Who's With Cruz To Fight For America?

Even if it is an ironclad certainty, as they say, that Obama would veto a Continuing Resolution that defunded Obamacare if Republicans held united and forced one through with some vulnerable Democrats in The Senate, I don’t think that should be a bad thing. If you force them to, most will say that if Reid or Obama balked and we saw some services suspended, then we would lose the political argument, be blamed for the suspension (shutdown, though they would quickly pass funding of vital particulars, Democrats might well staunch this too), and be damaged in the 2010 election. But first, why do you think you would be more respected for slinking away from this unprecedentedly important matter, especially when the law is unpopular even to traditionally Democrat groups?

And the task of opposing this legislation will only get MORE difficult in October when exchanges open, people are enrolled, and subsidies begin to be issued. These pusillanimous Republicans are not going to support repealing Obamacare after that. What they would do is abandon any pretense of defending constitutional liberty and state and individual sovereignty. They would pose just to “modify” federal control of medical products and services, IF they win full control in 2016, which I frankly think would be less likely after they have ostentatiously exposed their nakedness of principle. That’s going to draw support for sure. A lot of us are already assessing the exits. The surrender strategy is a loser in the long and the short-term. Republicans stand for nothing now, and in the long-term, they are complicit in the country’s custody to an unconstitutional governance and the ensuing results, which will assuredly not be good, to say the very least. The oncoming plunge in the status of America and its individual citizens will be one for the annals of history, as was their rise. Lifeboat time will be fast upon us: our jewel of a ship will have found its iceberg. Lovers and aspirants of the constraint of the governance of the American Constitution had better be plotting their attempted escape.

But the loss is not necessarily a foregone conclusion if Republicans will unite and fight. A few weeks ago when Cruz, Lee, Rubio and Paul said they would not vote for a Continuing Resolution that did not defund Obamacare, all of the political pros said it was an impossible suicide mission. And on Friday, The House presented and passed one that did defund Obamacare after trying to avoid it. They heard from constituents. Every Republican Congressperson should be communicating to constituents in every way possible and to the nation through every possible medium: “It is left for YOU to flood your representatives in both The Senate and The House of Representatives who could have the ball returned to their court.” The Republicans must stand united and Democrats must be clear that Obamacare is a nightmare we don’t want. Red state Democrat Senators like Mary Landrieu in Louisiana, Mark Pryor in Arkansas, Kay Hagan in North Carolina, Mark Begich in Alaska could be brought to join Republican if public pressure was loud and clear; save Obamacare and you’re out.

But if Reid is successful in engineering a parliamentary maneuver to pass it on a simple majority and all of the above four joined The Republican, Joe Biden could still win it for Democrat with a tie-breaking vote. So Republicans must insist on a 60 vote threshold for amendment and to bring cloture to the debate. If the Republicans fight hard, the matter could move back and forth between The House and Senate. But if they don’t relent to threats and bluster and the CR moves to the president with Obamacare defunded in it, I hope the most glaring white light is put on him rejecting the full funding of government, ONLY to protect Obamacare. See where the public fury is then. If there is an agreement to negotiate, Congress should take up its worn duty and accept no resolution that compromises constitutional president. I expect he would reject efforts to fund vital function like military pay and entitlement checks, so heat is maintained while broadcast networks are blaming Republicans. Republicans should run ad and arrange a multi-outlet webcast for Mike Lee and Ted Cruz to explain the status and what is at stake.

It’s a long shot uphill slog that must clear several hurdles, no doubt. But if Ted Cruz can even wrangle a win in The Senate and a standoff with the president, that accomplishment will rival Reagan’s two landslides as not merely a Republican but a conservative one, and Newt Gingrich’s spearheading of the first Republican majority in The House Of Representatives in 40 years. Mike Lee was very involved in the planning, but Ted Cruz became the engine and the face of the effort. One wonders if Lee laments Cruz hogging all the hate. Cruz would not have captured Congress or the presidency. But he might well have staved off the coup de grace in the demise of The Constitution and proven himself the only politician on hand who is now in office with the steel and resolve to engage the radical surgery that is The United States’ only hope.