Ted Cruz’s big (awful) plans: Why a clash is coming if GOP wins majority

[applegrove]

Ted Cruz’s big (awful) plans: Why a clash is coming if GOP wins majority

by Jim Newell at Salon

http://www.salon.com/2014/11/03/ted_cruzs_big_awful_plans_why_a_clash_is_coming_if_gop_wins_majority/

"SNIP.....................

No one’s more excited about the prospects of a Republican takeover of the Senate than the incoming Senate majority leader, Ted Cruz. He’s already been serving as Speaker of the House for two years, and come Tuesday night, he may well have control of both chambers of Congress. Once he’s elected President in 2016, he’ll be the first man in history to serve concurrently as Speaker of the House, Senate majority leader, and President of the United States. Whenever as the next Supreme Court justice keels over, he’ll appoint himself to that, too. This is ultimately the America that America deserves.

You may be asking how a junior Senate backbencher who’s not in line to chair any committee will effectively serve as Senate majority leader. He’ll do so the same way that, as a junior Senate backbencher, he’s effectively served as Speaker of the House the past two years. Through whatever feats of raw political talent and nimble exploitation of congressional process, Cruz positions himself as the go-to vehicle through which all far-right rage is channeled in Washington. He’s the front man for the interests of radicalized “outside groups” (well-funded organizations with presences in Washington D.C.) like Heritage Action, the Club for Growth, the Senate Conservatives Fund, Tea Party Patriots, and so forth. Whenever the specter of practical governance — funding the government, raising the debt ceiling — sweeps its way into the corridors of the Republican leadership, there materializes Ted Cruz, exorcising the demon. We simply do not care for Texas Senator Ted Cruz here at Salon dot com, but hey, the man fills a space.

.....

In his interview with the Post, Senate majority leader Cruz “made it clear he would push hard for a Republican-led Senate to be as conservative and confron­tational as the Republican-led House.” In addition to lots of wasted time voting on repealing Obamacare, this also means lots of wasted time holding circus-like “oversight” hearings against the Lawless Obama Administration.


Piggybacking on what House leaders have done, Cruz said the first order of business should be a series of hearings on President Obama, “looking at the abuse of power, the executive abuse, the regulatory abuse, the lawlessness that sadly has pervaded this administration.”





........................SNIP"

[applegrove]

1. At least Democrats will have Ted Cruz's antics to

watch.

[spanone]

2. he'll leave a shitstain of historical proportions

[6000eliot]

3. You have to hand it to them that they managed to keep the stupid and crazy quieter

this election season. If they win back the Senate, look for it to come roaring backing on Wednesday.

[emulatorloo]

4. Media has protected and 'mainstreamed' these nuts since McCain picked Palin

Media just trumpets the talking points and never reports on their extremism. ugh.