Cruz won't endorse McConnell to lead Senate

CNN ^ | Nov 05 2014 01:25:28 AM EST | Jeremy Diamond

[SoConPubbie]

Sen. Ted Cruz lauded the Republican Senate takeover Tuesday night, but shied away from endorsing Sen. Mitch McConnell to lead the new majority.

The Texas Republican declined to say whether he would vote for McConnell -- the current Senate minority leader -- to become the Senate majority leader.

"That'll be a decision for the conference to make and that'll be decided next week," Cruz told CNN's Wolf Blitzer twice on CNN.

"Tonight what I'm focused on is the results of this election, which is a resounding Republican majority," Cruz said.

It's not the first time that Cruz, a tea party favorite and potential 2016 presidential contender, has skirted the question, also declining to pledge his loyalty to McConnell in an interview with The Washington Post published Sunday.

[SoConPubbie]

"If we must have an enemy at the head of Government, let it be one whom we can oppose, and for whom we are not responsible, who will not involve our party in the disgrace of his foolish and bad measures." - Alexander Hamilton "We don't intend to turn the Republican Party over to the traitors in the battle just ended. We will have no more of those candidates who are pledged to the same goals as our opposition and who seek our support. Turning the Party over to the so-called moderates wouldn’t make any sense at all." -- President Ronald Reagan "A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice." - Thomas Paine 1792 "It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." - Samuel Adams "If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams

[SoConPubbie]

Ted Cruz Ping!

If you want on/off this ping list, please let me know.

Please beware, this is a high-volume ping list!

[Politicalkiddo]

Good. Don’t compromise or endorse with Rinos.

[Politicalkiddo]

*compromise with

[ilgipper]

The smartest thing Cruz can do is leverage this situation to gain influence on what key issues he wants. McConnell is all but assured to be the ML, Cruz can either be his great allie or worst enemy. Cruz knows it, McConnell knows it too.

[INVAR]

Watch and see what McConnell does to marginalize and punish Cruz for his lack of loyalty, refusal to shut up, sit down and get in line.

[Resettozero]

McConnell is all but assured to be the ML...

That's what McConnell expects to happen. That's what the press is telling me.

I'll wait and see.

[Hugin]

Unfortunately you are right, but the GOP would be smart to choose a younger more telegenic SML.

[Obadiah]

Okay, no one is a bigger Cruz guy than me. In fact, I have donated to him and he is not my senator. However, having said this, can we stop all the divisive talk for the moment?

Yeah, I get that McConnell can be a jellyfish RINO, but I'm willing to give the guy a fair shot. It's a new day, let's see what he can do now that the election is over and he is no longer in the minority.

I would prefer Cruz as the majority leader, but all Cruz is saying is he's going to wait to see what develops before publicly committing to one person at the moment.

I look around and I see a lot of people with their swords drawn ready to lob off anybody’s head who does not stand shoulder-to-shoulder in perfect alignment. Let's sheath the swords, get our act together, and then stop Obama and put the country on strong footing all while preparing for 2016.

Is that too much too ask, not to let CNN work to divide a great beginning?

[TexasCajun]

Ted Cruz already acts like the Republican Leader as McConnell naps.

[eyeamok]

I am liking President Cruz more every day, I’m sure his Vice President Scott Walker will turn out greats also.

[dware]

It's a new day, let's see what he can do now that the election is over and he is no longer in the minority.

I'm guessing it'll be a whole lot like 2000-2006, when we had R majorities in the House, Senate, and a sitting R President. We got the Patriot Act. Maybe I'm wrong. I hope I am. I won't be holding my breath, however. I'll be looking to the R's to bend over backwards slobbering over obummer and 'bipartisanship'.

[goldstategop]

Amen. I think this song aptly captures McConman and his ilk among our political class:

Lyrics by Peter Brown, Music by Jack Bruce

Hey now baby, get into my big black car.
Hey now baby, get into my big black car.
I just want to show you what my politics are.

I’m a political man and I practice what I preach.
I’m a political man and I practice what I preach.
So don’t deny me baby, not while you’re in my reach.

I support the left, though I’m leaning, leaning to the right.
I support the left, though I’m leaning, leaning to the right.
But I’m not there when it’s coming to a fight.

Hey now baby, get into my big black car.
Hey now baby, get into my big black car.
I just want to show you what my politics are.

[fishtank]

Oh, I disagree...

\sarc

P.S. It's his RINO politics that stink, not his telegenicity.

[Blue Highway]

Let me guess, that was the whole reason McConnell was given a press conference today right? I hardly ever see him yammering to the press and he was gleeful like as if he were already elected the majority leader. I’m glad Cruz won’t endorse him or I hope he won’t endorse him. Everyone needs to vote for Cruz.

[4Runner]

The Democrats want [B]itch McConnell as SML. He’s their kind of guy. He’ll share the power and go along to get along. Dontcha know he comes from a long line of courteous and respectful and monied country-club Republicans? Historically whose only weapon has been Marquis of Queensbury Rules and oh yeah kill the Democrats with kindness and reach across the aisle. This is soooo no victory.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

No McConnell!

The Republicans will still kowtow to the aging 1960s Marxist-Alinsky campus radical, psycho spoiled brat occupiers and their ideological litters:

After election 2008 the Dems demanded that the Republicans stand aside immediately and not wait for the new Congress in January. The Republicans quickly moved out of "President-elect" Obama's and Reid's and Pelosi's way.

A cursory search found no references but I remember "President-elect" Obama and Dems getting the Republicans to stand aside.

In fact I believe Obama and Dem-controlled Congress wrote FY2009 legislation (beginning in November 2008) and Obama finished signing it all into law in April, 2009.

McConnell and the others will meekly watch the aging 1960s Marxist-Alinsky campus radical, psycho spoiled brats and their ideological litters wreak havoc on what remains of our Republic.

[RummyChick]

NO. Rush Limbaugh gets it...
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2014/11/05/the_mandate_republicans_were_elected_to_stop_barack_obama_not_to_work_with_him

I hope to God and Country that some of the RINOs do, too.

[Blue Highway]

You’re going to give McConnell the benefit of the doubt? Have you learned nothing in the last 8-12 years? McConnell tried to sabotage the campaign of a devout conservative and wanting to “crush the tea party”. This is the guy you want to give the benefit of the doubt to? This is why we are called the party of stoopid.

[goldstategop]

Conservatism didn’t win.

The Republican Party did but I have no love for it.