Failed presidential candidate Ted Cruz took to the floor of the U.S. Senate today to do what he always seems to do: spew nonsense.
The Texas senator – happy to be on the wrong side of every issue – lambasted the 15-hour Democratic filibuster and said the effort to reduce gun deaths in the United States is “a political distraction.”
Let me repeat: The man who once read “Green Eggs and Ham” on the Senate floor in an attempt to destroy the Affordable Care Act and shut down the government – he wants to lecture us about political gamesmanship.
Video courtesy of C-SPAN:
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Cruz said:
“This is political distraction. This is political gamesmanship. And I think the American people find it ridiculous that in response to an ISIS terror attack the Democrats go on high dudgeon that we’ve got to restrict the 2nd amendment rights of law abiding citizens. This is not a gun control issue. This is a terrorism issue. And it is nothing less than political gamesmanship for them to try to shift for their favorite hobby-horse, of taking away the Bill of Rights from law-abiding citizens.”
First of all, Sen. Cruz, the American people absolutely don’t find this ridiculous. Poll after poll shows that voters want smarter gun laws. A survey released just yesterday showed that a strong majority of Americans – 61 percent – support tighter firearm regulations. Sixty percent want to see the government enact a ban on assault weapons.
Cruz’s assertion that this is at odds with public opinion is an outright lie. Gun fanatics may be louder, but they do not speak for the majority of the U.S. – not even close.
In the wake of yet another American mass shooting, this is exactly what the public wants their government to be doing.
The other suggestion by Cruz that the effort to reduce gun violence is a “hobby-horse” is shameful and offensive. It’s not a hobby; it’s a necessity. It’ll save lives.
Ted Cruz might understand that if he wasn’t so busy cashing checks from the NRA.
Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
