Ted Cruz lays some truth down on Mark Levin about his fellow Senate Republicans. “In the 13 months I’ve been in the Senate, it has become apparent to me the single thing that Republican politicians hate and fear the most, and that is when they’re forced to tell the truth. It makes their heads explode.”
Democrats and liberals in the media often point to the way GOP establishment RINO’s (I’m looking at you, Peter King) curse the name of Ted Cruz as their evidence that the GOP is at war with itself.
Recently Ann-Marie Murrell of Politichicks interviewed Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) that spoke to this fight.
A-M: Many of your colleagues seem to be terrified to do the right thing, to fight for our conservative principles. How can this change, and do you think it ever will?
Rep. Gohmert: We have to assure members of Congress that are more worried about getting reelected–which has been drilled into them–that you can stand up and do the right thing and still raise money, still have a conservative PAC like mine that will help you raise money, will help you fight the battle and it makes it easier to stand up for what’s right.
In my first week going through orientation before I was actually sworn in to Congress, my fellow freshmen were told repeatedly was the most important thing you can do for your country is get reelected. Well I didn’t believe that then, and I don’t believe it now, but it’s been instilled in so many people on both sides of the aisle. Sometimes you just have to take a stand and say things that may not initially be popular, but you’ve still got to do it. But in the meantime, we’ve got to grow the number of people that are willing to stand up for what’s right at any cost–and it helps when they can be encouraged that there are people who will financially stand with them.
A-M: It sounds like you’re describing our fellow Texan Senator Ted Cruz. He was beaten and bashed like a piñata after he stood up for us.
Rep. Gohmert: (laughs) I was thrilled when Ted came into the Senate, that’s why I stayed up with him all night in his filibuster. We talk time to time and try to strategize between the House and Senate, so I’ve been absolutely thrilled that Ted has stood strong despite the slings and arrows that sometimes come when you do the right thing.
A-M: I interviewed Sen. Cruz soon after his filibuster and asked if he had been shocked at the backlash. He said yes, and that he understood why so few politicians are willing to swim against the tide. You’re one of those rare politicians unafraid to speak out, too. What do you and Ted Cruz, Mike Lee seem to have so much more courage than others?
Rep. Gohmert: Well, it comes from having your feet firmly implanted on the foundation and I know all three of us have a firm belief in God and when you know that there is eternal truth, you know what C.S. Lewis realized after having been an atheist, that there must be an absolute standard of right and wrong, justice and injustice, and if there weren’t then we could never know that there was justice and injustice. Once you know that, then you know that you are standing for more than just a temporary gain or loss; you’re standing for truth that will be there when time on this earth runs out.
My late mother did a powerful job; she was a brilliant woman but she used to embarrass me and my other siblings when she was at a church or town meeting–up she would stand, to make a point or take somebody on and I’d say ‘Mother, please sit down, you’re embarrassing me!’ and now I’ve pretty much turned into my mother (laughs). But right is right, wrong is wrong.
There is a lot of tension in our party right now, mostly brought on by RINO willingness to partner with Democrats on making our economic propositions even worse. (As well as by the tone and tenor the RINO caucus has been using to speak to and about conservatives.)
But I’d caution both the liberal and the RINO to be very careful on how they handle the conservatives in Congress.
Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, Rand Paul, Justin Amash, Thomas Massie and a growing crop of other conservatives are not afraid to take consistent stands for their values instead of bending for their popularity. It’s why these conservatives have become rock stars for the grassroots movement among conservatives all over the country. We know that Cruz, Lee and Paul aren’t grandstanding for power, wealth or fame… because there are easier ways to do it. If they would just compromise they could more easily gain positions of power and influence.
Take Justin Amash and Tim Huelskamp for example. A couple of years ago both men were stripped of their seats on the budget committee because the GOP leadership didn’t like how often they refused to bend to the leadership’s will.
While they may have lost their committee seats, both men gained a lot of credibility with grassroots conservatives. It’s that credibility that the RINO leadership needs to be concerned about, because when push comes to shove and the conservatives are forced to stand against EVERYONE else… we will stand with them. If the GOP wants to keep our votes and dollars flowing, they better pick the right side – it’s either the RINO’s or us.
Political cartoon by A.F. Branco ©2020.
Political cartoon by A.F. Branco ©2018.
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