Posted on 01/18/2016 8:25:37 AM PST by Red Steel
[Full title] Chris Wallace Relentlessly Grills Ted Cruz on Flipped Crop Insurance Vote: 'Senator, Isn't That Exactly the Kind of Game That the Washington Cartel Plays?'
Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz was grilled Sunday morning by Fox News host Chris Wallace over his flipped vote on crop insurance.
"One final question, and as I say we're just running out of time, you condemn the Washington cartel, which you call the lobbyists and career politicians who rig the game. I want to ask you about one of your recent acts as a senator," Wallace said before playing video of Cruz switching his vote in a matter of minutes.
"Senator, isn't that exactly the kind of game that the Washington cartel plays?" Wallace asked.
Cruz said that he thought he was voting on another issue because the Senate had "flipped the order of votes."
"I went up initially voting one way, believing we were voting on cloture on the issue, on the Export/Import Bank, and when I voted that way, [Sen.] Pat Roberts made a comment about crop insurance, and I was puzzled, because what I had believed I was voting on concerns the Import/Export Bank, not crop insurance. And I went back to the team and said what went wrong? And the team apologized and said they switched the vote," Cruz said.
Wallace challenged the Texas senator's claim, noting Roberts' version of events seemed to be in dispute of it. According to Roberts, he spoke to Cruz on the floor and advised him that his vote against the $3 billion dollar program would hurt him with Iowa voters who have a powerful agricultural lobby.
"Pat Roberts chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, says thatâs not the way it happened," Wallace said, "he came up and tried to get you to change your vote, and explains and specifically said this will hurt you in Iowa. That's what he says."
Cruz brushed off the claim and recited again his version of events.
"Pat said it was about crop insurance and I was completely puzzled, because my staff briefing had said the order of votes - and you often have a bunch of votes in the Senate and they change the votes sometimes. And so, my staff had gotten it wrong, they briefed me on the wrong report," Cruz said.
Wallace continued to press him.
"You're saying you didn't change your mind?" he asked.
"I didn't change my mind," Cruz replied. "And we said that immediately. This is one of the sort of political games people play, where we said immediately, 'Look, it was a mistake on our part, we misunderstood the order of the votes.'"
The line of questioning from Wallace came after 2016 rival Marco Rubio brought the issue up during the last GOP debate. As the two candidates faced off, Rubio contended the vote was just one example that proved Cruz doesnât have a record of âconsistent conservative."
I just wished that something had “hurt” Pat Roberts in the last election. He doesn’t even own property in Kansas, and hasn’t for years. I think he’s the guy who rents a room from someone else in Kansas because he’s there so infrequently.
[[But a true leader accepts responsibility for his people ]]
[[From the article: Look, it was a mistake on our part, we misunderstood the order of the votes.]]
Seems to me he did
[[The one criticism of Cruz that has surprised me is that he hasnât handled a series of attacks well at all. It started with the Rubio onslaught in December at the debate. ]]
The debate moderators didn’t allow Ted to defend himself- they cut him off as he was trying to defend himself against 11 rapidfire attack points- so the audience was left with the impression that Ted was dumbfounded and blindsided because ‘he couldn’t answer the questions’- never mind that the moderators wouldn’t allow him to defend hismelf
What did Cruz think he was voting for when he voted for TPA?
To eventually facilitate the passing of TPP. Too many inconsistencies with Cruz who is suppose to be a smart guy. Cruz comes with big backer strings attached. He plays games. He’s tried to hide it, a carefully constructed public persona, but this election he’s been under the microscope that is exposing him.
This is what the msm wants. It picks away at DT and Cruz and his Yeb will still be around
Come on folks. Ignore this stuff and focus on primaries and get out the vote
Indeed.
He detests not Trump and Cruz
When Cruz first announced I was all on board. Totally for Cruz. Then he started voting the wrong way and his explanations did not hold up. I was like WTF Ted?
Then TRump who I wanted to run in 2012 got in it and I felt like he had a better chance to win the general and a better chance to force the Congress to go along with his plans.
Now we hear about Ted and Heidi forgetting to disclose loans from Goldman and Citibank and then his flip flop on the agriculture vote which he pinned on his staff.
Cruz is playing the immigration thing way to cute for my liking. I want these illegals leaving the country by deportation or on their own. I don’t care but Trump will get rid of way more of them than Cruz will. Its not personal we just need to pick the candidate who is pushing our agenda the hardest.
Yes I’m afraid you are right. I don’t think Cruz is a bad guy but he’s no “outsider” either. He knows when to play ball.
Roberts is GOPe. GOPe hates Cruz. If I have to chose whom to believe, it will be Cruz, not Roberts.
Look at the Freepers lining up to support Pat Roberts and his buds Mitch McConnell, Thad Cochrane, John McCain. Yeah , Cruz needed Roberts to tell him a vote against crop insurance would hurt him in Iowa. Nice dagger to the back , Roberts; that alone should get you a $50K donation from Trump like your bud Mitch got last year.
Doesn’t change the fact that Cruz changed his vote like he always does to fool people.
Only if your mindset is that Cruz is lying — which is your choice to make
You mean asking tough questions of a Presidential candidate that has been inconsistent on issues? That kind of agenda?
This is part of the vetting process...
Yeah right
Don’t know what kind of vetting you are seeking. After all they have done such a good job over the last thirty years
That’s our job...
Indeed and I get to chose how I do that
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