Thread: Republican brawl: Corker takes on Cruz and Lee [VIDEO]

Politics

Republican brawl: Corker takes on Cruz and Lee [video]

5:31 PM 09/26/2013

Alexis Levinson
Political Reporter

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WASHINGTON — Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker called out fellow Republicans Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Sen. Mike Lee of Utah Thursday, accusing them of delaying a vote on the bill to fund the government and prevent a government shutdown to suit their own desires for publicity.

Cruz, earlier this week, held the floor for over 21 hours, speaking in defense of defunding Obamacare with that government funding bill. He asked other Republican senators to join him in voting against moving forward on a bill passed by the House, which would fund the government while defunding Obamacare.

Cruz supports defunding Obamacare, but hoped that by doing so, he could prevent Democrats from amending the bill and removing that provision. Most other Republicans declined to join him.

The Senate, on Thursday, attempted to speed up the series of votes necessary to pass a bill, moving the cloture vote Cruz was contesting from Friday to later Thursday night. Corker, on Thursday, accused Cruz of holding up that vote not for a legitimate reason, but so that he could showboat.

He noted that Cruz, after speaking for nearly a full day, had voted in favor of a procedural motion to move forward on the very bill he said he was trying to block.
“I don’t think ever we’ve had in the Senate where we had a 21-hour filibuster and then the person carrying out the filibuster voted for the issue they were filibustering. I don’t think that’s happened in the history of our country,” Corker said.

Cruz contended that he had always said he would vote yes on that vote, and that it was during a later vote that he wanted to vote no.

Corker went on to suggest that Cruz and Lee were objecting to speeding up a vote because they had “sent out press releases” to outside groups and constituents who they wanted to have watch the vote tomorrow.

“This is confusing to me because I know the leadership there wishes to be able to respond as quickly as possible, but I’m understanding the reason we’re waiting is that y’all have sent out releases and emails and you want everybody to be able to watch,” Corker said, saying Cruz and Lee had “turned this into a show.”

“And it just doesn’t seem to me that that’s in our nation’s interest. Nor is it, candidly, in the interest of those who want to see good policy on the conservative side come out of the” bill to fund the government, Corker added.

“I’m just asking the question. Is it more important to the senator from Texas and the senator from Utah that the people around the country watch this vote, or is it more important to us that we have a good policy outcome from our standpoint?” Corker said.
Moreover, Corker voiced concern that Cruz was trying to stall a bill that did something Republicans wanted: defund Obamacare.

“If that’s the case,” Cruz shot back, “then the question I would pose to my friend from Tennessee, why is Majority Leader Harry Reid going to vote the same way you’re proposing to vote? Why is every Democrat in this chamber going to vote the way you’re proposing to vote? If this is a vote in favor of Obamacare, is it the senator from Tennessee’s suggestion that the majority leader and the Senate Democrats are confused about this vote?”

“Well, I would respond that after a 21-hour filibuster yesterday, you voted in favor of the thing you’re filibustering, and Sen. Harry Reid joined you in that, too,” responded Corker. “So it seems to me that they’re similar.”

The two senators were ultimately cut off by a Senate rule that limited the amount of time for which they could speak.
http://dailycaller.com/2013/09/26/co...and-lee-video/

I think this whole attack Cruz thing in the GOP is because the RINO's want to bring in Jeb Bush to run in 2016 and they don't want anyone in the way, simply a theory on my part.

Showdown!!

Written on Wednesday, September 25, 2013 by Chris Skates



Bear with me. I am watching CSPAN, Tweeting, and writing this column all at once. I am not sure I want to take the time right now to explain all the minutiae of what Cruz is trying to do. Suffice it to say, it is the longshot of all longshots…but it is a shot.


What NO SINGLE TALKING head on Fox seems to get (I have been in a Twitter Debate with none other than Britt Hume over the last hour) is that Cruz is trying to make a last stand. Allowing Cloture and allowing the bill to be defeated by a simple majority, THAT is what is Theater. What Cruz is attempting to do is NOT symbolic, or theater, or self promotion. He is trying to actually DO something.

What would be nothing but theater would be to let the bill be voted on as is. Then Reid will amend the bill to fund Obamacare. He will immediately have the votes to pass it (remember cloture so he only needs a simple majority) as amended and we will all be stuck with Obamacare. Then McConell and McCain will get to vote no and run commercials about how they stood up to Obamacare even though we all have to live with it. THAT is theater. THAT is self-promotion.

The Fox Pundits say, “let Obamacare collapse on its own”. I have a question. Social Security has been broke three times. Has it collapsed on its own? How about the Post Office? Once this passes, it will be with us in some form FOREVER.

Cruz is trying to stop that.

All that being said, he almost certainly will lose. But know this…he is making a difference!

Today a McCain staffer said this, “My boss (very dirty word here) HATES Cruz!

Now why do you think that is? Because Cruz is a fighter and McCain is a go along to get along self-promoting, self-enriching, amnesty supporting, Syria involving, no border fence building, progressive politician that’s why!

Think about the last four days. The following have done speeches attacking Ted Cruz. Obama (twice), Harry Reid (twice, both times calling Cruz an anarchist), McCain, Lindsey Graham, and Nancy Pelosi. And that is just what has been done in public. Today Cruz was called into an office with McCain and Co and literally berated, literally SCREAMED at. Make no mistake, the old guard Republicans are LIVID with Cruz. And it is simply because Cruz wont play good ol’ boy!



That means Cruz has drawn blood. Cruz (and Mike Lee of Utah and the tea party in the House) have landed body blows upon the left both inside and outside of the Democratic party.
Understand what you are seeing politically as well. Politically, this is a riverboat gamble. Cruz could come out of this ostracized by his party. My guess is that he will not. That’s why I am on Twitter and trying to help Pro-Cruz #makeDClisten trend nationally. My guess is that Cruz will emerge from this as the undisputed leader of the Republican party. And our Lord knows we need one!




Read more at http://patriotupdate.com/articles/cruzs-last-stand/#B9fSmovghszmcuz2.99



John McCain apologizes to Rand Paul, Ted Cruz for 'wacko birds

McCain used the epithet earlier this month to describe Paul and Cruz. | AP Photos

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/0...#ixzz2g7b1r1zx

Now look who is calling the kettle black!!!