Why Ted Cruz Fights

8/13/2019 Why Ted Cruz Fights

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36 TOWNHALLDecember 2013

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December 2013 TOWNHALL37

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By the end of his first year, GOPSenator Ted Cruz has taken onthe Washington establishmentand made a name for himself asan unconventional champion ofconservative values.

BY AMANDA MUOZ (AP/J.

ScottApplewhite

)

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Theres nothing more heartbreaking than walking out on

Monday morning to get on a plane to Washington, and having

both girls grab my legs and say, Dont go, Daddy. Thats difficult.

Its the first time this morning GOP Sen. Ted Cruzs face

drops, as he chats with Townhall during an exclusive interview.

Photos of smiling Caroline, 5, and Catherine, 2, flash in the

background of his screen saver. His wife, Heidi, and their two

daughters remain at the family home in Houston; and Cruz

commutes to and from Washington, D.C., each week, leaving

Mondays after dropping the girls off at school and typically

returning on a Thursday night flight.

Theres a long pause.

Its incredibly difficult to be away from Heidi and the girls;

but at the same time, they are a big part of why Im doing this,

Cruz continues. In 20 years, I dont want to look my daughters

in the eye and say we allowed freedom to slip away in America,

and I didnt do anything to stop it.

THE UNDERDOG

On Jan. 3, 2013, the young Cruz, only 42, took his place among

the ranks of U.S. senators, filling the seat former Sen. Kay

Bailey Hutchison held since 1993.

The 2012 Senate campaign in Texas was hard-fought, and

Cruz was the underdog. Running against the well-established,

well-connected Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, prospects for victory

were certainly unclear from the beginning. Dewhurstwith

an estimated worth of about $200 millionhad the money,

name recognition, and political backing that made him all but a

shoe-in for the seat. With Dewhurst endorsed by most of Texas

major players, including Gov. Rick Perry, there were few who

initially thought Cruz would be a formidable challenge.

But they were wrong.

Defeated in the May primary by approximately 11 percent,

Cruz found redemption in keeping Dewhurst below the 50

percent threshold required in Texas. But Cruz had grassrootssupport and a savvy social media campaign. He won the July

run-off in a landslide victory, earning 57 percent of the vote

compared to Dewhursts 43, and swept the November general

election beating his Democratic opponent, former state Rep.

Paul Sadler, with a powerful 56 percent of the vote (compared

to Sadlers 41 percent).

His victory in an overwhelmingly red state did not reflect a

changing tide across the country; Republicans lost seats in both

chambers and Barack Obama was re-elected. However, his

success and those of others like himMike Lee, Marco Rubio,

Rand Pauldid mirror the changing nature of conservative

candidates that began in 2010.

A Tea Party darling and purebred conservative, Cruz ran onone simple idea: Saving our country. And he won because he

had the ability to do what very few in Washington have been

able to do since 2008inspire those listening to him to stay

active and vocal.

Ironically enough, it was the manifestation of that same

grassroots revival that would end up driving the Republican

establishment mad come mid-September 2013.

THE PEOPLES PASSION

The velocity of the issues that are swirling about the Senate is

remarkable, Cruz says. But at the same time, its exhilarating

to have the opportunity to travel the state of Texas, to travel

the country and listen to the American people. There are so

many men and women who are energized, who are passionate,

to turn things around, that I cant help but be inspired every

single day.

Cruz sits back in his chair. The daunting and agonizingly

long schedule of an elected official appears to have little effect

on him, at least on this particular morning, though he admits

the large coffee in his hand is not his first of the day. While Cruz

is generally a calculated and even-toned speakerthe residual

effect of a successful law careerthe current excitement in his

voice is unmistakable.

The opportunity, as Teddy Roosevelt put it, to be in the

arena, to be fighting, not for small things, but fighting to

defend our liberty, to restore the Constitution, to bring back

economic growth, jobs, and opportunityI cant think of a

greater privilege than to stand with the American people and

try to turn our nation around, he continues.

Ron Kirby, a member of the Tea Party, holds asign against Obamacare outside the Senateside of the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday,Sept. 25, 2013, in support of Sen. Ted Cruz,R-Texas, as the senator continues his lengthyspeech in opposition to President BarackObama's health care law. The Democratic-controlled Senate is on a path toward defeatingtea party attempts to dismantle PresidentBarack Obama's health care law, despite anovernight talkathon on the chamber's floor ledby Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.(AP/Jacquelyn Martin)

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INHERITING THE AMERICAN DREAM

Its not hard to see how Cruzs life turned into a career for public

service. Even as a child, he was enamored with the values of

the U.S. Constitution, and his family was the quintessential

example of the American dream.

A hallmark at most of Cruzs major speaking events is the

story of his father, Rafael, who escaped prison and Cuba during

the overthrow of the Batista regime. The story goes that Rafael

was once a rebel for Castro but was caught and beaten by

Batistas soldiers. Soon after, he fled to the United States with

only $100 sewn into his underwear and speaking no English,

as described by his son to GQin an interview this past October.

Rafael was able to enroll at the University of Texas to study

mathematics, work his way through college washing dishes,

and start his own oil and gas business with his then-wife and

Cruzs mother, Eleanor Darragh. Cruzs father believed in the

opportunity America offered and worked hard to create a better

life for his family.

Ive really had two heroes in my life, Cruz told GQ. My

father and Ronald Reagan. I think it is an enormous blessing

to be the child of an immigrant who fled oppression and came

here seeking freedom, because there was an urgency in politics.

Having principled men and women in office is how you protect

yourself from tyranny, and that was something I learned from

when I was 2, 3, 5 years old.

As a teenager, Cruz was involved with several conservative

groups, where he learned about free-market principles and

political philosophy. He graduated valedictorian of Houstons

Second Baptist High School and went on to study at Princeton

University and Harvard Law School. During college, Cruz

was a national award-winning debater, primary editor of the

Harvard Law Review, and executive editor of the Harvard

Journal of Law and Public Policy. He was also a founding editor

of the Harvard Latino Law Review.

His impressive educational background led to federal-level

clerkships. He also served as attorney to John Boehner during

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a lawsuit in 1998, and as domestic policy adviser on the Bush-

Cheney campaign in 1999. His service on the Bush campaign

earned him the spot of director of policy planning at the Federal

Trade Commission, and then associate deputy attorney general

at the Justice Department.

Later, Cruz was appointed solicitor general of Texas. Cruzs

tenure in that position from 2003-2008 made him both the

longest-serving and first Hispanic solicitor general in Texas

state history. At the time, he was also the youngest solicitor

general in the country. As if there wasnt

enough on his plate, Cruz also served as

an adjunct professor at the University of

Texas School of Law. He retired from his

position with the state to return to private

practice in 2008.To label his legal career as successful

would be an understatement. His record

includes presenting 43 oral arguments,

nine of which were made before the

Supreme Court, and authoring 80

Supreme Court briefs.

The courtroom honed the battle skills

Cruz needed to hit the ground running

when he entered the doors of Congress.

CRUZ AGAINST THE WORLD

If we are to win this fightand at this

point, Im not sure if we willit will bebecause a grassroots tsunami has risen up

and demanded actionthat the American

people have held their elected officials accountable.

I believe the American people should hold every elected

official accountableincluding meand thats the key to

turning things around and getting Congress to focus on the

issues that matter most to hardworking American families.

Its mid-September when Cruz makes these comments, and

the battle over ObamaCare is about to explode in Congress.

Both the House and Senate are gearing up for the biggest fight

yet over the presidents health care law.

TOP:This video frame grab imagefrom Senate TV show Sen. Ted Cruz,R-Texas speaking on the Senatefloor on Capitol Hill in Washington,Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2013. TheDemocratic-controlled Senate is ona path toward defeating tea partyattempts to dismantle PresidentBarack Obamas health care law,despite an overnight talkathon on thechambers floor led by Cruz.(AP/Senate TV)

BOTTOM:Republican candidatefor U.S. Senate Ted Cruz, lef, andDemocratic candidate Paul Sadlershake hands at the close of theirdebate at ERA television studious inDallas, Friday, Oct. 19, 2012. The twoTexas candidates are facing off for theopen U.S. Senate seat. (AP/LM Otero, Pool)

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Three months ago when this fight began, virtually every

observer in Washingtonall the greybeardssaid this was

an impossible taskthis could not happen, Cruz says. And

between then and now, we have seen millions upon millions

of Americans come together and demand leadership in

Washington and demand that our elected officials stand up and

do the right thing.

For Cruz, the Obamacare defund fight is genuinely about

righting the sinking ship; and as his reputation during his nine

months as senator have proven, he would do what he believed a

majority of the American people expected of not only him, but

every member of Congress, even if that meant falling from the

graces of Washingtons elite.

Where I think so many Republicans have gone wrong, he

continues, is they have compromised for compromise sake.

They have compromised in a way that is worse for the status

quo. I dont think a deal is a good deal if it exacerbates the

problem. If were moving in the right direction, then Im per-

fectly happy taking less than 100 percent of what I would like.

In the days to come, the battle with Democrats over

ObamaCare exposed as an ugly and bitter divide between

Republicans, and ultimately resulted in the first government

shutdown since the Clinton administration in 1995 and 1996.Although House Republicans endured a blaze of fire in the

mainstream media, it was Cruz who took the post of whipping

boy within the party.

THE GOPS FUTURE IN THE SENATE

Cruz was never known for being a complacent member of

Congress. Less than a month into his term, Cruz earned

national attention for his outspoken stance during the short-

lived gun control debate after the tragedy at Sandy Hook.

He then turned heads within his party during his forceful

questioning of Secretary of Defense nominee Chuck Hagel,

and with his leading role in the opposition of the Gang of Eight

immigration bill.It was never his intention to fall in l ine with business as usual.

Hes even changing the National Republican Senatorial

Committee, where he is vice chair along with Sen. Rob Portman

of Ohio. Along with chairman Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas, these

senators will have input into how well Republican incumbents

are protected and how many Democratic seats are pursued.

In the past, the NRSC played a prominent role in mid-term

primaries, but Cruz believes Washington doesnt have a good

track record of picking winners and losers and that primaries

should be decided by the grassroots voters on the ground in

each state. While not opposed to personal participation in

primary elections, the senator hopes the NRSC will only play a

supporting role, once candidates are chosen.

When asked about his role in the 2014 and 2016 elections,

Cruz simply says he hopes to be helpful in bringing in more

strong, conservative candidates who are ready to fight for their

principles.

A CLOSING WINDOW

What we try to do in the office every day is simply try to do the

right thing. Our mantra is good policy makes good politics.

On each issue that comes down the pike, the teams focus is:

What is the principled course of action? How can we defend

free market principles? How can we defend the Constitution?

The senator, who describes his

Senate experience as a whirlwind,

acknowledges his press secretary

sitting nearby.

I feel particularly blessed with the

team that has come together in this

office, he continues. The men and

women who are working here are

here, I believe, for the right reasons

are here because they love liberty and

they are concerned about the direction

of this country and want to pour their

hearts into doing everything we can to pull this nation back

from the brink.

The team we have is remarkably effective, and that is

amplified a thousand-fold by the effectiveness of grassroots

activists across this country and men and women across this

country who are engaged powerfully in the fight to get back to

our founding principles.

I believe our window to turn things around to pull back

from this path were on is not very long. If we keep going down

this road the damage to this country could be enormous. SoI am hopeful and I believe 2016 will be a favorable economic

climate; but just as with 2014, whether it is or not will depend

upon whether Republicans stand for our values, stand for free-

market principles, stand for the Constitution - or whether we

roll over and paint in pale pastels.

AN OPEN DOOR

While the senator likes the focus to remain on policy, he is truly

a political powerhouse. Among Republicans, the jury is divided

as to whether Cruz is a godsend or a curse.

Regardless of his place in history, Cruz did more in his first

year than many veteran senators accomplished in decades.

Hes shaken up the Washington establishment and he elevatedthe voice of his constituents not just on the Senate floor, but

across the country.

And, for better or worse, his influence the influence of a first-

term, junior senator brought the entire federal government to

its knees during the October shutdown.

Its certainly true that at the end of the day, Cruz will be able to

tell his young daughters he did everything he could to preserve

this great country as a land of opportunity for the free.

Amanda Munoz works for Townhall.com.

I don't think a deal is a good deal ifit exacerbates the problem. If we'removing in the right direction, thenIm, perfectly happy taking less than100 percent of what I would like.

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Why Ted Cruz Fights