In Praise of Ted Cruz

Commentary Magazine ^ | 01.30.2015 - 9:10 AM | Peter Wehner

[SoConPubbie]

In the past I’ve been critical of Texas Senator Ted Cruz, but in his questioning of President Obama’s choice for attorney general, Loretta Lynch–which occurred during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee–was not just skillful but superb.

Senator Cruz’s tone was respectful but firm. He stayed away from theatrics and polemics. He didn’t personalize the line of inquiry. In doing so, he kept the focus right where it needed to be.

But more than that, Senator Cruz exposed the lawlessness that is at the core of President Obama’s executive amnesty, and he did so in a logical, step-by-step manner. Senator Cruz started with the fact that Ms. Lynch supports what the president did, and then probed her thinking in order to find out what limits there are on the government’s power, if any at all. What he found is that there are none–at least none that are rooted in the Constitution and anything more than arbitrary parameters and presidential whim. If the president wants to provide amnesty to five million illegal immigrants, then why not 12 million? What’s to stop him? Senator Cruz wanted to know. Ms. Lynch had no answer.

What about the Obama administration printing millions of work authorizations in direct conflict with federal law? Is that a problem? Ms. Lynch was unwilling to say. And then Senator Cruz put forward a devastating hypothetical. Assume that in 2017 President John Cornyn instructs his secretary of the treasury not to collect any taxes in excess of 25 percent, based on “prosecutorial discretion.” Or that President Cornyn broadens his ambitions and decides, using the infinitely elastic Obama-era definition of prosecutorial discretion, he won’t enforce federal labor laws and environmental laws? Once again, Ms. Lynch had nothing to say, no defense to offer.

What Senator Cruz did was to reveal Mr. Obama’s utter disdain for the Constitution and what a fundamentally lawless and capricious president he is. He showed that Mr. Obama views himself in possession of kingly powers. And he demonstrated that there are simply no checks on government power, at least according to the legal theory that is guiding the Obama administration.

This is the progressive vision–radical, unmoored, dismissive of the Constitution, and indifferent to the rule of law–and it’s being realized in the Obama presidency. It’s to his credit that Ted Cruz exposed this in his short colloquy with the woman who wants to be America’s next attorney general.

[SoConPubbie]

"If we must have an enemy at the head of Government, let it be one whom we can oppose, and for whom we are not responsible, who will not involve our party in the disgrace of his foolish and bad measures." - Alexander Hamilton "We don't intend to turn the Republican Party over to the traitors in the battle just ended. We will have no more of those candidates who are pledged to the same goals as our opposition and who seek our support. Turning the Party over to the so-called moderates wouldn’t make any sense at all." -- President Ronald Reagan "A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice." - Thomas Paine 1792 "It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." - Samuel Adams "If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams

[SoConPubbie]

Ted Cruz Ping!

If you want on/off this ping list, please let me know.

Please beware, this is a high-volume ping list!

CRUZ or LOSE!

[uncitizen]

Teds got that something special!

[newfreep]

“What Senator Cruz did was to reveal Mr. Obama’s utter disdain for the Constitution and what a fundamentally lawless and capricious president he is. He showed that Mr. Obama views himself in possession of kingly powers.”

What we have known since 2008...

[Jane Long]

Excellent!

[EagleUSA]

If we could replace all of the RINOs in Washington, with Cruz-like representatives, we could again have a true opposition party that would put the RADICAL left in its place -— the trash can.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Help me raise my first million to get him going in the race!

[Jim Robinson]

Go, Cruz, GO!!

[txhurl]

bttt!

[TADSLOS]

Ted Cruz - putting the laser beam light of truth on Obama Crime Inc.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Courtesy bump.

[SoConPubbie]

Thanks EEE!

[doc1019]

Sorta’ presidential doncha’ think? ;-)

[Dr. Sivana]

I was talking with a friend who is an expert on banking regulations. The new Consumer Protection Bureau is now going after banks that make personal loans (non-mortgages). Now, while mortgage loans require the loan officer to try to ascertain the race of the applicant, non-mortgages (e.g. car loans) prohibit recording the race of the applicant. Obama's agency is now asking the banks to cross-reference the NAMES and CENSUS TRACTS of the applicants with a government database of the top 150,000 surnames in the country. Based on where the applicant is from, and his last name, the regulators want to know what kind of racial profile results. Like many of these regulations, the standards vary a bit from the other regulators. So, for instance, being Hispanic trumps everything else for ethnicity based on this criterion. So if Jose Rodriguez from Haiti comes in, and he is black as coal, he counts as "likely Hispanic" based on the name database (though if he lives in a Haitian part of Miami, that might be adjusted). The banks just want to loan money to credit worthy applicants. In any event, the intent of the law was to NOT try to build up a racial profile. The agency puts in a mere regulation that is at odds withe law. The banks have no choice but to dance to the tune.

[txhurl]

We gotta get a move on. Walker just got swept up into Herodom by the MSM and GOP this week, and specifically today.

For those who would take the - long - time to read Jonathan Karl’s three-way with Cruz, Paul and Rubio at the Koch retreat, it’s clear Rubio was given the ballerina boost.

The Kochs want Walker/Rubio. Helpful as they are in other races, we’re going to be alone in getting Cruz the win.

Ask me: I have tons of articles, polls and graphs to prove that the race to take Cruz’ base and stack it in Walker’s pile is ON.

[billys kid]

That’s what I was afraid of.

Choose Cruz!

[RedMDer]

Free Republic
PO Box 9771
FResno, CA 93794

Keep freedom ALIVE!!

Thank you all very much!!

God bless.

[onyx]

B T T T ! ! ! ©

CRUZ or lose.

CRUZ or lose.

[txhurl]

We need bumper stickers and yard signs already. Stuff we’d normally be doing a year out from now, well, just got moved in a year. I bet even ABCBSNBCMSNPMS is crowing about Walker tonight!

[YouGoTexasGirl]

I am looking for him to do exactly what he did in the TX. senatorial race...defeat a big name RINO...and win the 2016 election!!! I’ll write him in!!