Ted Cruz has been the subject of what by now are countless news stories, columns and blog entries since his upset of Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in last year’s Republican primary for the U.S. Senate and his taking office Jan. 3. It should surprise no one that he has begun his Senate career aggressively, capturing widespread attention. But the amount of ink printed and the number of pixels posted shot up dramatically last week and over the weekend after Cruz made this evidence-challenged statement Feb. 12 as the Senate Armed Services Committee prepared to send former Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel’s nomination to be secretary of defense to the full Senate:
“We do not know, for example, if he received compensation for giving paid speeches at extreme or radical groups. It is at a minimum relevant to know if that $200,000 that he deposited in his bank account came directly from Saudi Arabia, came directly from North Korea.”
The statement is innuendo, plain and simple, and prompted several Democrats and other critics to compare Cruz to Joe McCarthy. A few Senate Republicans, including Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham, called on Cruz to take it down a notch or two.
The American-Statesman, which endorsed Cruz over Dewhurst, weighed in this morning with its own editorial on Texas’ new senator. A sample paragraph:
“We’re not surprised that Cruz has found the media spotlight. We expressed concern after his election that he seemed more interested in appearing on Sunday morning talk shows than in serving the people of Texas as a constructive legislator. We can’t say Cruz hasn’t been engaged thus far, but his engagement might soon set a Senate speed record for planting oneself on the margins.”
Most of what’s been written about Cruz the past several days is reacting and expanding upon information reported in three similar articles printed Feb. 14 and 15. First up was Politico’s Manu Raju with his Feb. 14 article, “Ted Cruz comes out swinging.” An excerpt:
“Cruz’s sharp-elbowed Senate style underscores the dilemma facing Republicans as they seek a way out of the political wilderness: Rising stars like Cruz, a tea party favorite, are winning elections and GOP primaries. But their no-compromise, firebrand styles could turn off voters eager to see the two parties start making deals.”
The New York Times followed with “Texas Senator Goes on Attack and Raises Bipartisan Hackles,” a piece by Jonathan Weisman first posted online Feb. 15. On the same day, The Washington Post published “Ted Cruz, making quite an entrance,” a reported column by Ruth Marcus:
“Behind the scenes, Cruz has rankled even Republican colleagues, who think he lectures too much at private party sessions — ‘pontificates’ is one word used — and listens too little, especially for a newbie.
“One Republican senator described Cruz to me as ‘Jim DeMint without the charm,’ referring to the rigidly conservative South Carolina Republican who left the Senate to head the Heritage Foundation — and who was not exactly renowned for being warm and fuzzy. Cruz is said to have a frosty relationship with his state’s senior senator, John Cornyn (R), dating to Cruz’s surprising decision, as Senate candidate, not to endorse his fellow Texan’s bid for party whip.”