Ted Cruz & Mike Lee: Commanders of the Conservative Army

By: Erick Erickson
Whenever a conservative says anything critical of the pukey leadership in the Republican Party — whenever they do it — what do we hear?
“Circular firing squad.”
“This is not helpful.”
“They violated the 11th Commandment.”
“Let’s not make our 80% friend our enemy.”
“They won’t consider the end game.”
They vomit this stuff up every single time any conservative points out how badly they are selling out.
So you can laugh that these same establishment guys have run off to the Politico to tell the world just how badly they beat up Ted Cruz in their closed door meeting and he has no end game.
Remember, this is the closed door meeting Karl Rove said Ted Cruz and Mike Lee needed to sell on fighting. How can you sell a fight to a bunch of back stabbing cowards? That is exactly what they are.

John Cornyn is running ads in Texas claiming he wants to defund Obamacare, but he is selling out.
Richard Burr is telling North Carolina he is in it to win the fight against Obamacare, but telling everyone who will listen that Ted Cruz’s strategy is the dumbest strategy every foisted on Washington.
Mitch McConnell is out before he is in before he is out. Never has a politician tried so hard to be only a little bit pregnant.
Behind the scenes these and other Senators are attacking Cruz and Lee and planning, even now, to sell out conservatives on the fight against Obamacare.
Read just one Senator’s quote:

“It was very evident to everyone in the room that Cruz doesn’t have a strategy – he never had a strategy, and could never answer a question about what the end-game was,” said one senator who attended the meeting. “I just wish the 35 House members that have bought the snake oil that was sold could witness what was witnessed today at lunch.”

According to Bob Corker — at least I assume it is Corker given the similar language to statements Corker has made publicly — Cruz has no strategy.
Here is what no strategy looks like:

• Get the American public excited enough to pressure the GOP into forcing the issue.
• Filibuster for 21 hours to direct even more attention to Obamacare.
• See a sharp turn in polling against Obamacare.
• Watch the government shut down.
• Suggest the House of Representatives pass a bunch of funding resolutions for various parts of government.
• Have the House of Representatives do exactly that.
• Watch Harry Reid and Barack Obama implode before the press handling this.

Now, here is Bob Corker, Lamar Alexander, John Cornyn, and Mitch McConnell’s strategy to stop Obamacare:

Some strategy that is.
Cruz has led. In fact, he and Mike Lee have together led so well they’ve seen the House of Representatives do exactly as they have suggested.
Maybe these squishes should just let Cruz and Lee lead. They’re doing better than McConnell and Cornyn.