ABC Reporter Calls Out Ted Cruz: ‘Come on!’ The Shutdown Was Your Fault!

[Purveyor]

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) continued this week to be in denial for his role in the 2013 government shutdown even after ABC’s Jonathan Karl told him that this claims to the contrary were unbelievable.

“This is a city where it’s all politics all the time,” Cruz told Karl in an interview that aired on Sunday. “And I’m trying to do my best not to pay attention to the politics, to focus on fixing the problems.”

“Really?” Karl exclaimed, clearly not buying that the Texas Republican was not paying attention to politics.

“I know that’s hard to believe because no one in this town does that,” Cruz explained. “This is a time for people to step up and do the right thing. And that’s what I’m trying to do.”

And when it came to the government shutdown over President Barack Obama’s health care reform law — that even House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) blamed on tea party-backed Republicans — Cruz insisted that his hands were clean.

MORE with vid...

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/12/29/abc-reporter-calls-out-ted-cruz-come-on-the-shutdown-was-your-fault/

[liberal N proud]

1. Teabaggery to the end

That is how Ted Cruz operates.

[kardonb]

18. Cruze

tell lie long enough , often enough , and loud enough , in the end even you , Ted , believe it yourself .

[Javaman]

46. the funny part is, he hasn't even told it all the long.

he just automatically believes his own bullshit.

[Waitsman]

53. Self-Deception

Good comment from you and a good topic for my first post. Key to being a good deceiver is first deceiving yourself. It's a part of human behavior but some politicians have mastered it far better than most. Check out The Folly of Fools, the logic of Deceit and Self-Deception in Human Life by Robert Trivers. Professor of Anthropology and Biological Sciences at Rutgers University.

[Jim Lane]

65. Thanks, and welcome to DU!

I do think, however, that some people skilled in deception can succeed at it without deceiving themselves. For example, an anti-smoking activist I know tells me that none of the top executives of tobacco companies are smokers. They know perfectly well that it's harmful, even while they stoutly maintain the contrary.

[calimary]

19. Teabuggery is more like it.

Too much even for jonathan karl, 'eh? Well how 'bout that.

[spanone]

2. he lies without conscience....he's a dangerous man.

[hootinholler]

4. He would be an extra-constitutional candidate for President

I doubt even the Supremes would be able to reconcile that one.

That he considers himself the Governtmental Pillar of the Theocratic 7 Pillars Movement confirms the danger in allowing this man to remain unchallenged.

[Voice for Peace]

20. can you explain?

Governtmental Pillar of the Theocratic 7 Pillars Movement

[arcane1]

28. His father preaches that Ted is basically the chosen one.

His church will take power over the entire country, and all the money will be redirected to his church. Ted is God's chosen leader for America to make that happen.


Edited to add link:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017152422

[hootinholler]

29. Well the 7 pillars / 7 Mountains are really intechangeable metaphors

They define the 7 areas when ruled by theocrats will allow theocratic dominion over every aspect of life. Best to hear it from one of the horse's mouths directly:

Then there are great resources on Theocracy Watch and Talk to Action.

[pangaia]

54. I got as far as 2:36 and had to leave..to go puke.

[hootinholler]

55. Yeah, I should have posted a warning

The New Apostolic Reformation movement is seriously fucked up.

Ask Uganda how it's working for them.

[jeff47]

31. Nope, he's in the clear on that.

His mom was a US citizen when he was born. So he's a US citizen by birth, despite being born in Canada.

Similar to McCain being a US citizen by birth despite being born in Panama.

[aggiesal]

37. It's not quite that simple . . .

John McCain was born in Coco Solo Naval Air Station in the Panama Canal Zone (U.S. territory at the time). McCain's dad was an Admiral in the navy stationed in Panama.
As I understand it, when you are born overseas on a military installation, it's as if you're born in the US

On the other hand, Ted Cruz was born in Calgary, Alberta, where his parents, Eleanor Elizabeth Wilson Darragh and Rafael Bienvenido Cruz, were working in the oil business. They were not working for any governmental entity. And last time I check Canada is not a U.S. territory.

There has never been a court ejudication/definition of a natural born citizen. If Cruz were to run for president there is no doubt in my opinion that this issue would go to the courts.

[marble falls]

43. And it will quite possibly open the door for Schwarzenegger to run.....

the door Cruz is opening might be very scary indeed.

[treestar]

44. Ahnuld is a naturalized citizen

It's already well proven they can't be President.

It's those who are citizens at birth though born in another country who are in doubt.

[marble falls]

45. I think that the door could open wider than you think. We have conservatives who have no compunction

about playing with the Constitution. It isn't as if they haven't put elections in front of the SCOTUS before and that they wouldn't put a Act in front of Congress that might have some traction with more liberal interests regarding who could be President.

[jeff47]

50. Actually, it is quite that simple.

You're a US citizen if either of your parents are a US citizen when you are born. Doesn't matter where you are born, nor what your parent's job was.

[aggiesal]

58. No it's not. Here is the actual constitutional language . . .

No Person except a [Font color=red]natural born Citizen[/font], or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

There is currently no requirement for being JUST a US Citizen. You have to be a [Font color=red]natural born Citizen[/font].
If, as you write all that is required is to be a US Citizen, why does the constitution even bother to have the phrase a [Font color=red]natural born Citizen[/font]?

Again there has been no legal definition of a [Font color=red]natural born Citizen[/font].
Is it a person born anywhere in the world of US Citizens? If that`s the case then Obama born in Kenya wouldn`t matter because his mother was a US Citizen.
Is it a person born of US Citizens on foreign military facilities? McCain situation
Is it a person born on US soil from non-US Citizens (i.e. immigrants)? Early fore-fathers situations
Is it a person born on US soil from US Citizens?

Again no court has ever defined what is a [Font color=red]natural born Citizen[/font]. There has never been a constitutional challenge to the phrase a [Font color=red]natural born Citizen[/font].

I believe that if Ted Cruz is nominated as a presidential candidate, this will probably go to court for a clearer definition.

[jeff47]

59. Yes, it still is that easy.

There is currently no requirement for being JUST a US Citizen.

Never said it was. That's why birth was relevant.

Again there has been no legal definition of a natural born Citizen.

The generally-accepted definition is citizen at birth. That has not been tested in court yet. However, it is what is used in immigration law - if mom or dad was a US citizen when you were born outside the US, you are treated as a citizen by immigration and the rest of the government.

Cruz was a citizen at birth, because his mother was a US citizen at his birth. Even though she was in Canada at the time.

[aggiesal]

60. What is a `Natural Born Citizen`? n/t

[jeff47]

62. Already addressed. Read the 2nd part of the post. (nt)

[aggiesal]

63. The second part . . .

it is what is used in immigration law - if mom or dad was a US citizen when you were born outside the US, you are treated as a citizen by immigration and the rest of the government.

does not mention Natural Born Citizen

I never said that you are not a US Citizen if you were born outside or inside the US of US citizens.
But nowhere does it say that you are a Natural Born Citizen if you are born outside the US of US Citizens.

And nothing you list will prove that because it has never been defined or challenged.

[jeff47]

64. Good thing you cut off the definition! Go back one more sentence. (nt)

[Jim Lane]

66. There's one complication you're missing.

I agree with you that the obvious meaning of "natural born citizen" is someone who is a citizen at birth, regardless of any subsequent events (such as a naturalization proceeding or a change in the law).

You write, "You're a US citizen if either of your parents are a US citizen when you are born." That states the current law, but the law when Cruz and Obama were born was different. A child born outside the U.S. to one citizen parent and one noncitizen parent acquired citizenship at birth only if the citizen parent had lived in the United States for at least five years after attaining the age of 14.

This is why the born-in-Kenya foolishness arose. Obama's mother was only 18 when he was born, so she couldn't have met the five-year residency requirement. His father wasn't a citizen. Therefore, if he'd been born in Kenya, he would not have acquired citizenship at birth.

Cruz's mother was older. There's no real doubt that she had lived in the U.S. for at least five years after turning 14.

As a practical matter, though, can Cruz now prove that? I think that there was available, at the time of his birth, a procedure for obtaining a certificate of citizenship, but that his parents didn't bother to do it. The certificate isn't a prerequisite of citizenship. Obtaining it at that time, however, might have been easier.

For my part, I don't think I have any documents (lease, utility bills, etc.) to prove where I was living decades ago. I could certainly see somebody bringing a court challenge to Cruz's eligibility and demanding to see proof of his mother's residence before his birth in 1970. Supposedly she was working for Shell Oil in Houston. Would her sworn affidavit be sufficient? She's still alive but roughly 80 years old -- what if she dies before he runs? Does Shell still have employment records from the 1960s, and if so would that be sufficient, on the assumption that nobody would commute from Canada to Houston every day?

I'm sure he's eligible. Nevertheless, there's at least some opportunity for harassing him on this point, by supporters of other Republicans or by Democrats ticked at the whole birther thing.

[jeff47]

68. What you say applies to Obama. Cruz was born after the law was changed. (nt)

[Jim Lane]

69. Cruz was born in 1970. My understanding is that the law wasn't changed until 1986.

Last edited Tue Dec 31, 2013, 03:21 PM - Edit history (1)

My source is this analysis by Professor Eugene Volokh. He's certainly no progressive, having endorsed Fred Thompson in 2008, but he wrote this just after the 2008 election, when the issue being discussed was Obama's eligibility and Ted Cruz was scarcely a cloud on the national horizon.

Furthermore, according to Volokh's research, the 1986 change reduced but did not eliminate the residency requirement for the citizen parent in order for him or her to confer citizenship to the foreign-born child. Even if it applied to Cruz, it would still leave room for someone to demand proof that his mother really did live in the United States for enough time in the 1950s and 1960s.

My recollection, from when I was looking at this more closely (and being denounced as a "Marxist thug" by Orly Taitz herself, if you'll pardon me for boasting about one of the proudest moments of my life), is that the residency requirement has since been abolished entirely. That leads many people to err on this point. They go to the statute books and see what the law says about people born abroad to one citizen and one non-citizen. They don't realize that what they read in the law today isn't what's relevant to determining the eligibility of someone born when the law was different.

ETA: Oops, my memory was wrong about the current law. There's still a residency requirement but it's one that Obama's mother would have met (if he had been born in Kenya after the 1986 change). According to the State Department website:

Birth Abroad to One Citizen and One Alien Parent in Wedlock

A child born abroad to one U.S. citizen parent and one alien parent acquires U.S. citizenship at birth under Section 301(g) of the INA provided the U.S. citizen parent was physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for the time period required by the law applicable at the time of the child's birth. (For birth on or after November 14, 1986, a period of five years physical presence, two after the age of fourteen, is required. For birth between December 24, 1952 and November 13, 1986, a period of ten years, five after the age of fourteen, is required for physical presence in the United States or one of its outlying possessions to transmit U.S. citizenship to the child.) The U.S. citizen parent must be genetically related to the child to transmit U.S. citizenship.

[indepat]

6. A man without a conscience, or heart, or soul, but hungry for power and fame is dangerous indeed.

May Cruz go back to either Canada or Cuba, or any other place of his choosing where he would be accepted.

[freshwest]

14. I would have asked him if it was his evil twin up there reading Dr. Suess in hopes of default...

*insert string of strong expletives not allowed at DU*

[joshdawg]

40. Yes, he is dangerous, but then

most sociopaths are.

[Kingofalldems]

3. Conservatives believe it's okay to lie to the infidels.

Besides, isn't Cruz King of the Seven Mountains?

[hootinholler]

5. King of one of them

The Government Mountain.

[meow2u3]

10. Cruz is king of the dunghill

His own shit, that is.

[freshwest]

17. Yup! He's on a crusade! One of his followers, no doubt:

Must. Shut. Down. Federal. Government. For. Ted.

[Theyletmeeatcake2]

27. As John Stewart would say "BULLSHIT MOUNTAIN" !!!!!

[L0oniX]

33. Along with "I know what's good for you even though you don't" mind set.

I've seen too many ivy league idiots in action. Hey ...after George no one should expect above average intelligence from anyone in government.

[aggiesal]

39. From the movie "With Honors" . . .

Joe Pesci's character (and I'm paraphrasing):
[font color=red]"I'm here for the edible garbage.
Colleges produce a lot of garbage,
and Harvard more than most."[/font]

[Kablooie]

7. Pure snake oil salesman tactics. Barnum would be proud.

[Cha]

41. And, it's self-harvesting.. so all profits go to the snake. nm

[Blanks]

8. "Focus on fixing the problems?"...

Someone should have told him that focussing on problems is different than fixing problems.

[Thinkingabout]

9. Maybe I missed the time he has fixed any problems. I read his emails, he claims to be helping our

Veterans on Veterans Day but votes against bills which help our veterans. It does not matter what the subject might be I can count on Cruz being on the wrong side.

[Stuart G]

11. Great find,,,and thanks for posting.

I read the article and the reporter confronted this asshole. The asshole lied, that is what assholes like Cruz do.

[BumRushDaShow]

12. The RW corporate-owned M$M has always accepted his spew

without question, so this is why he continues to vomit forth bullshit. Why should they bother to challenge him now?

[zbdent]

13. and they say Obama gets a free pass, and blames everybody else ...

ESPECIALLY for the stuff that Bush43 and the Repugs did ... that's when they scream the loudest about O "blaming everybody else" ... when they deserve the full blame.

[Beartracks]

15. "hard to believe"? There's a reason for that, Ted. n/t

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

16. It's this way

Even the dirtiest of birds can land in the bird bath but those birds can never get clean though.
That's what the dirty birds don't know.And that is what appears so odd about Cruz-you see,he don't know .Odd as it is he just don't know. That's also what makes them dangerous.

[Lint Head]

21. This is a time for people to step up and do the right thing? Yeah get rid of this prick!

[freshwest]

23. I think his term goes up to 2016. He'll leach off the blood of Texas until then.

Just in time for the election. Supposed to have the blessings of 'The Family' which is a book mentioned on DU. Same gang that covered for Ollie and the rest of the gangsters.

[Berlum]

22. Cruzing to the bottom of the FAIL barrel. He really should read the Bible some time.

[YOHABLO]

24. Oh he'll probably be running for President .. won't that be a hoot?

[alato]

25. fuck you cruz!!!

from a born and bred texan. my worst wishes to you and yours.

[rustbeltvoice]

26. Cruz is despicable.

This must be understood ab ovo. Outside of Tejas, two tears ago, this individual was as well known as a benched infielder in a southern instructional bush league. He blusters his way into the Senate as if he was a medieval earl in a Lancastrian court. The delusions of grandeur this cohort (Paul the Lesser, Ryan, Cantor, et cetera*) has is astounding. They have no illustrious deeds but are supported as the champions of their party.

I would make me a list, but it would be so long, of the gruesomely cruel and inept of the Republicans. It buggers the mind, that these people have more members in governmental positions, than say, the Pirate Party. Yes, they are the catspaws of the ultra-wealthy; but you wonder if they can tie their own shoes. What is wrong with this country? Again, and again, they expose themselves; and yet their party is still formidable.

Every time the Democracy stumbles, the media pounces, and the polls drop. The curative properties lavished on the Republicans astounds me. They are social-darwinists, but they are not fit. Some humourist created the Darwin Awards for idiots that are so self-destructive, that they have not endured to pass on genes. Why have the Republicans not gone extinct?

Back to Rafael Cruz, such an obvious liar, charlatan, and jackass, and he is forever being given microphones. On some just political gong show, the hook would have grabbed him of the stage by now. Bring on the hook.
__________________
*what an awful ticket Ryan/Cantor would be

[Cha]

30. Did Karl actually say those words.. "‘Come on!’ The shutdown was your fault!"?

I'm sure as hell not going to watch it.. I can't even stand to look at that sociopathic liar's face. he makes my skin crawl.

[Flatpicker]

32. Carnival Cruz at it again n/t

[blkmusclmachine]

34. Cruz WAS instrumental, albeit just one of the many Republicans to try to "Shut 'er down!"

Of course, they'll probably try that stunt again, if they think it will benefit them personally/politically. Even if it f/cks Main Street USA/the little investors/mom-and-pop shops, retirees, etc. "Bring 'er down!" is the GOP clarion call, their hoped for return to power in Washington, DC.

[UTUSN]

35. Well, Jon has never met a B.F.E.E. he doesn't slather over, so he can have this/one point. n/t

[3Stones]

36. One creepy guy.

Inside and out. I mean, I can't look at him without feeling violated.

[Rex]

38. Just further proof the that GOP is the scum of the earth.

The GOP has caused more damage to America, then any wars or famine.

[Thespian2]

42. Calgary

Unfortunately for the good people of Alberta, Calgary has produced two vile, corrupt politicians who don't give a damn about the people they were elected to serve: Stephen Harper and Ted Cruz. America is encouraged to keep Ted Cruz out of Canada. We have plenty of problems dealing with Bush, Jr.

[mainer]

47. Spoke to a DC insider -- he says Cruz has few friends on the Hill

No one seems to really like him, and the only people Cruz trusts are his father and his wife. He hangs out with no one. If he has no allies, then how can he really advance politically?

[mitty14u2]

48. GOP Caused Shut Down not Just Cruz

GOP Caused Shut Down not Just Cruz

The House’s votes early Sunday all but assured that large parts of the government would be shuttered as of 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday. More than 800,000 federal workers deemed nonessential faced furloughs; millions more could be working without paychecks.

“The American people don’t want a government shutdown, and they don’t want Obamacare,” House Republican leaders said in a statement. “We will do our job and send this bill over, and then it’s up to the Senate to pass it and stop a government shutdown.”
A separate House Republican bill passed unanimously Sunday morning to ensure that military personnel continued to be paid in the event of a government shutdown, an acknowledgment that a shutdown is likely. En route to South Korea, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel was unimpressed, excoriating his former Republican colleagues in Congress.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/29/us/politics/budget-talks-government-shutdown.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1388419313-5bJCV9qlbWAXSnHWH+yQ/g

The shutdown sent Republican poll ratings plunging, cost the government billions of dollars and damaged the nation’s international credibility. Mr. Obama refused to compromise, leaving Republican leaders to beg him to talk, and to fulminate when he refused. For all that, Republicans got a slight tightening of income verification rules for Americans accessing new health insurance exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act.

“We fought the good fight,” said Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio, who has struggled to control the conservative faction in the House, in an interview with a Cincinnati radio station. “We just didn’t win.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/17/us/congress-budget-debate.html?_r=0

They are trying to divert all the blame to Cruz, NO NO NO they voted to shut it down, Don’t Forget It!

[Orsino]

49. No, it wasn't Cruz' fault.

He was merely the most visible fundraiser using the issue.

[KansDem]

51. A coloring book

Just the thing for his followers.

[Bill USA]

56. praise Karl for insisting on reality. Few in M$M will talk back to their GOP bosses. As for Cruz,

this exchange confirms the widely held suspicion that the members of the Rabid Right are high functioning psychopaths.

[Gothmog]

57. Juanita Jean had fun mocking Carnival Cruz's comments

http://www.juanitajean.com/2013/12/30/hey-is-this-opposite-day-or-something/

So, Ted Cruz is distancing himself from the whacked out batcrap crazy stuff in the Officially Licensed Ted Cruz Coloring Book.

He admitted that he doesn’t think that Obamacare is “worse than any war,” which is oddly reassuring from a man who never fought in a war.

But listen to the man who is doing a fellowship in Political Stuntery.

“This is a city where it’s all politics all the time, and I’m trying to do my best to not pay attention to the politics, to focus on fixing the problem,” Mr. Cruz said. “I know that’s hard to believe because no one in this town does that. This is a time for people to step up and do the right thing and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Holy crap in combat boots – the man has Political Whore tattooed on his butt.

[Dawson Leery]

61. Unlike Rmoney, Ted Cruz can lie with a straight face.

He sees right vs. wrong in terms of whatever brings him power as being "right".

[bluestate10]

67. To me, Cruz behavior is understandable. I have debated rightwing people before and observed

their ethics. They can't envision that anything they say is wrong, or anything they do is wrong. The rightwing are fucking losers, the only solution is to bury them.