In the clearest sign yet of the potent effect of the government shutdown on the Virginia governor’s race, Republican Ken Cuccinelli avoided being photographed with Ted Cruz at a gala they headlined here Saturday night—even leaving before the Texas senator rose to speak.
Backstage, a source said, Cuccinelli urged Cruz to work with Democrats to end the federal shutdown. But he did not make that point, or even acknowledge Cruz, in short public comments to some 1,100 social conservatives.
Cruz has become the face of GOP intransigence, and the conservative attorney general’s effort to distance himself from congressional Republicans reflects how damaging Cuccinelli realizes a prolonged shutdown may be for his campaign.
The Cooch ran out of the gala before Cruz could be caught anywhere near him by the press. That says volumes. Maybe it's because Cruz sees hundreds of thousands of federal employees -- and Virginia voters -- as enemies of America who must be destroyed.
For his part, Cruz heaped praise on his “friend” Cuccinelli and argued passionately in a 54-minute speech that their party can still win the messaging fight over the shutdown if the people just speak out loudly enough.
Sure. That and $20 bucks will put dinner on the table for all those federal employees who don't know when they'll see a paycheck again and have mouths to feed. But it's all a game to Cruz and his jackass friends. Only the fact is real people are getting hurt as a result.
It is a game. Boehner is Shark 1, elected by fellow sharks. Is it even conceivable that he could be bullied and controlled by a small minority of neophytes in his own house? Boehner has always had the ability to prevent a shutdown, and has never NOT had that ability.
ReplyDeleteThe "crisis" will end the instant Boehner alone chooses to end it. Ergo, he caused it. He knows he can't stop the ACA. It's up and running. That's a red herring.
Cuccinelli got the memo: Boehner created the shutdown to humiliate and destroy the Tea Party. Cruz is the head goat. Run like hell.