Tag Archives: Ted Cruz

State news

Why does he anger me?

By JOHN KANELIS / johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

What in the world is it about Ted Cruz that makes my blood boil?

It cannot possibly be just that he is a conservative Republican. Or that he has this annoying  way of pretending to speak for millions of Texas residents he represents in the U.S. Senate. Or that he landed in the U.S. Senate and began pi**ing off his colleagues, even his fellow Republicans.

I cannot quite dial it in.

It might go back to when he first ran for the Senate in 2012. His GOP opponent that year was Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who was favored heavily to win the party nomination and then get elected to the Senate. He didn’t. He lost the primary to Cruz, a former Texas solicitor general. I actually like Dewhurst; I enjoyed my relationship with him while I worked as editorial page editor of the Globe-News in Amarillo. Dewhurst was the hardest-working politician in Austin. He was so detail oriented that if you asked him for the time, he might be inclined to tell you how to build a watch … you know?

Losing to Cruz, though, only magnified the emptiness of the state GOP, although I’ll acknowledge that Dewhurst proved to be a lousy campaigner.

Cruz then landed in the Senate and began pi**ing off his GOP colleagues, such as the late John McCain, who scolded Cruz for challenging the patriotism of Vietnam War vets John Kerry and Chuck Hagel, two of McCain’s friends and fellow Vietnam vets.

His Senate career has been a series of showmanship tactics. His ambition is so bodacious that he just doesn’t wear it well.

Now he is putting holds on nominations put forth by President Biden. He has pulled them, allowing the nominees to go forward toward confirmation.

Ted Cruz releases holds on Biden nominees as administration looks to get tough on Russia pipeline – POLITICO

I’ll admit to not knowing Cruz. I have never met the man. I might think differently of him were I to shake his hand and engage in some chatter, but I haven’t. Therefore, I am left to hold these views of him.

I’ll just continue to loathe his presence in the media and when he screams “Freedom!” at conservative political rallies. I won’t apologize for those feelings.

medical news, national news, State news

It isn’t ‘mislabeled!’

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By JOHN KANELIS / johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

Texas two U.S. senators, Republicans Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, voted against the COVID-19 relief bill, they say, because it is “mislabeled.”

They contend that it is too full of money that seeks to satisfy liberal/progressive interest groups and political activists.

Pardon my Greek, but these two alleged legislative representatives are full of sh**. 

Is the bill the perfect remedy to help Americans back from the pandemic precipice? No. However, it does contain sufficient help for those who have suffered grievous economic hardship. Moreover, it sets aside money to continue the development of vaccines that are rolling out as we sit here that will help inoculate more of us against the virus.

How many ways do we have to explain how this process works to the ideologues/demagogues who populate the supposedly loyal opposition to President Biden?

I keep hearing the canard about how only 9 percent of the money goes directly to COVID-19 relief. That’s another crock of fecal matter. CNN.com provides a link that explains what is in the bill.

What’s in the Covid relief bill – CNNPolitics

If you look at the items lined out, you will understand that the word “directly” is critical. I concede that not all the funds go directly to aid with COVID-related relief. However, much of the money serves the purpose, such as nutrition aid, or housing aid, or tax credits for individuals and families.

The impact of the pandemic has been sweeping and it has hit Americans thoroughly. That is why President Biden insisted that Congress should “go big” in seeking relief for Americans. He settled on $1.9 trillion in relief. I get that it isn’t cheap. However, I am willing to endorse this notion because of my belief that the federal government should answer the call when emergency strikes.

Last time I gave it any thought, I consider the killer pandemic a first-rank national emergency that needs a proportional response.

Sens. Cruz and Cornyn — and the rest of their GOP colleagues in both congressional chambers — are on the wrong side of this debate.

national news

Cruz still pi**ing me off

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By JOHN KANELIS / johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

Ted Cruz might one day run out of ways to make me angry.

I don’t know when that will happen with the junior U.S. senator from Texas. For all I know, his reservoir of contemptible behavior is bottomless. The good news for me is that he likely will keep this blog loaded for bear. The bad news is that he might wear me out.

Almost from the day he took office, Cruz has become a major league a**hole. He defeated defeated then-Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in the 2012 Republican primary and then cruised to an easy general election victory that year.

It took him no time to begin prancing and preening on the Senate floor, setting up a run for the presidency in 2016. His bald and blind ambition managed to anger his fellow Republican colleagues, not to mention the Democrats who serve with him.

The late Sen. John McCain once scolded Cruz for questioning the integrity of two senators, both of whom were — like McCain — Vietnam War veterans; Cruz, of course, never has worn this country’s uniform. But there he was, wondering whether John Kerry and Chuck Hagel were sufficiently loyal to this country.

Cruz puts on shameful sideshow | High Plains Blogger

The nadir of Cruz’s behavior, though, has to be the manner in which he questioned the integrity of the 2020 presidential election, alleging vote fraud that doesn’t exist. Donald Trump then incited the rioters who stormed Capitol Hill on Jan. 6 and still questioned whether the election was fair and legal.

The man just sickens me. I get sicker every time I see his face and hear his voice. Given his penchant for bloviating in front of TV cameras, I need to steel myself for years of nausea.

national news

COVID relief stalled by obstructionist

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By JOHN KANELIS / johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

Ron Johnson has joined the Ted Cruz Caucus of GOP Kooks.

Yes, the Republican U.S. senator from Wisconsin is stalling the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package because … well, I don’t know what he is basing his objection.

I guess the senator thinks it’s too expensive. But is it? Really?

Ron Johnson grinds Senate to halt, irritating many (msn.com)

The pandemic that the relief bill attacks has claimed more than 520,000 American lives. It has put millions of Americans out of work. It has caused untold misery, grief and mourning.

Sen. Johnson is stalling the bill because he wants senators to read it aloud, word for word. Why? Beats the hell out of me!

This man is nuts. He is an obstructionist extraordinaire in the mold of Sen. Ted Cruz, the Texas GOP moron who once stalled the government by reading “Green Eggs and Ham” on the floor of the Senate.

Oh, meanwhile, Americans continue to suffer. They continue to get sick. They keep dying. All the while, Ron Johnson is stalling a wildly popular relief bill that will put money in Americans’ pockets and ensure unemployment insurance for those Americans who need help while they seek new jobs.

Utterly disgraceful.

national news

Ya gotta watch this … really!

Ted Cruz speaks at 2021 CPAC: Full speech – YouTube

By JOHN KANELIS / johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

The link I have attached to this very brief post is of Ted Cruz, Texas’s infamous junior U.S. senator, the guy who sought to flee to Cancun while the state he represents shivered in bitter cold weather.

I just don’t have anything to add to this video, other than it is about 17 minutes long. Cruz is speaking to fellow fanatics at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Fla.

He is one of the warmup acts, I suppose, for Donald John Trump, whose speech Sunday night will bring CPAC’s meeting to a close.

Cruz is just truly despicable.

That’s all I have. B’bye … for now.

national news

Oh, Ted … please shut up!

By JOHN KANELIS / johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

Forgive this brief bit of “what aboutism.” I just cannot let this statement go without a response.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz said this today regarding President Biden’s nomination of Xavier Becerra to become the next secretary of health and human services:

The fact that President Biden was willing to nominate Xavier Becerra — someone with zero experience in anything related to health care — to the Department of Health and Human Services during this pandemic, illustrates Biden prioritizes partisan politics above all else.

Oh, my. Where do I begin?

I’ll start with this: Cruz had no difficulty supporting the appointment of two members of the Donald Trump Cabinet with no experience at all overseeing the agencies they were selected to run.

Exhibit A is Dr. Ben Carson, the housing secretary and then we have Betsy DeVos, the secretary of education.

Dr. Carson was a renowned brain surgeon. Did he have a clue about public housing? Had he ever led an agency the size of HUD? No and no. Indeed, he was hard-pressed during his confirmation hearing to answer simple questions related to public housing policy. He got confirmed.

DeVos never attended public schools. Her children never attended them, either. She favors giving taxpayer funds to finance vouchers for children to attend private schools. She is anti-public education. DeVos was, and is, ignorant on basics about education policy. She, too, was confirmed … although it took a tie-breaking vote cast by Vice President Mike Pence for her to take office.

Now we hear from the Cruz Missile saying that Becerra has no experience in health policy. Earth to Ted: Becerra served in the House of Representatives and was a key architect of the Affordable Care Act that Cruz has opposed since joining the Senate in 2013. Thus, Becerra had plenty to do with health care.

This kind of flippin’ nonsense from a loudmouth senator who doesn’t possess an ounce of introspection just sends me into orbit.

What’s more, to hear this kind of bullsh** coming from someone who sought to undermine a free and fair election and who ought to bear some responsibility for the hideous attack on our democratic system on Jan. 6 is reprehensible on its face.

My advice to Ted Cruz? Shut the hell up.

Uncategorized

A doc as HHS secretary?

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By JOHN KANELIS / johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

Ted Cruz isn’t really that stupid … is he?

The Republican U.S. senator from Texas today said that Xavier Becerra, President Biden’s nominee to become health and human services secretary is unqualified for the job.

Why? Because he is not a physician. That’s what Cruz said.

Well. How did Cruz vote on the nomination of Alex Azar to lead HHS during the Trump administration? He voted “for” Azar. Is Azar a doctor? Nope. He isn’t.

So, what the hell is going on inside Cruz’s vacuous noggin? I think he’s lost his mind.

It might be that his aborted vacation to Cancun in the midst of the Texas winter storm has rattled the Cruz Missile.

Xavier Becerra is as qualified as anyone who has served in that Cabinet post. He serves as California attorney general and as a member of the House from California, played a major role in crafting the Affordable Care Act, which Cruz and other GOP lawmakers have tried to kill.

Good grief! I am therefore going to conclude that Sen. Ted Cruz really is that stupid.

Uncategorized

Oops on the photo ops

By JOHN KANELIS / johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

Ted Cruz seemingly cannot even pull off a “photo op” without drawing criticism.

The Texas Republican junior U.S. senator has earned all of it … but, really?

He jetted off to Cancun, Mexico while Texas shivered in the midst of a hideous and crippling winter storm. He came home early after news of it hit the fan. He apologized for messing up, but only after seeming to blame his daughters for talking him into going to Mexico just to get away for a few days.

Then came the picture of Cruz loading bottled water; and he cut some barbecue to serve for firefighters in Houston. That’s all fine, except that the pictures looked like “photo ops.” A Cruz staffer snapped the pictures and then he likely was gone.

Ted Cruz under fire for ‘photo ops’ in Houston following controversial Mexico trip (msn.com)

Hey, he’s not the only politician who stages these do-gooder events for the camera. Donald Trump thought he’d toss rolls of paper towels in Puerto Rico to those who needed the paper goods; he did that for the camera, too … but it looked stupid. Remember the time 1988 Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis slipped a helmet over his head and then he rode around in the tank? It didn’t work well at all.

So, now we have Mr. Sanctimonious — Ted Cruz — trying to make up for his major mistake by pretending to load bottled water and slice some BBQ for the real heroes of the Texas winter storm.

Not a good look, Sen. Cruz. His photo ops turned into photo oops.

Uncategorized

Cruz seeks to make amends?

By JOHN KANELIS / johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

What you see in this picture is the image of a man who was caught demonstrating his true character and who now is seeking to create an image of altruism.

Ted Cruz, the notorious junior Republican U.S. senator from Texas, was photographed cutting barbecue at a charitable event for Houston firefighters this weekend. It was nice of him to do so, yes?

Well, let’s put it in a bit of perspective.

He had gotten onto an airplane the other day to fly on vacation with his family; they were jetting to Cancun, Mexico. Big deal? Yeah, it is. Cruz was leaving while the state he represents was struggling with bitter cold, power outages, water shortages; his constituents were suffering. So he decides to be a “good parent” and take his daughters to the Caribbean resort.

It didn’t go over well at all. Critics pounded him mercilessly. Cruz returned to Texas way ahead of schedule. He admitted to messing up. He didn’t stand his post where he should have stood doing his job as a senator representing Texans who needed his help.

I am not going to give him a pass just because he showed up to cut some ribs for firefighters. He’s trying to make up to Texans.

He did the damage when he boarded the airplane and sought to get away from the misery. That initial action — not the gesture he was photographed doing — is the more accurate measure of the man.

Uncategorized

Cruz needs to ‘show up’

By JOHN KANELIS / johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

Ted Cruz is continuing to take heat over his ill-conceived, ill-advised and ill-considered family vacation to Cancun, Mexico.

The Texas Republican U.S. senator deserves every single bit of it.

The latest broadside comes from state Rep. Jeff Leach, a fellow Republican from Plano, a former member of the conservative Freedom Caucus. Leach says Cruz erred badly by jetting off with his family to the resort in Mexico while the state he represents is suffering from the ravages of the monstrous winter storm.

Freedom Caucus loses a member . . . more to follow? | High Plains Blogger

Leach said, “It’s important for us to show up, to be present, such a big part of leadership is to be present, and as state representative for over 200,000 people here just north of Dallas, I’m here, I’m present, I’m on the ground, I’m available. I work for the people, not the other way around. They’re the boss, not the other way around. It’s important for us as policymakers to show up for work and do our jobs.”

Texas Republican Slams Ted Cruz’s Cancun Trip, as Second GOP Lawmaker Under Fire for Fleeing State (msn.com)

This is the kind of criticism that Cruz can expect perhaps until hell freezes over. Cruz has shown a propensity for popping off about other elected officials’ misbehavior, all of which seems to heighten the hypocrisy quotient for what he did.

Cruz’s abrasive, aggressive and rampant ambition hasn’t exactly endeared him to many of his Senate colleagues. I am finding it hard to find anyone standing up for him, although there well might be someone out there who can excuse his dereliction of duty.

I am going to side with state Rep. Leach. I mean a big part of being a good leader is just showing up.