Ted Cruz calls Mitch McConnell a liar on the Senate floor

WashPo ^ | 7/24/2015 | M. Debonis

[VinL]

Firebrand Republican senator and presidential candidate Ted Cruz on Friday rushed across a line rarely crossed on the Senate floor: He called the leader of his party, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a liar.

"What we just saw today was an absolute demonstration that not only what he told every Republican senator, but what he told the press over and over and over again, was a simple lie," Cruz said Friday morning. "We know now that when the majority leader looks us in the eyes and makes an explicit commitment, that he is willing to say things that he knows are false. That has consequences for how this body operates."

Prompting Cruz's outburst: McConnell's move to set up amendment votes on a must-pass transportation bill. After senators voted to consider the bill, McConnell (R-Ky.) set up votes on two controversial measures -- a repeal of the Affordable Care Act, and a reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank of the United States -- and did it in such a way that will make it difficult for other amendments to be considered.

That move incensed Cruz -- who, like many conservatives, strongly opposes the bank's reauthorization, though it enjoys support from a supermajority of his Senate colleagues. While McConnell has personally spoken against Ex-Im reauthorization, Democrats said in June he had agreed to schedule an Ex-Im vote in order to get highly divisive trade legislation passed.

But McConnell at the time denied that any deal had been made, and Cruz said the same assurance was given in a private Republican conference meeting.

"Like Saint Peter, he repeated it three times," Cruz said Friday.

[Old Retired Army Guy]

Oust Mitch??? Not going to happen. They like/fear Mitch a lot more than Ted. Ted is trying to get some kind of news sound bites as Trump has sucked all of his oxygen out of the media coverage. It’s all Trump all the time and it’s Ted who?

[dfwgator]

Of course, But Tea Party votes alone aren’t going to get you elected President.

Trump can reach the Reagan Democrats and undecideds and give Cruz the opening he needs there.

[Fightin Whitey]

The difference between Reid and McConnell is that Reid never let ANY Republican legislation pass, or even come up for a real vote.

McConnell never lets any Democrat legislation fail, or even come up for a real vote.

[lonestar]

Cruz ran for the senate to shake things up.

Read his book, "A Time for Truth."

[odawg]

“... but he just crossed a line that may make him totally ineffective in the legislative process.”

You mean the legislative process that has got us into the good place where we are today?

[glorgau]

“Cruz- telling it as it is.”

They hate him anyway. This will in no way change their relationship.

[PoloSec]

Cruz has no fear because he is right in his fight against the progressive liberal democrat/rino communist uni-party!

Boldly battling the enemy without and within... CRUZ 2016!

[odds]

It’s a shakedown

[longfellow]

No way is this guy dumb. I’m with you.

[odawg]

“They like/fear Mitch a lot more than Ted.”

Cruz was on Mark Levin’s show some time ago and he complained about the “leadership” lying. Should anyone be surprised?

[Yogafist]

Funny how it is being reported that way, isn’t it? I heard about it the same way, and also wondered what it was about. Seems the media might be running a little interference for the rinos on this?

[hoosiermama]

Someone sometime ago has given him the freedom and backing to be so bold Trump- Cruz

[MaxMax]

Perhaps, but he just crossed a line that may make him totally ineffective
in the legislative process.

This is how weak RINO's think in Congress, that if they upset the Dems they'll
lose an election. Yet every election we see Dems and RINO's alike spouting Conservatism
at every crossroad to get elected.

Bashing bad leadership wins, and Cruz is a constitutionalist,
not a passive Santorum.

[twoputt]

Today’s “Wall Street Journal” ripped into this amendment to reauthorize Ex-IM. If we’re serious to rein in individual welfare, we have to rein in corporate welfare also.

[cripplecreek]

I completely agree with this. But Ted Cruz has been the voice of the Tea Party issues ever since he became part of the Senate. He has not needed Donald to "rub off on him".

Cruz has been this way since well before he appeared on the national stage. The Medellín v. Texas case is what caused me to notice him. While he isn't named in this Wiki write up, a quick search gives more info.

Medellín v. Texas, 552 U.S. 491 (2008), is a United States Supreme Court decision that held that even if an international treaty may constitute an international commitment, it is not binding domestic law unless Congress has enacted statutes implementing it or unless the treaty itself is "self-executing." Also, the Court held that decisions of the International Court of Justice are not binding domestic law and that, without authority from the United States Congress or the Constitution, the President of the United States lacks the power to enforce international treaties or decisions of the International Court of Justice.

Medellín v. Texas

People can flap their gums all they want but Ted Cruz has been in the trenches since before many of us ever heard of him.

[DiogenesLamp]

Politically, the Bush Family owns the 2008 financial crisis— that’s Jeb’s legacy.

I have no difficulties in blaming the Bush Family for things that they did which were wrong, and believe me, I write about those often. But I don't think it is appropriate to blame them for things which are not actually their fault, and regarding which they actually attempted to do the right thing.

The Housing market crash of 2008 is one of those things.

But do I like having a fake issue hung around Jeb Bush's neck? Absolutely. I feel no obligation to be fair to such a scum bag as him.

[glennaro]

I thought Obama's reelection was the death knell for this country. Turns out it was Boehner and McConnell being voted back into leadership.

And the really depressing part is that Boehner and McConnell were retained as leaders following last year's conservative-mandate election with the support and votes of many conservatives in both the House and Senate.

[polymuser]

Clean, and truthful.

I’m reading his book ‘A Time for Truth’, and am liking it. Quite a paternal background he has, from Cuba.

He saw the GOPe self-ingratiating sausage machine grinding like crazy with the debt ceiling voting. A most damaging result to America, that.

[Servant of the Cross]

A very good point. And the fact that he isn’t as bombastic and unmoored as Trump in how he speaks on the issues, is an advantage in reaching a broader range of the electorate.

[VinL]

We don’t disagree...just talking the politics of it.