BylrFan said:

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sombear said:

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Green&Gold/Maize&Blue said:

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This was not a planned vacation. This was spur of the moment. His wife was emailing, texting their friends and neighbors if they wanted to go to Cancun for the weekend because their house was "freezing."

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So it's worse that he didn't want to stay in a freezing house? Would driving to family in Arizona have been better? Or is it simply he had to stay in a house w/o power because he is a senator?

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there's warming centers. look what mattress mack is doing in houston

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sombear said:

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BylrFan said:

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sombear said:

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Green&Gold/Maize&Blue said:

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This was not a planned vacation. This was spur of the moment. His wife was emailing, texting their friends and neighbors if they wanted to go to Cancun for the weekend because their house was "freezing."

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So it's worse that he didn't want to stay in a freezing house? Would driving to family in Arizona have been better? Or is it simply he had to stay in a house w/o power because he is a senator?

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there's warming centers. look what mattress mack is doing in houston

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He should have taken someone else's spot at a warning center, got it.

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Thee University said:

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bear2be2 said:

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Ted Cruz is as capable as anyone else of sending a quick text or making a quick wellness check on a vulnerable neighbor. It may or may not score him political points, but those impacted would sure appreciate it.

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You think that does any good?

Screw that. I don't want our government or anyone closely associated with our govt involved. Let the professionals do their job without any grandstanding by politicians.

If Ted can't strap on a pair of pole climbing stirrups and hook up downed power lines leave his fat @$$ in Cancun.

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Mothra said:

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bear2be2 said:

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bubbadog said:

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Mothra said:

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bubbadog said:

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Mothra said:

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bubbadog said:

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Mothra said:

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BusyTarpDuster2017 said:

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Really, really dumb on Cruz's part. He had to have known how bad this would look, and if he didn't, that might be worse. And especially after he had criticized someone for going to Cabo during a pandemic.

But still not as bad as killing nursing home patients and then covering it up, all while getting praise and an award from the left.

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Of course, you won't see the resident libs and lib sympathizers complaining about that. Cruz should resign for flying to Cancun, but no mention whatsoever of a guy that literally has blood on his hands (I started a thread on this topic just last week).

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This looks like just another manifestation of the whataboutism that makes it difficult to have a discussion on this board that gets beyond shallow finger-pointing.

Can we take it as a given, based on long experience, that "conservatives" are rarely going to start threads calling out politicians from their side and that "liberals" are rarely going to start threads calling out politicians from their side?

So I don't expect posters from either side to be responsible for being the first to post a critical thread about their side. I'm not going to complain that "conservatives" were strangely silent if they didn't start a thread criticizing Ted Cruz. Nor do I think it is incumbent on conservatives to post on the thread about Ted Cruz or else be treated as if they forfeit all credibility on the matter. If they choose for whatever reason not to chime in on that topic, I cannot rightfully assume that their silence means they think that Ted's actions were politically defensible.

I would measure people only by the opinions they actually post, not by the ones they don't post, and I would hope to be measured by the same standard.

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I guess you simply don't find interesting the level of outrage exhibited by some toward Cruz for taking a vacation during an ice storm while nary a peep regarding a guy who truly has blood on his hands. I do, though I generally agree Cruz is a partisan POS.

Of course, it is worth noting that a number of conservatives on this thread have called Cruz out, while there are a couple of threads on Cuomo (one started by me last week) with not a single response from any of our resident outraged Dems.

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I'm not particularly outraged. More of a disgusted shrug.

Leaving the state for a pleasure trip during a pandemic is bad form and bad politics -- sends a signal that he doesn't really care about people (did anyone prior to this think he really did?).

For the record, I think the Dems are dumb to be calling for him to resign. Instead, just make him wear this around his neck for the next four years and let him defend it to the voters.

Again, I don't think posters are obliged to weigh in on every thread. Call people out for what they actually post instead of assuming that they give Cuomo a pass simply because they didn't post on your thread. (I hadn't even noticed that there WAS a thread on Cuomo. I guess that makes me a bitter partisan.)

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Generally agree,

And of course I am not suggesting everyone needs to weigh in on all topics. I just find the level of (selective) outrage at Cruz for this interesting in comparison to a guy that is responsible for thousands of elderly deaths.

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Why even assume that people are being selective? Maybe they simply didn't notice your thread.

Or maybe all of the free time they had available to post on this site was spent on replying to topics where they had already posted. I certainly fall into that habit, guided by the little blue box at the upper right.

Or maybe they aren't familiar enough with the details of the story to feel informed enough to post about it. Earlier on this thread, one poster said he didn't really know that much about the details of the allegations about Cuomo, and you seemed outraged by it, as if this were proof of his hypocrisy. That kind of stuff is just a discussion killer.

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Or maybe they were without power when that thread was started and weren't checking in regularly.

If you have a question about where someone stands on a topic, you can always ask them directly. But assuming someone's stance on topics they haven't addressed -- and then assigning motives to that -- is silly.

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Subterfuge. Nobody has a question about where you stand on Cuomo. You've told us your stance. I am pointing out your disproportionate outrage at Cruz taking a vacation in an ice storm while Cuomo literally has thousands of deaths on his head. You seem to have a much bigger problem with Cruz than a guy whose policies killed thousands of elderly people, and then lied
about it to avoid an investigation. It's odd.

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robby44 said:

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"...And I've got such a long way to go (such a long way to go)
To make it to the border of Mexico
So I'll ride like the wind
Ride like the wind

Gonna ride like the wind..."

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Eagle11Bear said:

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So, my boss flies to his home in Malibu every time we have hurricanes. I say good for him. Is he supposed to stay and be miserable like everyone else? It's not like he can wave a magic wand and make everything go away. Neither can Cruz or Abbott or anyone else in this situation. It infuriates me that todays society is all about touchy feely. Seems like very few these days know how to put their big boy pants on. Always got to complain about something.

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bear2be2 said:

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Forest Bueller said:

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Jack and DP said:

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J.B.Katz said:

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Robert Wilson said:

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What do you expect him to do? Fix your broken pipes?

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Maybe get out in Houston and lead some relief efforts for people who have been w/out water and heat for a long time?

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I hear you, but people don't go to DC to get their hands dirty. When they try, it looks fake. That's because it is.

Poor political optics, though.

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It is fake, aka, AOC crying at the border fence.

National level Politicians are high minded people who like and want all the spoils of success. They are not servants.

You want to see a servant politician, go to a small rural community where the Mayor is paid a pittance, if at all, on the national scene folks are in it for themselves.

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Tell that to Colorado City.

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quash said:

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Don Jr calling us hypocrites for trying to cancel Sen. Cruz and not our Democrat governor.

The apple didn't fall far from the tree.

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TexasScientist said:

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J.R. said:

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what a moron! Very bad look! He also he has said that he zero defense for the tape that was played of him castigating California in their overloaded grid issues of a few years ago. I lost all respect I may have had for him when Trump trashed his father(involved in the Kennedy assassination with Oswald) and wife (ugly) and then turned into his lap dog. Have some balls, Ted.

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Cruz suffers from narcissism similar to Trump. The difference possibly is the degree of naricissism and Cruz is smarter than Trump, which makes him more dangerous than Trump. I used to think he was a great politician/statesman back when he was SG of Texas. After more public exposure he has shown his true nature. The way he let Trump emasculate him is sickening.

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RD2WINAGNBEAR86 said:

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robby44 said:

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"...And I've got such a long way to go (such a long way to go)
To make it to the border of Mexico
So I'll ride like the wind
Ride like the wind

Gonna ride like the wind..."

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You are showing your age, Brother Robby. Christopher Cross was a good ole San Antonio boy.

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Thee University said:

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RD2WINAGNBEAR86 said:

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robby44 said:

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"...And I've got such a long way to go (such a long way to go)
To make it to the border of Mexico
So I'll ride like the wind
Ride like the wind

Gonna ride like the wind..."

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You are showing your age, Brother Robby. Christopher Cross was a good ole San Antonio boy.

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Is he gay?

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J.B.Katz said:

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sombear said:

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BylrFan said:

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sombear said:

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Green&Gold/Maize&Blue said:

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This was not a planned vacation. This was spur of the moment. His wife was emailing, texting their friends and neighbors if they wanted to go to Cancun for the weekend because their house was "freezing."

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So it's worse that he didn't want to stay in a freezing house? Would driving to family in Arizona have been better? Or is it simply he had to stay in a house w/o power because he is a senator?

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there's warming centers. look what mattress mack is doing in houston

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He should have taken someone else's spot at a warning center, got it.

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No, he could have showed up at a warming center with blankets, water bottles, granola bars and if he really wanted to make people happy a great big container of hot coffee.

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bear2be2 said:

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Mothra said:

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bear2be2 said:

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Mothra said:

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bear2be2 said:

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bubbadog said:

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Mothra said:

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bubbadog said:

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Mothra said:

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bubbadog said:

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Mothra said:

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BusyTarpDuster2017 said:

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Really, really dumb on Cruz's part. He had to have known how bad this would look, and if he didn't, that might be worse. And especially after he had criticized someone for going to Cabo during a pandemic.

But still not as bad as killing nursing home patients and then covering it up, all while getting praise and an award from the left.

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Of course, you won't see the resident libs and lib sympathizers complaining about that. Cruz should resign for flying to Cancun, but no mention whatsoever of a guy that literally has blood on his hands (I started a thread on this topic just last week).

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This looks like just another manifestation of the whataboutism that makes it difficult to have a discussion on this board that gets beyond shallow finger-pointing.

Can we take it as a given, based on long experience, that "conservatives" are rarely going to start threads calling out politicians from their side and that "liberals" are rarely going to start threads calling out politicians from their side?

So I don't expect posters from either side to be responsible for being the first to post a critical thread about their side. I'm not going to complain that "conservatives" were strangely silent if they didn't start a thread criticizing Ted Cruz. Nor do I think it is incumbent on conservatives to post on the thread about Ted Cruz or else be treated as if they forfeit all credibility on the matter. If they choose for whatever reason not to chime in on that topic, I cannot rightfully assume that their silence means they think that Ted's actions were politically defensible.

I would measure people only by the opinions they actually post, not by the ones they don't post, and I would hope to be measured by the same standard.

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I guess you simply don't find interesting the level of outrage exhibited by some toward Cruz for taking a vacation during an ice storm while nary a peep regarding a guy who truly has blood on his hands. I do, though I generally agree Cruz is a partisan POS.

Of course, it is worth noting that a number of conservatives on this thread have called Cruz out, while there are a couple of threads on Cuomo (one started by me last week) with not a single response from any of our resident outraged Dems.

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I'm not particularly outraged. More of a disgusted shrug.

Leaving the state for a pleasure trip during a pandemic is bad form and bad politics -- sends a signal that he doesn't really care about people (did anyone prior to this think he really did?).

For the record, I think the Dems are dumb to be calling for him to resign. Instead, just make him wear this around his neck for the next four years and let him defend it to the voters.

Again, I don't think posters are obliged to weigh in on every thread. Call people out for what they actually post instead of assuming that they give Cuomo a pass simply because they didn't post on your thread. (I hadn't even noticed that there WAS a thread on Cuomo. I guess that makes me a bitter partisan.)

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Generally agree,

And of course I am not suggesting everyone needs to weigh in on all topics. I just find the level of (selective) outrage at Cruz for this interesting in comparison to a guy that is responsible for thousands of elderly deaths.

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Why even assume that people are being selective? Maybe they simply didn't notice your thread.

Or maybe all of the free time they had available to post on this site was spent on replying to topics where they had already posted. I certainly fall into that habit, guided by the little blue box at the upper right.

Or maybe they aren't familiar enough with the details of the story to feel informed enough to post about it. Earlier on this thread, one poster said he didn't really know that much about the details of the allegations about Cuomo, and you seemed outraged by it, as if this were proof of his hypocrisy. That kind of stuff is just a discussion killer.

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Or maybe they were without power when that thread was started and weren't checking in regularly.

If you have a question about where someone stands on a topic, you can always ask them directly. But assuming someone's stance on topics they haven't addressed -- and then assigning motives to that -- is silly.

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Subterfuge. Nobody has a question about where you stand on Cuomo. You've told us your stance. I am pointing out your disproportionate outrage at Cruz taking a vacation in an ice storm while Cuomo literally has thousands of deaths on his head. You seem to have a much bigger problem with Cruz than a guy whose policies killed thousands of elderly people, and then lied
about it to avoid an investigation. It's odd.

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Only you believe this because you've concocted the silly narrative. I think both should be run out of town on a rail.

And for at least the second time, my opinion on Ted Cruz wasn't formed yesterday. It was reinforced. To act as though this was Ted Cruz's first strike -- and that we're all overreacting to this isolated incident -- is the height of disengenuousness. Unfortunately, that's become a hallmark of your posting style here.

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Unfortunately, a hallmark of your posting seems to be mischaracterizing others' positions and then trying to make a case against a position never asserted. It's a classic straw man fallacy, and you engage in it consistently. Once again, let me correct you.

I never said or suggested that this was Cruz's first strike. I think Cruz is a shady politician and political opportunist. Me and my firm had a case against him when he was in private practice for a short period, and found his scorched earth litigation strategy disgusting. He cost both of our clients a lot of money. I voted against him in the primaries when he ran for Senate eight years ago. I would love to see a Republican try to unseat him in a few years.

So, I am not a fan of Cruz, and generally think his leaving when he did is a poor look. However, I am also not a fan of hysterics, disproportionate outrage, and judging people as "human trash," even those I disagree with. You've engaged in all of the above on this thread. Others have called attention to it as well, though you would like to call this my "silly narrative." You've been a total drama queen.

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You've posted one strawman after another in this thread and have yet to course correct when called on them. Save me the lecture on logic. Anyone who reads our exchange without motive will see which of us came into this discussion in good faith.

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J.B.Katz said:

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bear2be2 said:

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Mothra said:

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Thee University said:

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bear2be2 said:

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Ted Cruz is as capable as anyone else of sending a quick text or making a quick wellness check on a vulnerable neighbor. It may or may not score him political points, but those impacted would sure appreciate it.

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You think that does any good?

Screw that. I don't want our government or anyone closely associated with our govt involved. Let the professionals do their job without any grandstanding by politicians.

If Ted can strap on a pair of pole climbing stirrups and hook up downed power lines leave his fat @$$ in Cancun.

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Of course he doesn't think it will do any good. He's hysterical over the optics - that Cruz didn't use the storm as an opportunity for a photo opp. It's weird.

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I don't give a **** about political optics. I'm talking about right and wrong. Republicans used to care about such things.

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Trump and Ted Cruz don't care about doing the right thing. They only care about themselves.

My feeling is that they are not real Republicans.

This statement from Jim Hendren, an honorable businessman and lifelong Republican who served in the military and is a true public servant, should get its own thread but he is leaving the party becasue Republicans are no longer the party of right and wrong

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Mothra said:

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J.B.Katz said:

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bear2be2 said:

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Mothra said:

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Thee University said:

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bear2be2 said:

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Ted Cruz is as capable as anyone else of sending a quick text or making a quick wellness check on a vulnerable neighbor. It may or may not score him political points, but those impacted would sure appreciate it.

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You think that does any good?

Screw that. I don't want our government or anyone closely associated with our govt involved. Let the professionals do their job without any grandstanding by politicians.

If Ted can strap on a pair of pole climbing stirrups and hook up downed power lines leave his fat @$$ in Cancun.

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Of course he doesn't think it will do any good. He's hysterical over the optics - that Cruz didn't use the storm as an opportunity for a photo opp. It's weird.

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I don't give a **** about political optics. I'm talking about right and wrong. Republicans used to care about such things.

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Trump and Ted Cruz don't care about doing the right thing. They only care about themselves.

My feeling is that they are not real Republicans.

This statement from Jim Hendren, an honorable businessman and lifelong Republican who served in the military and is a true public servant, should get its own thread but he is leaving the party becasue Republicans are no longer the party of right and wrong

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I posted this before, but you didn't respond. So I will ask: what is your solution? You know that a third party made up of disenfranchised Republicans is never going to be viable. All it will lead to is more Democrats getting elected.

As a purported "Republican," is that what you would prefer - a fractured Republican Party that will never win another election?

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