Posted on 12/15/2014 5:50:09 PM PST by Jim Robinson
WASHINGTON - Stepping into an elevator on his way out of the U.S. Capitol Friday night, Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell - the next Senate Majority Leader - bid reporters farewell. "See you Monday," he said.
By agreement with Democrats, a budget showdown risking a potential government shutdown had been pushed back a couple of days, creating breathing room for senators in both parties while they made plans for a pre-holiday weekend.
Sen. Ted Cruz had other ideas.
In a maneuver that would put the junior Republican senator from Texas at the center of another high-stakes political drama, Cruz pressed a constitutional point of order to block funding for President Barack Obama's executive action on immigration.
The move, dismissed as futile by leaders in both parties, ignited an instant uproar in the halls of Congress, further burnishing Cruz's image as a tea party firebrand less concerned with pragmatic lawmaking than ideological warfare.
While the political wisdom of Cruz's action will long be debated, veteran GOP strategists said there is little doubt it would play well to the conservative base he needs to cultivate if he runs for president in 2016. At the same time, analysts say it could further damage his prospects for working to advance a constructive agenda with a new Republican leadership intent on shedding Congress' image of dysfunction.
"What's bad for him in Washington is good for him everywhere he needs to win to be the GOP nominee," said Steve Deace, a syndicated radio host based in Iowa, the first-in-the-nation presidential caucus state. "I don't think there are enough words in the English language that adequately describe how much Washington, D.C., is hated by everyone outside Washington, D.C."
(Excerpt) Read more at houstonchronicle.com ...
Couldn’t agree more, but it’s happening. We got our gun rights rolling along and abortions on the run as well.
If people are wearing their faith deeper than their sleeve today, then there will be some foundation for fundamental change.
If we really want to frustrate the Dims, run Ted Cruz/Allen West.
G-d bless and keep Mr. Cruz safe.
That would be awesome!
I hope he doesn’t try for the Presidency, as he is IMO more important doing something about Congress. Legislating is more of an “in your face” job than the Presidency for which (among Senators) I’d prefer Lee. Cruz is perfect where he is: building a conservative majority in the GOP with which to replace the “leadership.” It might only take one more election to do it. Lee has the likeable temperament with which to build the political majority to make it possible.
Too chummy with Rep. Luis Gutierrez, for my taste.
Quick, pass me a cold lemonade! ;)
Its one thing for us to post here....but we need to follow up with a call/email to Ted and let him know he has our support! Salute!!!
You want a go-getter like Gowdy in the Whip's chair, or maybe another leadership post, driving the agenda from that position. Remember how Newt was wasted as Speaker - he couldn't both debate the 'Rats and take on the LieStreamMedia from the Speaker' s chair, and do all the traffic-cop stuff that the Speaker has to superintend.
Better to have someone who's more or less conservative, like Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Cubana conservative since forever, ACU score in the 80's) or Tom McClintock of California (ACU 100%er), and put the stronger guys in other leadership positions.
I find it absolutely amazing that the GOP leadership can walk away from last election with the idea that we elected Republicans to increase immigration and fund Obamacare. I mean, seriously. How could any thinking person come to the conclusion that last election was a demand for more cooperation and bipartisanship? It literally boggles my mind, Jim.
That said, I can only come up with two explanations. One, the Republicans are completely out of touch with reality. Two, the Republicans know we voters oppose this bipartisan crap, but they just don’t care. I personally think the latter is more likely.
I took a lot of heat for saying we should vote for the lesser of two evils BTW. I still believe it’s wise to take the best one can get at a given point in time, but I’m so eager for conservative alternatives to the likes of Boehner and McConnell. Just because one votes to do the least damage, it doesn’t mean I want peace with the RINOs. An election hardly means the battle is over!
No one ever said restoring the country would be easy.
Are you aware that George P. Bush led the Republican ticket to victory in TX on November 4, 2014? I am pretty sure he got more votes than both Abbott and Cornyn.
My “conservative” Senator did not stand tall for the Constitution on the Cruz point of order. I sent him a Holiday Greeting letting him know he just made the first step toward ensuring he had a primary challenger in 2016.
What really honks me off is that most of the grousing from the Senate GOP caucus was about delayed travel plans, missing parties, etc. None seemed to care Obeyme was urinating on the Constitution.
No fight for the Constitution is futile.
Notice that the article NEVER says DOMESTIC EXECUTIVE ORDERS ARE ILLEGAL.
The move, dismissed as futile by leaders in both parties, ignited an instant uproar in the halls of Congress, further burnishing Cruz’s image as a tea party firebrand less concerned with pragmatic lawmaking than ideological warfare.
Amazing that “making you work on the weekend” is all it takes to be labelled a firebrand, isn’t it?
I literally laughed out loud at “Jeb Bush to the rescue”.
More like “Jeb Bush to keep going down the road we’re going!”
Which is a smart thing to do. The libs are doing the happy dance that he “let” those nominations through.
He accomplished getting names on the record on amnesty vote.
Yeah but they were never going to NOT let the nominations through. That is just a myth. Reid wasn’t going to close up shop knowing that Republicans were taking over and would shut the nominations down after the first of the year. I agree I’m glad Cruz got them on record with a vote that every Republican should’ve been able to vote for even if they ultimately would vote for the 1.1 trillion. Cruz knows who his audience is and it isn’t the inside the beltway crowd.
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