Boehner ally Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., shredded Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, for his Friday comments celebrating the resignation of Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.
At the Values Voter Summit Friday, Cruz was applauded when he remarked to the conservative audience, “Yesterday, John Boehner was Speaker of the House. You all come to town and somehow that changes.”
Appearing on “Fox News Sunday,” Cole called Cruz’s comments “classless and tasteless and counterproductive.”
Chris Wallace had asked Cole why conservatives are so unhappy with Boehner that they would celebrate his stepping down. Instead of answering that question, Cole responded by going after Cruz.
“This is a guy that for 25 years had a distinguished record in the House — I’m talking about Boehner, certainly not talking about Sen. Cruz — again, who got real tax cuts, real spending reductions, real entitlement reform in divided government,” Cole said on “Fox News Sunday.”
“I would stack his record of accomplishment up against any of these people who are being critical of him.”
“What have they done? Nothing,” Cole said of the conservatives that opposed Boehner’s leadership.
Cole appeared in a tense segment with Rep. Mick Mulvaney, R-S.C., a member of the conservative Freedom Caucus that has opposed much of Boehner’s agenda.
Cole turned to Mulvaney to ask whether he would repudiate Cruz’s remarks.
“This was never about personalities,” Mulvaney replied, adding that he doesn’t believe in personal attacks.
