No longer will it suffice for Republican politicians to come to Washington and compile respectable, or even stellar, ratings from conservative groups. If federal spending is ever to be restrained as the baby boomers enter retirement, we will need politicians who are willing to employ unconventional methods in the fight.
Conservatives need rebels and boat-rockers, not conformists and time-servers. So I argued in my recent book on the political prospects for limited government. Sen. Ted Cruz would seem to fit the bill. The Texas Republican has been a one-man demolition crew, aiming his wrecking ball squarely at Capitol Hill’s customs and conventions.
But, surveying the scene in Washington, is Cruz an example of the old saying about being careful about what you wish for?
The government is shut down, with more Americans blaming Republicans than Democrats. The Obamacare exchanges are up and running—not very well, but not defunded either. In fact, the shutdown may be taking attention away from problems with Obamacare’s rollout.
Cruz is a fighter. He has been willing to push the envelope, rebelling even against his own party leadership. He has forced congressional Republicans into a confrontation with the Obama administration that many of them wished to avoid, or at least delay until the debt-ceiling negotiations.
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