Cruz On Carson's 'Dirty Trick' Claim: I'm Not Gonna Scapegoat My Staff

TPM ^ | February 3, 2016 | CAITLIN MACNEAL

[GodGunsGuts]

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Wednesday said he would not discipline any campaign staffers for notifying Iowa caucusgoers that Ben Carson had plans to drop out of the race even though the retired neurosurgeon only had plans for a quick trip home to Florida.

Cruz said on "The Mike Gallagher Show" that members of his campaign were "passing on news reports."

"I don't make a practice of scapegoating staff members when it's politically convenient," Cruz added.

The Texas senator reiterated that he has apologized to Carson for his campaign's actions. In a Tuesday statement, Cruz said that while sharing news reports is "fair game," he was sorry his campaign did not send out an update clarifying that Carson would remain in the race. The Cruz campaign circulated a CNN story about Carson's plans to head to Florida following the Iowa caucus, and the campaign allegedly urged caucusgoers to vote for Cruz instead.

On Wednesday, Cruz told Gallagher that the media was reporting on Carson's claims and the Cruz campaign's actions in a "misleading way."

Shortly before Cruz's interview on "The Mike Gallagher Show," Donald Trump accused Cruz of "fraud" and called for "either a new election should take place or Cruz results nullified."

In response to Trump's accusations, Cruz spokesman Rick Tyler told CNN that Trump was merely trying to get attention.

"The reality hit the reality TV star in Iowa so nobody is talking about him now. So he's trying to regain some attention on Twitter," he said in a statement to CNN.

Tyler added that "there are Twitter addiction support groups, so he should seek out his local chapter."

[AllAmericanGirl44]

Doubt that. ‘They’, meaning the talking heads are not going after Rubio because he is their pick. Dream on over Teddy, it’s going to end up being Rubio. The GOPe just rolled everyone, again.

[Salvation]

Cruz lied and told his staff to lie.

That is against the Commandment: “Thou shalt not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

Carson and Trump are his neighbors. God will be the judge.

[Georgia Girl 2]

Trump campaign never doing what the Cruz campaign did.
Maybe that’s why Donald Trump has been nominated for the Nobel Peace prize and Cruz has not.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: No, what I am saying is Cruz has put together a team of so-called experts in misinformation and social media manipulation. We can expect more of these “mistakes” in the coming days.

OK, so you are admitting that Carson’s 4th place showing had little or nothing to do with the “rumor”.

As for social media manipulation, I said this before and will say this again -— anyone who allows this medium to influence how he votes is someone who is easily manipulated.

I don’t believe that Trump’s, Cruz’s or Carson’s supporters are those type of voters.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: Cruz lied and told his staff to lie.

Or his staffers lied and Cruz only knew about it later.

[kygolfman]

Cruz is a liar as he apologized to Carson. Now he acts like he did Zip. What a piece of trash.

---

Trump made fun of Carson’s past, religious experience, questioned his surgical skills, and used the term child molestor while talking about Carson.
That was the time Carson started falling in the polls.
And Trump never apologized...what a piece of trash.

See how that works?

I’m sure you just forgot to put in your post how Trump treated Carson...because I know you wouldn’t want to create the appearance of a double standard!!

[Madame Dufarge]

There’s a pattern there.

[j.argese]

Just like somebody else who just “reads about them in the paper”.

[ScottinVA]

"NWO probably won't let him fire his Campaign Chairman"

-----

Nah, they're OK with it.

[ScottinVA]

“Cruz lied and told his staff to lie.”

Really? You were there? Or are you implying you were there when you weren’t? If you weren’t, you’re also guilty of violating the commandment, “thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”

[TXSearcher]

Dream on over Teddy, it’s going to end up being Rubio. The GOPe just rolled everyone, again.

You may be right, but I'll just keep on "dreaming" til the last vote is cast.

[fireman15]

I thought people would find the fake voter violation notice very offensive. I thought when people found out that Cruz operatives were telling Carson voters that he had dropped out of the race during the caucus that people would find that very offensive. I thought that Cruz people saying that Donald Trump supported Obamacare and late term abortions that people would find that very offensive. And you know what? Most people do find all those things and the other crap that Cruz’s “black ops” team have come up with to be offensive. The people who don’t find it offensive are people who will make excuses for any type of behavior if it suits their needs. It is surprising though when people who claim to be conservatives will do this. To me this seems like a contradiction.

[Mac n Jac]

It’s not scapegoating it’s ACCOUNTABULITY.

Cruz just lost me with this corruption

**************

Accountabullyty? Bully being the prime thing there. Just like your guy Trump. No one believes for a minute that you were a Cruz supporter so stop the trolling.

[CottonBall]

Cruz outright lied and you are calming Carson supporters dumb?

Anything to avoid your candidate taking responsibility for acidity campaign.

[true believer forever]

Other campaigns watched the CNN report, came to the same conclusion, and acted upon the information the exact same way. But we don’t hear about them. Indeed, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Trump campaign took the same course of action due to the CNN report as well. Wouldn’t that be funny!!!!

What other campaigns beside Rubio?

[true believer forever]

RE: Dropping out usually requires a formal announcement.

That’s why all these posts about Team Cruz tweets or posts about Carson dropping out CAUSING Carson to finish 4th does not compute.

Voters are intelligent enough to know that dropping out requires a formal announcement.

Anyone who let’s something like this affect how he votes deserves all he gets.

Carson never said anything about this causing his loss. He was talking about politics and how he thought Christians should conduct their political campaigns. Let me get this striaght: Carson spends considerable time and money in IA Candy is there also He was very optimistic according to a couple interviews I saw with him right before the caucuses Then, he just decides BEFORE the caucuses begin that he is going to drop out And Cruz and Rubio run with the unsourced tweet that carson is getting out and his supporters should immediately switch to either Rubio or Cruz. Okay, got it.

[brickdds]

Re:”What Cruz’s staff did was no mistake. He hired people who specialize in misinformation campaigns”

So you have evidence Cruz was the source for the CNN story?
If not, then STFU.

[Repeal The 17th]

—> Voters are intelligent enough to ... <—
-
Laugh of the day.
Never underestimate the stupidity of your fellow citizens.

[brickdds]

Re:”Typical Ted Cruz..... Mr. Christian on Sunday, but the rest of the week he can be his usual self. He cannot be trusted”

Thank you Hillary

[fireman15]

So you have evidence Cruz was the source for the CNN story?
If not, then STFU.

The CNN story didn't say that Carson was dropping out of the race... that is something the black ops “experts" in the Cruz campaign came up with. But the Carson thing is not the only misleading crap that the Cruz campaign came up with. Why are you making excuses for the Cruz black ops operation? Do you not care about the contradictions that are becoming more apparent every day. Cruz will do anything to win. He is a Clinton in sheep's clothing.