The Lonely Voyage of Ted Cruz

By Dr. Henry Flores, NewsTaco

The photo in Saturday’s New York Times was telling a lonely man alone, with an unhappy look on his face standing in the dull yellow light of an elevator as the doors closed.  This is the portrait that the junior senator from Texas, Ted Cruz, is painting of himself in Washington, DC.  An outsider, a voice that few agree with, a man setting himself apart from those who could possibly assist him in making public policy.  His behavior, both voice and vote, in the senate is embarrassing for our country and Texas and also not very constructive.

The current session of congress opened less than a month ago and since then Mr. Cruz has voted against the Violence Against Women Act, against raising the debt limit, against relief for the victims of Hurricane Sandy, and against the confirmation of Senator John Kerry as Secretary of State in the new Obama Administration.  His foreign policy credentials have been bolstered by voting against renewing military aid to Egypt one of our few remaining allies in the Middle East and accusing Senator Chuck Hagel of taking monetary compensations from enemies of the United States specifically North Korea.

This last accusation was made by Mr. Cruz simply, as he pointed out, to get to the facts; he and his fellow Tea Partiers were only curious about Senator Hagel’s history during the confirmation hearings for Secretary of Defense.  After all, senate confirmation hearings are about seeking out all the facts and “real” history of presidential nominees!

Senator Barbara Boxer likened Mr. Cruz’s behavior to that of Senator Joe McCarthy’s 1950s behavior when he accused the United States Army of being peopled by communists.  Senator McCarthy’s behavior, he too was a Republican, became known as “McCarthyism” which is defined as making innuendos of disloyalty, treason and lack of patriotism without any basis in truth.  Senator McCarthy’s behavior, which eventually led to his fall from grace, was displayed across America’s television screens for the nation to see.  In the end, Senator McCarthy was censured by his fellow senators for his unethical behavior.  He died of alcoholism before his next election but his popularity had fallen so low because of unscrupulous tactics that he probably would have lost his reelection attempt.

McCarthyism is exactly what Mr. Cruz is practicing.  McCarthyism is dishonest, lacking in honor and integrity and has no place in the public realm.  McCarthyism is the destruction of a person’s character simply for political gain.  McCarthyism is disrespectful and, in some contexts, anti-patriotic.  In this last instance McCarthyism is unpatriotic because it has the possibility of depriving a country the service of an honorable individual based on innuendo and false accusations.

Mr. Cruz’s behavior indicates that he has gone to Washington not to represent the people of Texas but a small minority of bigots who care little for the welfare of our country.  He has set himself apart from his fellow members and, if he is not careful, will find his way into the history books as a traveling companion of the infamous Joe McCarthy.  Besides, Mr. Cruz says he is a Christian.  If so, he needs to begin behaving like one and stop bearing false witness against his neighbor and doing the people’s business because that was what he was elected to do.