Ted Cruz Privately Approached Harry Reid To Ask For Time To “Filibuster”

[brooklynite]

Source: Buzzfeed

Sen. Ted Cruz has known since Monday exactly how long he’d be allowed to speak, and that no matter how long he talked, he wouldn’t be able to prevent a vote he had hoped to stop.

That’s because, according to a spokesman for Majority Leader Harry Reid, Cruz approached Reid privately on the floor requesting the time to talk. And when no other Senator objected, Reid allowed it.

The spokesman, Adam Jentleson, blasted Cruz on Twitter Tuesday afternoon:

Adam Jentleson @AJentleson

Fun fact: Senator Cruz pre-negotiated the terms of his #fakefilibuster with Senator Reid yesterday. Not exactly a Mr. Smith moment.

...snip...

Because Reid had already filed what’s known as “cloture” on the continuing resolution — effectively a countdown clock to a vote that would end debate on the bill — the vote will happen and Cruz will need to stop talking by Wednesday afternoon.


Read more: http://www.buzzfeed.com/katenocera/ted-cruz-privately-approached-harry-reid-to-ask-for-time-to

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Showbiz...

[MADem]

1. And wily old Harry graciously paid out enough rope so that Cruz could hang himself.

I'm sure they've got enough footage by now to mock him for years.

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. It probably improves his standing with the Tea Party wingnuts, though

which was probably his main purpose - he needs them for his 2016 nomination, and can't let them go to Rand Paul. Of course, that may have been Reid's thinking too - let the unelectable wingnut build up his far right support, so any 'moderate' Republican has to fight them hard in the primaries, as Romney had to.

[MADem]

12. He'd also need the RNC to get very far, though--they've got the donor lists and they

have the fifty state ground game. And they put on the Big Convention Show.

Without even grudging support from the RNC, a nutjob Republican's candidacy, absent vast sums of personal wealth, is stillborn.

And if what Chris Wallace says is accurate, that the RNC sent over anti-Cruz talking points to FauxSnooze, then Cruz is likely toast.

He just doesn't know it yet!

[AllyCat]

20. Education needed: I thought Cruz was born in Canada?

[nolabear]

22. American mother. In spite of the TP insanity he qualifies.

Well, by birth anyway. There's no IQ test.

[cactusfractal]

28. Win. N/t.

[AllyCat]

31. And the righties love him. Yet Obama has an American mother and he is a

foreign-born Muslim. But then there is skin-color, so yeah, I guess I see what the problem is for the racists on the right.

[hobbit709]

2. It's a filibluster

[Javaman]

5. ? care to explain? nt

[hobbit709]

6. He's blustering

[Javaman]

8. dang, my bad, I didn't see the "L".

now I feel dumb.

[hobbit709]

9. It's early, you just need more coffee

[Javaman]

10. I think I need a tanker of coffee after missing that one LOL

Cheers

[hobbit709]

11. I tell people I'm a caffeine-based lifeform.

[pinboy3niner]

16. Really? We couldn't even tell...

[riqster]

26. My fave t-shirt: "There's blood in my caffeine stream!"

[Thor_MN]

13. With Rafael Edward, isn't it a fibulister?

I don't believe a word that comes out of that idiot's head.

[BlueStreak]

15. fiBULLustre

I bet Reid enjoyed that. "Let's see, I could order some other business for the Senate during that time. Maybe I could order the cameras turned off. Or maybe I could call a recess.

Or I could let this asshole talk for 16 hours as the face of the Republican Party."

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

[LiberalFighter]

17. Reid could put a countdown clock on the screen

Letting viewers know when Cruz will finish.

[BlueStreak]

24. GOP EXPLODES IN 02:39:01.003

[Thor_MN]

19. The BULL does make better fitting

Can't believe that idiot is wasting tax payer money by reading children's stories in Congress. While Dr. Seuss is good, I was done with those books in second grade. The TEABaggers are so concerned with Government spending that they send their sweetheart to waste money...

[MADem]

14. Hee hee--clever! nt

[LiberalFighter]

18. I'm going to steal that!!

[riqster]

27. Or a "sillybluster" perhaps.

[KansDem]

3. Well, you gotta earn your $175,000 some way

Can't just read Dr. Seuss books all day...

[AllyCat]

21. He's a Senator so I thought he made more than $175K a year.

[Liberalynn]

23. Yeah especially when you add

all those "campagin contributions" from Big Pharma and Big Health Insurance in.

[florida08]

4. it's the Ted Cruz show

Loved his rendition of green eggs and ham. Mike Lee was there to help light the fuse

[Lasher]

25. And so Cruz gets his 'Look at me!' moment.

It's working.

[SwankyXomb]

29. I say Reid should let him continue until he drops

Let Americans get a good long hard look at the Teddy Crazy Show.

[Nye Bevan]

30. Please proceed, Senator......... (nt)

[truthisfreedom]

32. Wait, what? That wasn't Quentin Tarantino?

I could'a sworn that was Quentin Tarantino.