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Cruz and Trump poised for the ugliest debate yet
Politico ^ | 02/12/16 11:46 PM EST | Katie Glueck and Ben Schreckinger

Posted on 02/13/2016 9:32:01 AM PST by SoConPubbie

These rivals are itching for a fight as South Carolina settles into a two-man race.

Ted Cruz and Donald Trump enter Saturday's debate locked in a two-man race for South Carolina, and to prepare, both have gone full negative.

After splitting the first two votes, the New York billionaire has relentlessly hammered away at Cruz on everything from his campaign's tactics to what Trump sees as the Texan's character flaws. And on Friday, Trump warned that he has standing to sue Cruz over questions of his birth and constitutional eligibility to serve in the White House.

"If @tedcruz doesn't clean up his act, stop cheating, & doing negative ads, I have standing to sue him for not being a natural born citizen," Trump tweeted of his rival, born in Canada to an American mother.

Asked about the threat, Cruz did not back down. "There's more than a little irony in Donald accusing anybody of being nasty given the amazing torrent of insults and obscenities that come out of his mouth on any given day," he told reporters. "Suddenly every day he comes out with a new attack."

Trump is expected to carry these attacks onto the stage on Saturday at the final candidate forum before South Carolina votes. It's a fight Cruz's allies say they are ready for, as they prepare to assault Trump's Republican credentials with an eye on the conservative, religious and security-focused voters throughout the south.

"There's a Himalayan mountain of evidence out there that Donald Trump is not a conservative," said Charlie Condon, a former South Carolina attorney general and a Cruz surrogate, pointing to Trump's past positions on issues including abortion, health care and Wall Street bank bailouts. "I'm confident that everything I'm telling you will be discussed at the Peace Center."

Condon said that the more Trump attacks Cruz on Saturday, the more the Texas senator will come across as the Trump "alternative."

"It's a recognition of what we think the reality is: This is becoming a two-man race," he said. "So if you're not comfortable with Donald Trump being president, whether for temperament reasons or judgment reasons or the fact that he really is a campaign conservative—he's been a Democrat almost his whole life…if you're uncomfortable with that…Cruz is the alternative."

Cruz spokesman Rick Tyler said the candidate would be "prepared" for Trump, whose campaign he dismissed as unserious. "This is the Seinfeld candidacy," he said. "It's a campaign about nothing."

The escalation of the conflict between the two leading candidates for the Republican nomination comes as they contest a state that has refined the political dirty trick to a fine art and where the mogul is accusing a "dishonest" Cruz of orchestrating anti-Trump robocalls.

Already, in Iowa, the Cruz campaign came under fire for spreading inaccurate reports that Ben Carson was suspending his campaign on the day of the Iowa caucuses and sending out high-pressure mailers intended to shame inconsistent voters who were likely to support Cruz into turning out.

In South Carolina, where polls show Trump with a double-digit lead over Cruz, the senator and his supporters are not holding back. "I've worked campaigns for long time and I've never seen the stuff Cruz is putting out," said one Trump campaign staffer in the state, referring to mailers that question the businessman's conservative credentials.

According to the Real Clear Politics average, Trump is running a solid first in South Carolina with 37 percent, followed by Cruz at 20 percent. (Marco Rubio sits a distant third at 14 percent.)

"As we approach South Carolina, Trump's competitors will grow increasingly desperate," said Seth Weathers, a Trump supporter who briefly served as the businessman's George state director. "Trump's tweet was a reminder that he doesn't take attacks lying down. He never attacks first, but when he responds, he unleashes hell."


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: cruz; donaldtrump; tedcruz; trump
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To: JoSixChip
From the article.


Cruz spokesman Rick Tyler said the candidate would be "prepared" for Trump, whose campaign he dismissed as unserious. "This is the Seinfeld candidacy," he said. "It's a campaign about nothing."

LoL. Losing big to nothing.


81 posted on 02/13/2016 11:22:46 AM PST by Red Steel
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To: Fundamentally Fair

No, Trump isn’t saying it’s impossible, Trump is saying Cruz needs to settle the issue, which he does. It is not settled, it is an open issue which Cruz needs to settle. Cruz IMO is not showing selfless good-faith by not getting this thing settled in a federal court. Trump looks like he may force the issue by suing him.


82 posted on 02/13/2016 11:26:14 AM PST by Jim W N
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To: SoConPubbie

Both MSM & Cruz want Trump to be “ugly”. Since he knows this & prides himself on doing the unexpected I predict Cruz & the media will be sorely disappointed.


83 posted on 02/13/2016 11:28:50 AM PST by TheStickman
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To: Beagle8U

Just because Trump has his crap on public display (for his fans to drool over), it does not mean he will be answering questions. He will just continue to parrot the populist mantra.

2016’s “Yes, We Can!”


84 posted on 02/13/2016 11:36:48 AM PST by sagar (3 way race; cranky populist - Trump/Sanders, establishment - Hillary/Kaysick, conservative - Cruz!)
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To: jimbo807

You’d be amazed at how many people in Texas would like to do that.


85 posted on 02/13/2016 11:38:50 AM PST by SeaHawkFan
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To: SeaHawkFan

Have at it. You tried it once and the Mexicans kicked your ass so bad you had to join the Union. Maybe you’ll have better luck this time.

If it works out, I’ll apply for a Visa and come visit.


86 posted on 02/13/2016 11:40:56 AM PST by jimbo807
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To: Beagle8U

I want to see Cruz go after Trump on the RICO case he is a defendant in in California. An appellate court ordered the case to go to trial.

Trump will claim the case has no merit, but the evidence is clear.


87 posted on 02/13/2016 11:45:23 AM PST by SeaHawkFan
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To: Jim 0216

Woo hoo! Go Trump! Single Payer health care!


88 posted on 02/13/2016 11:48:16 AM PST by teg_76
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To: 20yearsofinternet

Saw a thread title that said it was filled with stooges.

I will be reading body language and watching for self-discipline, especially during the offensive rhetoric. If it is overkill, I will be thinking about who I want to send our sons into battle or if he would be willing to send his own.


89 posted on 02/13/2016 11:48:26 AM PST by huldah1776 ( Vote Pro-life! Allow God to bless America before He avenges the death of the innocent.)
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To: teg_76

Another lie.


90 posted on 02/13/2016 11:48:45 AM PST by AuntB (Illegal immigration is simply more "share the wealth" socialism and a CRIME not a race!)
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To: teg_76

No, he’s not for single payer healthcare. He has changed his views since the 90’s as has your man Cruz.


91 posted on 02/13/2016 11:49:39 AM PST by Jim W N
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To: Jim 0216

Agree Jim. And unfortunately we don’t know how to fight back against the enemy.


92 posted on 02/13/2016 11:51:02 AM PST by spacejunkie2001
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To: AuntB

Hey I’m on your side. I love Trump! I’m totally for partial birth abortion, Just like he was the first 60 years of his life.


93 posted on 02/13/2016 11:52:42 AM PST by teg_76
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To: TheStickman

Trump’s instincts are really good, so I’m sure whatever approach he takes will work for him in the end.


94 posted on 02/13/2016 11:54:05 AM PST by CASchack
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To: spacejunkie2001

Yes we do. “The battle is the Lord’s. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.” Also, those who are called, to intercede in powerful intercessory prayer which turned and defeated the powers of darkness in WWII and can do the same here and now.


95 posted on 02/13/2016 11:59:08 AM PST by Jim W N
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To: Jim 0216

Also, “What hath God wrought?”


96 posted on 02/13/2016 12:00:46 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: teg_76

That’s right ! A man SMART enough to change his mind for moral reasons instead of BIG $$ DONATIONS!

If it was good enough for Ghandi & Churchill, it’s good enough for Trump

My Daddy used to say, “only a fool never changes his mind”.

Whatever you have decided Trump is, no one can say he is a ‘fool’. ANY one of us would trade places with that ‘fool’!

So, Trump changed his mind on abortion...so did Reagan and George HW BUSH....for Bush it was several times! Any one of us who says we think the same way we did when we were younger is, excuse me...a LIAR or a damn fool.

Winston Churchill said:
“IF you’re not a liberal at twenty you have no heart, if you’re not a conservative at forty you have no brain.”

Now, Churchill wasn’t talking about being 20 or 40, but the difference between being young or mature, with EXPERIENCE under your belt.

GHANDI said:

I am not at all concerned with appearing to be consistent....
In my search after Truth I have discarded many ideas and learnt many new things........
When anybody finds any inconsistency between any two writings of mine,
if he has still faith in my sanity, he would do well to choose the later of the two on the same subject.


97 posted on 02/13/2016 12:00:53 PM PST by AuntB (Illegal immigration is simply more "share the wealth" socialism and a CRIME not a race!)
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To: heights

You mean Cruz will duplicate his behavior for 3 years in US Senate? May that is why not a single one of his 99 colleagues have endorsed him! Cruz is hard to like.


98 posted on 02/13/2016 12:01:20 PM PST by entropy12 (Who is the ONLY candidate NOT controlled by Goldman Sachs & CFG & COC & Robert Mercer?)
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To: Jim 0216

I should clarify; those of us walking with God know how to fight but the majority of people, even many that call themselves Christians, do not know how.


99 posted on 02/13/2016 12:01:31 PM PST by spacejunkie2001
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To: CASchack

Trump, most of all, seems to not be inflexible.

Carter’s “malleability” notwithstanding, sometimes flexible is good. Ever try to crack a bull whip that was as stiff as a stick?


100 posted on 02/13/2016 12:01:59 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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