Ted Cruz once again has demonstrated a remarkably clumsy aspect of his public persona, how he can say something, get pounded for it and then try to walk it back … all the while tripping and stumbling over his own words.

The Texas Republican senator told a Senate committee this week that “terrorists” attacked the Capitol on 1/6. He then heaped high praise on law enforcement officers on duty that day for the job they did to protect members of Congress (including himself, naturally).

What happened next brought us a demonstration from the junior senator on how not to take something back.

The right wing of his party was outraged that Cruz would speak the truth about the mob that stormed Capitol Hill. So was their cult leader, the 45th president, who incited the mob to “fight like hell.”

Cruz then went on Tucker Carlson’s TV show to take it back. Carlson wasn’t buying it, saying he has known Cruz “a long time” and believes Cruz meant what he said about the terrorists attacking the Capitol.

I watched Cruz try to take back the truth-telling statement. It was a pitiful exhibition of rhetorical clumsiness. I also watched Cruz make his initial statement. It rang true!

Cruz then tried to suggest that critics of the 45th POTUS’s cult suggest they all are terrorists. No, senator! We are not saying that! For crying out loud, stop putting words in people’s mouths while you try to wash out your own pie hole.

The mob that smashed through windows, beat up police officers, shouted “Hang Mike Pence!”, sh** on the floor of the Senate, threatened the life of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and sought to block the certification of the 2020 presidential election presented a clear and present danger to our democracy.

By any definition, the insurrectionists in that mob were “terrorists.” Cruz had it right the first time. He had it wrong when he tried to walk back what he said in that hideous interview with Tucker Carlson.

I mean, yumpin’ yiminy, dude. It reminded of the time Cruz sought to blame his daughter for talking him into flying off to Cancun nearly a year ago while Texans were freezing to death in that killer ice storm.

What makes this so damn hard for me to watch is realizing that this dipsh** represents the state of my residence in the U.S. Senate. I will never, ever cast a vote for this clown. Still, he holds a powerful office and represents my interests in a branch of government designed to write laws that affect my family and me.

He embarrasses me and the state he represents.

johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com