The long knives come out for Ted Cruz

American Thinker ^ | March 1, 2015 | Thomas Lifson

[SoConPubbie]

“PALM BEACH, Fla. — In a wide-ranging speech to the Club for Growth winter meeting Friday night, Sen. Ted Cruz looked back on his 2013 crusade to defund Obamacare — an effort that consumed Washington, led to bitter Republican party infighting, and resulted in a partial government shutdown — and concluded it was a fight he probably never could have won. "Is it likely we would have altogether defunded Obamacare then?" the Texas Republican said. "Probably not. That would have taken an almost perfect storm. I was never Pollyannaish about the political factors it would take for that to happen.” - See more at: https://www.conservativereview.com/commentary/2015/02/no-change-in-ted-cruz-2013-story#sthash.NMdDxSkS.dpuf

This was then tweeted by York, as if it were some kind of confession that Cruz all along knew the shutdown was futile and was just grandstanding to the base.

 

Link: Ted Cruz: Obamacare defunding fight 'probably' wasn't winnable. http://t.co/EL5q3MVqVV— Byron York (@ByronYork) February 28, 2015

That tweet has gone viral, retweeted by Dana Perino among others.

Jeffrey Lord (another person I deeply admire) explains why this is a bogus point at Conservative Review:

 In October of 2013, Senator Cruz, along with Donald Trump, was a headliner of The American Spectator’s annual dinner in Washington. I was there, introducing Trump from the podium, and took note of Senator Cruz and his battle. Mr. Cruz’s talk was taped and is found here. 

The Texas senator made it abundantly clear that the shutdown wasn’t winnable because in fact the Senate Republicans “dive bombed” the GOP House that voted to defund Obamacare. Cruz was quite specific, saying that the strategy was as follows:

1. Mobilize the grassroots.
2. The House would vote to defund Obamacare
3. Senate Republicans would then unite with House Republicans. And then…

[txhurl]

The next four months - starting this week - should be very bad for the RATS, and Cruz has had a positive, committed hand in all the defeats they hopefully will suffer.

Slow and easy does it, Ted.

[skeeter]

Cruz would be by far the best we could hope for in the Whjte House.

[napscoordinator]

I know what you are saying. But if you look at results only, Walker has been able to actually get them. Cruz has tried and tried hard but not a thing has been passed with his name on it. I would give him an A+ for effort. The thing with being President is being able to convince others of passing your agenda. Walker has been able to do this with Democrats and Republicans. Cruz is having difficulty getting the Republicans to side with his agenda much less the Democrats. That is a problem don’t you think?

[hlmencken3]

Anyone who survives Super Tuesday isn’t going to run out of money.

The early schedule (before Super Tuesday) is, in order, Iowa - New Hampshire - Colorado, Minnesota, New York and Utah - Nevada - South Carolina - North Carolina.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

The ongoing destruction of this country is being committed by the current resident in the white hut and will require the next occupant to counter all this havoc. That man would be Ted Cruz as president, not as a senator.

[SoConPubbie]

I know what you are saying. But if you look at results only, Walker has been able to actually get them. Cruz has tried and tried hard but not a thing has been passed with his name on it. I would give him an A+ for effort. The thing with being President is being able to convince others of passing your agenda. Walker has been able to do this with Democrats and Republicans. Cruz is having difficulty getting the Republicans to side with his agenda much less the Democrats. That is a problem don’t you think?

I understand that opinion naps.

However, you run the risk of comparing apples to oranges when comparing the results of actions of a Governor and a Senator.

There is no one above a Governor to hinder or limit your actions. With a Senator, especially in the US Senate, you have the treacherous leadership of McConnell, coupled with the GOP-E which absolutely hates Cruz and what he stands for.

Couple that with a treacherous leadership in the house, led by Boehner, which also absolutely hates Cruz and what he stands for, and the ability of any Conservative Tea-Party Senator to get a bill through Congress is almost impossible.

Couple that with the fact that the Senate, until just recently, was led by Harry Reid, and it is impossible to get any type of legislation through with your name on it.

As you say, Cruz gets an A+ for effort, for doing everything he possibly could to get the job done.

This is why the comparison is not a good one. Governor Walker had a legislature that was more or less compliant. So yes, in terms of getting bills past, Walker wins, but the comparison is not a good one as it leaves out all the factors involved.

[Leep]

Well, i am open for anyone who is not a RINOstablishmentarian. Where have i heard that before? Just not going to get to get my hopes up.

[BeadCounter]

Oh, sure, the Wisconsin Legislature was compliant. Wow. Are we knowledgeable here.

[SoConPubbie]

Oh, sure, the Wisconsin Legislature was compliant. Wow. Are we knowledgeable here.

Was he able to get bills to his desk that he was able to sign?

IF he did, they were more or less compliant.

The "math" on this really isn't that hard.

[BeadCounter]

The people have spoken so far, winning battles and such is proving to be more important than sounding like Rush Limbaugh or saying what Judge Jeannine said 2 weeks prior.

Walker has run 17 times for public office.

He has wins on key issues, not just speaking like El Rushbo.

Governors Perry, Walker and even Christie for social conservatives know, they have shut down abortionists. It speaks volumes.

[ctdonath2]

Way too early for all this. Early candidates rarely survive.

[BeadCounter]

Was he able to get bills to his desk that he was able to sign?

IF he did, they were more or less compliant.

The "math" on this really isn't that hard.

Simple analysis.

I guess if not passing legislation is what one is arguing for, that's a good point. Then, all we have to rely on is Talk.

But Wisconsin none-the-less, is known as a purplish state, changing. So there are a lot of Democrats in the legislature.

[CPT Clay]

No Bushes or Clintons

C’mon we are a nation of 300 million, can’t we find someone else?

[SoConPubbie]

But Wisconsin none-the-less, is known as a purplish state, changing. So there are a lot of Democrats in the legislature.

Really doesn't matter if they put a bill on his desk that he can sign, does it?!

That means the legislature, more or less, were compliant to his positions.

No real way to argue around this.

[BeadCounter]

Really doesn't matter if they put a bill on his desk that he can sign, does it?!

He's leader of the Republican Party so, yes, he helped shepherd the whole deal. Why wasn't this going on during previous governorships? Why was Walker so vilified by the Unions? They came in from all over.

That means the legislature, more or less, were compliant to his positions.

And he's leader of the Republican Party.

No real way to argue around this.

I just did. He's the leader of the party, this did not happen in previous years. So what you see as a great asset is mainly talk and no action. Point taken.

[RJS1950]

If Cruz doesn’t run the Senate and make the rules then he’s only a voice in the wilderness.

As president, he can steer policy and take the steps to smack down obamacare and immigration among others.

Ridding ourselves of these cancers on the American people and the Constitution won’t be easy and won’t be clean but Cruz is the one to do it, as president. I can see Walker as the second.

[WIBamian]

Governor Scott Walker does the bidding of the Wisconsin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. When Wisconsin citizens speak out against illegal immigration, Walker is quick to condemn any relationship with these people. He willfully portrays himself a defender of the Chamber of Amnesty.

So when Walker is President, how quick do you think he will be in ostracizing, condemning, and ridiculing conservatives in America who demand that he stop the coming amnesty, aka the exploitation of broke, unemployed, underemployed, and employed American citizens who are barred from jobs that go to illegal invaders?

[nascarnation]

Mobilize behind Cruz now.

Harvard Ted ran -1 to Mediocre Mitt in 2012 and High School Walker was +7.

That's a stat that makes me worry.

[SoConPubbie]

Walker has run 17 times for public office.

And that is impressive.

However, there are lots of people that have run many times for office and won many elections, both GOP and DEM. Most of those people and most of those elections are in safe counties or safe districts or safe states, etc.

Now, when your own party runs against you and you are running against an entrenched GOP politician, THAT is really impressive, and that is exactly what Ted Cruz did.

[SoConPubbie]

He's leader of the Republican Party so, yes, he helped shepherd the whole deal. Why wasn't this going on during previous governorships? Why was Walker so vilified by the Unions? They came in from all over.

And Walker has much to be proud of his fight against the Union.

However, given his comments to the Tea Party about not fighting Republicans, his Pro-Abortion language he used to support is "Pro-Life" bill, he first walking away from the Right-To-Work fight, and then having to reverse course because the state party, in his words, could not keep it's members in line, his supposed reversal on Amnesty and an Open-Border, and finally, instead of taking a strong 10th-Amendment position on Gay Marriage, signaling defeat in Wisconsin on this issue. Given this recent instability when it comes to the fidelity to conservative causes and policies, he is a distant 2nd to Cruz and his rock-solid fidelity to conservative causes, and policies.

CRUZ or LOSE!

CRUZ or LOSE!