Texas Sen Ted Cruz A Pig of a Looser
Ted Cruz of Texas has been in the Senate for all of a month, but has already compiled an impressive voting record, according to the Washington Times. He is the only senator who has been on the losing side of every vote he has taken this term, a zero-for-11 record.
That means he’s been against John Kerry’s confirmation as secretary of state, against suspending the debt ceiling for three months, and against modest changes to the Senate’s filibuster rules. He even voted against aid to victims of Hurricane Sandy.
Mr. Cruz’s perfect record slightly surpasses those of three other Tea Party icons, who tied for second: Mike Lee of Utah, Tim Scott of South Carolina, and Marco Rubio of Florida. (They all voted to confirm Mr. Kerry.)
You might think he’d feel a little embarrassed by this self-marginalization, or worry that Texas voters will start to realize how far out of the mainstream he really is. But naturally, Mr. Cruz is proud of himself.
You might think he’d feel a little embarrassed by this self-marginalization, or worry that Texas voters will start to realize how far out of the mainstream he really is. But naturally, Mr. Cruz is proud of himself.
“Senator Cruz promised the voters of Texas he would take principled stands when it comes to fiscal responsibility and protecting America’s sovereignty,” his spokesman, Sean Rushton, told the newspaper. “He didn’t come to Washington to make friends; he came to help save the country. Senator Cruz is proud of his votes and will continue to stand up for America and the Constitution.”
The trajectory for this kind of thinking, however, is pretty clear. After a while, it’s frustrating to find oneself on the losing side of every vote. In 2011, House members who felt as Mr. Cruz does formed hard-right coalitions to demonstrate their will, and pressured Republican leaders to take harder stances on fiscal and social issues. In the Senate, members have a special power to hold things up, and the more frustrated they get, the more they start to use it.
So inevitably, Mr. Cruz will start holding up bills, standing in the way of needed spending, and blocking nominations. Based on his churlish treatment of Chuck Hagel at last week’s confirmation hearing for the top job at Defense, Mr. Cruz may try to filibuster Mr. Hagel’s nomination. (Senators have tried to mount filibusters against cabinet nominees before, but none have succeeded.)
Individual senators can create a great deal of mischief if they believe they are destined to single-handedly “save the country.” It’s a good thing he didn’t come to Washington to make friends.
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