Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) (AP Photo)
(CNSNews.com) – Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) told reporters on Monday that he’ll wait to see the details before deciding whether to delay a Senate vote on an emerging deal to end the government shutdown and raise the debt limit.
“We need to see what the details are,” Politico quoted Cruz as saying.
The idea that Cruz might try to block the emerging Senate plan — which would not defund or delay Obamacare — drew outrage early Tuesday morning from MSNBC anchor Joe Scarborough, a former U.S. congressman from Florida who says he’s a Republican.
“I dare you! Go ahead and do it, hotshot,” Scarborough fumed at Cruz.
“And when people are responsible, and actually give a damn about this country, and give a damn about the full faith and credit of the United States, and actually care about the people who are working day in and day out, hoping to keep their jobs — you’re going to keep posing and hurt those people?
“I don’t really get it. Kinda like, it’s great for you, I know. I know it’s really great for you politically.” Scarborough accused Cruz of using a protest at a veterans memorial over the weekend to score his own political points.
“So go ahead — you guys go ahead! Just keep using America as your political backdrop, and hurt all the people you want to hurt. Hurt, by the way, small government conservatives, Republicans, working-class Americans that actually used to support our party, but are now wondering, what in the world? But keep doing it. Keep doing it.
“And I hope it really helps you out. Because it’s sure not helping the conservative movement. It’s not helping the Republican Party, and it’s not helping this country. But go ahead — go ahead!”
The Senate deal, not yet announced, stems from ongoing, closed-door negotiations between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.
On Saturday, Cruz criticized “deals being negotiated in back rooms.”
“The American people don’t want Obamacare, and they don’t want more debt,” Cruz wrote in an Oct. 12 news release. “The American people did not rally across the nation in August and September, sign petitions by the millions, and shut down the congressional switchboard to now be left out of deals being negotiated in backrooms.
“Republicans in Washington — who control the House of Representatives and 46 seats in the Senate — should continue to stand with working people against Obamacare. Democrats are refusing to negotiate and refusing to compromise; their position is patently unreasonable, and we should emphatically make that case to the American people.
“House Republicans have heroically led this fight, and they should stand firm. Patience and courage and persistence is required, and will not come from the permanent Beltway class.”
Many Democrats and some Republicans blame Cruz for causing the government “shutdown” by insisting that Obamacare defunding be linked to a stopgap funding bill. But Cruz repeatedly notes that Republicans have passed multiple, smaller funding bills that would keep government operations going, only to be blocked by Democrats intent on making Republicans look as bad as possible to the voting public.
“The American people expect their government to function — and we can ensure that right now. We can fund our essential priorities and commit to paying our debt first, even while opposing Obamacare,” Cruz said on Saturday.
“The people want jobs and strong economic growth back, and Obamacare is a major impediment to both. As long as we keep listening to the people and fighting for jobs and prosperity, Republicans will win this debate.”
(Editor’s note: Scarborough repeated his remarks verbatim in the 8 o’clock hour.)
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