Sen. Ted Cruz: Ricochet Fan

 

I’m wrapping up a week in Washington, D.C., where I attended an excellent Future of Media conference sponsored by the Franklin Center and the Heritage Foundation. Tuesday night featured the third annual Andrew Breitbart Awards, which honored citizen journalists and was keynoted by Greg Gutfeld (who killed it, of course). As Wednesday’s sessions wrapped up, the Republican National Committee offered about a dozen of us the chance to meet Sen. Ted Cruz in his office.

Even in this casual session, Sen. Cruz showcased his in-depth knowledge of myriad subjects. After 15 minutes or so his staff insisted he get to the Senate floor for a vote. Before leaving, I introduced myself and said I wrote for Ricochet.com. He praised the site, smiled broadly and said, “you wrote a parody about how I was a bully.”

I couldn’t believe he remembered my first piece at Ricochet — and was a bit concerned he would bust my chops a bit. But Sen. Cruz further shocked me by recounting from memory a few of his favorite lines and the favorites among his office staff. He insisted the piece was a big hit. Whew.

So the next time Rob, Peter and James note that Ricochet is read in the halls of power, they aren’t kidding. Thanks for reading, Senator, and here’s the piece again for those who missed it last year.

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  1. Reckless Endangerment Inactive
    Reckless Endangerment
    @RecklessEndangerment

    Jon, what a treat it must have been to have the senator praise your work. I actually had the chance to meet Sen. Cruz in his office for the first time last month. When you were there, did you notice the large mural he has hanging? A painting of Reagan at the Brandenburg Gate delivering Peter Robinson’s famously drafted speech. The senator said it is a source of inspiration for him and his staff when things are looking down. I asked the senator if he was aware if Peter knew what was hanging in his Dirksen office, and he said knew Peter but he was not sure. Well, Peter?

    • #1
  2. BuckeyeSam Inactive
    BuckeyeSam
    @BuckeyeSam

    The Man.

    • #2
  3. Liberty Belle Member
    Liberty Belle
    @

    Not one day goes by that I don’t read something great about MY Senator, Ted Cruz. I hope that the other states send reinforcements in November so we can kick some liberal butts and really shake Washington up!

    • #3
  4. user_959530 Member
    user_959530
    @

    Many Ricochet Members: Fans of Ted Cruz

    • #4
  5. Whiskey Sam Inactive
    Whiskey Sam
    @WhiskeySam

    He’s always welcome to join us in the PIT.

    • #5
  6. user_124695 Inactive
    user_124695
    @DavidWilliamson

    Sen Cruz is so obviously the best candidate for President, it’s not even close – I can’t understand why the Ricochet cognoscenti – even Mr Lileks, who I normally agree with – aren’t more enthusiastic.  

    Just imagine a Cruz/Clinton debate – or Cruz/Biden  – hahahahahaha.

    • #6
  7. MarciN Member
    MarciN
    @MarciN

    I like Ted Cruz more and more every day.  Just something about him, . . .

    • #7
  8. Dave Carter Podcaster
    Dave Carter
    @DaveCarter

    The good Senator has a combination of intellect and sheer guts that is as rare inside the Beltway as it is needed.  Since we can’t clone him, we can at least send reinforcements.   A politician that takes his promises and his oath of fidelity to the Constitution seriously is positively lethal to those in both parties who are wedded to their own power.  Which is great news for the republic.

    • #8
  9. Z in MT Member
    Z in MT
    @ZinMT

    Jon,

    I am glad you re-linked to your original Ricochet post.  It was a master piece.

    • #9
  10. Peter Robinson Contributor
    Peter Robinson
    @PeterRobinson

    Reckless Endangerment: Jon, what a treat it must have been to have the senator praise your work. I actually had the chance to meet Sen. Cruz in his office for the first time last month. When you were there, did you notice the large mural he has hanging? A painting of Reagan at the Brandenburg Gate delivering Peter Robinson’s famously drafted speech. The senator said it is a source of inspiration for him and his staff when things are looking down. I asked the senator if he was aware if Peter knew what was hanging in his Dirksen office, and he said knew Peter but he was not sure. Well, Peter?

    I do indeed know the good senator–we have a couple of friends in common, and I’ve been fortunate enough to share several meals with him. But I’ve never been to his office in the Capitol, so I was unaware of the mural.  But the next time I’m in Washington, baby, I’m making a bee-line for it.

    • #10
  11. Big John Member
    Big John
    @AllanRutter

    I like the fact that he didn’t say something amorphous about Ricochet or you (sucking up), but that he remembered the piece and quoted from it.  Pretty impressive, and you should be rightly humbled and pleased.

    • #11
  12. user_517406 Inactive
    user_517406
    @MerinaSmith

    Congratulations on being the quotable one around the Cruz office!  Politicians should be keeping tabs on Ricochet if they want to know how intelligent voters outside the beltway are thinking.

    • #12
  13. Jimmy Carter Member
    Jimmy Carter
    @JimmyCarter

    Too, too cool.

    • #13
  14. Ryan M Inactive
    Ryan M
    @RyanM

    Well, a fan of you, at any rate.  Did you ask if he ever makes it over to the member feed?  :)

    [edit:  I’m also glad you linked to the post…  I don’t know how I missed that.  Very funny.]

    • #14
  15. Ryan M Inactive
    Ryan M
    @RyanM

    Big John:

    … and you should be rightly humbled and pleased.

    The opposite of humbled.  Not to nitpick.  I’d think it should be a bit of an ego boost, actually.  But yes, also pleased!

    • #15
  16. genferei Member
    genferei
    @genferei

    Where does this adoration for Senators come from? Is it because the US doesn’t have (official) royalty? Senators get to vote on things (usually, what to name a post office) and exercise power only through a bureaucracy who use them to get what they want by creating an impossibly complex system of boondoggles that is impervious to independent oversight and immune to outside control. Senators get a huge staff (why?), and appear on vanity (but very cheap to produce) television shows nobody watches, but they aren’t really important except to those who decide they are.

    Cruz should be flattered that Jon writes about him and Ricochet talks about him.

    • #16
  17. James Of England Inactive
    James Of England
    @JamesOfEngland

    genferei:

    Where does this adoration for Senators come from? Is it because the US doesn’t have (official) royalty? Senators get to vote on things (usually, what to name a post office) and exercise power only through a bureaucracy who use them to get what they want by creating an impossibly complex system of boondoggles that is impervious to independent oversight and immune to outside control. Senators get a huge staff (why?), and appear on vanity (but very cheap to produce) television shows nobody watches, but they aren’t really important except to those who decide they are.

    Cruz should be flattered that Jon writes about him and Ricochet talks about him.

     I do not believe that the adoration for Cruz is extended to Senators generally on Ricochet. Cruz is admired more for his speeches than for his substantive contributions as a Senator as such. If Cruz can’t be admired by members of the conservative sans culottes for speaking excitingly and “getting” the issues, who can be?

    • #17
  18. Fricosis Guy Listener
    Fricosis Guy
    @FricosisGuy

    genferei:

    Cruz should be flattered that Jon writes about him and Ricochet talks about him.

    Someone should remember to whisper “Memento mori” to all these little emperors, even the ones we like.

    • #18
  19. Ross C Inactive
    Ross C
    @RossC

    Missed your first post about the Bully, very funny thanks for re-posting.  I especially like the Camaro reference.  (BTW how is it possible that Camaro is not in the spell check dictionary?)

    • #19
  20. J Flei Inactive
    J Flei
    @Solon

    Uh oh, does this mean he will remember that I once wrote a post entitled ‘Ted Cruz Bothers Me’?  If he becomes pres, will I be mysteriously audited or spied on or something?  Haha, of course there is more to Senator Cruz that I like than bothers me.  If he makes Republicans look smart and scores some wins for conservative ideas on the national stage, then I will be extremely happy.

    • #20
  21. James Of England Inactive
    James Of England
    @JamesOfEngland

    J Flei:

    Uh oh, does this mean he will remember that I once wrote a post entitled ‘Ted Cruz Bothers Me’? If he becomes pres, will I be mysteriously audited or spied on or something? Haha, of course there is more to Senator Cruz that I like than bothers me. If he makes Republicans look smart and scores some wins for conservative ideas on the national stage, then I will be extremely happy.

     I, too, pre-emptively welcome our new Texan overlords. 

    • #21
  22. Del Mar Dave Member
    Del Mar Dave
    @DelMarDave

    James Of England:

    genferei:

    … Cruz is admired more for his speeches than for his substantive contributions as a Senator as such. If Cruz can’t be admired by members of the conservative sans culottes for speaking excitingly and “getting” the issues, who can be?

    I am delighted to read all the praise for Cruz from Ricos whom I follow and have come to admire.  But at the annual Claremont Institute dinner in March, Cruz read – woodenly – a stump speech that bore little on Claremont’s mission, “Recovering the American Idea.” 

    I felt lucky not to have invited any friends to join me.  Nobody hung around afterward to express “Oohs” or “Ahh.”  For this attendee, at least, it was a long drive home.

    No doubt, Cruz deserves a chance to redeem himself from what might have been an off night or jet lag.

    • #22
  23. Mario the Gator Inactive
    Mario the Gator
    @Pelayo

    Ted Cruz is my “man crush”.  :-)

    • #23
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