On Iowa: Conservative Treehouse has posted (and no, I’m not going to look up the link at this date) and extensive minute-by-minute Twitter history of that evening. Cruz was innocent . . . AT FIRST. But as Carson’s information came in and as he made it clear he was NOT dropping out, Cruz continued to instruct operatives to direct people as though he was. Hence, “Lyin’ Ted.” It fits, it sticks.
Second, a “prospective” first lady? She knew she would be first lady when she did the model photo shoot? And she isn’t naked, for the record. As for an employee “hiding” her shady past, what evidence do you have of that? I have heard nothing to this point that she in any way deceived the Cruz campaign. But you’re still dodging the issue, which is a PAC associated with Cruz put out the pictures. I didn’t fault him for that. What I did fault him for was failure to denounce that pact STRONGLY and IMMEDIATELY, then to whine about Trump’s response. Weak, and unpresidential.
Third, I would have overlooked the Iowa event had it not also been associated with the deceptive “vote fraud” mailers and subsequent “Rubio dropping” rumors by the Cruz campaign in Nevada. Once is an accident (which Cruz knew, in fact, was not an accident because he subsequently met with Carson and tried to woo him in a closet), twice is deliberate.
ALL OF THAT still probably would be a big deal were it not for the sheer hypocrisy of Cruz, running on the one hand as “God’s anointed” and having both his father and Glenn Beck push this approach to evangelicals while simultaneously engaging in a wagon load of dirty tricks. You can’t have it both ways. If he’s a plain old pol, no one can say anything. But if you’re running as St. Ted and pull this stuff? Won’t fly, hence, Lyin’ Ted.
And this is where I think it calls into question Donald Trump's own morals and sense of judgment. This whole sordid and unbecoming incident.