He wanted to be hated by all of Washington, and he succeeded. Now he needs their help.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has watched as his Democratic opponent, Rep. Beto O’Rourke, slowly, surprisingly, and steadily whittled away at his lead in the deep red state of Texas. One poll had Cruz up +11. Another dropped him down to just +1.
So threatened, Mr. Tea Party finds himself going, hat in hand, to “the Washington Cartel.”
In this time of crisis, yes Cruz has gone back to his old reliables—the Family Research Center, the Conservative Action Project, and Tea Party Patriots. But Cruz has also gone to K Street.
Politico reports that Cruz has been inviting high-powered lobbyists to high-class dinners at Washington establishments like Capitol Grille. This is the same Cruz who promised that “I will never get—nor do I want—money from the D.C. lobbyists or the special interest billionaires.”
[Mick Mulvaney: ‘Very real possibility’ Ted Cruz loses Texas Senate race]
Though more principled than most, it seems Cruz is coming to the same conclusion he realized at the end of the Republican presidential primary—being hated by Washington isn’t enough to win outside of Washington.
It wasn’t enough to give him the GOP nomination in 2016. And it may not help him survive the O’Rourke challenge.
Meanwhile, Senate Republicans know they need Cruz whether or not they like Cruz. Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn came to that same conclusion telling Politico, “we’re all adults, and I’d like to think that we’re professionals. We understand what’s at stake.” Namely, control of the Senate.
The subsequent and unholy K Street-Tea Party alliance reflects the current environment. Insurgents have gone establishment as the unruly right has come into power. It is harder to rail about the Washington Cartel when your party is in power. The inverse is also true. Saying that Cornyn and company only want Cruz because they need another warm Republican body in their majority would be inaccurate. They need a true believer who can connect with the Tea Party base.
Cruz knows this and Cruz must be clinging to this in his mind as he makes friends with old, and future, enemies.
