When Sen. Ted Cruz rolled out an epic 21-hour anti-Obamacare “filibuster,” his efforts were ridiculed by journalists across the Twitterverse as a useless exercise in would-be obstructionism. No surprise there.

The New York Times editorial board joined in, spitting out an angry editorial accusing the Texas Republican of employing an “aimless and self-destructive Tea Party strategy” — an egomaniacal attempt to cash in on the impulses of misguided conservatives. However hopeless a liberal cause may be (gun control, cap and trade, Wendy Davis — take your pick), it’s always a worthy idealistic pursuit. Conservatives in uphill fights, on the other hand, are likelier to be fanatics or money-grubbing frauds; the Times can’t seem to decide.