Ted Cruz preaches. (We say ‘AMEN!’)
I’ve been missing Jesse Helms. I got to watch the man up close for nearly two years in DC. The guy didn’t play the
Washington game. He called a spade a spade. He didn’t mind being on the short-end of a 99-1 vote. Helms spoke his mind. He voted his conscience. And the establishment hated his guts for it.
It’s been depressing to see what the NCGOP has been sending to Washington since the man from Monroe retired. We’ve got a senior senator who Democrats appear to be so comfortable with that they’re not going to even run against him. We’ve got a junior senator who is a cash-vacuum — changing up his positions based on who gets the last check into his hands.
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas has been giving me some hope for the future of the Senate and our country. He’s been carrying on the spirit of old-school Helms — telling it like it is, and tinkling in the punch bowl when it needs to be done.
Cruz — running for president, by the way — stirred up quite a fuss in Washington this week by calling out Mitch McConnell as a “liar.” There was almost immediate fallout from the DC crowd — tut-tutting over civility and the so-called assault on the chamber’s dignity. Civility? Dignity? We are talking about the same chamber that was home to Ted Kennedy for FOUR DECADES? Are we talking about the same chamber where I used to witness senators stumbling around drunk on the Senate floor? Are we talking about the same chamber that slandered and abused Robert Bork, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and tons of other Republican judicial nominees? Give me a break.
Cruz went on with El Rushbo on Friday and built on what he started on the Senate floor:
CRUZ: Well, Rush, it’s great to be back with you. Today the Senate took up the Export-Import Bank, a classic example of cronyism and corporate welfare. The leader of Senate Republicans, Mitch McConnell, went to the floor and demonstrated that he had lied both to the American people and also to every Republican senator, including me. Back when we were having the fight over trade promotion authority, I asked Mitch McConnell directly if he had cut a deal to reauthorize this cronyism and corporate welfare in order to try to get the votes, and he looked at me, he looked at all 54 Republican senators, and he said flat-out, “There is no deal. There is no deal. There is no deal.”
RUSH: Now, this deal you’re talking about, Senator, you’re talking about the Asian — the Pacific trade deal the president wanted, and the Export-Import Bank’s part of that, right?
CRUZ: Exactly right. That’s part of how Republican leadership got the votes for TPA is by promising to put taxpayers on the hook for hundreds of billions of dollars of loan guarantees that go primarily to a handful of giant corporations. And it’s what I refer to as a Washington cartel. It’s career politicians in both parties who get in bed with lobbyists and special interests. It’s why we’re bankrupting our kids and grandkids. And what’s striking — I mean, Rush, people are so frustrated, ’cause we keep winning elections, and then our leaders don’t do a darn thing they said they were going to do. So we were told in the House of Representatives things will be different.
In 2010, the people rose up, we got a Republican majority. And they haven’t done much of anything. Then we were told we just need a Republican majority in the Senate, retire Harry Reid. In 2014, millions of Americans stood up to do that. For six months we’ve had a Republican majority. What have they done? They passed a trillion-dollar Cromnibus plan filled with corporate pork and corporate welfare. We funded Obamacare and President Obama’s executive amnesty, and Republican leadership jammed through the confirmation of Loretta Lynch as attorney general. Every one of those is exactly the same as what Harry Reid would have done. And it’s why people are frustrated.
Why is it that Republican leadership, authorities as Harry Reid and the Democrats — and the answer is the lobbyists and special interests, the giant corporations that want Big Government and power. They give campaign contributions to both Republicans and Democrats. And today I called out the majority leader for looking 54 Republicans in the eye and telling a flat-out lie. It was a very unfortunate day for the Senate. It’s not a good day when the majority leader is willing to lie to the members of the Senate.
[…]
CRUZ: It’s complete fiction. He wants a show vote on repealing Obamacare. Now, of course back in October 2013 when Mike Lee and I were leading the fight to defund Obamacare, then Mitch McConnell joined with Harry Reid in leading the fight to preserve Obamacare. So when it actually has teeth, leadership wasn’t with us. But they do want an empty show vote. And, you know, Rush, as you know, a couple of weeks ago I came out with a new book, A Time for Truth, and the entire point of the book is to tell the truth about what is happening behind closed doors, and, in particular, how career politicians in both parties are not telling the truth to the American people. And this was an example of that. And, unfortunately, it’s why we see so many campaign conservatives that pretend to be conservative on the campaign trail but they don’t govern according to what they promised us on the campaign trail.
[…]
CRUZ: So the Export-Import Bank was created by Franklin Delano Roosevelt. And it puts American taxpayers on the hook for hundreds of billions of dollars in loan guarantees. Most of these loan guarantees go to foreign companies in China and Russia and even in some instances doing business in Iran, and they expose taxpayers and they enrich a handful of giant corporations. Boeing is the single largest recipient. Now, on an earnings call just recently the CEO of Boeing said, you know, without the Export-Import Bank, we’ll be fine, there’s plenty of loans. We can get credit in the private market, but it’s easier, it’s cheaper to write campaign contributions to the Washington cartel and get them to raid the taxpayers, that’s easier and cheaper, and it’s what’s fundamentally corrupt about Washington, and it’s both parties.
You know, right after Mitch McConnell did this, Harry Reid tweeted out a tweet celebrating Mitch McConnell for reauthorizing or leading the fight to reauthorize this corporate welfare and cronyism. But one, all of the Democrats who rail against Big Business who put on populist rhetoric, this shows at the end of the they’re just interested in the same campaign contributions everyone else is. And every Republican who says he or she believes in free market principles, at the end of the day it is about power and money and Washington, and the people getting left behind are working men and women. […]
CRUZ: […Y]ou know, it’s interesting, there were a bunch of other amendments that I had introduced, that other senators had introduced, for example, an amendment to defund Planned Parenthood.
We’ve seen the shocking, horrible videos. Mitch McConnell billed the amendment, (unintelligible) which is the exact same procedural abuse of power Harry Reid used to do, to defund Planned Parenthood. An amendment to stop sanctuary cities, that was another amendment, cut off federal funds to sanctuary cities. Well, Mitch McConnell billed the amendment tree to prevent any vote on sanctuary cities. The priority of leadership is what the lobbyists and giant corporations and special interests in Washington want. It’s why we’re bankrupting our kids and grandkids.
[…]
CRUZ: Well, it’s interesting. The local Chambers of Commerce, the small business people usually are [Republican], but the national chamber is just a giant lobbying arm for Big Government handouts to Big Business. And so they are essentially promising to create the crony caucus. Everyone who is in favor of corporate welfare — you know, how is any conservative supposed to credibly take on welfare reform if we’re not willing to stop shoveling billions of dollars to giant corporations? We need to show some consistency here, and people are understandably frustrated because you don’t see people willing to take on the Washington cartel.
[…]RUSH: And they see all these corporate entities that they used to think held the same values apparently don’t care while the country is circling the drain, none of that matters to anybody in Washington. That’s the disconnect.
CRUZ: Right. And we have seen before how to defeat the Washington cartel, which in 1980 the Reagan revolution came from the American people. Remember, Reagan, a lot of people forget, he took on the Washington cartel. He primaried Gerald Ford. You want to tick off Republican leadership, come within an inch of defeating the incumbent Republican president. The Reagan revolution came from the grassroots. […] And I believe 2016 is gonna be an election like 1980, that we’re gonna win by painting in bold colors and not pale pastels.
[…]
I don’t know about y’all, but this guy is looking PRETTY GOOD.
Great article and so very true! Never thought we would have another Jesse, but Senator Ted Cruz is very close. Progressives and Rinos hate him which says a great deal about him.
Thank you for making the Cruz/Helms tie. I only hope the media takes it up. The Democrats couldn’t pay for better material.
You know, JBP, for being such a snarky, snivelling little liberal democrat, you sure spend a lot of time reading this blog. Why don’t you run along and play on your side’s blogs?
Oh, that’s right, I just remembered–if all I had to read about were made-up charges of racism, voter suppression, and income inequality, I guess I’d look elsewhere for reading material, too.
LHH
I don’t know how much you call a lot. I sure don’t spend much time here. I maybe average commenting on two threads/week here. I sure don’t think that is a lot. If you can’t take a little of the other side of the argument on this site then you probably don’t have a leg to stand on.
So do you think that there are no racism or income inequality issues that need addressing in this country?
“So do you think that there are no racism or income inequality issues that need addressing in this country?”
Yes but this is a off topic deflection on your part. This post is about one Republican standing up against another Republican and fighting for Truth
This is what set Liberals apart from Conservatives when is the last time a Liberal stood up against another Liberal and challenged for the truth
Cruz was fighting for accountability within his own party if only every legislator fought for the same truth and clarity then maybe the issues you bring up as a deflection might be able to be debated and arrive at solutions too huge issues that are plaguing America future
Patrick asks; “when is the last time a Liberal stood up against another Liberal and challenged for the truth”? It happens all the time. Most recent that I say, having not watched or heard any news over the weekend, is last week’s questioning of Sec. Kerry over the Iran treaty.
Sure there’s racism in our country. As long as there’s a human race, there’ll probably be racism–that’s just human nature. But I’ve got a newsflash for you–there’s just as much racism on your side of the political fence as on ours. Maybe more. And you know what? Just because I oppose our first bi-racial president on his policies (that are quickly destroying our military, our economy, and our society/culture), that doesn’t make me a “racist.” That’s my right under the First Amendment!
And instead of talking about income inequality, why don’t we discuss the real issue–effort inequality, hard-work inequality, productivity inequality, perseverance inequality, etc.? A little more of the latter would go a long way to eliminating the former, but I’m sure any good socialist/democrat considers that concept a non-starter.
Shamefully, the old media is not covering this, they are obsessed with Trump. Thank goodness for the new media. Cruz was on with Mark Levin http://therightscoop.com/ted-cruz-talks-to-mark-levin-about-floor-speech-where-he-called-out-mitch-mcconnell-for-lying/
Conservative Review has more on Cruz calling out weak GOP leadership https://www.conservativereview.com/Commentary/2015/07/Senator-Ted-Cruz-Declares-Parliamentary-War-in-the-Senate
and what is in the highway bill https://www.conservativereview.com/Commentary/2015/07/mitch-mcconnells-highway-bill-to-hell
Lobbyists own GOP leadership and our NC Senators. Burr needs a challenger will anyone step up?
Join the Cruz campaign, https://www.tedcruz.org/
Yes.
Seriously THANK YOU! for this post.
I only say this cause this speech of his should be required watching for all republicans https://youtu.be/QSl8DWUQYf8
and this one Cruz being respectful and trying to point out the truth to others that will not return the favor (but really these code pink people are clueless ) https://youtu.be/1QCbpafD3Pw
I’m suspicious of where the polls have him. I’m seeing a lot of Cruz love among the activists in my county, he’s in a dead heat with Walker, in fact, and not a Bush supporter in sight (and barely a Trump supporter for that matter). Most of the other candidates don’t even register on the “activist scale”.
I’m seeing pretty much the same thing among activists in my county. Cruz leads and is followed by Walker. In all honesty, there is a small element of our county executive committee membership that I strongly suspect are supporters of Bush and probably Christie, but then again I hesitate to call that group activists, because they are only activated by opposing conservatives in primaries; come to think of it they oppose conservatives in general elections, too. Such is life in the 21st Century Republican Party.
I’m suspicious of the polls, too. It concerns me that there will be a major effort to keep Cruz out of the debates.
Sen. Cruz’s honest appeal for truth speaks historically sound from all those who founded our country. Gerry R. Coleman
Well, if we’re going to elect him President, we’ve got work to do. According to this, a member of the legislature (and therefore NCGOP Executive Committee) may have just violated Article VII, Section G of the Plan of Organization to further the plans of one of Senator Cruz’ opponents.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/north-carolina-looms-as-big-republican-prize-in-2016/
Winner take all primaries are a nasty piece of work, a real assault on democracy. But they are something the GOP establishment has been pushing so that they can force one of their stinking moderate losers on us as nominee. Winning with 16% but getting 100% of the delegates is an assault on the grassroots.
This sort of hardball crap is highly counterproductive. Many conservatives no longer trust the process to be fair. Reince Preibus’ machinations have a lot to do with that, but this crap from our own legislature does, too. If Cruz or even Trump is nominating by this seriously flawed and manipulated process, I will vote Republican, as I always have in the past, but if the establishment’s crooked process gives us an establishment candidates, then I hope Trump runs third party so I have someone to vote for.
Lesser of the evils is not a valid consideration, when the process that produces that choice is evil itself. Winner take all primaries should be abolished within the GOP but that establishment goon Priebus tries to encourage them, and we have idiot legislators going along with it.
A winner take all primary is absolutely the least democratic way to choose delegates that could be used. A party caucus and convention is much more democratic, and may be the way we need to head, and tell the goons in the legislature to get stuffed.
Walker was once one of my top choices for the nomination. He slid way down the list when he hired Brad Dayspring, a liberal Republican and vicious conservative-hater who abused his position at the Republican Senatorial Committee to attack conservative candidates in primaries in the most brutal ways. Now when he promotes a vicious assault on democracy like a winner take all primary because he thinks it will be convenient to him, he can get stuffed. I no longer know if I could vote for him even if he were the nominee.
Agree on all counts. I absolutely do not trust the process to be fair. Also, I’m wondering if I could settle for Walker. Frankly, there are more candidates that I find unacceptable than ones I find acceptable.
The contrasting reactions of other Republican Senators as opposed to grassroots Republicans to Cruz calling the lying deal making swindler McConnell out is quite telling. We are in one hell of a situation.
Cruz is great. I also like Trump. In the final analysis—Anybody but Bush!
Amen, Ted! Amen!
You can always tell who the left and the Main Stream Media is scared of the most by who they attack. They are scared of Ted Cruz, and are even more scared of Donald Trump.
Witness the screams and howls from the left on Mike Huckabee’s comment about Obama’s Iran Deal.