Who is Ted Cruz and what is he trying to do?

Here in the Texas Hill Country, I watched Ted Cruz take on and defeat establishment Republican Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in the 2012 run-off election for the U. S. Senate 57-43 in a strong voter turnout.  He went on to a 57-40 win over Democrat Paul Sadler in the general election.

Dewhurst outspent Cruz 3 to1 and blasted him relentlessly in negative commercials, but Cruz had the grassroots support of Tea Party organizations.

“Millions of Texans, millions of Americans are rising up to reclaim our country, to defend liberty and to restore the Constitution,” he said in his victory speech.

I am particularly impressed with his ability to stand on a stage, away from the lectern and speak without the aid of a teleprompter.

Few people know of his legal background that includes the authoring of more than 80 U. S. Supreme Court briefs.  He has presented nine oral arguments before the Supreme Court, more than any other practicing lawyer in Texas and more than any other member of Congress.

If you are recent subscriber I recommend you check out my Jan. 31 post in the archives and watch his Impressive questioning of Atty. Gen. Eric Holder during the IRS investigation hearing.

I see Cruz as a man of principles.  He did not go to Washington to merely hold down the chair of outgoing Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson.

Cruz was criticized by fellow Republicans for his 21-hour filibuster favoring repeal of ObamaCare.  Sen. John McCain, who has shown the party how to lose elections, resorted to name-calling.  While a few fellow senators joined Cruz on the floor that evening, those who didn’t criticize Cruz were silent and allowed the party to be blamed for the government shutdown.

In recent weeks, a number of writers who I admire (and some friends) have made Cruz their target, primarily because of his effort to unseat Republicans who he believes are not conservative, Republican lite. However, some see him as a breath of fresh air as I do.  I admit his timing is flawed.  Winning the senate in 2014 should be his first goal

“At this critical juncture in the history of America,” wrote Thomas Sowell, “internal battles with the only party that can turn things around are the last thing Americans need.”

In a two-part series on Cruz published in Investor’s Business Daily, Sowell credited Cruz while justifiably criticizing other Republicans, especially Speaker John Boehner, for their inability to get their message out.

On that same topic, J. Christian Adams, who blogs at Rule of Law, wrote, “Ted Cruz is the closest thing to a base-mobilization tool the GOP has. Without energy, the GOP will die.  When it becomes a party composed of operatives unable to craft a competing narrative, it will die.”

Under the headline, Another Misguided Cruz Missile, in the Wall Street Journal, Kimberly Strassel blasted Cruz’ efforts to embarrass Sen. Mitch McConnell in the debt-ceiling vote.   She believes that while the GOP has no real primary challenge, Cruz could hurt the prospects of incumbents in the general election.

I disagree.  As well-known as Cruz is in Texas, he is not a household name. I agree with PJ Media Washington correspondent Bill Straub, who recently wrote, “Frankly, Cruz will wind up being neither a plus or a minus for the GOP in the upcoming midterm elections.  His appeal, or lack thereof, won’t affect the outcome of a single campaign.  His presence will carry all the influence that mosquito has on the sunrise or, if you’re a true conservative, all the sway man has on global climate change.”

“The party of Lincoln has degenerated into the party of the Midwestern Rotary Club, nice guys who observe all the proper pieties and finish last,” writes journalist Michael Walsh, “the GOP needs more Ted Cruzes, not fewer.”

And finally:

“However unjustified Cruz’s actions, the very fact that a freshman senator can so quickly gain so many supporters with so much enthusiasm, ought to be a loud warning to the Republican establishment that it has long been a huge disappointment to a wide range of Republican voters and supporters.”  –   Thomas Sowell