Ted Cruz Flounders on CNN

How Ted Cruz Has Affected Virginia

The Virginia part of this clip is relatively short, but is totally accurate. Maybe, Virginia should be thanking Ted Cruz, but not in the way he would want.

Ted Cruz's Ultimate Goal

Ted Cruz Was Looking For a Fall-Guy

A Texas Newspaper Has Buyer's Remorse

From the Houston Chronicle:

...One reason we particularly believe that [former Texas senator Kay Bailey] Hutchison would make a difference in these hectic days is that if she had kept her seat, Cruz would not be in the Senate.

When we endorsed Ted Cruz in last November's general election, we did so with many reservations and at least one specific recommendation - that he follow Hutchison's example in his conduct as a senator.

Obviously, he has not done so. Cruz has been part of the problem in specific situations where Hutchison would have been part of the solution.

We feel certain she would have worked shoulder to shoulder with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in crafting a workable solution that likely would have avoided the government shutdown altogether.

But we'll never know...

While we may never know for sure, I think we have a pretty good hunch.

Sen. Ayotte (R-NH): Defunding Obamacare Didn't Work

What GOP Senators Think of Ted Cruz

Ted Cruz's Big Waste of Time

Ted Cruz Brings Nazis Into the Obamacare Debate

From Talking Points Memo:  

"If you go to the 1940s, Nazi Germany," Cruz said. "Look, we saw in Britain, Neville Chamberlain, who told the British people, 'Accept the Nazis. Yes, they'll dominate the continent of Europe but that's not our problem. Let's appease them. Why? Because it can't be done. We can't possibly stand against them.'"

"And in America there were voices that listened to that," he continued. "I suspect those same pundits who say it can't be done, if it had been in the 1940s we would have been listening to them. Then they would have made television. They would have gotten beyond carrier pigeons and beyond letters and they would have been on tv and they would have been saying, 'You cannot defeat the Germans.'"

First problem: Cruz is wrong on the history. When Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, it triggered a British (and french) declaration of war against Germany. Appeasement was over before the 40's even began. Before anyone says he probably just misspoke, keep in mind that these were prepared remarks said on the Senate floor, not something said off the cuff on a Sunday morning show.

Second problem: Cruz is still living in a fantasy world. He lives in a world where he thinks a piece of legislation commonly called "Obamacare" can be defunded or repealed while a man named "Obama" is in the White House. He lives in a world where he thinks he can achieve success in getting rid of Obamacare can be done with less than 67 votes in the Senate, and the fact of the matter is that 67 is the number of votes he needs in the Senate. He needs to face reality. Even if the Senate sends President Obama a version of the Continuing Resolution in question that does not fund the Affordable Care Act, he WILL veto it. If the Senate cannot muster 67 votes to override this presidential veto - and it cannot - then the government will shutdown, and all sign are pointing to congressional Republicans getting the blame when this shutdown negatively affects the government.

Usually when people bring Nazis into a political argument, it means that they have no more valid arguments to make...if they had any at all to begin with that is. many people consider this jumping the shark. As if cruz had not done this enough already, he has done it again. I doubt any one, at least anyone with their wits about them, will fall for this hyperbole.

Mitch McConnell Bursts Ted Cruz's Bubble

From Talking Points Memo:  

The Republican leader's decision is a major blow to the push by Cruz and powerful conservative activist groups, who wanted Republicans to unite and filibuster a continuing resolution until Democrats caved agreed to gut funding for the Affordable Care Act.

"Senator McConnell supports the House Republicans' bill and will not vote to block it, since it defunds Obamacare and funds the government without increasing spending by a penny," McConnell spokesman Don Stewart told TPM in an email Monday. "He will also vote against any amendment that attempts to add Obamacare funding back into the House Republicans' bill."

The decision clears a path for Democrats to pass a continuing resolution that funds Obamacare. Procedurally, Democrats need 60 votes (they have 54 members) to advance the House-passed continuing resolution. But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) can strike the language defunding Obamacare with 51 votes, which frees up McConnell and every other Republican to vote against such an amendment. This way he never has to actually vote to fund Obamacare but doesn't force a shutdown over an unachievable goal.

How Far is Ted Cruz Willing to Go?

Sen McCain: Chasing Obamacare Is Not Rational

The GOP's Rift Over Obamacare

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House GOP Aides Are Fuming At Ted Cruz

From Talking Points Memo:

House GOP aides exchanged angry emails and even cursed at "amateur" Cruz in the cloakroom Wednesday, according to a National Review Online report published Thursday.

“Cruz keeps raising conservatives’ hopes, and then, when we give him what he wants, he doesn’t have a plan to follow through,” one aide said, according to NRO. “Nancy Pelosi is more well-liked around here," said another.

In a joint statement Wednesday with Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Marco Rubio (R-FL), Cruz said that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) "likely" has the votes to strip language defunding Obamacare from any bill that makes its way over from the House.

"This is outrageous," a senior House GOP aide told TPM on Wednesday. "They demand a fight for two months, supposedly on behalf of the grassroots and constituents and then within hours of getting the fight, they slink away, abandon those same people and do nothing."

Sen. Cruz Thinks Obama Might Defund Obamacare

The key remarks mentioned in the title are just after 4:45, but I recommend watching the whole clip.

The Tea Party's Birther Hypocrisy

Cognitive dissonance rears its ugly yet again.

RWNJ's Threaten Government Shutdown Over Obamacare