Posted on 04/23/2015 1:21:56 PM PDT by SoConPubbie
Edited on 04/23/2015 2:23:02 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was already on a plane and flying back to Texas Thursday afternoon when the Senate held its final confirmation vote for Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch, a Cruz campaign aide told TheBlaze.
As a result, Cruz was the only senator not to vote on Lynch’s confirmation earlier in the day. The Senate approved Lynch, a candidate that Cruz has argued against for months now.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) missed the final vote on the confirmation of Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch, and was on a plane back to Texas. Cruz was the only senator to miss the vote.
The Cruz aide declined to say why the senator was returning to his home state. However, a reporter from Real Clear Politics tweeted a picture of a flyer indicating that Cruz, a GOP presidential contender, had a campaign fundraiser to attend to Thursday night in Texas.
Here's why Cruz had to fly back to Texas before the final Lynch vote… pic.twitter.com/BCUt2cbkED
— Rebecca Berg (@rebeccagberg) April 23, 2015
While Cruz missed the final vote, aides to Cruz stressed that Cruz was in the Senate for the key vote on whether to end debate on Lynch’s nomination. The so-called “cloture vote” in the Senate is in fact the critical vote, since an agreement to end debate needs 60 votes, and once that happens, it’s usually a cinch to find the 51 votes needed to confirm a nominee or pass a bill.
Cruz and most other Republicans voted against ending debate, but 20 Republicans voted with Democrats and allowed Lynch to get to a final vote.
Cruz spokeswoman Amanda Carpenter said the cloture vote was the “vote that mattered,” and laid out her argument in a series of tweets soon after the vote:
If the Senate could get 60 votes for cloture, they could get 51 for final confirmation. Cloture is the only vote that mattered.
— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) April 23, 2015
Lynch received 66 votes on the vote that mattered. http://t.co/W6Ne8mQVv8 If she can get to 66 she can get to 51
— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) April 23, 2015
I don’t think that the ats would have been all that upset because it would have delayed a decision on what to do about the Clinton payola scandal. Now, Loretta Lynch will have to make a decision in short order. Nit us pretty clear that the law was broken, charges need to be brought.
My question too.
All this technology and they have to be in person doesn’t make sense.
It; like voting. Why not have a system like a drivers license where you scan your card or ID and it the poll watchers see that it is your first time voting and you are registered.
In this day and age of computers and phones can ANYONE explain why our congresscritters have to be present?
I didn’t say that I wouldn’t vote for him. His vote while only symbolic means something. Criticism will improve him if he listens otherwise he’s just another politician wanting to advance his career.
.
So much foe “Republican” control of the Senate.
Lynch belongs in a penitentiary.
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I would say the lack of him voting could also be considered symbolic and means something.
I’m certain he is just as disgusted as many of us that she was confirmed.
“Cruz also suggested that Republicans who supported Lynch would have to explain their votes back in their home states.”
If you’re going to call out others on their vote ... mayhap you should show up for the final vote?? Since the beginning of this year, w/ a R majority ... Cruz has missed more votes than almost anyone else because he’s too busy running for POTUS.
If Cruz wants to be POTUS ... he should quit current position and run full time. If Cruz thinks the Senate is beyond redemption ... then leave it.
I am NOT saying missing this vote is a reason to not vote for Cruz. I AM saying Cruz should back up his rhetoric with actions. Skipping out on the final vote that Cruz himself says voters will look at to go to a fund raiser? Optics aren’t looking so good. And the MSM is playing this up big time.
Lastly....if Cruz wins the nomination ... Cruz WILL need the support of the Republican establishment for the general election... it’s just the way it is. Cruz is not going to win support by calling out fellow R’s on a vote he, Cruz, doesn’t show up for.
Your free to criticize him if you want. I don’t see any problem here with him. I see a problem with those who voted for cloture and to confirm.
Those guys need to be tossed.
I do not see Ted as a politician looking to advance his career. I just see him as an honest man, and that’s why I want to vote for him.
I am sure that I don’t agree with him on every single thing, you know. Sometimes I can be kind of libertarian or maybe even liberal (classic liberal though, not progressive) on different things, so I am sure I could find some areas of disagreement.
But he strikes me as a honest man, and that is so rare to me. It’s like a ray of sunlight in the darkness really. That’s why I support him.
But if I came off harshly to you, I apologize. It just doesn’t bug me that he didn’t vote to confirm. The cloture vote was the key vote, and he was there.
Once again, Sen. John Cornyn (RINO-TX) plays the old DC Double-cross. He votes for cloture knowing full well there are enough votes to confirm Lynch and then turns around to vote NO on the final confirmation vote to pad his “conservative voting record” for the next election. Cornyn is such a disappointment and disgrace to the conservative state of Texas.
I admire him for calling the Republican leadership out on the Senate floor. McConnell is a snake and I hope his days are numbered.
So he loses nothing by offending the squishes.
if he continues to play his cards right he won't need them..
This is not intended as snark. Does Cruz currently have a 50 state or any numbered state ... strategy? Does he have offices in the first 5 primary states to get out votes or to manage the caucus states?
I ask because how do any of the R candidates hope to get their message out to voters w/o some help from the ‘establishment’ if they don’t have a strong ground game planned and ready to execute?
Hey...I’m not a fan of what has happened to the R’s ... not even close to being a fan. I just don’t see how Cruz can cut thru the clutter of MSM attacks ... not to mention attacks by other R’s.
That is absolutely ridiculous. I am glad he went to his fundraiser.
Yeah, he is. There are so many slithering snakes in our government. I don’t even see any need to distinguish between them by using party. I can’t even tell which of them does more damage anymore.
I can say that I have respect for Cruz, Lee and Sessions at this point, but beyond that, I pretty much have nothing but contempt.
McConnell is not a leader. He still allows the Rats to call all the shots.
Am I reading this right? Talk about dirty tracks if this is how McSenator intended it.
lolol, you think he is reading your post and will listen to you? He is a very busy man right now. Raising money more important than a vote that means nothing.
I am a Texan and he is our guy. It is him or nobody for me. Walker is a distant maybe.
I get what Cruz did. The GOPe hates him and we all know Ted’s feelings are mutual. Still, Rand Paul and Marco Rubio voted. Would people here have the same reaction if these two had abstained from voting as Ted Cruz did?
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