Just wait. Just wait a little while. Watch how this unfolds. Watch how the perception of Ted Cruz’s performance changes. It was a tour de force. How can anyone be sure of that? Easy.
The mindless invective rained upon him tells you all you need to know. The little people (you know, those of us who elect the politicians who then think we work for them) were electrified by Cruz’s “filibuster.”
WASHINGTON — Following the epic, 21-hour speech by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, supporting the defunding of Obamacare, either voters made so many calls to establishment Republicans that their phone lines melted, or those GOP leaders took their phones off the hook.
Even in this age of digital wizardry and limitless voicemail, callers could not get through at all to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
A message said the senator was experiencing a high volume of calls and directed members of the public to call back later or visit his website.
It was the same story with the man who was the face of the GOP in the 2008 elections, former GOP presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
His phone was off the hook, too. Callers got a message stating his voicemail box was full.
The Arizona senator apparently had other matters on his mind during the Cruz speech, tweeting, “Final episode of #Broadchurch tonight – one of the most entertaining shows on TV right now.”
That prompted conservative commentator Michelle Malkin to tweet, “Meanwhile, McCain is tweeting about a TV show. See the problem here, America?”
The garbage heaped upon Cruz was almost unimaginable.
Cruz was called a “fraud” encouraging “governmental terrorism.” Cruz has been called a “whacko bird.”
And this was from Republicans.
The media was absolutely vicious and there could not have been a starker contrast between the coverage of Cruz and that of the Abortion Barbie:
Sen. Ted Cruz has been speaking on the Senate floor for almost 19 hours, as of this post. The talk is not technically a filibuster — he can’t actually block the Senate from going about its business — but symbolically, it’s more or less the same thing. The point is to show one’s opposition to something through a demonstration of physical will.
Which is why you can forgive conservatives for being upset with the mainstream media’s coverage of the Cruz affair. When a Democrat like Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis filibusters against abortion restrictions, she is elevated to hero status, her tennis shoes become totems. When Cruz grandstands against Obamacare, he is a laughingstock in the eyes of many journalists on Twitter, an “embarrassment” in the eyes of The New York Times editorial board.
“Gee I wonder why NYT and WaPo and everyone else gave ecstatic coverage to Wendy Davis but not to Ted Cruz. I just can’t make sense of it!” John Podhoretz, the conservative columnist, tweeted on Wednesday morning.
Yes, the difference between filibustering and grandstanding plays a part. Equally important is the fact that Cruz’s theatrics are frustrating members of his own party. But, part of the disparity in coverage is due to the fact that the mainstream media, generally speaking, don’t admire Cruz the way they admired Davis — or rather, they admire him only insofar as he makes for tragicomic theater, whereas they admired her on the merits.
Cruz is portrayed in the media as “aimless and self-destructive” (NYT ed board), elitist (GQ) and likely guided more by presidential aspirations than principles (CNN). Josh Marshall, the editor and publisher of Talking Points Memo, had no qualms about coming right out and calling Cruz, his former Princeton colleague, an “arrogant jerk” — and worse.
These portrayals may be accurate or inaccuarate — Cruz certainly has an elitist strain and he certainly has political ambitions. But that’s not the point: The point is that the coverage of Cruz has been critical, and in some cases unforgiving, from the outset. At least initially, Davis wasn’t viewed through a critical lens at all. Her willingness to stand for 11 hours was evidence of the American dream in action. Period.
GOP Representative Peter King looked around and discovered that he was on the wrong planet:
Rep. Peter King, who has pulled no punches in criticizing Ted Cruz, said Thursday that supporters of the Texas senator have been bombarding his office with “vile” phone calls.
The New York Republican has called Cruz a fraud for his calls to defund Obamacare, and said the senator’s campaign this summer to get the House to pass a government funding bill that defunds the health care law led to some offensive phone calls to King’s office.
“The vehemence of the phone calls coming into the office. I don’t care, people can call me whatever they want … I haven’t heard such vile, profane, obscene language,” King said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Thursday.
And there’s more blowback. Mark Levin referred to John McCain as a ‘useful idiot for the Democrats’.
Cruz did fire up a lot of people, but he did more than that. He obliterated Dick Durbin:
In the last hour, even as he said he grew “weary” as his time arguing against ObamaCare was coming to a close, he found himself in a debate with the able and smart Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin on the Congress’s generous health-care plan.
Durbin complained that Cruz wanted to deny health care to the uninsured; did he not, Durbin asked, enjoy the benefits of the generous congressional health-care package himself?
Cruz said he wouldn’t answer Durbin until Durbin first replied to three questions Cruz had posed. Durbin, with an “a-ha” gesture, responded by saying it was clear Cruz was simply refusing to answer his embarrassing question.
He’d walked into Cruz’s trap. For then Cruz said, no, Senator, I’m eligible for the congressional plan — but I’m not enrolled in it.
Durbin thought he had Cruz cornered by bringing up his reliance on the absurdly generous health package for Congress. But since Cruz doesn’t rely on it, Durbin humiliated himself in what was supposed to be his gotcha moment.
Despite his marathon of speaking and standing and arguing, after nearly a day on his feet, Cruz — there is no other term for it — squashed Durbin like a bug.
The best democrats had to offer in response? Dr. Seuss wouldn’t approve.
The more noise democrats make, the more Cruz struck at their hearts.
The Cruz faction in the Senate, and its allies in the House (whose leadership is now up for grabs) must now press their advantage. The louder the Democrats squawk, the more they are wounded; the one thing they’ve long feared is a direct assault on their core beliefs as translated into actions, and the deleterious effects of Obamacare, just now being felt by the population, are the most vivid proof of the failure of Progressivism that conservatives could wish for.
And it would be best that conservatives ridded themselves of the democrats’ favorite Republicans:
After his disgraceful attacks on Cruz, including his reach-across-the-aisle, dog-in-the-manger response today, this should be the end of Senator John McCain as a voice of influence in the Republican party. Ditto his mini-me, Senator Lindsey Graham. Indeed, the entire Old Guard of business-as-usual “comity” fans passeth. When you care more about what the other side thinks, it’s probably time either to switch teams or step down.
It was a Tour de Force for Cruz. The ripples from his effort continue to spread and will be felt for a long time. Obamacare is a train wreck unfolding in slow motion right before our eyes.
DrJohn has been a health care professional for more than 30 years. In addition to clinical practice he has done extensive research and has published widely with over 70 original articles and abstracts in the peer-reviewed literature. DrJohn is well known in his field and has lectured on every continent except for Antarctica. He has been married to the same wonderful lady for over 30 years and has three kids- two sons, both of whom are attorneys and one daughter on her way into the field of education.
DrJohn was brought up with the concept that one can do well if one is prepared to work hard but nothing in life is guaranteed.
Except for liberals being foolish.
While I don’t know what the Chicago Tribune is saying about Sen. Cruz, I do know they are NOT happy about how unready the Ill. system is for serving people ObamaCare.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-health-20130926,0,3519511.story
A few tidbits:
I guess my point is that Ill. is Obamaland Ground Zero.
Yet there is no certainty about what ObamaCare will be like for them YET!
It’s time for the old guard to be replaced or it’s time for a third party. Way to go Senator Cruz! We need more public servants and less professional politicians.
After hearing John McCain’s disgraceful slander, I wonder if he’ll go Specter (Arlen not Phil) before the next election?
Cruz is a narcissistic self-serving is a liar who wants to destroy the economy, the middle class and deny average Americans health coverage. Yeah, a real ‘patriot.’ Moron.
And after all his grandstanding, he voted ‘Yea’ anyway. Charlatan.
@This one:
Wow, I thought for sure you were talking about Obama.
Hey, I seem to have missed it- what do you do for a living?
Contacted Barbara milkuski, my senator via e-mail, requesting that she and all federal workers use obamacare.
Received a reply about how no one is exempt. Could not figure out if anyone on her staff even read my e-mail. It was a weird response. Wondered if anyone on her staff even follows the Wes.
Sent an email to Senator Cruz Thanking him, these days it takes a lot of courage not only to be a conservative, but to be one that stands by their convection’s.
Sent another (again) to McCain…McCain and the “old guard” just don’t care anymore…
Why are these people even a Congressman or Senator when they have no direction, no convection, and will not stand up for their Country, those who stood behind them by electing them to office because they believed in them, and most importantly the Constitution…instead of their careers…
They all need to go… and quickly…what a disappointment the Republican Party is…I agree with Sid#2 replace or third party it…
@ This one says:
“Cruz is a narcissistic self-serving is a liar who wants to destroy the economy, the middle class and deny average Americans health coverage. Yeah, a real ‘patriot.’ Moron.
I had to laugh. What a classic Troll you are ‘This one’.Even your moniker shows your narcissism! My only concern is that Obamacare is woefully bereft of Mental Health coverage. Perhaps in your case that alone is worth the fight to scrap Obamacare.
I am still waiting patiently for you to answer the question as to what is your profession. I am not convinced that you have gainful employment. Studies have shown most trolls are unhappy, single, unemployed , unattractive middle aged men who have poor or non existent positive sexual experiences that are usually living in their parents basements.
You are only a source of amusement , so by all means fire back. Love giving trolls a little more rope.
@This one:
Your description of Senator Cruz is a classic example of leftist projection. Obama is the one who is destroying the economy, the middle class, the medical system, and the reputation of the US. He has been in power for 5 years. How exactly has Obama done anything to improve ghe lot of tbe middle class?
Explain to me how ‘Obama is the one who is destroying the economy, the middle class, the medical system, and the reputation of the US.’
So funny to watch Cruz reading from ‘Green Eggs & Ham,’ a book about someone who hated something he didn’t try-then loved it.
Top 16 myths about the health care law
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2013/sep/24/top-16-myths-about-health-care-law/
@This one:
Why? You obviously don’t possess the intellect to discuss the issue intelligently. You are only capable of spewing talking points gleaned from left wing sites like you just linked.
Either you are just another poor soul destined to remain in your parent’s basement the rest of your life or you are a paid OFA troll.
@Sid: Third Party — the repukes have been stabbing all real Americans in the back since at least 1960 — the final results have been obie + McLame + goober
@IBelieveintheConstitution: Oh for G-d’s sake — why in ‘ell would you want to help pay for THAT one’s mental health tweaking?
@retire05: I’d vote OFA troll
Pity . He obviously is pathetic.He needs mental health, but under Obamacare, he will not get it.
@retire05:
I’d say OFA might just as well use it’s money for toilet paper If That One is what it’s getting for it’s money.
@This one:Were you talking about Ted Cruz?
@This one: It looks like your savior has already destroyed the economy. How can Cruz do any more harm?
@drjohn: #5
He can’t answer that. Better to ask him what his parents do for a living.
The first time that I heard McCain use the phrase “Reach across the aisle”, I wanted to reply “Shut up, you fool!”
Try it some time, people. Go to church, take an aisle seat, then reach out to someone across the aisle.
YOU CAN’T DO IT WITHOUT TURNING YOUR BACK TO THOSE ON YOUR OWN SIDE!
Which McCain has done quite well, thank you.
@This one:
I bet you get paid to be obama’s boot licker
@retire05: No, I didn’t think you could answer my question, lol!
Obamacare Myths
Wow, look at all the trolls who come out and attack me when I present the facts. Typical.
@This one:
I should just say one word……Detroit. But I’ll run through the whole deal.
In 2010, 2.6 million more Americans fell into poverty. That was the largest increase that we have seen since the U.S. government began keeping statistics on this back in 1959.
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-09-13/census-household-income/50383882/1
According to NBC News, virtually half of all Americans are considered to be “low income” or living in poverty.
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2011/12/15/9461848-dismal-prospects-1-in-2-americans-are-now-poor-or-low-income”
Last year, an astounding 53 percent of all U.S. college graduates under the age of 25 were either unemployed or underemployed.
http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/53-percent-of-all-young-college-graduates-in-america-are-either-unemployed-or-underemployed”
According to one survey, 86 percent of Americans workers in their sixties say that they will continue working past their 65th birthday.
http://www.businessinsider.com/american-retirement-crisis-2012-5#theres-no-magic-number-its-long-been-predicted-65-would-no-longer-be-the-retirement-age-marker-and-now-a-staggering-86-percent-of-workers-in-their-60s-will-work-past-their-65th-birthday-4”
The amount by which real median household income has declined since Barack Obama entered the White House is $4300.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-01/obama-fails-to-stem-middle-class-slide-he-blamed-on-bush.html”
When Obama took office, a gallon of gas was $1.85. Today, it’s up to $3.59 per gallon. More in some places.
http://gasbuddy.com/gb_retail_price_chart.aspx?time=3”
71% of small business owners believe we’re still in a recession.
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-05-30/what-we-talk-about-when-we-talk-about-recession”
In 2010, China produced 627 million metric tons of steel. The United States only produced 80 million metric tons of steel.
/”
@This one: Sorry, bud, I thought you were being sarcastic.
“This one” is just another graduate of the Walter Duranty school of journalism located in the heart of the potemkin village. He just a one way clueless spewing device.
By the way it looks like some union folks aren’t too happy about the ACA.. Maybe they didn’t see “this ones” facts. (sarc)
http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2013/07/15/labor-leaders-obamacare-will-shatter-their-health-benefits-cause-nightmare-scenarios/
http://washingtonexaminer.com/seiu-unionists-strike-over-obamacare-related-cuts/article/2536458
@This one:
Anyone that would ask that question is so dense there is not a chance in the world that reason could enter the vacuum where their brain should have been. I’ve heard that Obamacare does not cover brain transplants ‘this one’ so you are out of luck.
@Petercat@enchanted: That’s what puppy dogs do.
White House to announce $300M in aid Friday to make Detroit safer, erase blight
Many details were still to come out Friday.
[The money] represented an effort by adminisitration officials to scour their departments for funding that Detroit could access.
For instance, in the case of $25 million to be used for firefighters.
$33 million had been withheld from the last fiscal year because the city did not meet required obligations to access it.
$150 million in blight eradication and community redevelopment, including $65 million in Community Development Block Grant funding — which had already been awarded over two years but could not be accessed by the city because the city did not meet required obligations to access it.
So, we’re bending the rules for Detroit now.
It’s only laws for you and me, not for friends of Obama.
@Aqua: #24
You do realize that all of that is bush’s fault, don’t you?
sarc/off
@Nan G:
This is like giving a drunk another bottle of whiskey.
@Nan G:
This is something that Republicans must stand firm on. They must not allow the Federal government to bail out Democrat controlled cities for their ideological serving financial incompetence. Only when those metro voters experience the resultant failure of Democrat budgetary incoherancies, will they learn.
@Ditto: It’s like flushing it down the toilet. That’s how much good it will do. It will likely just end up in some Dimocrat’s bank account.
@Redteam, #27:
In other words, as a favorite expression around here goes, you haven’t got a clue.
That Obama is destroying the economy is a right-wing article of faith, accepted without question after five years of continuous repetition, despite running contrary to all facts and logic.
What Obama found waiting for him when he took office in January 2009 was disaster scene. The state of the American economy resembled the tail end of a massive train wreck, with the engine already off the rails and boxcars still rolling into the pile-up. There was every possibility that the U.S. and global economies were headed into a collapse that could be followed by years of economic depression.
In five years, we’ve come from that point to where we are now. All in spite of republican efforts to block every move and every initiative.
That’s the reality.
@This one:
1. Wasting tax dollars on alternative energy scemes to include electric cars while denying action for drilling on federal lands and transporting light sweet crude oil from ND and MT to refineries.
2. Obama Care is forcing small business to cut employees hours to get under the 30 hour mandate.
Stealing funds from Medicare and Tri-care to pay for Obama Care.
3. Gutless interface with enemies of the US. Allowing terrorists to kill our ambassadors with no retribution.
4. Broad casting military and state secrets to the world only to enhance his image.
This is just a 1% list. Want more, engage in real discussions instead of acting like a troll!
@Greg: #34 There it is.
BTW all major stock indexes up over 80% since Jan 1 2009.
Large majority of R.E. markets up 20-25% in last 24 months.
Gallup Poll yesterday put Tea Party approval at dismal 22% DOWN from 2011 high of 33%.
Win or lose, Senator Ted Cruz is a hero. He is what the Republican party should be. Unlike many of our Republican representatives, he is doing exactly what he was put in office to do. If Washington had a few more of these guys, we’d be in a much better place right now!
@Greg:
And so far, he has managed to keep it headed downhill and off the cliff. You would think that in 5 years he would have managed to turn at least one little bitty thing around, but nope, not so far. That’s because so far, this country still doesn’t want to be socialist. Welcome back, I guess you and your buddy got tired of not defending your hero.
@Richard Wheeler: Your absence didn’t help your education at all, you are still blinded by the socialist light at the end of the tunnel. You forgot your semper fi. hmmmm………
@Tired American: So true. Too bad the Dims and Rinos don’t believe in supporting their constituents. Very few congress persons believe in their oath and obligations, Most of the representatives and one senator from Louisiana are serving with distinction.
@Richard Wheeler:
I don’t believe that. Tell me any area where RE market is up 20-25% (except in the areas around the shale oil producing businesses (which yo daddy has tried to shut down))
@Richard Wheeler:
I think that is a little more representative of the true situation.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323906804579036763834997586.html
@Redteam: Absolutely agree R.E well off 2006 highs. Hell, most markets were down 50-60% by 2011, so a 25% bump up was to be expected with historically low interest rates.
Bigger question is where we go from here.Many, like Mata, believe we’ll head back down as interest rates rise.I say a grinding recovery will keep rates relatively low–30 YR fixed under 5.5% –and we’ll continue upward price trend over next few years.
Stock market is over bought and will pull back commensurate with higher rates and economic recovery.
@Richard Wheeler: You seem to have completely repudiated your claims in #36. I agree that you were wrong.
@Redteam: In #43 I didn’t repudiate anything I said in #36. Wanna explain your assertion?
@Richard Wheeler: Really RW? You said in 36
then in 43 you said:
If a market was down 50-60% and it goes up 25%, it is still down Example. Say a House was 200,000 in ’09, then was down 60% in ’11 that would make it ($200,000 – .60 =) $80,000 in ’11 and then it goes up 25% in last two years, that would be (80,000 x 1.25 =)$100,000. Now where I went to school, property that was at 200,000 in 06 and is 100,000 now is NOT up 25%, seems as if it is DOWN about 50%. So if you were not repudiating what you said, you should have been. Or perhaps you will go though the calculation that derives that a property that was 200k and is now 100k is UP. This I have got to see.
footnote: you forgot semper fi. again.
@Redteam: You’re too easy.2006- 200,000 DOWN 50% t0 100,000 in 2011– up 25% in last 24 months to 125,ooo. Of course market is still well off it’s highs but it’s UP 25% from it’s LOWS. Which is EXACTLY what I said.
BTW I learned as a stockbroker and R.E Broker markets can stay overbought or oversold for extended periods of time before inevitable correction takes place.
@Redteam:
The problem with logic like RW’s is that housing was NOT down 50-60% from all time highs in all parts of the country, only in a few states that affected national stats.
Florida, Michigan, Nevada, Arizona and RWs own socialist state of California saw the greatest declines in housing values. Those fives states skewed the national averages.
http://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0911/5-worst-u.s.-housing-markets.aspx
But in Texas, where the government/zoning codes did not drive up the housing costs artificially, only a few areas, like Dallas, saw any decline in housing values. Dallas experience around 11% decline and quickly started to rebound.
If you want to know why all this happened, I suggest you read Dr. Thomas Sowell’s book Housing Boom And Bust. The CRA, along with absurd zoning laws, created a bubble that was surely going to burst, and burst it did.
@Randy, #35:
Do you think petroleum is going to last forever, with the global population rapidly growing, India and China rapidly industrializing, and the rate of global consumption rapidly increasing to keep pace? Either you plan for the inevitable now, or you’re up a creek later—later being within the lifetimes of Americans who are already being born. Republicans don’t seem to think much further ahead than the next election or the next quarterly profit report. It’s fortunate that somebody is.
The resources on federal lands, btw, belong collectively to the American people, including those yet unborn—not to those who would like to exploit them as widely and rapidly as possible to make a quick buck.
Obamacare hasn’t forced anybody to cut employee hours. The hysterical messages constantly repeated by the right have scared many small business owners into such unwarranted reactions. Small business tax breaks and credits were created that defer the costs of Obamacare for 96% of all employers.
This one is a load of horse manure. The right seems to have no consistent, coherent position on any important foreign policy issue. The specifics of their positions have shifted constantly to optimize opportunities to criticize the Obama administration. One day they’re critical of inaction on Syria; the next they’re ranting because it looks like we’re getting involved. The same was true of Libya. The GOP can’t seem to decide if it wants to be involved with world events or to revert to isolationism. No one can tell what they want because they don’t know what they want. They’ve frequently put domestic political opportunism ahead of presenting a united front to the nation’s adversaries. They bitch and moan that no one abroad respects the nation or its President, while they show more open public disdain for him than any foreign leader. Much of the rest of the world thinks the American right to be unpredictable and in all probability dangerous.
To all appearances, many on the right have been delighted to see our nation’s secret surveillance programs illegally exposed. Such instances are evidently seen as opportunities to bash the Obama administration. The right has fostered a widespread anti-government attitude that allows those who reveal vital intelligence programs to posture as patriots and heroes.
The fact of the matter is that the Obama administration has more aggressively prosecuted those responsible for national security violations than any other recent administration. That, of course, has also been an occasion for criticism.
What has been going on in the housing market is that wealthier speculators with the cash started buying up devalued homes as investments, as a result of those sales, prices started to move and then stopped when the cash buyers slacked off. It really doesn’t matter a whole lot if real estate prices went slightly up for a short period, when the banks are not writing home loans, when workers hours are being cut, when companies are cutting back employees, when businesses are closing, jobs are continuing to move overseas, small towns and are dying, and while wages are stagnant while the cost of living is going up. Anyone who thinks this is a recovery is delusional.