Yeah, it’s bad. But Cruz’s abandonment of democracy was worse.
The nation finally recognizes the fatal failures of Texas GOP ideology and policy. From state legislators to US senators, the actions and inactions of Texas leaders are under scrutiny.
Hey! Who knew spending time and money legislating latrines instead of improving infrastructure would have deadly consequences?
The Dallas Morning News reports that the choices of these “fiscal conservatives” will cost some 19 billion dollars, exceeding the records Hurricane Harvey set a handful of years ago.
Dan Crenshaw and Greg Abbot are being roasted for tilting at windmills. Rick Perry asserted we were willing to freeze to death to keep the regulations we obviously needed out of Texas.
But no Texas GOP leader is being ridiculed more than Ted CanCruz right now.
And — listen — no one loves to pile on Fled Cruz more than me.
No one.
In 2017, I hounded his office to explain why he stuck his nose in state business pushing for tax vouchers for private schools even though the Republican-led Texas Legislature voted against them again and again and again.
In 2018, I discovered his office has never hosted a town hall for constituents — ever. He did do telephone town halls through his campaign for campaign donors. He did attend private, ticketed gatherings with pre-screened questions. But he’s never hosted the very town hall meetings that created his Tea Party in the first place.
I was so incensed by that revelation that I confronted him at one of these fake town halls hosted by Concerned Veterans for America. He answered five or six pre-screened questions that day. He did not answer mine: why have you abandoned your constituents?
In fact, the “Missing Senator” flyer memes inundating Texas social media feeds right now are a recycled joke from when Houstonians first asked the senator to create an opportunity to hear Texans’ questions and concerns.
At the time, it was insulting to watch a senator “cancel” his constituents so brazenly.
Anyone who’s called his office knows it’s virtually impossible to talk to a staffer. Anyone who’s written an email knows there will rarely be acknowledgment or response.
So I understand what it’s like for the world to finally see so clearly — so symbolically — how much Ted Cruz fails Texans.
The mental images of Cruz of his hairy toes in the warm sand while his constituents wear five layers of socks is a juxtaposition too violent to ignore.
The contrast between Cancun and the chaos, beaches and burst pipes, frozen margaritas and freezing Texans is just too tragic.
Ted Cruz just wanted some time in the sun. Is that so wrong?
Yes. Absolutely — and we are right to be outraged. We are right to demand his resignation. We are right to mock the indefensible.
But let’s not forget that we have a responsibility to remember his gravest gaffe: Ted Cruz attacked everyone’s democracy a few weeks ago.
Everyone’s.
Even though 61 courts explained in clearest legal form that there simply was no evidence to the claims and conspiracies, he objected and fought to cancel the votes of our fellow Americans anyway.
Even though our Texas Governor also changed voting policies without the approval of our Texas Legislature to suppress the vote and close ballot drop-off boxes, he insisted the will people of Arizona and Pennsylvania be superseded by the conspiracies of Trumpistas anyway. See, Texas GOP leaders only care about laws changed which allow more Americans to vote — not the ones which suppress us.
Even after violent insurrectionists and white supremacists threatened the lives of the entire line of succession of our Republic, he still stood by his crazy claims and ludicrous lies that day and objected. We know these dangerous radicals laughed that Ted Cruz would be proud of them…as they ruffled through the desks of his colleagues on the senate floor of the Capitol of the United States of America.
When Cruz’s absurd arguments to overturn an election were challenged , all of the sudden he seemed very concerned about his constituents!
Crazy, right? The man who ran from the most “profound threat” to his own state was willing to threaten our very democracy to appease a fascist, but he wasn’t willing to have cold toes to stay and serve Texans.
Wow.
I know his latest insult to America is funny. I know memes are simply superb.
But don’t forget his most savage sin against all Americans: he fed a rabid mob and tried to cancel American votes and voices to get himself some time in the sun.
