The March of the Bent Knees: Paul Ryan Re-Elected Speaker; Ted Cruz “Considered” for AG
Paul Ryan bent the knee enough to keep his job.
Paul Ryan was unanimously chosen for another term as House speaker by his Republican colleagues on Tuesday as he called for his party to unite behind President-elect Donald Trump.
The 46-year-old Wisconsin Republican, who was often at odds with Trump during the long presidential campaign, has pledged to work closely with the president-elect to advance Trump’s agenda.
“Welcome to the dawn of a new unified Republican government,” Ryan declared at a news conference a few hours before the closed-door leadership elections. “It feels really good to say that, actually. This will be a government focused on turning President-elect Trump’s victory into real progress for the American people. Our team is very excited, and we cannot wait to get to work.”
Ted Cruz bent the knee today too.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) — a.k.a. “Lyin’ Ted” — was spotted visiting Trump Tower on Tuesday.
According to a Trump transition team pool report, “Cruz managed to sneak into the tower without any of us seeing him (which is easy to do and often done), but I will update everyone if we learn more.”
A Cruz spokeswoman released a statement about the visit.
She said Cruz, who ultimately backed Trump, was there visiting with President-elect Donald Trump to help him achieve his goal: to “drain the swamp.
He was rewarded with some gratifying, meaningless, anony-yapping about being considered for AG.
SCOOP: Trump is discussing TED CRUZ for AG
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) November 16, 2016
Whatever.
It’s Trump’s party now.
A decade in the wilderness
How’d we ever come to this
Took all we had to just survive
Ding.
Patterico (115b1f) — 11/15/2016 @ 7:27 pmI think that you, Patterico, are too hard and consequently not accurate about Ted Cruz’s movements here. Ted eventually decided to back Trump solely because Trump was all the chance we had to keep Hillary Clinton out of the presidency. Now that Trump is president, what possible good would come out of not trying to champion conservative principles in this new administration? “Bending the knee,” given that you have no idea what was talked about or why, is inflammatory and unhelpful. Ted is working with trying to influence the hand that was dealt us, and I personally am grateful that he’s doing it. Until I see him obviously cravenly servile and abandoning decent conservatism I will always give him the benefit of the doubt. I wrote him in on my absentee ballot, but I was sure hoping and praying that a lot of other people voted Trump so that Hillary’s power grab would be stopped, and I have hopes that we will be surprised by what is accomplished in the next four years. I will never fault anyone for trying to influence it for the good. I live in Peru, where not so many years ago we had a similar duo of bad choices and people voted for Alan Garcia, whose first administration was an unmitigated disaster, rather than what appeared to be a really radical, neo-Marxist/Andean supremacy candidate. People talked about having to plug their noses as they voted. Garcia did a lot better on his second presidency. God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform. I will always be grateful that Hillary Clinton was not our first woman president.
DBrugs (10a493) — 11/15/2016 @ 7:54 pmI can see the Senate confirming Cruz for the Court, where he is seriously muted. Not so sure about AG, where he could cause some of them serious trouble.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 11/15/2016 @ 7:55 pmTed’s doing what he thinks he has to do: the humiliating photo op of him calling people with Trump/Pence signs behind him; telling people he is getting on the big plane with Trump’s name on the side; trotting down to Trump Tower. If you give him the benefit of the doubt, you conclude that he has Putin’s mindset that the best way to influence Trump is to make nice. If you don’t give him the benefit of the doubt, you see this as bowing down to Trump to save his political hide. I suspect it’s a little of both.
I didn’t make Ted Cruz say those very true things about Donald Trump on May 3:
He said that stuff himself. Nobody made him.
I think he looks kind of silly making nice with a guy he said that about. YMMV.
Patterico (115b1f) — 11/15/2016 @ 8:00 pmIt IS Trump’s party now. Until it isn’t. I have to decide whether this is something I can accept, and rejoin and try to make it better, or stand outside and, well, something. No clear what.
I spent the 90’s in the LP and eventually found them useless. They still aren’t anything but a bunch of posers.
Maybe Trump will cause the party to split, maybe the Dems will break up and we’ll have a real realignment. It is looking like the Sixth Party System is ending.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 11/15/2016 @ 8:02 pmPatterico–
Cruz is a politician working within a two-party system. He has exactly three choices:
1) Come to terms with what happened in his party.
2) Go join another party.
3) Retire from politics.
Those of us who are NOT politicians have more choices than that, but the fact that he is choosing one of them does not mean he has no principles, it means that he has no CHOICES.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 11/15/2016 @ 8:05 pm4) Stay in his party and fight efforts to turn the party into a populist, big government party.
Patterico (115b1f) — 11/15/2016 @ 8:09 pmKenny Rogers said it best:
the gambler
NJRob (7cb791) — 11/15/2016 @ 8:10 pmRationalize it all you like, but saying the things in that quote and then doing what he did . . . the two don’t square with one another. They just don’t.
Patterico (115b1f) — 11/15/2016 @ 8:11 pmSaying what Trump said and then working together doesn’t go together.
Reagan and Bush being at each others’ throats and working together didn’t make sense. Politics makes strange bedfellows.
NJRob (7cb791) — 11/15/2016 @ 8:17 pmI don’t think Cruz has any future with Trump. Supreme Court, or Solicitor General being groomed for the next Supreme Court appointment? Highly doubtful with Peter Thiel having Trump’s ear.
His future is in Texas — to be re-elected to the Senate in two years. And his chances will be slim if he doesn’t mend fences with Trump.
nk (dbc370) — 11/15/2016 @ 8:19 pmApologies to the great Tom Lehrer:
Gather round while I sing you of Canadian Cruz,
A man whose allegiance is ruled by expedience;
Call him unprincipled for changing his views,
“Principles, schminzables” coos Canadian Cruz
Don’t say that he’s hypocritical,
Say rather that he’s quite political;
“AG chatter today, but next week it’s old news!
Memories are short,” coos Canadian Cruz
Some have harsh words for his bait-and-switch ruse,
But some say their attitude should be one of gratitude;
Like the wife and the father; their honor abused,
So easily betrayed by Canadian Cruz
To become a conservative hero;
DCSCA (797bc0) — 11/15/2016 @ 8:23 pmJust show Texans you’ll stand up for zero;
“In Calgary ‘oder’ Houston, I have proved I can lose,
And I’ll prove it again,” coos Canadian Cruz.
Big tent. Incorporate various wings and factions into the discussion. Employ practical solutions to address the nation’s problems and challenges to the extent possible. Choose battles wisely. In the process never forget who the real customers are and what the point of federal government is, and what the limits of government must be. In the process never let down guard or forget who the real adversaries are.
elissa (ead691) — 11/15/2016 @ 8:26 pmHas anyone ever visited The Barry Goldwater Presidential Library?
Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 11/15/2016 @ 8:29 pm“Call him a Trumper, he won’t even frown…”
Cute, DCSCDCSDCSCSA.
I love Tom Lehrer.
Patterico (115b1f) — 11/15/2016 @ 8:39 pmIf President-elect Trump insisted, as a condition to be offered AG, that Tedtoo hold a presser and publicly renounce and apologize for his May 3rd, anti-Trump rant would he do it?
Would a U.S. senator waste hours of taxpayer-funded time reading Dr. Seuss into the Congressional Record on the Senate floor?
Would the President-elect slip out of his golden tower for an ‘intimate’ family dinner at Manhattan’s famed “21 Club”?
“You betcha!” – Sarah Palin, virtually every campaign speech, 2008
DCSCA (797bc0) — 11/15/2016 @ 8:39 pmTranslation:
He’s sneaky by nature but that’s not to say what he did was impressive because it wasn’t.
Patterico (115b1f) — 11/15/2016 @ 8:46 pmHe trolled them and slipped by his media tails to go out to have dinner in peace. Moar please. He owes them nothing at this point.
elissa (ead691) — 11/15/2016 @ 8:48 pmHeadline on NBC website:
Trump ditches press for steak,
elissa (ead691) — 11/15/2016 @ 8:55 pmshowing lack of transparency.
And the tweet I am cheering (even though I would not call myself a “supporter”):
Patterico (115b1f) — 11/15/2016 @ 8:59 pmOh go ahead, it feels liberating.
“YOU HEARD IT HERE ON INSTAPUNDIT, FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE NEXT SENATE’S HARRY REID MEMORIAL RESOLUTION: Dirty Harry is telling Trump to fire Steve Bannon. It’s Alinskyite “personalize the attack” tactics of the worst sort. Now listen to me. It’s high time dirt bags like Reid suffered the same Alinsky assault, in a permanent, burned in the Congressional Record sort of way. When the Senate sets its filibuster rules in 2017, the resolution defining the rules should be named “The Ole Divisive Dirt Bag Harry Reid Senate Civility, Comity and Supreme Court Filibuster Rules and Nuke’im Back Resolution.” The resolution’s title is long but the resolution itself is comparatively short. My suggested language: “No filibuster allowed on President Trump’s Supreme Court nominees or, for that matter, any Trump nominees. And –to make sure you distinguished gentle colleagues on the Dem side of the aisle fully comprehend how disgusted we are with the despicable way you treated us and damaged this body when you jerks were in the majority– we will permit no filibusters on any bill or resolution. You were dishonorable, arrogant, crude and rude while in the majority — so, yo’ face. If you Dems wish to object to this resolution, snail mail your complaints to: Dirt Bag Harry, The Man Who Nuked The Filibuster In Order To Advance Obama’s Agenda, c/o Mustang Ranch, Nevada. You may cc Charles Schumer, Senate Minority Leader, Washington, DC. Of course you can always carp to The New York Times but that will get you precisely zero.” This is just my suggested language and who am I to suggest language to the august US Senate? So Mitch, if you can craft something sharper, please do so.”
https://pjmedia.com/instapundit/you-heard-it-here-on-instapundit-for-the-first-time-the-next-senates-harry-reid-memorial-resoluti/
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 11/15/2016 @ 9:05 pm4) Stay in his party and fight efforts to turn the party into a populist, big government party.
But first he has to come to terms with it. He can’t be IN the party and also oppose it. Yeah, sure, he can pick a fight here and there — everyone does — but if he wants to be a party of one, he’s gonna find himself cut out of the action.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 11/15/2016 @ 9:11 pmthe two don’t square with one another. They just don’t.
And this is why you’d never make a good politician. Right now, 2+2=5. Cruz can get his mind around that. I’m waiting to see what Romney does.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 11/15/2016 @ 9:13 pmTom Lehrer
So, I was watching this TV show called “Timeless” about time travel and stuff. So, the episode had our heroes back in very late Nazi Germany struggling with another group of time travelers over the fate of von Braun.
Plot isn’t important, but near the end, one of them asked von Braun “How can you live with the evil that your rockets are put to?” and he replies:
“Once the rockets go up, I don’t care where they come down.”
My wife did not understand why I spit out my drink.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 11/15/2016 @ 9:18 pmDoes anyone get how much the full-court-press opposition to President-elect Trump mirrors what Lincoln went through.
We have public figures saying things like “Trump can’t be allowed to take office” and people encouraging mobs to oppose the election results. I’m sure the Secret Service is at Defcon 2.
And all this time, we have the people who attacked Trump for saying he might contest the election doing EXACTLY what they imagined Trump and his evil followers doing.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 11/15/2016 @ 9:25 pmI will cite “The Wire” again for comment on day-after politics. After Tommy Carcetti beat the mayor in the primary, he and his men sat with him and his men in the mayoral office and they all laughed about the names they called each during the campaign and shared a drink and made peace. They all know it’s campaign BS!
I agree with Kevin M. What else are Ryan and Cruz supposed to do? And I do think Ryan is genuinely excited to work with him. I’m sure there will be conflict, but this is the best opportunity for Republicans and conservatives to govern. Just think the possibilities for the Supreme Court!
I thought of Lincoln’s era too. I blame the press somewhat for creating an atmosphere that led to his death. The rentamobs and the media vitriol will be unlike anything we have seen to date.
Patricia (5fc097) — 11/15/2016 @ 10:13 pm“After Tommy Carcetti beat the mayor in the primary, he and his men sat with him and his men in the mayoral office and they all laughed about the names they called each during the campaign and shared a drink and made peace. They all know it’s campaign BS!”
– Patricia
You realize that wasn’t supposed to be an aspirational scene, right? “Aspirational” isn’t really what The Wire is about…
Leviticus (467e24) — 11/15/2016 @ 10:39 pmAhhh … it feels good to be me, again !
Thank you, Leviticus #28 and Patricia #27 … you restore my faith in human nature …
The former as an excellent exemplar of the *lack* of understanding of human nature, in his lack of comprehension that one can use stories, whether factual or fictional or mythological as a way to communicate concepts and as a way to consider alternative scenarios …
The latter for understanding the use of stories to convey concepts without having to believe in them as divinely-inspired gospel …
It is good to be back !
Alastor (2e7f9f) — 11/16/2016 @ 12:00 amAs said above.
MD in Philly (f9371b) — 11/16/2016 @ 4:48 amGoverning the country is what is now important.
I think it is reasonable to try to make that work.
If one has to resign in protest later for principle,
Fine
If one wants to influence Trump
I don’t think threatening and fighting him will work very well.
Pretty sure the Majority Leader is elected by the votes of the other Congressmen, and not selected by someone who is not even President-Elect yet.
If the GOP is to oppose anything Trump is to do, who else should they have picked as Majority Leader? What choice would have sent the message #NeverTrump wants to hear? If they HADN’T picked Ryan, if they HAD picked someone else, wouldn’t you all now be saying that it’s Trump’s party now?
I am really curious to hear this answer because I never heard anyone here who opposes Trump suggest another candidate for Majority Leader. Perhaps I missed it.
Gabriel Hanna (4f5ff1) — 11/16/2016 @ 4:52 amPillorying Cruz over his visit with the President-Elect is a rather knee-jerk reaction at the point. No one knows why Cruz met with Trump and we have no reports as to what was said during their meeting. I trust my Senator to talk straight, even to the President-Elect, and I doubt he’s rolling over like Ryan; however, even if he is joining Trump’s administration, and AG Ted Cruz is kind of an awesome idea, who better to help advise Trump and counter the craziness of Bannon than Cruz? Even #NeverTrumpers need to realize that having strong, sane conservatives in the highest positions of power in this administration is a good thing, and far better than the alternative.
sean (41ed1e) — 11/16/2016 @ 6:50 amon what basis have you decided that Bannon is crazy, Sean?
elissa (ead691) — 11/16/2016 @ 6:56 amThinking about it…
I bet the senate would rather have Cruz on the Supreme Court
than AG.
Sheriff Clarke for something.
MD in Philly (f9371b) — 11/16/2016 @ 6:58 amHis own words and actions.
sean (41ed1e) — 11/16/2016 @ 7:01 amI’d rather Cruz begin by dismantling the liberal and progressive influence at Justice, then when one of the three older liberals on the court retires he can get the nod for a position on the court… Chief Justice perhaps. I the meantime Lee would be a great pick for Scalia’s empty seat.
sean (41ed1e) — 11/16/2016 @ 7:03 amI do not believe that Cruz was on the list of possible SC appointees that Trump issued before the election to reassure people, and I believe he said that list was “definitive” or something like that. This does not mean that he can’t change his mind (or hasn’t changed his mind), but I think it’s likely that Cruz is not up for the current SC vacancy. This does not mean that Ted may not be in top contention for the next vacancy (one which will almost certainly occur during the Trump-Pence presidency) if he is relatively loyal and bides his time in another capacity in the meantime.
elissa (ead691) — 11/16/2016 @ 7:06 amOh, I am sure he would be great at DOJ
MD in Philly (f9371b) — 11/16/2016 @ 7:07 amjust not sure the Repub Senate leadership would trust him over there.
I doubt the GOP Senate Leadership trusts Cruz anywhere 😉
sean (41ed1e) — 11/16/2016 @ 7:13 am34. Does the still Democratic-registered Clarke count as the token Dem appointee?
urbanleftbehind (6eb88b) — 11/16/2016 @ 7:27 amI think that the most Cruz will get from Trump is Trump not asking McConnell to kick Cruz out of the Senate committees he’s on in the new Congress.
I’ve already said why. And I’m betting it’s the same reason that Carson is not going to be part of the Trump administration too.
nk (dbc370) — 11/16/2016 @ 7:35 amTed Cruz as AG — which I would like — would very likely cause a serious exodus of trial attorneys.
Eight years of Obama Admin. hiring and policy advocacy have made DOJ hard to distinguish from a liberal advocacy group. Some of the policy positions that have been taken in high profile litigation on issues concerning civil rights and the environment especially, will likely be spun 180 degrees by a Cruz led department. That creates HUGE personal ethical issues for the line attorneys handling the cases in court where they have signed their names to briefs staking out extreme liberal positions. Those same attorneys, who in many cases are working “hand-in-glove” with outside groups, will now be required to reverse course in many of the cases where they are deeply invested.
The Environmental Crimes Section and the Civil Rights Section would likely see mass resignations — those particular offices within Justice are staffed almost 100% by “True Believers”.
shipwreckedcrew (56b591) — 11/16/2016 @ 7:48 amI can’t imagine Trump picking Cruz for anything but he ought to, if only to see if those (unlikely, in my view) mass resignations occur.
DRJ (15874d) — 11/16/2016 @ 7:58 amUnlikely because it means liberal DOJ lawyers will have to leave their government jobs and give up their power over ethical concerns.
DRJ (15874d) — 11/16/2016 @ 8:00 amTed Cruz might be the alternative to Kris Kobach. I also read a few days ago that Jeff Sessions himself was a possibility.
Ted Cruz spent 5 hours – maybe one hour of whch was with Donald Trump. It was erroneously reported that Donald Trump went to Washington. The transition staff, and Mike Pence, is in Washington D. C. but Donald Trump is in New York. Maybe some of the transition is in New York.
http://ijr.com/2016/11/737177-donald-trump-holds-surprise-private-meeting-with-ted-cruz-then-report-surfaces-that-may-reveal-why/
Sammy Finkelman (eb0eea) — 11/16/2016 @ 3:52 pmTedtoo crossed a New Yorker- and perhaps worse, New Yorkers. Bad move to a city with a longgggg memory.
Cruz not only dissed ‘New York values’ he attacked President-elect Trump’s character in his May 3rd tantrum.
He will not be Trump’s AG.
He will not be a Trump SCOTUS nom.
The Senate would never confirm him anyway. They don’t like him and will not reward him w/a lifetime post.
He will be bussing tables at the Trump Inaugural as a photo op.
DCSCA (797bc0) — 11/16/2016 @ 3:57 pmHe will be challenged for his Senate seat.
He will lose to Perry.
@ Gabriel Hanna @31.
The Majority Leader in the House of Representatives is a separate position from Speaker. The majority party in the House has one more high ranking position than the minority party.
The minority party puts up its leader as a candidate for Speaker — when he or she loses, that person becomes or is selected as Minority Leader.
Sammy Finkelman (eb0eea) — 11/16/2016 @ 3:59 pmDCSCA (797bc0) — 11/16/2016 @ 3:57 pm
That’s the way to get rid of him. The opposition to him is mostly personal, not ideological. And on the Supreme Court, nobody grandstands.
Sammy Finkelman (eb0eea) — 11/16/2016 @ 4:01 pm@Sammy:The Majority Leader in the House of Representatives
Of course you are right, I confused the two. But Patterico has no edit button.
Gabriel Hanna (64d4e1) — 11/16/2016 @ 4:03 pm@48- Never happen. The Senate will never reward him w/a lifetime gig, Sammy. And of course justices do grandstand.
DCSCA (797bc0) — 11/16/2016 @ 4:15 pmUnlikely because it means liberal DOJ lawyers will have to leave their government jobs and give up their power over ethical concerns.
DRJ (15874d) — 11/16/2016 @ 8:00 am
========================================••
As someone has previously mentioned, there are plenty of FEMA trailers that can be put in locations these D-bag, lefty lawyers would find less than desirable. You don’t necessarily have to fire them. Put them where they would have less influence and would do less damage.
Colonel Haiku (32652f) — 11/16/2016 @ 4:27 pmTrump will never appoint Cruz to anything. Cruz cannot get his nose sufficiently far up Trump’s behind to satisfy Trump.
gwjd (032bef) — 11/16/2016 @ 5:31 pmThat’s NOT MY DEPAHHHTMENT
Patterico (115b1f) — 11/17/2016 @ 5:22 pmReason number #### not to watch NFL: just saw Amazon commercial where an old imam and old priest meet for a visit, agonize about their bad knees and order each other kneepads which get out on for their respective services. This spot is not on YouTube yet. Thought I would post under the bended knee thread.
urbanleftbehind (847a06) — 11/17/2016 @ 6:13 pmIt’s not just Ted Cruz. Lindsey Graham wnts to kick Senator Jeff Sessions upstairs, too.
Sammy Finkelman (ad84eb) — 11/17/2016 @ 6:19 pmgood gravy, sean, try not to jump to conclusions, you’ll get shin splits, take bannon’s speech at the Vatican in 2014,
narciso (d1f714) — 11/17/2016 @ 6:26 pmhttps://www.buzzfeed.com/lesterfeder/this-is-how-steve-bannon-sees-the-entire-world
narciso (d1f714) — 11/17/2016 @ 6:28 pmWell, what would non-malign not-PAN Latin American nationalism look like? The concept comes up about 3 times in Bannons interview, or was trying to toss a bone to the cardinal?
urbanleftbehind (847a06) — 11/17/2016 @ 6:38 pmsomething like classical liberalism in the 19th century, the 20th century versions proved fragile, irigoyen, the Chilean counterpart that escapes my memory now,
narciso (d1f714) — 11/17/2016 @ 6:44 pmallesandri and carlos Ibanez, the latter was subsequently reelected in the 50s, the latter tried to in the 1970, election and was defeated by Allende,
narciso (d1f714) — 11/17/2016 @ 6:51 pm