Delivering extended remarks against funding Obamacare on the Senate floor on Tuesday, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) offered a direct rejoinder to a flurry of anonymous flak he received, in particular from Republican staffers, when he appeared to concede last week that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) had the votes to block any defunding measure.
“I have to say there’s no courage in Washington like the courage of the anonymous congressional staffer,” Cruz said. “I’ve chuckled at more than a few of them. You know, it says something, Mr. President, that members of this body, the congressional staffers, members of the media want to make this about personalities … this fight is not about personalities.
“Look, most Americans could not give a flying flip about a bunch of politicians in Washington,” he added. “Who cares? You know, almost all of us are in cheap suits with bad haircuts. Who cares? What the American people care about is their own lives.”
An unnamed adviser to Sen. John McCain explained that the Arizona Republican “fucking hates Cruz,” while a House GOP staffer told NRO last week that “Nancy Pelosi is more well-liked.”
A senior House GOP aide mocked Cruz for suggesting this week a backup plan to fund the government in piecemeal measures if Senate Democrats refuse to pass a bill defunding Obamacare.
“I don’t know how the Senator makes it down a flight of stairs, because he’s completely incapable of thinking one step ahead,” the aide told TPM.
