[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

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.

The only thing that matters are the "Ays." The "nay" votes count for nothing.

So sure, his vote would have some symbolic value. OTOH, how many voted "nay" because Boehner gave them permission?

This is nit-picking. Ted did the heavy-lifting on the cloture vote.

[EDINVA]

Boehner is Speaker of the House; this was a Senate vote (McConnell is the Majority Leader in the Senate).

If only for the visuals, Cruz should have taken a later plane; not voting to attend a fundraiser is an excuse no one here would accept from someone they don’t like.