Posted on 07/24/2015 12:51:11 PM PDT by markomalley
I’m not going to excerpt it for you, despite the length. You need to watch it all; if you can’t spare 20 minutes, at least watch the middle third where he gets into corporate cooptation of the one-party state. This is one of the most brutal attacks — not incorrect, mind you, just brutal — you’ll ever see by a senator on his colleagues, starting with his own majority leader. Sample quote: “[This majority] does get things done, but it listens to one and only one voice: That is, the voice of the Washington cartel, of the lobbyists on K Street, of the big money and big corporations.” This guy is talking about his own caucus.
Nominally, this speech is about McConnell’s betrayal of opponents of the Ex-Im bank and his Reid-esque procedural scam to block conservative amendments that could have jeopardized the Iran deal. What it really is, of course, is a campaign commercial for Cruz 2016 aimed at all the Trump voters he covets but who prefer someone (for the moment) who stands outside the political class. This is Cruz’s way of showing them that not only is he willing to throw punches at the establishment too, he hits much harder than Trump does. The unspoken point is, “If you detest Washington and its endless corrupt excrescences, why would you support him instead of me?” Good question. I have no idea.
I wonder what Cruz is planning to do career-wise if his presidential campaign falls short. It’s hard to imagine him hanging around the Senate for decades, as it’ll be an even lonelier place for him after this than it already was. I assume he has his eye on a seat on an appellate court somewhere, either at the circuit level or SCOTUS itself, once a Republican’s back in the White House. Alienating the people who vote to confirm federal judges is an … interesting strategy, but maybe Cruz figures that a Senate Republican majority would be too scared of the base to reject him. Even if you dislike his style politically, there’s no question he’d be a staunch conservative as a judge. You deny the right another Scalia on the bench at your peril.
(video at link)
This floor speech is a masterpiece. The emperor(s) have no clothes.
Deep down inside, Ted's another boring judge at heart? If Ted loses his presidential bid and he's smart and doesn't like the Senate, he should run for governor. That would give him a head start the next time he runs for president. Unfortunately, a term or two as governor and the compromises that would require could make Ted the next Bush or Perry in the eyes of some people who love him now.
Cruz was revved up when Trump was still a Democrat.
Cruz has picked up a few pointers from his big brother Donald Trump. Cruz is realizing he better do something different or he will never get out of the rut he is in. Listening to Ted here sounds just like The Donald.
“Cruz has little exposure, little name recognition, and what exposure he gets is misleading and tends to cast him in a negative light.”
No, you are not up on what Cruz has been doing. Maybe you have a job and can’t keep up with him. I don’t have a job [read that as I have no life :o)] so I see and read every day where he is and what he is doing. He has been to many states and had standing ovations every time. That is what he did in Texas to handily beat the Lt. Gov. for the Senate Seat.
He had an excellent campaign strategy in Texas and he has one now. The fist debate is nearly here and I expect his numbers to soar after that.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!
So, does anyone here think he isn’t tag teaming with Trump?
I was wondering the same thing. Outstanding speech by Cruz.
Cruz has realized he has nothing to lose by burning the Senate down. I think had a chat with Trump who said things have go to change radically and soon.
I really hate the fact that I agree with you and have thought the same for some time.
If Cruz does not advance, I will not have anyone to support.
In Minnesota, we don’t often cast a vote that matters anyway, since the Republican party has fixed it so the nomination is in the bag by their selected candidate long before Minnesota ever votes.
For me, its Cruz or go camping.
Sure. The PTB will play along for awhile to keep the ignorant masses happy. They'll take him out later, though. (Cruz knows he isn't the chosen one, but he's trying to sound an alarm. People have forgotten there are more of us than them. He's trying to wake people up from their captive nightmare)
It was like watching a really powerful patriotic movie where you’re cheering the guy on. I would bet there hasn’t been that much brutal honesty conveyed in those halls since our founding. Great job Ted.
Without Cruz and his devotion to the constitution, America is lost.
Cruz has to post this speech online, because it will never be shown on the networks, not even Fox, better known as GOPe News.
Credit where credit is due. That went beyond outstanding!
Now watch for any reaction from Trump. Not that it much matters.
I.AM.LOVING.IT!
You’re so right, dearest Marcella. People who are saying that, haven’t been paying attention to Senator Cruz!
He came out swinging today, harsher than ever before, because he called “Mitch-the democrat’s bitch” A LIAR -— which he truly is! -— right on the floor of the U.S. Senate!!!
God bless Senator Ted Cruz, the true American-Patriot, GENTLEMAN from the GREAT STATE OF TEXAS!!!
Bush has name recognition, and press coverage is positive. Trump is irresistible to the press.
I like Cruz, alot. But my impact on poll data can't even be measured, it's so insignificant.
“Awesome speech. He just blew up his career — or else made it.”
Yup. That was all the chips on the table. Wow.
He has posted it on his Senate website, but it is so good it deserves to be posted here, so I will post it.
Madam President, today is a sad day for this institution. The Senate operates based on trust. Whether we are Democrats or Republicans, these 100 senators have to be able to trust that when a senator says something, he or she will do it. Even if we disagree on substance, that we don’t lie to each other. What we just witnessed this morning is profoundly disappointing. I want to describe the context of two preceding discussions.
“A number of weeks ago when this Senate was considering Trade Promotion Authority, a group of senators gathered on this floor and blocked TPA for many minutes because they were pressing for the Export-Import Bank. They huddled on this floor and negotiated a deal in front of C-SPAN, in front of the world. Then, when they had their deal, TPA had the votes to pass. Shortly thereafter, we had a Senate Republican lunch where I stood up and I asked the majority leader very directly what was the deal that was just cut on TPA and was there a deal for the Export-Import Bank. It was a direct question. I asked the majority leader in front of all the Republican senators. The majority leader was visibly angry with me that I would ask such a question, and the majority leader looked at me and said ‘there is no deal, there is no deal, there is no deal.’ Like St. Peter, he repeated it three times. He said ‘the only thing I told the proponents of the Export-Import Bank is like any other senator in this body, they could offer any amendment they liked on any amendable vehicle, but I gave them nothing, there is no deal, I gave them nothing.’ He was emphatic and he was repeated. Following that public discussion, Senator Mike Lee and I approached the majority leader afterwards, in which he emphasized again ‘there is no deal, I will do nothing, I oppose the Export-Import Bank. All I said is they can offer an amendment like any senator can to any bill.’
“Madam President, I went back to my office, and I sat and had a long discussion with my staff. My staff told me that afternoon ‘he’s lying to you.’ That’s what my staff said. ‘We have been around the Senate a long time. He is not telling you the truth.’ And what I told my staff that afternoon, I said ‘well, I don’t know if that’s the case or not, but I don’t see how when the majority leader looks me in the eyes and makes an explicit promise — and by the way, looks in the eyes of every other Republican senator and says that to every other Republican senator, I don’t see how I cannot take him at his word when he makes an explicit promise.’ As a result, I cast my vote in may in support of TPA because I support free trade, and I felt I had no choice but to assume that when the majority leader spoke to 54 Republican senators and made an explicit promise, that he wasn’t lying to us. Well, as TPA moved on, as it went to the House, it became abundantly clear, there was a deal. There was a deal in the House for the Export-Import Bank.
“And so the second time TPA came up, I voted ‘no’ because of that corrupt deal. Now I will note to the public, the majority leader and the Speaker of the House have repeatedly said ‘there was no corrupt deal, there was no corrupt deal, we made no deal, we made no deal.’ That’s one element of the background context.
“Let me tell you a second element of the background context. A number of weeks ago when we were debating the Corker-Cardin bill, the Iran Review Act, there were a number of amendments that senators had filed. I filed an amendment that would actually put teeth in the “Iran Review Act” by requiring affirmative Congressional approval before sanctions on Iran could be lifted. Other senators filed very good amendments. Senator Marco Rubio filed an amendment calling for Iran to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state before sanctions could be lifted. Our friends on the Democratic side of the aisle did not want to vote on that amendment. And in response, the majority leader cut off all amendments. Madam President, I sat in the majority leader’s office, and I urged the majority leader invoke cloture on Senator Rubio’s amendment — invoke cloture on Senator Rubio’s amendment calling on Iran to recognize Israel’s right to exist and setting that as a precondition of any lifting of sanctions. I argued vociferously with the majority leader that if the Democrats were so opposed to voting on that amendment, that was all the more reason because it was important substantively, and the majority leader said no, he would not do so, that invoking cloture on an amendment was an extraordinary step, and he wouldn’t do so. So he cut off every amendment. He filled the tree. It was striking a minute ago seeing the Democratic Leader Harry Reid calling out the majority leader for filling the tree, for engaging in the same procedural abuse that that Harry Reid did over and over and over again in this body. Now the Republican Leader is behaving like the senior senator from Nevada.
“What we just saw was not, Madam President, what the majority leader told you and me and every other Republican senator. What we just saw was not that the proponents of the Ex-Im Bank, like anyone else, could stand up and offer whatever amendment they’d like on any issue. What the majority leader just did is, number one, he called up that amendment. He called it up himself. Why does that matter? Because as majority leader he has priority of recognition. When he calls up an amendment, no one can stop him. He didn’t just call it up. He filled the tree, just like Harry Reid. He filled the tree, blocking everyone else’s amendment. By the way, I agree with Senator Reid when he said the Obamacare amendment is a cynical amendment. Of course it is. It is empty showmanship.
“We’ll have a vote on repealing Obamacare. The Republicans will all vote ‘yes.’ The Democrats will all vote ‘no.’ It will be at a 60-vote threshold. It will fail. It will be an exercise in meaningless political theater. Mind you, when we had a fight in October 2013 to actually stop Obamacare and defund it, the majority leader, then the minority leader, was opposed to doing something with real teeth in it to stop Obamacare. But an empty show-vote, that is a good way of distracting from what’s going on.
“There is a profound disappointment among the American people because we keep winning elections and then we keep getting leaders who don’t do anything they promised. The American people were told ‘if only we have a Republican majority in the House, things will be different.’ Well, in 2010 the American people showed up in enormous numbers and we got a Republican majority in the House — and very little changed. Then the American people were told, ‘you know, the problem is the Senate. If only we get a Republican majority in the Senate and retire Harry Reid as majority leader, then things will be different.’ Well, in 2014 the American people rose up in enormous numbers, voted to do exactly that. We’ve had a Republican majority in both houses of Congress now for about six months. What has that majority done? First thing we did, in December, is we came back and passed a $1 trillion ‘cromnibus’ plan filled with pork and corporate welfare. That was the very first thing we did. Then this Republican majority voted to fund Obamacare, voted to fund President Obama’s unconstitutional executive amnesty. And then leadership rammed through the confirmation of Loretta lynch as Attorney General. Madam President, which of those decisions would be one iota different if Harry Reid were still majority leader? Not a one. Not a one. This Senate operates exactly the same — the same priorities. And let me tell you why.
“It’s not that this majority doesn’t get things done. It does get things done, but it listens to one and only one voice. That is the voice of the Washington Cartel, of the lobbyists on K Street, of the big money and big corporations. You know, if you go to the American people and ask ‘is reauthorizing the Ex-Im Bank a priority for you?’ The standard response for most of them would be, ‘the what?’ They don’t even know what this is. Let me tell you what this is. It is an egregious example of corporate welfare. It is the American taxpayers being on the dime for hundreds of billions of dollars in loan guarantees given out to a handful of giant corporations. It is a classic example of cronyism and corporate welfare. And, by the way, among others, you know one person who had the clarity of thought on that? Then-Senator Barack Obama, who described it as a classic example of corporate welfare. That was when he was in the Senate. Now that he’s in the White House, corporate welfare sounds pretty good. Now just about all of the Democrats are supporting the corporate welfare with the exception of Bernie Sanders. I’ll give credit to Senator Sanders for standing up against corporate welfare. But every Democrat who rails against big money and corruption of Washington, every Democrat who styles himself or herself a populist, their actions on this matter speak far louder than their words. And when it comes to Republicans, Republicans also are listening to K Street and the lobbyists. Why? It’s not complicated. The giant corporations that are getting special favors from the taxpayers hire an army of lobbyists that write campaign checks after campaign checks. By the way, these checks go to both Democrats and Republicans. It is career politicians in both parties that are kept in office by looting the taxpayer to benefit wealthy, powerful corporations.
“The single-largest recipient of loan guarantees from the Ex-Im Bank is the Boeing Corporation. The Boeing Corporation had an earnings call where their CEO said — and I’m paraphrasing — but ‘we’ll be just fine without the Ex-Im Bank. It’s not impacting us. There are plenty of private loan alternatives out there.’ But you know, even though the market could provide, it’s a lot easier to have compliant lawmakers rob from the public fist to enrich giant corporations. You know who doesn’t have lobbyists? A single mom waiting tables. You know who doesn’t have lobbyists? A teenage immigrant, like my father was, washing dishes making 50 cents an hour, struggling to achieve the American dream. You know who doesn’t have lobbyists? A factory worker who just wants to work and provide for his or her children. They don’t have lobbyists. And so what happens? Career politicians in both parties gang up with giant corporations to loot their taxes to make it harder for people who are struggling to achieve the American dream. Coal miners, Madam President, in your state, they don’t have lobbyists who are representing them here, the individual miners, while the majority leader teams up with the Democratic Leader to take from their paychecks to fund giant corporations. It is wrong and it is corrupt.
“Madam President, it saddens me to say this. I sat in my office, I told my staff ‘the majority leader looked me in the eye and looked 54 Republicans in the eye. I cannot believe he would tell a flat-out lie,’ and I voted based on those assurances that he made to each and every one of us. What we just saw today was an absolute demonstration that not only what he told every Republican senator, but what he told the press over and over and over again, was a simple lie. This institution should not operate at the beck and call of lobbyists in Washington. This institution, the majority and minority leader, arm-in-arm again, should not team up against the American taxpayers. It’s why our children are going bankrupt.
“Now we’re facing an enormous threat with this Iran deal, a nuclear Iran poses the greatest national security threat to this country. And yet, the majority leader refused to do what he just did for the Export-Import Bank on Iran, refused to invoke cloture. That was an extraordinary step. Madam President, if he was telling us the truth when he said there was no deal, why would he do what he just did? Well, we now know that when the majority leader looks us in the eyes and makes an explicit commitment that he is willing to say things that he knows are false. That has consequences for how this body operates. If you or I cannot trust what the majority leader tells us, that will have consequences on other legislation as well on how this institution operates. There are a host of amendments that the American people are focused on, things like defunding Planned Parenthood after the gruesome video. The majority leader doesn’t want to vote on that. That’s actually something the American people are focused on. He brought up his Obamacare amendment as a smoke screen because it’s intended to fail. But you know what he didn’t bring up is my amendment to end the Congressional exemption from Obamacare, the corrupt deal that Harry Reid cut with Obama. We’ve got to live under the same rules as everybody else. The majority leader doesn’t want to vote on that because he doesn’t want to end the cronyism for Members of Congress any more than end the cronyism for giant corporations who enrich themselves at the expense of the American people.
“There are a host of priorities that the voters who elected you and me — Madam President, I would ask you to think about when you were running for the Senate not too long ago. Do you recall any of your constituents ever saying we want the Export-Import Bank? No. They want other things. They have other priorities, but those are not the priorities of Republican leadership. Sadly, today we have government of the lobbyists, by the lobbyists, and for the lobbyists. That is not how the United States Senate is supposed to operate.
“A far more important amendment than bringing back this corporate welfare and cronyism is my amendment that provides that sanctions on Iran cannot be lifted unless and until Iran does two things. Number one, it recognizes Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state. And, number two, it releases the four American hostages languishing in Iranian prisons. That is a far more important issue than enriching some more lobbyists on K Street and getting a few more campaign contributions. That’s what we should be voting on. And accordingly, Madam President, I call up my Amendment No. 2301 to the McConnell Amendment 2266 as modified.”
What Cruz is saying SHOULD be just as controversial as Trump, but notice no one is even talking about Cruz. No media, no RNC. It's as if he doesn't exist. Why is that? You'd think the left wing media would be all this.
If people were to listen to Cruz, the PTB in our one party system could risk losing their comfortable place in the castle - the veil would be lifted, and all would be revealed.
Cruz must remain invisible. The PTB have given their orders. The "useful" slaves are obeying (and they will receive their usual 30 pcs. of silver in return).
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