The Annoyed Man wrote:http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics ... xas/69976/
Meet Congress' New Third Party and Its Leader, the Junior Senator from TexasThe republican party is in deep DEEP kimchee, and they have ONE way forward to survival as a party: give up trying to be popular at beltway cocktail parties and LISTEN to and ACT UPON the desires of their conservative constituencies. Here's why: the days of wooing conservatives at election time, and then knifing them in the backs once Congress is in session are over. The "dastardly" Tea Party movement turns out to REALLY BE a grassroots movement of people who are extremely dissatisfied with the party's gradual drifting into complacency and this "go along to get along" mentality of beltway republicans. In the words of the immortal Howard Beal, they are "mad as heck, and they're not going to take it anymore." (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGIY5Vyj4YM)But a report from The National Review's Robert Costa following the Senate's rejection of that idea on Friday indicates that the vaguely-defined caucus already has a leader. Costa begins:That's a stunning development, one that Costa suggests has driven House Republican leaders to "fury." On Thursday, we articulated the extent of Republican disapproval of Cruz. Now we realize that it may be time to try and articulate Congress' new third party.On a Thursday conference call, a group of House conservatives consulted with Senator Ted Cruz of Texas about how to respond to the leadership's fiscal strategy. Sources who were on the call say Cruz strongly advised them to oppose it, and hours later, Speaker John Boehner’s plan fizzled.
Beltway republicans can either accede to that reality and start representing the conservative constituents they so ardently wooed at election time, or they can die of irrelevance as a party. "Representing" means that if your constituents are "mad as heck," then YOU get mad as heck and you refuse to take anymore of it, on behalf of your constituents. There is a certain arrogance, even among reputed conservatives, to say that you are going to dampen the expression of the ardor of your constituents because you know better than they do. That is what has gotten the republican party in trouble, and that is why I left it.
I have written a number of times that I believe that the republican party is at the same crossroads that the Whigs found themselves at in 1851. Some have dismissed that statement of mine by saying that this is hardly the first time that someone has said the same thing. Well that's fine. Some may have cried wolf in the past. Until recently, I have not been inclined to do so because I had faith in the system, because I believed/hoped that if republicans actually represented their constituents, without apology, and without giving a rip as to what the media thinks about them, that these problems would eventually correct themselves. The problem is, THIS time the wolf really is at the door, and republicans dismiss that at their own peril as a party of significance in American politics. The problems won't correct themselves because 51% of the voters are stupid, ignorant, venal, shiftless, greedy, self-involved and unpatriotic people, who are happy to fiddle while Rome burns.
Yes, the nation IS polarized like seldom before. The difference this time is that the major party that would have previously represented the conservative pole has become more and more a "free radical" which harms by failing to represent its traditional base. Nature abhors a vacuum. If republicans won't fill it, then a third party will.
Hey, you can mock it all you want. I can read. And he might be one of the only ones not living in a fairy tale.........the fairy tale that if republicans bow to democrat inevitability, it will all be better. Here's why it is a fairy tale, because that 51% of the voters that I mentioned above will accept the ACA they don't want (according to most polls) in order to avoid having to admit that they were DOUBLY stupid, ignorant, venal, shiftless, greedy, self-involved and unpatriotic people, happy to fiddle while Rome burns, when they voted for that monster in the oval office TWICE. Cornyn, McCain, et al, will go softly into that no so gentle night........and they will drag the rest of us down with them.Cedar Park Dad wrote:No. he had an agreed time for his tales of Dr. Seuss.The Annoyed Man wrote:The whole purpose of Cruz's "grandstanding" as you put it was to prevent cloture.Cedar Park Dad wrote:I stand corrected. Thanks for the link!K.Mooneyham wrote: No, Senator Cruz did NOT vote for cloture. Here is a link to an article that lists who did and did not vote for cloture among the Republicans in the Senate.
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/terence ... e-majority
I don't give a hoot what Cruz said (or read to his daughters from Dr. Seuss), he used time in a time-honored tactic of filibuster. The entire history of filibuster is replete with people using the time they've been given to read recipes into the congressional record, sing songs, quote poetry, whatever. Cruz's effort was no different. IF he had a little support, his effort might have succeeded. He had no support. His effort failed. And you stand among mockers of the same caliber as the WaPo's Dana Milbank, The Atlantic's Molly Ball, NBC's David Gregory, and other stalwart "neutral observers."
People make fun of Ted Cruz for being a Tea Party favorite, but they are largely ignorant about the Tea Party's motives. Here is their published agenda (http://www.teaparty.org/about-us/):These are worthy standards. In exactly what way did the "moderate" wing of the republican party uphold any of these ideals while aiding Harry Reid to steamroll Obamare care over us?1. Illegal aliens are here illegally.
2. Pro-domestic employment is indispensable.
3. A strong military is essential.
4. Special interests must be eliminated.
5. Gun ownership is sacred.
6. Government must be downsized.
7. The national budget must be balanced.
8. Deficit spending must end.
9. Bailout and stimulus plans are illegal.
10. Reducing personal income taxes is a must.
11. Reducing business income taxes is mandatory.
12. Political offices must be available to average citizens.
13. Intrusive government must be stopped.
14. English as our core language is required.
15. Traditional family values are encouraged.
See, this is why I don't invest too much of my caring anymore in the outcome, or in what other people who disagree with me think about it. I know what's coming, and I can't give to much value to what people say who claim to speak conservative but make fun of others when they actually speak it.
The fact that the political establishment and the media are in full attack mode tells me all I need to know about Senator Cruz. Anyone drawing fire from these sources has to be a good guy. The more withering the fire, the better he is. Just about anyone under attack by these two groups of traitors and scoundrels has got to be good for the Republic. He currently the only Senator I have any respect for. He's the only one in the battle against the forces destroying the country.
