Media Still Shocked that Ted Cruz is Holding Republicans Accountable

Tue, 04/30/2013 - 9:02am | posted by Jason Pye


The media still seems shocked that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who was elected last year with substantial Tea Party and grassroots support, is taking on the political establishment, even if it includes members of his own party.

Back in February, Cruz defended his style after many Senate Democrats criticized him. “I have to admit I find it amusing that those in Washington are puzzled when someone actually does what they said they would do,” Cruz told Reuters during a visit to a Texas-based gun manufacturer. He also gained some coverage over his questioning of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who was pushing the Assault Weapons Ban. And though he did cross a line during the confirmation hearing of then-Defense Secretary nominee Chuck Hagel, Cruz has been generally spot thus far.

But Cruz has raised eyebrows once again. During a surprise talk last week at theFreedomWorks summit in Texas, the freshman Senator explained that the grassroots activists are winning and criticzed “squishes” inside the Republican Party, pointing to the gun control issue as an example.

“Let me give you an illustration of how we’re winning. Let’s take the guns issue,” Cruz told the activists. “A month ago in Washington, DC, guns was a done deal. [The] President was out there every day pouding on it, taking grieving moms and dads who tragically lost their babies, and, you know, treating them like political props.”

“And I gotta tell you, in Washington, the entire sentiment was ‘this is can’t be stopped — this is a freight train, the momentum is with it, get out of the way.’ I mean that was the entire conventional wisdom about four weeks ago,” Cruz recalled. “Rand Paul and Mike Lee and I sent a very short letter to Harry Reid, and we just said we intend to filibuster any legislation that undermines the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.”

Cruz noted that the timing of the letter was crucial because it was sent just before the Senate left for the Easter recess. Senators were forced to answer questions as to why they hadn’t signed onto the letter. Cruz noted that eventually signatories grew from three to 16, eventually to the 31 who voted to filibuster. And while the filibuster failed, Cruz credited the grassroots for the turnaround on the bill and the eventual defeat of President Barack Obama’s gun control measures.

But Cruz explained that there was a lot of anger directed at himself, Paul, and Lee over the letter. “I don’t know that there is an issue that has generated more heat internally in the Republican Conference,” Cruz noted. “We’ve had probably five or six lunches with a bunch of Republican Senators standing up and looking at Rand and Mike and me and yelling at the top of their lungs. I mean really upset.”

“‘Why did you do this? As a result of what you did, when I go home, my constituents are yelling at me that I’ve got to stand on principle,’” recalled Cruz from conversations with his colleagues. “I’m really not making that up. I don’t even bother to argue with them. I just sort of let them yell and say, ‘Look, you know, vote your conscience.”

Cruz explained that the anger stemmed from his colleagues not wanting to be held accountable for their votes and actions. “Here was their argument — they said, ‘Listen, before you did this, the politics of it were great. The Democrats were the bad guys. The Republicans were the good guys. Now we all look like a bunch of squishes,” Cruz recalled. “Well, there is an alternative. You could just not be a bunch of squishes.”

Republicans who were ready and willing to rollover on the gun control issue are just an example of the mindset that has plagued Washington for years. But this is a win, though temporary. We’re going to have many more battles where that the grassroots can influence their elected officials. But rather than complain about Cruz, Lee, and Paul, perhaps those who are worried about being held accountable should start voting on principle rather than trying to play politics.


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