Tag: Tailgunner Ted Cruz

Reid: Cruz Wants to Run for President

Buck Banks

In an effort to help him run for president, he has done some stuff that’s really damaging to our country. He’s been attempting to raise money. And who has he hurt? He has hurt average Americans. The government being shutdown for 14 or 15 days, that has been very hurtful to people. Not only the people that work for government, but the people who work around government.

— Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), telling the Washington Post in a forthcoming interview that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) did what he did during the government shutdown because he wants to run for president.

Cruz Needs a Dog

Buck Banks

It might be time for Ted Cruz to get a dog. Because as the saying goes, if you want a friend in Washington, that’s what you do. And by the time Cruz’s crusade to defund Obamacare finally crashed to a halt Wednesday, the Texas senator had precious few friends left. The government shutdown alienated colleagues in both parties. It generated fresh animosity toward the tea party and a flurry of recriminations toward Cruz. Voter support for the Republican Party plunged. And the health care law survived unscathed.

— Dallas Morning News editorial.

Ted Cruz: Democratic Sleeper Agent?

Buck Banks

Ezra Klein has a wonderful piece on Washington Post’s Wonkblog that lays the blame for the shutdown and subsequent Republican loss of favorability, credibility and viability at the feet of “Tailgunner” Ted Cruz. Here are some of Klein’s points, but read the full article for the full affect:

It is tough to appreciate just how much good Ted Cruz has done the Democrats over these last few weeks.

  • He convinced Republicans to shut down the government rather than wait and fight over the debt ceiling, where they would have had more — and more dangerous — leverage.
  • He splintered the Republican Party such that, from day one, it was clear that the GOP leadership opposed the strategy they were executing, and GOP senators were publicly blasting House Republicans. That also cut the GOP’s leverage.
  • He made this a fight over defunding Obamacare, which polls showed was a wildly unpopular reason to shut down the government, and which united Democrats against him.
  • He shut the government down on Oct. 1, the same day Obamacare began, thus distracting the American people from the law’s catastrophic rollout.

‘Tailgunner’ Ted Cruz Is the Wingnut’s Choice for GOP Prez Candidate in 2016

Buck Banks

20%

Of Republican primary voters said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is now the top choice to be their presidential candidate in 2016, a new Public Policy Polling survey finds. Cruz’ 20% is followed by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) at 17%, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) at 14%, Jeb Bush at 11%, Sen. Marco Rubio at 10% and Rep. Paul Ryan at 10%.