Cruz: Senate Republicans are 'single-most damaging thing' for the GOP in 2014
(CNN) - If Republicans suffer losses in next year's mid-term elections because of the recent partial government shutdown, Sen. Ted Cruz said Senate Republicans–not Democrats–will be responsible.
"The single-most damaging thing that has happened to Republicans for 2014 is all of the Senate Republicans coming out, attacking the House Republicans, attacking those pushing the effort to defund Obamacare and lining themselves up opposite of the American people," Cruz told CNN Chief Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash in an interview in San Antonio.
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His comments, which aired Monday on "New Day," come as a new CNN/ORC International survey indicates that more than half of the country is displeased with Republicans holding majority power in the House.
According to the poll, 54% say it's a bad thing that the GOP controls the House, up 11 points from last December, soon after the 2012 elections when the Republicans kept control of the chamber. Only 38% say it's a good thing the GOP controls the House, a 13-point dive from the end of last year.
Cruz to CNN: ‘I don’t work for the party bosses in Washington’
This is the first time since Republicans won back the House in the 2010 elections that a majority of people say GOP control of the chamber is bad for the country.
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Cruz helped lead the conservative Republican strategy to attach anti-Obamacare provisions to must-pass spending legislation this fall. With the support of the White House, the Democratic-controlled Senate refused to take up anything that tried to dismantle the president's signature health care law.
Ultimately the disagreement led to the 16-day partial government shutdown, which removed $24 billion from the economy, according to an initial analysis from Standard & Poor's.
Republican shutdown pain may boost Dems in 2014
Many Senate Republicans rebuked the effort led by Cruz, a first-year senator who was elected in 2012, and they privately and publicly discouraged the senator from pursuing the tactic.
"It was a fool's errand to start with. It was never going to succeed," Sen. John McCain said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union."
McCain didn't single out Cruz but blamed "the whole effort" instead.
"Keep up the fight against Obamacare. But don't shut down the government and have so much collateral damage," the Arizona Republican added.
Some argue Cruz's strategy was taken in part to raise money for conservative groups that back primary challengers. One group, the Senate Conservatives Fund, which supported Cruz last year, raised $2.1 million in September–a large amount for a nonelection year.
McCain: Obamacare website rollout a 'fiasco'
Asked if his effort was a money-making enterprise, Cruz said: "Not remotely."
The Texas Republican said he's "hopeful" Senate Republicans will change.
"I am hopeful there will be some time, some reflection, and that Senate Republicans will come back. Come back to the principles they believe and they campaigned on. I'm hopeful we'll actually put action behind the campaign promises," he said.
In the Senate, Democrats hold 55 seats, including two independents who caucus with the Democrats, while Republicans hold 45. Democrats are defending 21 of the 35 seats up for grabs next year, with Republican defending 14.
- CNN Political Editor Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
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Oh yeah, keep fighting "for the people" by "slimming down" the government again in January and then again in June.
By last count, at that rate, you will only have 40 more attempts to defund Obamacare(s) by shutting down the government.
Also, continue to ignore the definition of "stupidity" along with those "skewed" polls!
CNN poll? Should have read DNC poll. Same thing.
I'll say one thing for him, he's consistent.
Cruz is delusional...he is not on the side of the majority of Americans. No matter how many times he says it....doesnt make it true. The majority of Americans reject the tea party and it extreme agenda.
Cruz can't get past hs own opinions. No matter what anyone says, he's right. He needs to learn tht he can't control everything. Obamacare will collapse in its failure.
Cruz is living in his own little bubble in total denial of all the evidence around him that doesn't comport to his view of the world. What in heck were Texans thinking when they voted this yahoo into the U.S. Senate?
The more he opens his mouth, the more he sounds like Fidel. Only he knows what's right, only he has the full support of the American people, only he has the answers to all our problems. Viva La Fidel, Viva La Cruz
“A staggering 2 million people signed the petition to defund Obama-Care.” Does he know that there are 207,643,594 eligible voters? I’m not impressed
Hey Cruz, according to Americans that you claim you represent, it is the House GOP that should go NOT the Senate GOP. I guess your representation of millions is a bit skewed, don't you think?
Ted Cruz seems to always lay the blame for the consequences of his actions elsewhere. What a lame, sorry excuse of a man. Get him and the likes of him out of Washington so our government can function.
When will these politicians realize that they were not elected to speak for the "American people"? They were elected to speak for their constituents only. I voted for someone who represents me and my state and he's doing just fine in representing my position. Stop speaking for me, Ted.
Cruz is right. We must vote the RINOS out of the Senate....
WOW ! Mr. Backward needs to go think this thing thru again. He's the single most damaging factor for the GOP. He's the primary reason I will never vote for a Republican again. Never voted for a Teabagger or independent. they want to take over, but have no dog in the fight. Go get a reality check, Mr. Cruz. Universal health coverage is the right thing for America. Healthcare has become a commodity and it never should have.
Hey Cruz, it appears that Americans think the House GOP is the problem, not the Senate GOP. I guess your claim that you represent millions of Americans may be a bit skewed, dontcha think?
Cruz is out of his mind.
Who are the people getting hurt? Show the American people a list and HOW?
Cruz and the other 16 republican senators, along with 144 repub congressmen who voted for the shutdown and the default are nothing more than domestic terrorists. $24 billion wasted, and all we got was more damage to a fragile economy.
What a clown..... That's like saying, "Everyone in Gyana who didn't drink the 'Koolaide', are responsible for those that drank the poison!"
This guy is not just a clown, he is a dangeously deceptive psychopath. He is like every other "Pied Piper" psychopath that has taken a group of people donw the primson path to destruction. The superstitous and religious would call him "Satan."
Right now, the Cubans have to put Cruz alongside Che for guerrilla warfare.
Mr. Cruz is going to find out next year that his demagoguery is not going to help Republicans at all. Business groups and the Chamber of Commerce are going to run away from the Tea Party as fast as they can..... you can bet sure money that the Democrats are going to pick up a significant number of seats in the House next year.
The single-most damaging thing to America is ted Cruz. This jerk wanted to set our economy back and will do it again. Word is Cruz the Canadian immigrant was born in Cuba. I demand to see Cruz's birth certificate! Also, he is not even a Christian.
Cruz talks about what he believes the American people want when he complains about how the Senate Republicans didn't support the House Republicans effort. I'd like to know how he feels about the American people now saying that it's bad for the country that the GOP controls the House. If he wants to use polls to justify things, then he has to now agree that the GOP should not control the House.
Wrong again. If you'd like to see whats wrong with the GOP, look in your mirror. You are the problem Mr. Cruz. You are without question the biggest egomaniac on the planet. Wonder what you'll be like after your resounding defeat in future elections. Do you think the word humility will become a part of your vocabulary?
Look at a picture of the infamous Senator Joseph McCarthy and then look at a picture of Ted Cruz; like separated at birth. The only difference, McCarthy was a US Marine who fought in WW!!. Cruz went to Princeton because of affirmative action, last name Cruz
Oh, my GOSH! CRUZ is the one causing problems and HE is the one who caused the USA to lose even more money due to the shutdown!!! This guy to pure NUTS AND WE NEED TO GET RID OF HIM QUICK!!