‘Canadian Cowboy’ Cruz Cons Conservatives

Senator Ted Cruz has a way of getting attention and getting his way.  The problem, according to many critics, is that his way is usually focused exclusively on helping Ted Cruz and nothing else. Our slow-learning friends on the right seemed to have finally caught on and they are none too pleased to have been conned at their own game by the Canadian Cowboy.

The Canadian born Cruz has spent the past few weeks insisting that the resolution for continuing government funding be passed only if Obamacare is defunded.  He has ridiculed Republicans in the House who said the idea was impractical.  He has run ads against those who claimed it was pointless and raised money from the constituents of those colleagues who refused to initially jump on his crazy train.

One-by-one, House Conservatives buckled. To avoid the blistering criticism and direct attacks by Cruz they decided to pretend it was a workable idea. Speaker Boehner and the GOP caucus reluctantly agreed to pair government funding with a defunding of Obamacare. But, almost as soon as they capitulated, Cruz quickly abandoned them making the lawmakers look as foolish as their crazed constituents.

Cruz knows that challenging a Conservative’s “conservative” credentials always incites a reactions akin to religious fundamentalism. So while House Republicans doubled down on Cruz’s gamble it was the Canadian Cowboy who, of course, collected all the chips.

Ted Cruz’s pockets are now filled from the fundraisers, voters have been made angrier and theoretically more likely to vote Cruz for President 2016, and his colleagues are now bloodied and bitter from the fight. Turns out, it was all about Cruz the whole time.

What great irony to see far-right congressmen who swept to victory by fanning unwarranted agitation of voters with claims of dubious legitimacy out-conned by Ted Cruz. In a political movement full of snake oil salesmen Cruz seems to know how to push the right buttons of the fire-breathing but ultimately spineless members of his own party.

By: Mark Quincy Adams

A proud 'pragmatic progressive' Mark Quincy Adams has been a political
talk show host and prolific pontificator since 1992. Find him on Facebook and Twitter @politicalglutton