Posted on 03/08/2014 10:55:56 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) may have won the straw poll, but runner-up Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) won the biggest endorsement on the final night of the Conservative Political Action Conference.
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the closing speaker at the three-day gathering of activists, touted Cruz and urged conservatives to challenge the GOP’s inside-the-beltway establishment.
“Thank you Texas because liberty needs a Congress on Cruz control,” Palin told an audience that erupted into raucous cheers.
Cruz, who was elected to the Senate after beating Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst — the candidate favored in 2012 by the GOP establishment — has said he would not be in Congress were it not for Palin’s help.
The GOP's 2008 vice presidential nominee did not formally endorse the freshmen senator who is widely believed to be exploring a White House bid. But she lavishly praised his aggressive tactics, which have angered many colleagues in the Senate Republican Conference.
“Last year something did happen. The awaking began and Sen. Ted Cruz helped keep them awake. His filibuster, it worked in waking people up to the folly of a government takeover over another one sixth of our economy,” she said. “He forced debate.”
Cruz’s all-night filibuster in late September protesting the implementation of the Affordable Care Act helped galvanize a conservative backlash that led to a 16-day government shutdown.
Republicans such as Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) were furious over Cruz’s role in the debate. The senior Arizona senator and other colleagues bashed Cruz for provoking a standoff with President Obama without having a clear exit strategy.
Cruz in turn blamed fellow Senate Republicans for not backing up House conservatives who refused to adopt a government funding resolution that allowed the implementation of the healthcare law to proceed.
Palin backed up Cruz’s version of events.
“He told his colleagues it was time, time to stand up, time to use the tools of the Constitution, the power of the purse to fulfill their campaign promises and to stop ObamaCare,” she said. “But our army balked. We hoped they were just reloading but instead they retreated.
“Worse, they joined the lapdogs in the lame-stream to trash the foot soldiers who fought for America,” she added.
Palin extolled Cruz’s memorable reading of Dr. Seuss’s classic work of children’s literature, “Green Eggs and Ham,” during his 21-hour filibuster on the Senate floor.
She recited a modified version of the story to mock Obama’s effort to overhaul the nation’s healthcare laws.
“I do not like this Uncle Sam, I do not like his healthcare scam,” she said before being interrupted by wild applause.
“I do not like these dirty crooks or how they lie and cook the books,” she continued to boisterous laughter.
Overall it was a good night for Cruz, who earned 11 percent of the vote in CPAC’s straw poll. Only Paul who also won last year, outpaced him with 31 percent.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie finished in fourth place behind neurosurgeon Ben Carson. Carson earned 9 percent while Christie collected 8.
Cruz found himself in the Senate GOP conference’s doghouse again recently after colleagues learned he signed a fundraising mailer for the Madison Project, which is trying to knock off Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell in Kentucky’s Senate primary.
Palin urged conservative activists to elect more candidates in the mold of Cruz and his comrade in arms, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), whom she called the "good guys."
“They need their reinforcements because, you see, families are hurting today,” she said.
She fired a shot at GOP leaders who have warned conservative groups not to pressure Senate and House Republican incumbents.
“GOP Beltway boys, you know that 2010 election victory that swept you into power, you didn’t build that. The Tea Party did,” she said to loud applause.
Despite browbeating from colleagues such as McCain and Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Cruz has refused to promise to stay out of primaries.
"What I have said is that I'm likely going to stay out of incumbent Republican primaries," he said last month. "I haven't put that in concrete."
You’re sort of right, except I believe Palin will be the first one of those two, to hold the Presidency.
Just saying.
Palin. Then Cruz.
Oh.
Thanks. I stand corrected.
My (big) mistake.
The legalized pot pacs are well organized.
I watched Sarah very closely and was actually very pleased with her performance. The choom gang joke was not nearly as funny to the kids as it was to us geezers, but needed to be said.
That did cost me a pretty penny. If she runs this time around, I probably won't be contributing; but I have contributed plenty.
Did you happen to notice how quickly Ted Cruz endorsed John 'Wayne' McCornyn after he won the Senatorial primary in Texas by more than 50% this past Tuesday? Cruz recognized that Cornyn was the last man standing, and he also knew and does know what that means. Ted's quick 'endorsement' was a shot across Cornyn's bow and John knows that. Get it? Dang, I sure hope so. It truly is very simple.
I absolutely despise all the RINOs, every one of them. Nevertheless, when dumbass voters leave us with no other choice then, guess what, we have no other choice. The Democrats have become so openly evil as to make the Devil swell with pride.
Did you happen to notice how quickly Ted Cruz endorsed
***No.
Jut gave to the Madison Project.
Amen to that
Why is that a sin? JimRob realized that the choice was another term for Obama or a Romney and probably still agonized over his final decision. Anyone out there really think that we wouldn't be better off today if Romney had won? I know JimRob is now declaring "NO MORE RINOs" and I think it's a good stand to make and it sends a message. The problem is getting those who control the nomination process to give a flip about any messages the People send. Right now, it looks like they have the same contempt as the Dems do. We are likely screwed and will probably help dig our own graves because we don't have the same dogged energy and endurance the Dims do - they will fight like rabid dogs for the slightest edge; and we put on a strong front until we don't have what we consider the best deal - then we tuck our tails and let the Dem machine roll over us.
I agree on all counts - it's nice to see someone thinking instead of "feeling".
There is a certain point where your responses are simply kissing backside and my responses are unwelcomed criticism of FR, even though they are the conservative truth.
Your “truth” comes off more like shrill hissing and name calling. FR went strong for conservatives during the primaries. To not be able to tell the difference between that and GOPe is silly (being polite here). Your rant is nothing more than friendly fire and does more harm than good. It is pre-primary season, you acknowledge FR did the right thing during primary season. So shut yer yap and help move forward during this time. Once primary season is over, you can weigh the choices and make your decisions and positions know . Going out of your way now to focus on Your differences which are not relevant to this stage of the process leads me to wonder if your motive is not to hurt conservatives in the primaries.
And that us the conservative truth back at ya.
Really? You honestly believe that bullcrap? Then why did MkJessup try to get a conservative booted from this conservative forum just for being more conservative than he was? Because he’s a republican, not a conservative.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2920626/posts?page=596#596
And then when I asked him if he was proud of what he had done for conservatism, having seen JimRob himself call the guy a pr**k, he went silent.
I believe that you are bellyaching about an election season issue during primary season... that you are part of the problem, not the solution... and that name calling and pointing fingers is a horrid way to pull people together.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
