Posted on 09/25/2013 1:03:36 PM PDT by Sopater
Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.) lashed out at Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) on Friday, saying House Republicans were “tired of being abused” by the Tea Party favorite who talks big about defunding ObamaCare but won’t “get in the ring” now that it’s time to fight.
“You should’ve been on the floor and back in the Cloak Room," Duffy said Friday on MSNBC’s "Morning Joe," referring to the atmosphere among House Republicans this week during discussions on a stopgap spending bill that defunds the healthcare law.
"There was so much anger, so much frustration, because again, we’ve been abused by these guys for so long, and what I see happening now is people coming out now and calling them out for the hypocrisy of these big tough conservatives who know how to fight but will never get in the ring," he added.
“They can hold a filibuster in the Senate if they want, but they can’t hold the Senate conservatives together, and they keep trying to put this fight in the House. They … can have this fight as long as they want, and they’re not willing to do it."
A spokeswoman for Cruz quickly shot back, accusing Duffy of mischaracterizing the senator's words.
Cruz never said he wouldn't fight for defunding ObamaCare in the Senate, spokeswoman Catherine Frazier wrote in an email to The Hill.
“Sen. Cruz has never said those words … he’s attributing words to Cruz that he’s simply never said,” Frazier wrote.
“There are a number of ways that Republicans can use tools to influence the legislative process and from the beginning Cruz has said all options are on the table,” she added. “The Senate has the votes if Republicans demand a 60 vote threshold. Anyone who's been listening to everything the senator has done and said understands that he's in this fight to win it, and to suggest he's said or done anything to the contrary is blatantly misleading. We can win if Republicans in both houses stand strong and if Americans continue to demand of their elected officials to do the right thing.”
Cruz is at the center of Republican infighting over the strategy of tying ObamaCare defunding to a measure that would keep the government operating past Sept. 30. The House will vote on a measure including the two items on Friday.
House Republicans say Cruz and his allies in the Senate have been promising their constituents that there is a real chance Republicans can defund ObamaCare but are now backing down because of what should’ve been apparent all along: the resolution will never make it out of the Democratic-controlled Senate.
Senate Democrats plan to strip the ObamaCare language from the measure and will use a procedural rule that allows this to be done with a majority vote.
Earlier this week, Cruz released a statement saying that once the Senate strips the resolution of the measure that defunds ObamaCare, the House should continue to fight, even if it means a government shutdown.
Duffy called out Cruz Friday over the release, saying he was “waving the white flag.”
“We came out with a strategy that we were going to hold a vote to defund ObamaCare, give Ted Cruz and some of the others what they wanted,” he said. “Several hours later, he sent out a press release while we were on the floor voting, he sent out a press release saying, well we can’t really hold the Senate; we’re not going to filibuster; we’re not going to fight, and the House has to hold.”
The infighting started when a handful of lawmakers' aides anonymously blasted Cruz in various Capitol Hill publications. But since then, a number of high profile Republicans in both chambers — Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), among them — have begun publicly questioning Cruz’s tactics.
“All summer long, as these ads have been running, as they’ve been holding town halls and raising money, we’ve kept a lid on our anger in the House as we’ve been the punching bag and bullied by some of these conservatives,” Duffy said. “And so now with the CR [continuing resolution] vote that’s going to come today, we’re going to give them exactly what they asked for — the opportunity to fight ObamaCare.”
Duffy said Friday there were days in Congress where House lawmakers couldn’t get any work done because constituents flooded the phone lines demanding he and others take up Cruz’s cause to defund ObamaCare.
“And you saw us explode publicly when they started waving the white flag and saying, listen, we’re not going to fight here. We’re going to send it back to the House, and they can fight it there.”
“Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.) lashed out at Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) on Friday, saying House Republicans were “tired of being abused” by the Tea Party favorite”
Duffy, you lazy, ignorant waste of a congressional seat. You think you are being “abused” by Mike Lee and Ted Cruz pointing out that you and your buds, Paul Ryan, John Boehner, and Eric Cantor, were getting ready to stiff us again by passing a defund bill with great fanfare and then, under the radar, pass a provision to faciliate Dirty Harry to strip it out in the Senate and thereby defeat the defund bill with only 51 votes.
It’s real “abuse” to point out to the voters what you devious Big Government hacks are up to, isn’t it Duffy?
bump
He holds a seat held for decades by Democrat Obey. If you start throwing guys like this out of the party, you might just as well hand the keys to the Capitol to San Fran Nan.
I’m tired of being abused by our elected representatives.
For cripes sakes! First we have Boozman crying about being bullied by Cruz and now Duffy crying about being abused. They should be embarrassed. Once upon a time we had men in this country.
How about you get a grip.
I think that is the first time I have eve even thought about it.
Wait, what is your plan? ... support the GOP and what they are doing?
They don’t know abuse, yet. Just wait until next election time and they get kicked out the door.
Take it back and kick out the old GOP guard. It's been done before.
A third party would be death to any opposition to Democrats and America would certainly
become a Socialist state. So get a clue before opening your fat mouth about third party, Idiocy!
Let the Liberals start their third party and kill the Democrat brand.
I called Boozman’s off in DC, message was the number was disconnected.
Called the primary office in his state, and the aide told me the DC switch boards were over whelmed by the calls.
I asked Boozman to support the defuning of obamacare, his aide said that has always been his position.
Then I asked why the senator was claiming about hearing from his constituents, the aide said “have a nice day” and hung up
Sean, buddy, two words: You’re Fired.
Duffy...Doofus...Dork... Toughen-up, you freakin’ RINO! Just for the heck of it I’m going to find out who will run against your flaccid butt and send them some funds. Doofus, you are a LOSER!
For the last week or so Ive been working the phones/emailing, getting friends to join in...like a lot of you. Emotions are running HIGH..especially for myself. I think Id better take a deep breath...try to remember not all Republicans are enemies and keep my sights on the real targets.
Its been grueling for all of us. And I know Ive popped off over too many small things.
Which Senate Republicans, besides Lee and Cruz, have gone to the mat? They will be able to vote against cloture without cost, because the most they have been able to muster are a few words.
How many Senate RINO’s have been won over by Cruz’s strategy, which does indeed give one a sense of hope. But is it a real hope, or just a “feel-good” feeling?
Will the Senate RINO’s be any less craven after the cloture vote?
If they are not less craven, what good will it do for the House Republicans to repeat the process, risking losing the advantages that conservatives now enjoy in the House?
I may be wrong, but I don’t think that the House of Representatives can “make up for” anybody in the Senate. It’s not a balancing act.
It just seems to me that the right must push this just far enough to really blacken the eyes of the enemy. The RINOs have been outed in the public eye, as you say, as craven. That was the genius of Cruz’s filibuster.
But the votes are not there to actually win this battle. On the other hand, this “victory” of the cravens may come at an enormous cost, if things are allowed to play out. The key, in my opinion, is now to find the point of maximum damage to the opposition and go no further. The fruit could be realized in 2014.
“The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom.” - Sun Tzu
Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory is the republican way.
They should have just made sure it went into effect without waivers, exceptions, or delay so everyone gets equally screwed and can see what the Democrats have unleashed on them.
Oh, good lord.
The house is not the problem at the moment, it is the senate and the republicans there are going to support the funding of obamacare.
The take back of the GOP has been going on for decades and they have only gotten worse.
If they are not willing to stop obamacare, gut government spending, calling out obama and his unconstitutional actions....what good are they?
They is little to no opposition to the dems now, what are you talking “will happen”
You saw the few in the senate during Sen Cruz filibuster, what five maybe six people?
Johnnie took weeks to agree to defund obamacare.
I do not have a fat mouth, my mouth is beautiful.
As I said before, I think that was the first time I mentioned a third party, so I have not been talking about it, I mentioned it once.
If you are going to accuse me of something make damn sure its a real thing.
At this point it's perfectly clear you're a Democrat plant.
I see a ZOT in your future.
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