The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Ted Triumphantly Treads Titanium Testicle Territory; Casually Cruises Cadmium Cojones Country

Posted on | July 24, 2015 | 47 Comments

by Smitty

Ted Cruz has been made an utter fool over the Export-Import Bank, and seems maybe a tiny bit hacked off on the point. Watch and weep:

“This Senate operates exactly the same [as the Reid era].”

More at Ace.

UPDATE: Ted doubles down on the Mark Levin show. Cruz is on after 16:10.

“The McConnell-Reid leadership team” (!!??!?!?!?!?!)

But what about this?

The Utah Republican [Lee] laid out the argument in a press release after party leaders set the sequencing of votes:
“The first Obamacare vote on Sunday will have a 60 vote threshold, and Democrats will likely block it,” Lee continued. “But thanks to the sequencing of the votes we just locked in, Republicans will have the opportunity resurrect that Obamacare amendment later on in the process, and put it back before the Senate in a manner that only requires a simple-majority vote.”

After cloture is reached on the Export-Import Bank amendment, senators will still be allowed to offer germane amendments to the highway bill, each of which would only require a simple-majority to pass. If the Chair rules that the Obamacare amendment is non-germane, Senate Rule 22 also allows any senator to appeal that ruling to the full Senate. At that point, a simple-majority of Senators would have the power to add the Obamacare repeal amendment to the highway bill.

I’m sure we can rely on the McConnell-Reid leadership team to do the left thing and ensure that the 2014 election remains immaterial.

Comments

47 Responses to “Ted Triumphantly Treads Titanium Testicle Territory; Casually Cruises Cadmium Cojones Country”

  1. David
    July 24th, 2015 @ 3:47 pm

    So why is it hard to believe what he said, why would he expect the Majority Leader of the United States Senate to lie to his party? McConnell and Boehner seem to be fingers, on the Democratic arm, of the Obama body, and don’t understand apparently what the word “constituents” mean, it’s the people who put you there.

  2. Dianna Deeley
    July 24th, 2015 @ 3:57 pm

    Briefly, because trying to get my “Well, duh, Ted. What the hell did you expect?” heard over at Ace’s place is hopeless:

    Well, duh, Ted. What the hell did you expect? There is no way in hell that any of this is anything but failure theater. You are a first-term senator, who they intend will not be reelected. Nothing you said was untrue, but it is utterly irrelevant.

  3. Art Deco
    July 24th, 2015 @ 3:59 pm

    Not so much the Obama body. They’re Capitol Hill lifers, so politics is for them brokerage between politicians acting as agents of commercial interests invested in federal favors (for cash and prizes). McConnell, Boehner, Orrin Hatch, Lindsey Graham, the Chamber of Commerce, sundry donors, sundry retired members of Congress raking it in as lobbyists, &c.

    So here you have McConnell gaming a large slice of his own caucus to save a petty crony-capitalist enterprise which has no popular constituency and doing so at the behest of a ‘bipartisan’ collection of Congressional scum. If the Republicans cannot let the Ex-Im Bank die, they can accomplish flat nothing.

    I don’t think this will have any effect, but I’m delighted he said it. I’d love to see McConnell and Boehner deposed by their own respective caucuses.

  4. Art Deco
    July 24th, 2015 @ 4:16 pm

    Well, duh, Ted. What the hell did you expect?

    I’m fascinated at your assumption that people who do business with each other should simply expect others to lie and cheat them.

    Many years ago, Gerald Ford’s press secretary published a memoir, incorporated within which was a report of what Ford thought of Richard Nixon. The short answer was cold contempt. Nixon had broken the code that Washington politicians at that time had with each other, which actually did not involve bald lying in private conversations.

  5. smitty
    July 24th, 2015 @ 4:18 pm

    Past the face value, Cruz is putting down a marker with the base.

  6. Dianna Deeley
    July 24th, 2015 @ 4:28 pm

    I assumed he understood going in that the game is rigged. I am a little astonished that a man who’s worked as a lawyer for most of his adult life expects anything except for people to fall into line with the old, old rule: Them what has the gold makes the rules.

  7. Dianna Deeley
    July 24th, 2015 @ 4:28 pm

    Indeed. But I need more than a marker.

  8. Art Deco
    July 24th, 2015 @ 4:34 pm

    I assumed he understood going in that the game is rigged.

    I suspect he has more experience working with other politicians than you do.

  9. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    July 24th, 2015 @ 4:36 pm

    McConnell has soft gentle hands, perfect for masturbating his friends…

  10. Adjoran
    July 24th, 2015 @ 4:43 pm

    He thought he had the ignorant nutbar vote sewed up with his bogus filibuster grandstanding and the resulting list of 1.5 million gullible people’s email addresses. Then along comes Trump.

    It’s a race to the Lowest Common Denominator. It won’t get any prettier.

  11. marcus tullius cicero
    July 24th, 2015 @ 4:58 pm

    …The RINOs finally got Ted angry…..Hell to pay!

  12. Dianna Deeley
    July 24th, 2015 @ 5:01 pm

    I would assume the same, actually. What I mean is, in this era, having watched Mitch McConnell operate, surely – surely! – Cruz realized he had to assume bad faith, and how to work with/around it.

  13. Isa
    July 24th, 2015 @ 5:02 pm

    +20 points for double alliteration.

  14. marcus tullius cicero
    July 24th, 2015 @ 5:02 pm

    …Guess I’m one of what you called “ignorant nutbar”…So that makes you a “Low Information Voter” that likes to see the Country destroyed by liars, thieves an traitors!

  15. Wild Bull McGehee
    July 24th, 2015 @ 5:12 pm

    Shorter Adjoran: “Just bend forward and thank them afterward.”

  16. Finrod Felagund
    July 24th, 2015 @ 5:50 pm

    One reason why Ted Cruz isn’t my top choice for the GOP nomination (but still in the top tier) is that I’d rather see him as the Senate Majority Leader for 20 years than President for 8.

  17. TC_LeatherPenguin
    July 24th, 2015 @ 6:18 pm

    I’d rather see him replace that useless SOB Roberts on the Supreme Court.

  18. Jason Lee
    July 24th, 2015 @ 6:25 pm

    Don’t you think that’s he’s doing?

  19. Cruz Explains Why He Called Mitch McConnell A Liar | The Lonely Conservative
    July 24th, 2015 @ 7:45 pm

    […] (and presidential hopeful) Ted Cruz (R-TX) called out Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell today on the Senate floor. Cruz came right out and called McConnell a liar. It was great. A little […]

  20. Quartermaster
    July 24th, 2015 @ 7:55 pm

    Adjoran is a clown and is better ignored.

  21. Grandson Of TheGrumpus
    July 24th, 2015 @ 8:01 pm

    You’d think a supposedly intelligent young fellow such as Cruz would have realized that Michie’s past performance dictated future choices…

    In other words, McConnell’s a known lie-master. Did Cruz consider himself so special that Michie wouldn’t lie to him? If so, why?

    It calls Cruz’s judgement into question.

  22. CPAguy
    July 24th, 2015 @ 8:01 pm

    Cruz has been on fire the past few days.

    I prefer Ben Carson, but these Cruz clips help me deal with the fear that Trump will bamboozle the herds in voting for his luxurious liberal hair piece.

  23. Daniel Freeman
    July 24th, 2015 @ 8:55 pm

    Better yet Kennedy, who is worse than useless, with that ridiculous Obergefell opinion.

  24. darleenclick
    July 24th, 2015 @ 8:57 pm

    No, I find Cruz’s actions entirely reasonable.

    You NEVER prejudge people based on what other people say. Cruz needed/wanted to see for himself.

    And look at the direct evidence he is now revealing in public. Not “I heard from” or “someone told me” but “I SAW” “I EXPERIENCED”.

    Powerful

  25. theoldsargesays
    July 24th, 2015 @ 9:34 pm

    Okay, I see McConnell and Barney Frank but who’s the third guy?

  26. Grandson Of TheGrumpus
    July 24th, 2015 @ 9:41 pm

    Yes, your point is well taken, but what worries me is Cruz’s “it comes at me from left-field” demeanor.

    As for “prejudge people based on what other people say”, McConnell’s direct words vs his actions are enough to warn the wise… forget what others say.

  27. JadedByPolitics
    July 24th, 2015 @ 9:52 pm

    Best headline ever written!

  28. Daniel Freeman
    July 24th, 2015 @ 9:52 pm

    Just some random lobbyist. That’s why the artist didn’t bother to show his face.

  29. Daniel Freeman
    July 24th, 2015 @ 9:58 pm
  30. Matt_SE
    July 24th, 2015 @ 10:26 pm

    Yes, he was worried about justifying his actions to his constituents. As he should have been.

  31. Matt_SE
    July 24th, 2015 @ 10:27 pm

    SCOTUS is a more realistic option, because the Senate goes by seniority. There are many old timers who would be irritated by being skipped over.

  32. Matt_SE
    July 24th, 2015 @ 10:33 pm

    The base must be made aware (because many of them don’t realize it): Boehner and McConnell must go. Nothing will improve while they’re in leadership.

  33. guinspen
    July 25th, 2015 @ 4:49 am

    Mark Levin Show podcast: Friday, 7/24/15

    “Mark is joined by Sen. Ted Cruz to expand on his comments against McConnell and the state of our Senate.”

  34. From Around the Blogroll | The First Street Journal.
    July 25th, 2015 @ 5:31 am

    […] Smitty on The Other McCain: Ted Triumphantly Treads Titanium Testicle Territory; Casually Cruises Cadmium Cojones Country […]

  35. smitty
    July 25th, 2015 @ 6:53 am

    >Cruz’s “it comes at me from left-field” demeanor.

    Which is to be taken in the same mode as “. . .my friend the junior Senator from. . .”

    Cruz is “shocked, SHOCKED!” to find out that there is gambling at Rick’s, for all he may (though probably is not) partaking therein.

    I say “probably not” because he’d’ve been nailed to something and left to hang by now, were there evidence.

  36. smitty
    July 25th, 2015 @ 6:54 am

    The notion of feeling obligated to answer for actions in office is somewhere between refreshing and retro, is it not?

  37. smitty
    July 25th, 2015 @ 6:55 am

    No clowns were harmed in the production of this headline.

  38. Adobe_Walls
    July 25th, 2015 @ 10:21 am

    They’d rather we didn’t thank them, that might infer awareness.

  39. Adobe_Walls
    July 25th, 2015 @ 10:34 am

    Ted Cruz is the closest we are going to get to electing President Ruthless Hardass. Unfortunately close simply isn’t good enough so we’re lost in any case. Absent a restoration it doesn’t matter who, from either party is majority leader. We know it won’t be Cruz.

  40. Dave
    July 25th, 2015 @ 10:38 am

    I still don’t think anyone will ever do better than the NY Post when Ike Turner died: “Ike beats Tina to death!”

  41. Adobe_Walls
    July 25th, 2015 @ 11:00 am

    I’ve got to agree with Jason Lee. Sometimes to reveal demonstrate the truth one must pretend they didn’t know it.

  42. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    July 25th, 2015 @ 1:16 pm

    It a rotating cast of soft pasty characters in that Rub-A-Dub-Tub

  43. R_of_the_H
    July 25th, 2015 @ 5:51 pm

    Trump/Nugent 2016

  44. Ronda Hall
    July 26th, 2015 @ 6:50 am
  45. Jordanwashington
    July 26th, 2015 @ 9:06 am

    …………..1=39Now Get this theothermccain

  46. Quartermaster
    July 26th, 2015 @ 2:02 pm

    It has to start somewhere. Cruz is the first to do it.

  47. News of the Week (July 26th, 2015) | The Political Hat
    July 26th, 2015 @ 6:00 pm

    […] Ted Triumphantly Treads Titanium Testicle Territory; Casually Cruises Cadmium Cojones Country Ted Cruz has been made an utter fool over the Export-Import Bank, and seems maybe a tiny bit hacked off on the point. Watch and weep […]