....
I said, now you know what it feels like (as we Trump supporters are always getting jumped on) so good luck...
The media will not print the truth and they are not going to print the truth of what Cruz said or didn’t say...good luck.....
Glad you feel that way....get back to me in a couple of months....let me know how you feel then.....
Not here.....but that escapes too many here for some reason.
It never ceases to amaze me that the “mainstream” sees those who think that murdering innocent, unborn babies are the “extremists”.
As I pointed out, they were going after Cruz as far back as several years ago.
So it's nothing new.
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