A great man once said: The arc of the moral universe is long, and it bends toward revenge. John McCain proved the power of revenge on Wednesday night when asked about his longtime nemesis Ted Cruz’s eligibility to be president, despite being born in Canada…. “I don’t know the answer to that,” McCain said on the “Chris Merrill Show” on Wednesday. “I know it came up in my race because I was born in Panama, but I was born in the Canal Zone, which is a territory. Barry Goldwater was born in Arizona when it was a territory when he ran in 1964.”… Boom goes the dynamite. It’s no secret that Cruz is hated by McCain and lots and lots of the Washington establishment…. What has been less clear is how the GOP establishment’s white-hot hatred for Cruz could manifest itself in the Republican presidential primary. This is how. By McCain giving a “you know, that’s a good question” response to the question of whether Cruz is eligible to be president, he keeps the story — not a good one for the Texas senator — very much alive.
OK, so it was Martin Luther King, Jr. who said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” It in no way bends towards revenge…unless you’re a Republican Senator with some scores to settle…and Sen. John McCain is not one to let grudges disperse gently into the breeze. When it comes to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Jesusland), Sen. McCain is not the only one looking to make primary season one continuous Night of the Long Knives for Sen. Cruz.
To say that Sen. Cruz is (rightly and justifiably) hated…no, that seems entirely too weak; how about we go with “virulently despised”…by virtually every sentient being on Capitol Hill has been self-evident for quite some time. There’s little that would unite those of disparate ideologies and personalities to be found on Capitol Hill…save for their common disdain for Ted Cruz. Hatred of the junior Senator from Texas is something almost everyone with a pulse seems to be able to get behind. Most of Washington’s political animals likely wouldn’t piss on Sen. Cruz were he to spontaneously burst into flames. Truth be told, there’d almost certainly be a run on lighter fluid.
It’s no secret that Sen. McCain would love to force Sen. Cruz to walk the plank over a moat filled with starving alligators, though some would argue that’s too kind a fate for someone so smarmy, objectionable, dishonest, and thoroughly self-absorbed. I think most of his detractors would volunteer to peel his skin, roll him in a tub filled with salt…and then cover him with honey just before staking him to a west Texas fire ant hill.
McCain shivving Cruz won’t drastically damage the Texas senator’s strength in the race. For some, it will affirm that Cruz is the anti-establishment force they love. But, McCain’s comment shows how the establishment can influence the race — by using the platform senators (and others) have to kill or boost stories.
Expect more of this. And the establishment will relish every minute of it.
Yes, these people despise Sen. Cruz just that much…and not without good reason. That there are more than a few looking for revenge should hardly be considered surprising. The only real question seems to be how long they’ll have to wait to dance on the grave of his Presidential ambitions.
It’s hardly a revelation to refer to Sen. Cruz as a thug, a shameless religious zealot, and a liar devoid of even the barest shred of integrity. Perhaps the most shamelessly dishonest politician of our generation, the perception is that Sen. Cruz would sell his mother to ISIS/ISIL if there was any chance at all he’d gain political advantage from the transaction.
There are many on Capitol Hill who, given half a chance, would happily deposit a shiv into Sen. Cruz’ rib cage in hopes of hitting the heart he’s alleged to possess. Failing that, most establishment Republicans will avail themselves of any opportunity to embarrass and harass him and impede his progress.
I’ll have to own up to finding this saga to be one long and exceedingly pleasant guilty pleasure. There’s just something about watching Republicans eat their young…especially someone as odious and thoroughly objectionable as Sen. Cruz.
I’m really going to need more popcorn….
