Ted Cruz, the Senate’s new lightning rod
Washington’s new bad boy feels good.
“I made promises to the people of Texas that I would come to Washington to shake up the status quo,” he said in e-mailed answers to questions, in lieu of speaking. “That is what I intend to do, and it is what I have done in every way possible in the responsibilities that have been granted to me.”…
Mr. Cruz, a Canadian-born lawyer who won an upset primary victory last year, is adamant in his own defense. He said his focus at hearings had been on policy, not personality. With Mr. Hagel, whose nomination is set for a Senate vote the week of Feb. 25, he said his request for financial disclosures were backed by 24 other senators. As for his statement that Mr. Hagel may have received honorariums from nefarious sources, “the suggestions I have made in my arguments have been merely to raise examples for why I believe Senator Hagel’s financial disclosure is so important,” he said.
“Comity does not mean avoiding the truth,” he added. “And it would be wrong to avoid speaking the truth about someone’s record and past policy positions, even if doing so inevitably subjects me to personal criticism from Democrats and the media.”
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
A Republican neocon opposing Hagel is hardly unusual or controversial. Show me a southern Baptist socon endorsing the guy and THAT’s man bites dog material right there!!
abobo on February 16, 2013 at 12:15 PM
A conservative Hispanic Canook invasion that we weren’t ready for.
cozmo on February 16, 2013 at 12:18 PM
liberals will always tell you who they fear by who they attack. They will also tell you their level of fear by how strongly they attack. This article speaks volumes IRT their fear of this man.
unseen on February 16, 2013 at 12:18 PM
Destroy him!!!
/
CW on February 16, 2013 at 12:19 PM
So let get this straight, a Republican is doing what he promised to his constituents and he is a troublemaker? What kind of logic is that?
ojfltx on February 16, 2013 at 12:21 PM
hmmmm didn’t know this so I guess POTUS is out of the question then. That kind of sucks.
senate majority leader still sounds good.
unseen on February 16, 2013 at 12:21 PM
Kind of like Rand Paul, eh, Abobo. Being war-reluctant is a bit different that being friends with our clear adversaries and incompetent to boot.
Been doing grassroots conservative campaigning for 50 years- since before Goldwater. NO ONE has pleased me more or made me more proud than Ted Cruz!
michaelo on February 16, 2013 at 12:22 PM
enemy logic. When your enemy is attacking and winning, he is by definition causing trouble.
unseen on February 16, 2013 at 12:22 PM
Unseen, he was born to American citizens; same ‘issue’ that McCain had.
michaelo on February 16, 2013 at 12:26 PM
per the nyt article, what did “conservative” lindsey graham say?
yep, Ted Cruz demands “were “out of bounds quite frankly”
quite frankly lindsey you will be out of a job in 2014.
renalin on February 16, 2013 at 12:26 PM
I have been pleseantly surprised by him. When Cruz himself gave Palin a lot of credit for his primary win in TX, it showed his character. Most politicians never want to give credit where it is due and instead try to take credit for all things. When I read his interview saying what a great help Palin’s endrosement was for him and his campaign I knew this guy was something special. he hasn’t disappointed me since. In fact he continues to surprise me. Makes rubio look like a little kid.
unseen on February 16, 2013 at 12:27 PM
oh…ok don’t know his childhood history. But wasn’t McCain born on American soil in the Panama zone?
unseen on February 16, 2013 at 12:28 PM
One difference was his Dad, Rafael, was cuban-born and naturalized. But we’d certainly ytake Senate Majority leader; MUCH beeter than Reid-lite, McConnell.
michaelo on February 16, 2013 at 12:28 PM
If your posting history is any indication I’m sure you will be one of the first to fall for the lies of the MSM IRT to Cruz afterall you fell for all the crap about Palin easily enough.
unseen on February 16, 2013 at 12:30 PM
It was news to me also, I think that fact that they bothered to put it in the article gives it that “to be continued….” status if his popularity rises.
Cindy Munford on February 16, 2013 at 12:32 PM
I wonder if he drinks water when he’s thirsty… could be a career ender.
mjbrooks3 on February 16, 2013 at 12:32 PM
Hopefully he has learned to be discreet.
Cindy Munford on February 16, 2013 at 12:35 PM
“lightning rod”= “whipping boy”. You’re welcome NY Times.
Clink on February 16, 2013 at 12:35 PM
He/she was being sarcastic.
Hat Trick on February 16, 2013 at 12:37 PM
Senator Cruz, please publish the complete answers to the NYTimes questions. Don’t allow them to filter you.
commodore on February 16, 2013 at 12:38 PM
Thank you so much Ted for doing what you told us you would do if we voted for you! It is a rare thing to happen with our elected!
Keep up the great work and don’t let d’s/rino’s/bhopress get to you! They all sure will if you let them.
L
letget on February 16, 2013 at 12:39 PM
Not at all. This is a NYT meme, when they ignored totally Obama’s history, and still do.
He if fully legal for POTUS.
Schadenfreude on February 16, 2013 at 12:51 PM
McCain was born in Panama and still ran…get your clues on.
Schadenfreude on February 16, 2013 at 12:51 PM
Schadenfreude on February 16, 2013 at 1:00 PM
Yes, but it doesn’t matter. Just happens to have been American soil then…until stupid Carter gave away…another travesty. He could have been born anywhere, to one (legal) American parent. Alas, the hypocritical left are going to argue until they’re blue…when they covered up all discussions about Obama, or would do so again for any leftist.
Schadenfreude on February 16, 2013 at 1:15 PM
I voted for him – he is doing exactly what I sent him there to do – unlike his predecessor and Cornyn. Keep up the great work no matter what the Leftist say about you. And I include some repubs in that also.
Corsair on February 16, 2013 at 1:23 PM
hope you are correct. If Cruz stays the course I would be proud to pull the lever and vote for him for POTUS. He is definitely not the lesser of two evils
unseen on February 16, 2013 at 1:27 PM
yes I know. Just pointing out the irony of one who did everything he/she/it could to destroy a conservative over the last 4 years calling out the dems for the same actions… pot meet kettle.
unseen on February 16, 2013 at 1:29 PM
If I had a choice between Rubio or Cruz, I would vote for Cruz if it came down to presidental vote.
L
letget on February 16, 2013 at 1:30 PM
yeap they will with a staight face say Cruz is illegal but Obama wasn’t it.
unseen on February 16, 2013 at 1:31 PM
yeap 10 out of 10 times. rubio is ok. Nothing really against him. Just don’t like the “friends” he keeps. Always think I can’t be 100% sure where is loyalties are. Cruz so far has shown where his are. Rubio plays closer to the vest.
unseen on February 16, 2013 at 1:33 PM
could be that’s how liberals operate. place a little known “fact” in an article then in a couple months or years point back to that skewed article to “prove” your point. They did that trick a lot with Palin over the years. sadly many “conservatives” believed them. It’s a hard tactic to defend against.
unseen on February 16, 2013 at 1:38 PM
Another bomb-thrower. Lets see how he fares over the long run.
tommy71 on February 16, 2013 at 1:53 PM
NYT going after Ted Cruz isn’t as funny as the AP attacking the most anti-Obama state in the union, Utah, with this gem of a headline:
Unyielding GOP politicians doing what voters ask
Imagine that. Disgusting.
Marcus on February 16, 2013 at 2:21 PM
Huffpo today is still flogging that idiotic “Cruz=McCarthy” talking point they got from their DNC bosses.
juliesa on February 16, 2013 at 2:37 PM
Well played, NYT — well played.
Punchenko on February 16, 2013 at 2:40 PM
1. It’s the NYT.
2. They don’t mind if someone could upset republicans and fracture conservatives one from the other by starting rumors like: “Republican are backstabbing and smearing Cruz.” It works for them.
What can you do about it? don’t bite the bait.
Fleuries on February 16, 2013 at 3:21 PM