Posted on 01/10/2016 8:53:58 AM PST by Isara
Ted Cruz had a message for conservatives rabid for the repeal of Obamacare: Don't expect "Day One" results.
"The president doesn't have the constitutional authority to end it on Day One," he said in an interview aired Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union. "The only way to end it is to repeal that statute ... we will repeal Obamacare, but unlike Obama, I don't intend as president to be - to use his word - an emperor."
It's a rare appeal to pragmatism from a candidate who typically stokes the conservative id. It came initially as a response to questions about immigration, when he argue that presidents have the obligation to enforce the law on the books, whether they agree with it or not. Cruz rejected an immigration approach proposed by Donald Trump to send deportation agents door to door to round up immigrants in the country illegally.
"I don't intend to send jackboots to knock on your door and every door in America," Cruz said. "That's not how we enforce the law in any crime.
During an otherwise typical rebuke of Democratic and Republican leadership in Washington, Cruz paused to heap praise on longtime Senate Democrats who he said had shown principle: Ted Kennedy, Mike Mansfield and Robert Byrd. He said all three of the former senators would have rejected President Barack Obama's approach to separation-of-powers issues.
"What is amazing is how servile the entire Democratic Party is right now. I guess it's just the ends justify the means," he said.
Cruz was equally unsparing with his critique of Republicans who say he might crush Republicans down-ballot if he's the party's nominee. Cruz pointed out that Bob Dole, John McCain and Mitt Romney were "clobbered in the purple states" that Republicans need to win, and he argued that a more conservative candidate would give like-mined voters a better reason to run out.
Giving someone a lot of power only to fix everything is not a good idea. It sorta reminds me of the Romans giving Augustus as much power as he needed to restore sanity. The end effect was a substantial change from a Republic into allowing dictators carte blanche.
Congress has already succeeded in giving away its power.
Do we need to do it too?
another vote for TRUMP!
The really deep thinking Trump for dictator crowd is going to be on you like white on rice.
LOL and too true. They bow down to DT, defend anything he says or does and all he has done and said in the past.
“I want a president like Cruz who respects the Constitution, not a dictator like some of the Trump supporters seem to want.”
The problem is that the Constitution, as it stands today, lets judges invalidate laws and write laws, with no means of recourse. That worked great until 2009.
The President would probably be reduced to having to spend his time yakking about all the new constitutional amendments we need.
Huh? You lost me on this one, Ted.............
We don’t win by creating a police state. Try that and many good conservatives such as myself will be facing you on the field of battle.
“Trump for dictator crowd”
Is this the same imaginary group of people like the “Cruz for national pastor crowd”?
He was simply saying that if they were still alive these liberal icons would have opposed what Obama is doing now. It was a way to show how extreme Obama is being now with his pen and phone routine.
“We don’t win by creating a police state. Try that and many good conservatives such as myself will be facing you on the field of battle.”
We don’t need a police state, but we do need a person that will push the boundaries hard...I see that in Trump, not so sure on Cruz.
Then move to Saudi Arabia, idiot.
I have never heard anyone say that we want Cruz as our pastor. We are glad that he is grounded with a strong faith and that he is determined to follow the constitution. These are good traits which hurt no-one. On the other hand, some Trump supporters sound like they want to recreate the third reich. They glory in the idea of giving Trump dictatorial like powers while his eissentruppen break open doors in the middle of the night. Realize that if you try to do this many good conservatives will join the resistence and see you on the field of battle.
An example: What if the Supreme Court legalized and then required a path to citizenship for nearly every Illegal here, in the name of ‘human rights’? Who would be more willing to give them the finger?
And don’t laugh, think about gay marriage.
The problem with Cruz is that he thinks the structure of state is still solid, and does not get that the structure is full of mold and rot.
He’s not going to bring about anything because he is clearly ignoring the inability of the congress, and courts to follow constitutional rules right now.
What is he going to do as president? He cant order congress to do things as they are a co-equal branch, and he clearly is trying to paint himself as a self-diminished figure in a political arena of federal branches that have been pumped-up on steroids for about 50 years in hopes that his humility will guilt them into getting off the sauce.
He will chide and lecture them for about a year until they start chipping away at his resolve. A bill here, a regulation there, just move stuff along. And then it’s over.
I understand what he's trying to say. I just ain't buying it. Those three would have knob polished 0bama just like the rest of congress with, ironically, the former Klansman polishing the hardest.
“On the other hand, some Trump supporters sound like they want to...”
That is just a perception, just like the people for Cruz sound like to some people that he wants to be the next Joel Osteen.
But in the end they are perceptions, and not actual stated desires of people on either side.
I actually agree with you on that. However, since they aren’t alive to compromise their principles why not present them as more principled than they were in order to beat up on todays unprincipled democrats.
We had one poster earlier in this thread who said that he wanted an emperor rather than a president.
LOL. I see what you did there ....
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