Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Your Daily Dose of Ted

Sounds like a few posters here & I don't mean the real libs..

The answer may be found in the Bible:

Lo, that which I feared has come upon me.

Change causes stress. That's why people resist it, even when it's good for them. I feel it.

I admire and respect Ted for standing on principle and faithfully representing the voters that elected him. I really do. BUT ...

He picks the wrong battles. He's a poster child for the Republican Party of "NO". He stands on principles and says "no" without a strategy to win the battle let alone the war.

In addition to that, he don't play fair with the other politicians in both parties.

He uses the TRUTH as a weapon of mass destruction.

All politicians know that it is such a powerful weapon that it must be used sparingly and only in a much diluted form.

That's a liberal talking point. They always say, "You don't want us to (fill in the blank), but you don't offer an alternative.". The alternative is "Don't do it.". We'll use the most recent "crisis" as an example...raising the debt ceiling. "No" IS the alternative. Gun control? Amnesty? There is no appropriate response to the liberal agenda but "No".

Don't drink the Kool Aid dude! "No" is often the only right answer.



Travis

There was another alternative for Ted regarding the debt ceiling.

Vote no and then STFU.

Ted didn't have to lambaste the Rs that voted for the debt ceiling increase and further the divide in the party. A no vote by Ted would have sufficed.

"Vote no and then STFU."

That's exactly what he did on the measure to allow it to pass with only 50 votes.

Any harm done to Republican Senators on this vote was by their own hand.

McConnell, Cornyn,etal could have followed your suggestion.

Spot-on. I'm getting tired of being polite too.

It's refreshing to have a R slam RINO's for a change. Very refreshing. The grassroots is paying off.

Cruz isn't hurting RINO's. RINO's are hurting RINO's.

Texas would be very disappointed in him if he did that, and it's Texas that he represents. See, Cruz is displaying a trait that is very, very rare in politics...honesty. That is a very difficult thing for Politicians to take. You might even say that it's a trait worth fighting for, even if you lose. We're dumb like that.

It's all good. No more austerity

http://www.againstcronycapitalism.o...ill-call-for-an-end-to-era-of-austerity/

and thus part of my high regard for Texans


no bullchit, here's the way the cards lay on the table.

what you don't like that and want to fight me? Well it seems I've just enough time in my schedule to honor your request for this dance, so let's dance!


there's guys on here whom I respect that have a different take, they believe a RINO is better than a Dem and I agree with them.

the trouble is, they're not good enough.


last time we had the administration, and both houses, how many gov't programs got cut?


with RINO's it's always the same old story "if only.....we had this house or the presidency or whatever, we could initiate real changes good for America"

BULLCHIT, I've never seen them do it.


you won't find many Paul's or Cruz's in DC, cause they'll speak the truth, kryptonite for most politicians.

Carson/Cruz has a damn fine ring to it...
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Is Ted Cruz's visit good for Florida Republicans?




It�s easy to understand why U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is spending part of the week off the Senate gives itself for Presidents Day in Florida engaging in Republican politics.
It�s less easy to understand, said Lynn University political scientist Robert Watson, why Florida Republicans are hosting Cruz.

Cruz, a leader in the tea party movement, is easily one of the most controversial figures in the party, disliked by many moderate Republicans and parts of the party establishment.

On Thursday he did three events with the Sarasota Republican Party. Friday night he keynotes the Palm Beach County Republican Party�s annual Lincoln Day dinner.

�It does raise eyebrows,� Watson said. �The question is why the Palm Beach County Republican Party would want him to keynote such a high profile and such an important event. Important because this is a midterm election year and the party needs to gear up its funding, and he promises only to invite negative media attention and potentially split and polarize the party and paint the party as more conservative than they would want to be painted.

�As to why he�s coming here, the folks that are looking at running for president always do this. They go to key swing states. Everyone visits Iowa and New Hampshire because they�re early [in the nominating process]. But everyone visits Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, Missouri, Colorado, Nevada � all the swing states � and starts setting up donor lists,� he said. �It�s good to have that in your back pocket and start developing donor lists, start developing contacts, start developing all of that networking that one needs to do if one is going to raise a couple of hundred million dollars to make a run for the presidency.



�So the same way [New Jersey Gov. Chris] Christie was here, even though he was acting on behalf of the Republican Governors Association, they all come here and start to test the waters. And the fact that he is coming here raises his profile as a serious candidate.

�You�ve got to raise money in Florida, and you�ve got to have connections in the most important swing state in the country.

�I was intrigued, and I�m interested to see what kind of blowback the Palm Beach County Republicans get to see if there�s folks that are giving him a rough time � about his divisiveness in the party.�

He�ll be joined by another controversial conservative, Dr. Ben Carson, and the host of the event and another guest, Donald Trump.

�All three, not just Ted Cruz, but The Donald and Dr. Carson all represent � they themselves and their policies � represent the fringe of the party, the far right of the party. So at a time when everyone knows the Republicans need to move toward the center electorally if they are to win, not only in the midterms but the White House in 2016, it seems kind of odd that they�re inviting and featuring the fringe of the party.�

�So the question would be why is the Palm Beach County Republican Party doing this?�

Wouldn't the liberals be supporting Cruz if they thought he was hurting Republicans. ..Like they do Christie? Like they did Romney and McCain until they faced Obama?
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Texas Sen. Cruz stirs GOP enthusiasm at Sarasota rally

SARASOTA -- Sen. Ted Cruz from Texas received one raucous standing ovation after another Thursday night moments after he accepted the Sarasota Republican Party's 2014 Statesman of the Year Award.

The event, which drew a crowd estimated at 1,800 at the Sarasota Hyatt, had the feel of a rally for a 2016 presidential candidate. Cruz did nothing to defuse the impression.

The Cuban-American, one of only three Latinos in the Senate, is criticized and admired for his 21-hour, 19-minute filibuster on the Senate floor Sept. 24, 2013, against President Barack Obama's Affordable Health Care Act.

He smiled and said nothing at one point when the crowd chanted for about 30 seconds straight: "Run, Ted, Run."

"I would love for him to be a candidate," said Sheila Connolly, one of six enthusiastic Manatee County Republicans who came early enough Thursday to claim front-row seats in the hotel ballroom to hear the controversial Cruz.

"I'm not sure 2016 is his time, but he can take us where we need to go," added Connolly, who lives in Stony Brook in Heritage Harbor.

Every year since 2011, the Sarasota Republican Party has handed out a Statesman of the Year Award to a person who "stands strong on what he or she believes," said Sarasota Republican Party Chairman Joe Gruters.

Previous Statesmen of the Year: former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, real estate tycoon Donald Trump and talk show host Sean Hannity.

This year, Connolly and fellow Heritage Harbor Republicans Betsy Chartier and Sandy and Don Willetts all cheered the senator along with Berit Roberts of Waterlefe and John Westberg of East Manatee.

Cruz touched on some of his political positions, which include pro-life, gun rights and cutting back the National Security Agency's role in American's private lives.

He got cheers when he advised the audience to leave their cell phones on so President Obama could hear what he had to say, a reference to the NSA's eavesdropping.

He spoke passionately about jobs and economic growth, saying his father came to America with $100 sewn into his underwear and got a job washing dishes for 50 cents an hour before educating himself enough to earn a slice of the American dream.

"But that 50-cents-an-hour job doesn't exist today because small businesses are taxed to death by government," Cruz said. "And if it did exist, it would only be 29 hours a week to avoid Obamacare."

Cruz said he was "profoundly optimistic" America can bounce back from what he called its "economic malaise."

"We are back in the late 1970s when Jimmy Carter was president," Cruz said. "Something incredible happened at that point at the grassroots level in the country. There was a Reagan revolution. It's happening again. Millions of Americans like you are saying, 'We want our country back.' "

Cruz stepped down from the podium when his speech was over and shook hands with the Manatee County contingent.

"He's an inspiring guy," Chartier said. "He touched on liberty a lot in his speech. He reminded us that when you are born into liberty and have it, it's easy to take it for granted. I think that was the thing I will remember most from his speech."

Chartier was referring to a moment when Cruz asked the crowd how they would feel if they knew that one future generation of Americans might ask their parents: "What was it like to be free?"

"Together we can restore the shining city on the hill that is the United States of America," Cruz said in closing, triggering the audience to rise and cheer madly.

The award was a coup for Sarasota's Republican Party but not all were applauding.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Weston, chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, said it is "shocking" Cruz was being honored in Sarasota.
"The Sarasota Republican Party is actually honoring him as the 'Statesman of the Year.' That really says something about the sad state of the Republican Party today.

"We're talking about a guy who just in his brief time in Washington -- he hasn't even been there but a year and a half -- and he orchestrated the government shutdown that cost our economy $24 billion," Wasserman Schultz said.

Club for Growth gives Ted Cruz, Mike Lee perfect marks



The conservative Club For Growth released its annual scorecard for 2013 on Monday, bestowing two Republican U.S. senators � Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah � and four GOP congressmen with 100 percent ratings for their voting records �based on issues relating to limited government and economic growth.�

The four congressmen with perfect ratings for 2013 are Republican Reps. Matt Salmon, Trent Franks and David Schweikert of Arizona and Tom McClintock of California. Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan got a 99 percent rating in 2013 �but because of rounding has a 100 percent LifeScore,� the group said.

�2013 saw the emergence of several new defenders of economic freedom as well as continued excellence among old allies,� said Club for Growth President Chris Chocola. �While there are more champions of pro-economic growth policy serving in Congress than at any time before, it�s clear that our fight against the big spenders in both parties has a long way to go.�

The 2013 and lifetime scores of GOP Sens. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, Marco Rubio of Florida, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Tom Coburn and Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, Tim Scott of South Carolina and Jim Risch of Idaho were good enough to qualify all seven, along with Mr. Cruz and Mr. Lee, for the �Defender of Economic Freedom� Award.

In all, 31 members of Congress will receive the award, which requires a 2013 and lifetime score from the group of at least 90.

Making the big time?
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NBC's 'Blacklist' Portrays Villain Socializing With Tea Party Republicans


On Monday night's episode of NBC's The Blacklist, the FBI is shown going after a fictional international thief named "Madeline Pratt," who actor James Spader's character Raymond Reddington explains "fosters relationships with incredibly powerful people" and then "exploits those relationships in ways that impact national security."

Photoshopped images appear on screen showing viewers the "powerful people" that Pratt is supposed to have connections with. The fake photos show her socializing with former Florida Republican Congressman Allen West and current Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz. No pictures are shown of the made-up criminal mastermind rubbing elbows with any real-life Democratic politicians.

Ted Cruz refuses to endorse fellow Sen. John Cornyn in GOP primary


WASHINGTON -- The sniping between establishment Republicans and tea partiers resumed Thursday as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz refused to endorse his state's senior senator in next week's Republican primary.

Sen. John Cornyn, the Senate's second-ranking Republican leader, faces tea party-backed Rep. Steve Stockman in Tuesday's election. Cruz declined to tell reporters how he plans to vote.

"I am not supporting any of the senators from my party or their opponents" in this year's primaries, Cruz said, adding that he might change his mind later.

Cruz, a tea party favorite and potential 2016 presidential candidate, has infuriated fellow Republicans by forcing uncomfortable votes on issues such as the debt, and by raising money for conservative groups trying to defeat veteran Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Cruz's comments are especially notable because he is a vice chairman of the GOP committee tasked with winning Senate elections. He criticized the committee's track record and policy of virtually always backing incumbents.

At a breakfast sponsored by Politico, Cruz said he is no longer writing fundraising letters for anti-establishment groups such as the Senate Conservatives Fund. McConnell's backers are angry at the group for supporting his tea party challenger, Matt Bevin, in Kentucky's May 20 primary.

Still, Cruz sharply criticized McConnell's leadership, and praised the Senate Conservatives Fund by name.

"The brightest stars in the Republican Party," he said, were opposed by "the Republican leadership in Washington" and backed by groups such as the conservatives fund.

"Washington insiders have a terrible record at picking winners and losers," Cruz said.

Senators typically back party colleagues for re-election. Serious primary challenges were rare until tea party activists ousted some GOP veterans in 2010 and 2012. Other Republican senators steered farther right to protect themselves from similar fates.

Oddly, Cruz's unwillingness to back Cornyn came as a group of tea party activists in Texas disavowed Stockman, calling his campaign lazy and unethical and chiding him for refusing to answer media questions.

Cruz had few kind words for McConnell, who hopes to become Senate majority leader if Republicans gain six net seats this fall.

"I strongly disagree with some of the decisions the Republican leadership has made," Cruz said. He said McConnell is the party leader because "that is what is stenciled on his door."

Cruz infuriated McConnell's allies this month by threatening to filibuster a proposed increase in the federal debt ceiling. His actions forced several GOP senators to vote to clear the way for the increase, lest the party be blamed for a possible economic crisis.

McConnell and Cornyn, the Senate Republicans' top two leaders, were among those casting the unpleasant votes and drawing immediate criticism from tea partyers back home.

Also Thursday, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, noted the fifth anniversary of the tea party uprising.

"I have made it clear that I have great respect for the tea party and the energy they brought to the electoral process," Boehner told reporters. "My gripe is with some Washington organizations who feel like they've got to go raise money by beating on me and others."

The Tea Party Patriots marked the fifth anniversary of the grassroots movement at a Washington event. If reaction of some 300 tea partyers were a barometer of 2016 preferences, Cruz drew a standing ovation and loud applause while Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was warmly received.

Cruz, working the stage as if at a town hall, elicited cheers when he said he was "absolutely convinced we are going to repeal every single word" of Obama's health care law.

Paul drew laughs with a good news-bad news pairing: "The government is open, and the government is open."

He urged the group to offer an upbeat message and avoid name-calling.

Some tea party activists expressed disillusionment with GOP congressional leaders. Viveca Stoneberry of Spotsylvania, Va., said Boehner and others "pretend to be on the side of conservatives."

Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., was interrupted by the crowd, which stood and cheered when he said, "It's high time we retire John Boehner." When the applause died down, he completed his statement that it was "high time to retire John Boehner's biggest excuse that we only control one-third of the government."

The exchanges came as establishment Republicans are pushing back aggressively against Senate tea party challengers in Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi and elsewhere.

In Colorado, a political deal announced this week results in Ken Buck, a tea party-affiliated Republican who lost a close Senate race in 2010, dropping a similar bid this year, and running for the House instead. Replacing him in the Senate race against Democratic Sen. Mark Udall is Rep. Cory Gardner, who is more palatable to the GOP mainstream.

In Kansas, the Tea Party Express endorsed Milton Wolf, who opposes three-term Sen. Pat Roberts in the Republican primary.