September 29, 2015 5:25 PM

SB: Democrats allowed Ted Cruz to grandstand, it takes Republicans to shut him down

When Democrats were in control, their leadership knew it was to their advantage to let Sen. Cruz engage in his brand of political theater – especially since it has little, if any, effect on the policy outcome

United States Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, took another stab at using the Senate floor as a prop for his presidential campaign on Monday evening. But unlike his marathon speech in 2013 when he argued strenuously in favor of defunding the president’s signature health care reform, Cruz was denied significant time in the spotlight. And after last night’s speech was cut off, it was his campaign staff doing the spinning.

The Ivy League educated first-term senator spoke eloquently for roughly an hour about the horrors of Planned Parenthood as depicted in highly-edited videos as well has his disdain for GOP leaders in Washington.

“The people who show up at the polls, who elected you and me, and who elected this Republican majority, far too many of the Republican donors look down on those voters as a bunch of ignorant hicks and rubes,” Cruz said. When his time had expired and Cruz asked for unanimous consent to keep speaking, he could not get what’s called a “sufficient second” to be able to continue. In fact, members of his own party shouted “no” as he asked for a voice vote. Rankled, Cruz said, “When you are breaking the commitment you’ve made to the men and women who elected you, the most painful thing in the world is accountability.”

Former Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison has a different view.

By Scott Braddock