There has long been a rumor floating through Washington power circles about Texas Senator Ted Cruz that goes like this: None of his Senate colleagues likes him. They cannot stand him. They find him to be a know-it-all jackass who is only interested in what he can do to advance his own career, no matter the consequences.
And that would seem to be evidenced by some odd remarks Utah Senator Orrin Hatch made about Teddy Boy while being interviewed by a local television station in Salt Lake City. Asked who he was supporting for the 2016 GOP nomination, Hatch replied:
“I’m not really supporting anybody right now. Trump is making a lot of headway around this country, Cruz makes headway in a limited degree. Kasich is a terrific governor. He was the chairman of the budget committee in the House. I lived through this, worked with him, and he was easy to work with. And we balanced the budget two years in a row.”
The interviewer noted that it sounded as if Cruz was Hatch’s very last choice. To which Hatch responded:
“I don’t know about that. Ted is a very smart guy. He’s a good lawyer. He’s not one of those who really does a terrific job in the Senate.
“You know, some people love that. I’m going to support whoever the nominee is.”
He’s not one of those who really does a terrific job in the Senate?! When I read that, I admit I laughed so hard I nearly did a spit take with the water I had just taken a sip of.
So Orrin Hatch doesn’t think much of Ted Cruz, but he will support him or whoever else happens to be the nominee. While you may be tempted to admire his loyalty to his dying party, the way he said what he did tells us more than a million more words could have.
Watch Hatch’s Backhanded Compliment:
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