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The Spectacle Blog
Ted Cruz shuns the lectern.
An Ivy League debate champion, Cruz prefers to pace the platform without notes, which allows him to walk to the edge of the stage, look the crowd in the eye, and punctuate his points with swift hand movements. He finds his cadence and energizes the crowd with calls — “On guns, do we surrender? Or do we stand up now?” — that demand an audience response. He’s erudite, quoting Madison and Jefferson, yet approachable, cracking jokes and quoting lines from '80s movies.
If organizers of the Conservative Political Action Conference aimed to fire up attendees and send them home happy, they could hardly have picked a better closing speaker than the junior senator from Texas.
The affable Cruz laid down a conservative governing agenda, point by point — leaving, of course, plenty of time for cheering in between. Repeal Obamacare. End corporate welfare. Build the keystone pipeline. Rein in the Environmental Protection Agency. Audit the federal reserve. Halt quantitative easing. Abolish the Department of Education. Expand school choice. Stand with Israel. Stop sending foreign aid to enemies.
Cruz said that the dirty secret in Washington is that conservatives have been winning the argument, and he cited as examples the controversies over drones and the “sequestration” budget cuts.
He mocked the sequester cuts as overhyped, and said President Obama’s “scare America tour” reminded him of this scene from Ghostbusters.
“In honor of the sequester, for each of you who went to dinner last night, your meals were reduced by 2.4 percent,” he joked. “I can see the looks of hunger and famine in your eyes. Indeed, I don’t know how you’re possibly still able to stand on 97.6 percent of your dinner. And I’ll always be haunted by the sight of Newt Gingrich’s emaciated face.”
He spoke at length about the GOP filibuster staged by Rand Paul earlier this month over the Obama administration’s opaque drone policy. Senator John McCain described the filibuster as a stunt and called the participants “wacko birds.” It’s a label Cruz seems content to wear.
“I have to admit, when Rand and I first heard that, we thought maybe that was a new kind of drone,” he said. “But if standing for liberty and standing for the Constitution makes you a wacko bird, then count me a proud wacko bird.”
Perhaps to deflect the speculation about political ambition that inevitably accompanies a gig headlining CPAC, Cruz himself noted that he was only sworn in 10 weeks ago. He has already drawn buzz as a potential presidential contender, and one who could bridge the gap between Hispanic voters and the GOP.
That day might still be a long way off. But while they wait, Cruz will surely give conservatives plenty to watch in what remains of his Senate term — all 306 weeks.
View all comments (13) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Kyle Peterson
http://spectator.org/blog/2013/03/16/ted-cruz-sends-cpac-home-happy
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Steelbutterfly| 3.17.13 @ 1:38AM
I have been delighted at the incredible outcry on the left over Ted Cruz and his logical, straightforward approach to bringing our government back to following the Constitution! They truly have no idea how to deal with it, so they fall back on throwing hissy fits and whining. I have found that the louder the left screams, the better the right is doing, so go, Ted, go! I am so glad that I live in Texas and was able to vote for him!
RJ| 3.17.13 @ 1:50AM
No doubt the Beltway liberals and RINOs are not use to a leader like Ted Cruz. They know they are not up to the challenge and hope the mainstream media will bail them out. I had the opportunity to meet him last May and told him that I, as a Californian, will look to him as my US Senator too. He is doing a great job.
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JohnInFlorida| 3.17.13 @ 9:21AM
Gee, I don't know ... a politician who actually thinks that the Constitution actually means something?!? What will the Progs do? Disparage? Mock? Ridicule? Oh no, I've got it ... they'll keelhaul him before stuffing the body in a 16 (not 20) oz 7-11 cup and then burying him in an undisclosed location.
Von Mises Jr| 3.17.13 @ 11:26AM
Cruz is great and refreshing. Diane Frankenstein was so unnerved that she felt compelled to declare she had "progressed" past Sixth Grade and that she was at least "a little bit" intelligent.
Anthony| 3.17.13 @ 12:27PM
Sen Cruz, a non affirmative action graduate of Harvard Law, magna cum laude, in order words, the real deal, has also argued a least a dozen cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.
As a real lawyer, unlike the bloviating blowhard senators who ask rambling disjointed questions just to look good for the cameras, Cruz took Eric Holder to the woodshed with precise, crisp, and pinpoint questions on the president's authority to use military assets against Americans on American soil without due process of law.
His absolutely dead on critique ot Feinstein's absurd list of which weapons she thinks the Constitution would allow to be banned, as juxtaposed to which books the 1st Amendment would allow under Feinstein's logic, was magnificant.
Her response was typical, she's been a senator for 20 years, she's seen dead people in San Fran., and has stuck her fingers in bullet holes of victims.
The whores in the MSM went wild, led by Chris Matthews and Andrea Mitchell.
The very idea that these lefty morons think Feinstein took Cruz to the woodshed, instead of vis versa, only shows that we are dealing with people who are truly insane.
We cannot find common ground with these leftists. They must be defeated, plain and simple.
Butch| 3.17.13 @ 3:13PM
Feinstein simply used Hillary's Benghazi tactic: when you're cornered, attack with an indignant response. It only works for women. I'll be glad when these guys catch on to the tactic and snap right back at them, forcing them to answer the question.
I'm sure they think they will not look like gentlemen if they do, but it needs to be done, and that little tactic needs to be buried. Females who want to play with the boys shouldn't be allowed to play the female card.
crankitup| 3.17.13 @ 12:42PM
Thank You Senator Ted Cruze for articulating, and defending the cause of We The People, we are with you, we've got your back. Stay strong and stay smart.
crankitup| 3.17.13 @ 12:44PM
please excuse my misspelling; Senator Ted Cruz.
Oldefarte| 3.17.13 @ 12:55PM
Cruz speaks the truth, but he, Paul and others represent the conservative-de-jure for CPAC attendies. What have they ever managed/administered as politicians before? Words are wonderful and inspiring but actions speak the loudest. The Republican Party has nominated adequate and experienced politicians previously and the stupidity of the American people have rejected them due to their inability to become politically informed and to vote responsibility. The results have been Carter, Clinton and Obama recently; and previously Kennedy and Johnson. JC could be nominated/run by Republicans and it wouldn't make any difference. If/until the American people get their heads out of their a$$e$ and realize that by only voting for Republican candidates as POTUS does this country have a chance at survival. When the dumbar$ snotnosers/under 30 crowd begin to realize that their college degrees are worthless [unless one desires a lifetime career as a COMMUNITY ORGANIZER, the Peace Corp or at Micky Ds] and thereafter vote responsibily and intelligently will this country be improved. Same with the dumbar$e$ of labor union members. The Democrats have a brainwashing control upon the stupid American public's mindset and there is nothing that will change same until a grassroots effort at eliminating Hollywood's, academia, public school teachers and labor unions have on same!!!!!!!!!
darcy| 3.17.13 @ 1:36PM
Ted Cruz bear watching, that's for sure. I will following him closely to see if his actions match his rhetoric.
Meanwhile, I would like to see Amspec discuss Ann Coulter's speech from yesterday. It was singularly important, in my estimation. I will be checking back throughout the day to see if one of your writers will tackle it.
darcy| 3.17.13 @ 1:37PM
"bears" watching.