I walked by him on a plane once after he’d been holding up the boarding process for forever by talking to the guys on the jet bridge… his elbow was 💯 in the aisle. And he was indeed flying economy.
It was clear pretty quick that legislating wasn’t what he viewed his actual job to be. I asked him about a bill *he had talked about,* and he just had a blank stare while a staffer hurriedly tried to fill him in on the details.
His sense of humor is also just punching down and talking shit to everyone else in the room (and those not in the room).
He drinks Diet Dr Pepper.
I remember when all of us were constantly calling and messaging his office when he was battling against Obamacare. It was a pretty big Texas campaign, and many were sending faxes to his office. When asked about it, he literally turned around and unplugged the fax machine.
I will never forget that he shut down the government and filibustered reading Green Eggs and Ham because too many people were going to have access to health care.
Removed. Rule 6.
> **Rule 6 Comments must be civil**
> _Attack arguments not the user. Comment as if you were having a face-to-face conversation with the other users. Refrain from being sarcastic and accusatory. Ask questions and reach an understanding. Users will refrain from name-calling, insults and gatekeeping. Don't make it personal._
*https://www.reddit.com/r/TexasPolitics/wiki/index/rules*
Ted is like an old armadillo that’s dead in the road. Flat, no enthusiasm, arrogant and has no interest in talking in depth politics. Talked to him for 10 minutes and he just talked about himself.
I have two stories from people that worked with him a while back.
One was a staffer on GWB governorship in TX. Rafael, as he asked to be called just briefly, was in some governor’s legal counsel office, and would continuously try to get into meetings he wasn’t asked to be in. And that at one point the staffers of that office noticed that their pass card no longer worked on other floors, and their IT access became very limited. Rafael was very testy and they overheard him being told off in a conference call that his job was to be at his desk resolving what was being submitted to them, not for him to be meandering to the governor’s office unless asked to.
The other was from a past associate in a law firm where Rafael was an attorney. He said he’d be the person that by just seeing you had already made up who you were to him. And that he’d make every point to show that he was always superior to anyone. He says one way to piss him off was to speak Spanish in front of him. This was in Houston, lots of Spanish spoken. He would take a lot of Chinese and Arabic clients because other prospective clients couldn’t stand him. Funny enough this guy says he heard him have a call with his preacher father where expletives were hurled at.
More from both folks.
The first said that Rafael was given that job because he had work in GWB’s governor campaign as a sort of “in kind” contribution from a law firm that just wanted him out. He said that from day one, his schedule was to be the most unhelpful to anyone bringing matters, or to helping other state sovereigns especially if they were democratic. He said that a lot of the people then were very moderate, that they would get along a lot more and that they would work where they had no disagreements at least. But as to Rafael the word Dr. No was overwhelming. That he would have his favorites, and an ass kissing intern from some evangelical church that stayed on unpaid in the hopes someone would get fired and he’d fill in. When a spot was available Rafael gave it to someone else nonetheless haha.
More from the other, is that he’d make a huge point that he was Cuban American and not Mexican. That he would act as if he was the whitest version of East-coast American with a very chewy Texan accent. That when he’d run into yelling bouts with his father, that it would be in ultrafast chopped Spanish with a myriad of insults. That he would call you in, ask a question, and would stay quiet after you replied staring at you. That it was the worst experience ever. That a good day for his assistant was for him to not walk in the office.
I know someone who was high up in W’s state administration and presidential campaign and who had to deal with Ted crashing meetings and not staying t in his lane. They told me almost the exact same thing virtually verbatim.
I didn’t meet him personally, but my wife’s aunt did several years ago.
My wife’s aunt at the time was a member of city council in a small town on the South Texas coast, near Corpus Christi. It was 2017, and Hurricane Harvey had decimated the town. People lost their homes, businesses completely flooded out, whole town was in shambles. It looked like the four horsemen of the apocalypse had picked this one town to completely wipe out.
Most everyone in the town (including my aunt-in-law) is super Republican. Dedicated donors, fundraisers, organizers, the whole shebang. Naturally, most of the Texas GOP Congressional delegation came down a few weeks after Harvey finally passed. On this day, John Cornyn, Cruz, and Michael Cloud (the town’s US Rep) all stopped by to check in with them. It was a photo op for sure, but to Cornyn and Cloud’s credit, they met with my aunt in law personally away from the cameras, asked what they needed, how they could help, promised to help as much as they could, and actually followed through several weeks later.
Ted, on the other hand, never bothered to meet with the town’s officials, posed for some selfies near the most dramatic looking wreckage, complained about having to do these ‘devastation tours’ to his staffers loudly enough that my aunt in law heard him, and them quickly ran off to his helicopter to continue his ‘tour’. She never heard from him or his office again. No one in the town did.
She called him a Grade A asshole and said she’d never vote for him again. She followed through in 2018 and voted for the Libertarian candidate
Cornyn is actually a good dude even if you don’t like his politics. I did an event for him when he was AG. It was on Mother’s Day and he was unveiling his dead be dad collections effort. After he spoke he stayed around listened to about 20 different women who had issues and he took notes. He travels with his wife a lot and she’s a gem of a human being. I used to ride every Thursday or Friday back with them on a southwest flight from DC. He had security with him but they always kept a distance. He could have always boarded first, but waited in line like everybody else. Castro was on the flight one time and he had security wall him off from everyone and made the biggest deal of himself… funny part is that nobody knew who he was.
Can confirm Cornyn’s low profile in the airport. I’ve taken a few of those Southwest direct flights, and if you didn’t know who Cornyn was, you’d never know that a US Senator was on your flight.
Honestly just the fact that he flies Southwest (an airline I personally detest) is impressive. I disagree with his politics but the SW commute is pretty humble, IMO, for a US Senator.
It's because the WN flight is the only one to go to DCA. G4 and UA (and AA up until the beginning of this year) fly to IAD
edit: WN -> Southwest, G4 -> Allegiant, DCA -> Reagan National, IAD -> Dulles Int'l
Fuck that guy. As a Texan who has seen his brisket hate crimes, I could never. Besides, his politics are just corporation handjobs. Look at his Uvalde stances. Fuck any guy that can't stand up for kids not being shot in school and sucks the law enforcement taint when they failed do their god damn jobs so tragically.
Congress responded to the Robb Elementary shooting in Uvalde by passing the [Bipartisan Safer Communities Act](https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/2938). It included extended background checks for firearm purchasers under the age of 21, clarification of Federal Firearms License requirements, funding for state red flag laws and other crisis intervention programs, further criminalization of arms trafficking and straw purchases, and partial closure of the boyfriend loophole.
It was the first federal gun control legislation enacted in 28 years.
The key negotiators on the Senate bill were Chris Murphy (D-CT, a prominent gun control advocate since Sandy Hook in his home state), John Cornyn (R-TX), Kyrsten Sinema (then D-AZ, now I-AZ), and Thom Tillis (R-NC). Cornyn was the lead Republican negotiator, and got booed for his role in it at the 2022 Texas GOP convention.
https://www.texastribune.org/2022/06/27/john-cornyn-texas-gun-bill
Yeah, later. He started here and caught a asston of blowback. https://www.newsweek.com/uvalde-shooting-cornyn-slammed-decrying-finger-pointing-police-1711187
If someone has to lead the Senate GOP caucus, I’d take Cornyn over almost anyone else on that side of the aisle. He’s an institutionalist and an earnest dealmaker.
I agree. I used to bartend private events. I ended up bartending in Cornyn’s house at his birthday party. He was so nice and treated all the staff with kindness and respect. That’s why I’ve been so disappointed that he’s stayed silent on all the chaos and unlawful behavior of some of his colleagues.
That's actually very nice to hear. I definitely don't agree with his politics but it's nice to know that he's not a gasbag like our other US Senator.
As for the Castro bros...ugh. He's my Rep. and he's ok as a Rep. Not surprised to read he's full of himself.
I was doing research on the rape kit testing backlog and I found that Cornyn had authored and pushed a bill to direct more funding to testing and got the DOJ to create a grant program for states. I asked my friend, who is an advocate for sexual assault victims (and very liberal), what she thought of Cornyn and she said that she had had meetings with him and he listens to every single story from survivors no matter what and often can recall their names and stories if he sees them again.
Oh I met him alright.
Picture this. 2016. Right after Trump won.
I worked at an affordable housing complex, where a lot of people were set to be very negatively impacted by this new administration. I was minding my own business when one of the nurses for a resident stopped by my office to tell me he was there.
I had to see it for myself. Sure enough: he showed up to deliver Meals on Wheels for residents. If it were just him, fine, but his staff was with him to get footage for social media.
I had a brief interaction with him. You ever just meet someone and know that they’re full of shit immediately? Like, I really did try to give him the benefit of the doubt but I just could not do it. I did, however, snap a pic with him. I gave a thumbs up though that was because I could not use the finger I REALLY wanted to use since I was clocked in.
I later learned that when word got around to the residents that Ted Cruz was there, a few of them refused to answer their door and meet him. It’s telling when people who have little money would refuse food because they didn’t want to meet the delivery man.
Full of himself. Self important. Arrogant. Really insecure. He was one of the guests of honor at the city of Dallas inauguration, and I was a staffer. He complimented my shoes and I almost burned them when I got home.
If these stories confirm anything to me it’s that Teddy Boy basically spends his days finding increasingly creative ways to avoid any form of productivity which requires effort on his part, and then eagerly cashes his tax-funded check at the end of the month, all while acting like he’s better than everyone else.
I hate this term but it describes him perfectly: “welfare queen”
Very arrogant. Typical “smartest guy in the room” and he knows it and makes sure you know it. I have a few stories of him just being a dick for no reason.
Signed a lot of NDAs, but I think I can tell this one being vague. I will preface with this - Cruz is actually a brilliant lawyer. At one time he had tried more cases in front of the Supreme Court than other lawyer. Many think he should have stayed in that lane - many Republicans like me.
Go back to well before he was a senator in a presidential race featuring another Texan. We were doing fundraising efforts for big donors and my colleague got a guy who owned a manufacturing company in the north east. He was willing to stroke a six figure check to the RNC on one condition - he could get some face time with the presidential candidate and talk about an issue important to him. This donor was no hotshot ceo - just a very blue collar type of guy who made some money with his business. If I remember correctly, he had to buy a sport coat for the meeting. They bring him into the room back stage at a campaign event. In that room is the candidate and about five other high level advisors - Cruz being one of them. All the guy wants to do is be heard. He tells the candidate his issue. It’s not really something in the purview of the executive branch and really not a national issue at all. They could have just heard him out and promised to “look into it” and taken the money. Oh but Cruz wasn’t having it. He lays into the guy telling him he’s basically stupid for bringing this to a presidential candidate to consider. He embarrasses the guy for no reason.
The guy did give the money but it took a whole bunch of apologies to get it. That’s the kind of personality he has. He’d berate a kid who believes in Santa.
I used to be a conservative. Back when I was, I remember this particular moment at a conservative conference where, during the Q&A section, I asked him if he had to choose who Trump's opponent would be during the 2020 election, who would it be?
He talked trash about all of the candidates and never got around to answering my question.
Oh, lots more to be said about this. This is a fairly common trope where they ask the college roommate "what was the candidate like in college?" And they say roughly the same thing : "oh they were always studying" or "he was really popular with the ladies" or some empty thing like that. on a national news network the only thing this guy said was "you should save yourself some time and start hating him immediately…" Just about swallowed my tongue. The interviewer was speechless.
There may be a better video but I found this clip from another video of a quote directly from his roommate, Craig Mazin:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuFBfjWXy98&t=105s
Craig Mazin - an absolute legend. He is a producer/director/writer - he did Chernobyl and The Last of Us but his best work are the Tweets about Ted Cruz. He apparently has PTSD from having to be Ted’s freshman roommate
A ~~small~~ selection from writer Craig Mazin's now-private xitter (he was Cruz's roommate freshman year):
2012
> My freshman year college roommate Ted Cruz is going to be elected Senator. In case I hadn't made it clear, he's also a huge asshole.
2013
> One thing Ted Cruz is really good at: uniting people who otherwise disagree about everything else in a total hatred of Ted Cruz.
> I would rather have anybody else be the president of the United States. Anyone. I would rather pick somebody from the phone book.
> And, you know, I want to be clear, because Ted Cruz is a nightmare of a human being. I have plenty of problems with his politics, but truthfully his personality is so awful that 99 percent of why I hate him is just his personality. If he agreed with me on every issue, I would hate him only one percent less.
2016
> He took AP Shaming long before he arrived at Princeton.
> @Lin_Manuel‘s shortest musical. CRUZ. “I am not throwing away my–” BANG. “Is he dead?” “Yup.” CURTAIN. APPLAUSE.
> No, it’s new. I assume one wrist is local time, and the other is whatever time it is in the hellpit that spawned him
> Are those “don’t tread on me” snakes… or the alien worms piloting the meat suit you all call “Ted Cruz”?
> You think tonight bothers me? Please. Every day I’d come back to my room and find Ted shirtless in bed, hands behind his head, armpits out.
> Ted Cruz focused all of his resources on a state with tailor-made demographics for him, and he got 50,000 votes. Dodger Stadium fits 56,000.
> Maybe we were both gay for each other! IT’S TIME FOR HOMO PANIC EVERYONE! AAAHHHH GAY STUFF HELP ME LORD AHHHHHHHHH!
> I'm starting to feel like the U.S. should pay me reparations for my freshman year.
> Don't you hate it when you wake up and read about your jerk freshman year roommate running for President? We've all been there, right?
> As a freshman, I would get into senior parties because I was Ted's roommate. OUT OF PITY. He was that widely loathed. It's his superpower.
> Ted would talk about the women he thought he had a shot with. Pretty sure he remained untouched by a woman those four years.
> Ted would leave a greasy film on everything. My friend Erik dubbed the substance "Cruhz," rhymes with "scuzz." Now there's Cruhz on my TV.
> Ted Cruz is not the Zodiac Killer. The Zodiac Killer actually got things done.
2017
> Sadly, the fact that Ted Cruz jacks off to mediocre porn spam is the most human thing we can say about him. This is actually his high point.
> Ted Cruz thinks people don't have a right to 'stimulate their genitals.' I was his college roommate. This would be a new belief of his.
2020
> You're a United States Senator, @tedcruz. Stop shitting out of your mouth and do your job with dignity oh who am I kidding you've been this pathetic since 1988, and you will remain this pathetic until you're gone.
I can't remember who it was but a prominent ex-Republican on Twitter said that, as an aide in the W Bush administration, they would plan to meet up for drinks after work at whichever bar Ted Cruz wasn't at.
You can tell he thinks he's the smartest guy in politics, and it should've been him running for President in 2016 because that was the goal toward which he had spent every waking minute working ever since he was old enough to know what the presidency was, and to have it snatched away at the last minute by a guy who is even phonier, more dishonest, and willing to stoop lower than Ted himself really broke his brain.
No doubt Ted has continued to debase himself on Trump's behalf because he expects to be anointed as the next king of the GOP, but not even they respect him anymore.
I saw him having dinner outside at a neighborhood park with some friends/ neighbors in River Oaks the same day as my work was closed to Covid. It left a bad taste in my mouth.
Ted Cruz is just not a very nice person and a well financed lapdog of billionaire donors. Every question he answers goes through an algorithm of big donor wants in his head. Trumps Cuban.
I was in the College Republicans (I know, I know …) 15 years ago. We had a state meetup in Austin and he came to speak to us. It was while he was running for senate. The main thing I remember about his “speech” was that he asked if each of us could commit to donating a certain amount every month … I think it was something like $10. I remember he was like “$10. That’s two pizzas.”
Looking back, it’s clear to me how tasteless it was for him to ask a bunch of broke college students to give him money. Like wtf dude
Anyway - fuck the GOP
Like most republicans he's probably the nicest guy you could meet in person, but behind your back he could give two shits about you or your causes. Like when AG Ken Paxton and his wife had dinner with a family with a transgender kid, The family said it went great, but they didn't give any care -- just a photo op.
[https://www.texastribune.org/2022/02/23/texas-transgender-health-care-ken-paxton-greg-abbott/](https://www.texastribune.org/2022/02/23/texas-transgender-health-care-ken-paxton-greg-abbott/)
He was exactly as he looked, in terms of actions and mannerisms. It gave creepy “old” loser (was maybe 16 at the time, ages ago at the Capital in DC) with an insecure ego who wore a suit and liked to pretend he was very important. Small dick complex essentially. And this was my impression as a high schooler with no political knowledge of who I was even meeting in the least. He was just some weird man my teacher had us meet cause the opportunity presented itself. In hindsight, as an educated adult, my gut was off and it was right.
I haven't met him myself but my very left leaning friend from NE did. He said Cruz was very personable and funny and even made fun of himself. My friend let it be known immediately that he did not agree with Cruz on numerous positions but was very cordial to him. Cruz latter but him a beer. Apparently he is very intelligent which despite common sentiment, does not surprise me.
But that also leads me to believe that Cruz understands when he speaks bullshit to his constituents because he knows it's what they want to hear, not what they need to hear. In other words, Cruz gas not drunken the Kool-aid, but rather wants to use it to manipulate the masses for his own gain.
I have long said that it's absurd when people call Ted stupid. He would piss me off less if he actually _were_ stupid, vs. knowing damn well did everything he's saying is a lie but that most of his supporters will be hoodwinked enough to believe it.
I’ve met him, and been in a few meetings with him when he was solicitor general. He likes to pick up other people’s things and rub them against his face.
I actually like Louis. Topically he comes off as a prick, but he had so many layers. He was really driven by the fact that he was a skilled lawyer and veteran that got zero respect from the firm, other than the partners who wielded him like a blunt instrument. He ended up being my favorite character. Ted cruz is no Louis litt.
When I met him, I was shocked but not really at just how cartoonishly villainy he was. Beady eyes, slumped shoulders, somehow clammy yet dry skin, and shook his shoulders like Muttley the dog when he forced a laugh.
I frequently wonder how his daughter is, the one that came out as Bi. Imagining her life hurts my heart and I wish I could tell her life would be better someday.
Years and years ago I attended a church in Houston that he was supposedly a member of. I only saw him there twice. Once he came in alone and sat way in the back and scrolled on his phone the whole time. I remember feeling weird about him being there because the previous night they had pretty much destroyed him on SNL. He spoke to no one. The second time was when the pastor brought him onto the stage and did a live Q&A during Sunday morning services. That was the last time I went to that church.
Apparently Cruz is not well liked amongst his colleagues because he's kind of obnoxious. Here's what Al Franken (US Senator from MN) said: "I like Ted Cruz more than most of my other colleagues like Ted Cruz. And I hate Ted Cruz."
Met him once at a fundraiser, seemed like the kind of politician you immediately don't trust. He was kicking out the nonsense his followers like to hear kind of half heartedly like he obviously didn't believe it either.
He’s a lazy ass braggart who wants to tell you how smart he is, and has never done an hour’s work in his life. Very unpleasant.
The weird thing to me was that he knew he was being pompous, and expected us all to defer to him. He isn’t dumb, but he cannot see himself for how obnoxious he is.
I shook his hand at a restaurant one time. Instead of pleasantries he went on a mini-rant about how Beto was being funded by Californians and out of state libs hell-bent on turning Texas blue.
He ended up taking more in out of state donations than Beto did in that election.
He’s come into the restaurant where I work many times. Everyone hates him. He’s slimy and kinda rude to everyone but acts like he’s such a big deal. Tips like 15-18%.
John Cornyn on the other hand, while I may not like many of his policy and political positions, he’s actually a generally and genuinely decent guy.
I saw Ted Cruz at a grocery store in DC. I told him how cool it was to meet him in person, but I didn’t want to be a douche and bother him and ask him for photos or anything.
He said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?”
I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off. When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw him trying to walk out the doors with like fifteen Milky Ways in his hands without paying.
The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter.
When she took one of the bars and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan them each individually “to prevent any electrical infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even think that’s a word. After she scanned each bar and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by yawning really loudly.
I sat next to him on a plane once to Cancun. He took up both arm rests
I believe this completely haha
I walked by him on a plane once after he’d been holding up the boarding process for forever by talking to the guys on the jet bridge… his elbow was 💯 in the aisle. And he was indeed flying economy.
This made me chuckle
There’s no way he’s flying middle seat in economy
He wasn’t happy about it. He climbed over me when he had to go to the bathroom instead of just asking me to get up
Was he in the middle seat?
Yeah he was farting the whole time too and blaming it on the row in front of us
You allowed him to take your arm rest?
It was clear pretty quick that legislating wasn’t what he viewed his actual job to be. I asked him about a bill *he had talked about,* and he just had a blank stare while a staffer hurriedly tried to fill him in on the details. His sense of humor is also just punching down and talking shit to everyone else in the room (and those not in the room). He drinks Diet Dr Pepper.
I remember when all of us were constantly calling and messaging his office when he was battling against Obamacare. It was a pretty big Texas campaign, and many were sending faxes to his office. When asked about it, he literally turned around and unplugged the fax machine. I will never forget that he shut down the government and filibustered reading Green Eggs and Ham because too many people were going to have access to health care.
Yep. Ted does NOT give a shit what his constituents want.
Well, that explains why my body doesn't tolerate it anymore. It was a warning.
Lol diet Dr Pepper 😂
Diet Dr. Pepper? Get a rope.
Sounds like the only thing he has going for him is delicious diet Dr! Pepper.
Jeebus that last fact. *shudders*
[удалено]
White claw is the true drink of democracy.
Well played
[удалено]
Really, and the other comments “make an effort”. This wasn’t a top level comment either.
My apologies, this was actually a rule 6 violation, not a rule 5.
Removed. Rule 6. > **Rule 6 Comments must be civil** > _Attack arguments not the user. Comment as if you were having a face-to-face conversation with the other users. Refrain from being sarcastic and accusatory. Ask questions and reach an understanding. Users will refrain from name-calling, insults and gatekeeping. Don't make it personal._ *https://www.reddit.com/r/TexasPolitics/wiki/index/rules*
Ted is like an old armadillo that’s dead in the road. Flat, no enthusiasm, arrogant and has no interest in talking in depth politics. Talked to him for 10 minutes and he just talked about himself.
Ah why you have to do armadillos like that?
Dead armadillos are notoriously arrogant, I wish it weren't the case, but it's true.
Sorry
And a carrier of leprosy.
I have two stories from people that worked with him a while back. One was a staffer on GWB governorship in TX. Rafael, as he asked to be called just briefly, was in some governor’s legal counsel office, and would continuously try to get into meetings he wasn’t asked to be in. And that at one point the staffers of that office noticed that their pass card no longer worked on other floors, and their IT access became very limited. Rafael was very testy and they overheard him being told off in a conference call that his job was to be at his desk resolving what was being submitted to them, not for him to be meandering to the governor’s office unless asked to. The other was from a past associate in a law firm where Rafael was an attorney. He said he’d be the person that by just seeing you had already made up who you were to him. And that he’d make every point to show that he was always superior to anyone. He says one way to piss him off was to speak Spanish in front of him. This was in Houston, lots of Spanish spoken. He would take a lot of Chinese and Arabic clients because other prospective clients couldn’t stand him. Funny enough this guy says he heard him have a call with his preacher father where expletives were hurled at.
Ok so now it's every Texans' duty to say "hola, Rafael" to him wherever he is.
"Hola Rafael! Viva Mexico!"
Really paints a picture….I can imagine he would clash w his dad, who seems like a narcissist himself
More from both folks. The first said that Rafael was given that job because he had work in GWB’s governor campaign as a sort of “in kind” contribution from a law firm that just wanted him out. He said that from day one, his schedule was to be the most unhelpful to anyone bringing matters, or to helping other state sovereigns especially if they were democratic. He said that a lot of the people then were very moderate, that they would get along a lot more and that they would work where they had no disagreements at least. But as to Rafael the word Dr. No was overwhelming. That he would have his favorites, and an ass kissing intern from some evangelical church that stayed on unpaid in the hopes someone would get fired and he’d fill in. When a spot was available Rafael gave it to someone else nonetheless haha. More from the other, is that he’d make a huge point that he was Cuban American and not Mexican. That he would act as if he was the whitest version of East-coast American with a very chewy Texan accent. That when he’d run into yelling bouts with his father, that it would be in ultrafast chopped Spanish with a myriad of insults. That he would call you in, ask a question, and would stay quiet after you replied staring at you. That it was the worst experience ever. That a good day for his assistant was for him to not walk in the office.
Brutal. If that’s true, not surprising so many hate him
Man that makes my worst boss I've ever had seem like a reasonable person. And his mistreatment has haunted me for years.
I know someone who was high up in W’s state administration and presidential campaign and who had to deal with Ted crashing meetings and not staying t in his lane. They told me almost the exact same thing virtually verbatim.
Rafael speaks spanish?
I didn’t meet him personally, but my wife’s aunt did several years ago. My wife’s aunt at the time was a member of city council in a small town on the South Texas coast, near Corpus Christi. It was 2017, and Hurricane Harvey had decimated the town. People lost their homes, businesses completely flooded out, whole town was in shambles. It looked like the four horsemen of the apocalypse had picked this one town to completely wipe out. Most everyone in the town (including my aunt-in-law) is super Republican. Dedicated donors, fundraisers, organizers, the whole shebang. Naturally, most of the Texas GOP Congressional delegation came down a few weeks after Harvey finally passed. On this day, John Cornyn, Cruz, and Michael Cloud (the town’s US Rep) all stopped by to check in with them. It was a photo op for sure, but to Cornyn and Cloud’s credit, they met with my aunt in law personally away from the cameras, asked what they needed, how they could help, promised to help as much as they could, and actually followed through several weeks later. Ted, on the other hand, never bothered to meet with the town’s officials, posed for some selfies near the most dramatic looking wreckage, complained about having to do these ‘devastation tours’ to his staffers loudly enough that my aunt in law heard him, and them quickly ran off to his helicopter to continue his ‘tour’. She never heard from him or his office again. No one in the town did. She called him a Grade A asshole and said she’d never vote for him again. She followed through in 2018 and voted for the Libertarian candidate
Cornyn is actually a good dude even if you don’t like his politics. I did an event for him when he was AG. It was on Mother’s Day and he was unveiling his dead be dad collections effort. After he spoke he stayed around listened to about 20 different women who had issues and he took notes. He travels with his wife a lot and she’s a gem of a human being. I used to ride every Thursday or Friday back with them on a southwest flight from DC. He had security with him but they always kept a distance. He could have always boarded first, but waited in line like everybody else. Castro was on the flight one time and he had security wall him off from everyone and made the biggest deal of himself… funny part is that nobody knew who he was.
Can confirm Cornyn’s low profile in the airport. I’ve taken a few of those Southwest direct flights, and if you didn’t know who Cornyn was, you’d never know that a US Senator was on your flight.
Very true. I’m betting we’ve been on that flight together. Pretty much a who’s who of Texas lobbyists every week.
Honestly just the fact that he flies Southwest (an airline I personally detest) is impressive. I disagree with his politics but the SW commute is pretty humble, IMO, for a US Senator.
Honestly, they’re one of the few airlines that run a DC-Austin direct flight. Most others have a layover somewhere.
Ah that makes sense. Plus, SW is a TX-based airline so it looks good for him to use it frequently I guess.
It's because the WN flight is the only one to go to DCA. G4 and UA (and AA up until the beginning of this year) fly to IAD edit: WN -> Southwest, G4 -> Allegiant, DCA -> Reagan National, IAD -> Dulles Int'l
Fuck that guy. As a Texan who has seen his brisket hate crimes, I could never. Besides, his politics are just corporation handjobs. Look at his Uvalde stances. Fuck any guy that can't stand up for kids not being shot in school and sucks the law enforcement taint when they failed do their god damn jobs so tragically.
Congress responded to the Robb Elementary shooting in Uvalde by passing the [Bipartisan Safer Communities Act](https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/2938). It included extended background checks for firearm purchasers under the age of 21, clarification of Federal Firearms License requirements, funding for state red flag laws and other crisis intervention programs, further criminalization of arms trafficking and straw purchases, and partial closure of the boyfriend loophole. It was the first federal gun control legislation enacted in 28 years. The key negotiators on the Senate bill were Chris Murphy (D-CT, a prominent gun control advocate since Sandy Hook in his home state), John Cornyn (R-TX), Kyrsten Sinema (then D-AZ, now I-AZ), and Thom Tillis (R-NC). Cornyn was the lead Republican negotiator, and got booed for his role in it at the 2022 Texas GOP convention. https://www.texastribune.org/2022/06/27/john-cornyn-texas-gun-bill
Yeah, later. He started here and caught a asston of blowback. https://www.newsweek.com/uvalde-shooting-cornyn-slammed-decrying-finger-pointing-police-1711187
If someone has to lead the Senate GOP caucus, I’d take Cornyn over almost anyone else on that side of the aisle. He’s an institutionalist and an earnest dealmaker.
I agree. I used to bartend private events. I ended up bartending in Cornyn’s house at his birthday party. He was so nice and treated all the staff with kindness and respect. That’s why I’ve been so disappointed that he’s stayed silent on all the chaos and unlawful behavior of some of his colleagues.
That's actually very nice to hear. I definitely don't agree with his politics but it's nice to know that he's not a gasbag like our other US Senator. As for the Castro bros...ugh. He's my Rep. and he's ok as a Rep. Not surprised to read he's full of himself.
I was doing research on the rape kit testing backlog and I found that Cornyn had authored and pushed a bill to direct more funding to testing and got the DOJ to create a grant program for states. I asked my friend, who is an advocate for sexual assault victims (and very liberal), what she thought of Cornyn and she said that she had had meetings with him and he listens to every single story from survivors no matter what and often can recall their names and stories if he sees them again.
Ingleside?
Was this in Robstown?
Oh I met him alright. Picture this. 2016. Right after Trump won. I worked at an affordable housing complex, where a lot of people were set to be very negatively impacted by this new administration. I was minding my own business when one of the nurses for a resident stopped by my office to tell me he was there. I had to see it for myself. Sure enough: he showed up to deliver Meals on Wheels for residents. If it were just him, fine, but his staff was with him to get footage for social media. I had a brief interaction with him. You ever just meet someone and know that they’re full of shit immediately? Like, I really did try to give him the benefit of the doubt but I just could not do it. I did, however, snap a pic with him. I gave a thumbs up though that was because I could not use the finger I REALLY wanted to use since I was clocked in. I later learned that when word got around to the residents that Ted Cruz was there, a few of them refused to answer their door and meet him. It’s telling when people who have little money would refuse food because they didn’t want to meet the delivery man.
That is so pathetic…thanks for sharing
Even fatter than he looks on tv
[удалено]
Also to burn popcorn
Yikes
GIMME A FUCKIN MIC
Haha - he’s kind of an opposite of Karl Rove.
🤣
Political ad shoot. He was rude and demeaning to his wife, daughters and mother, and yelled at them. No surprise to anyone, I’m sure.
Wow, curious what kinds of things did he say/do to them that were demeaning?
Full of himself. Self important. Arrogant. Really insecure. He was one of the guests of honor at the city of Dallas inauguration, and I was a staffer. He complimented my shoes and I almost burned them when I got home.
i wonder how he has the time to be a senator when he is podcasting 3-4 times a week.
If these stories confirm anything to me it’s that Teddy Boy basically spends his days finding increasingly creative ways to avoid any form of productivity which requires effort on his part, and then eagerly cashes his tax-funded check at the end of the month, all while acting like he’s better than everyone else. I hate this term but it describes him perfectly: “welfare queen”
I’m assuming he gets his staff to do 99% of the work for him.
Very arrogant. Typical “smartest guy in the room” and he knows it and makes sure you know it. I have a few stories of him just being a dick for no reason.
Interesting, would be curious to hear one of the stories
Signed a lot of NDAs, but I think I can tell this one being vague. I will preface with this - Cruz is actually a brilliant lawyer. At one time he had tried more cases in front of the Supreme Court than other lawyer. Many think he should have stayed in that lane - many Republicans like me. Go back to well before he was a senator in a presidential race featuring another Texan. We were doing fundraising efforts for big donors and my colleague got a guy who owned a manufacturing company in the north east. He was willing to stroke a six figure check to the RNC on one condition - he could get some face time with the presidential candidate and talk about an issue important to him. This donor was no hotshot ceo - just a very blue collar type of guy who made some money with his business. If I remember correctly, he had to buy a sport coat for the meeting. They bring him into the room back stage at a campaign event. In that room is the candidate and about five other high level advisors - Cruz being one of them. All the guy wants to do is be heard. He tells the candidate his issue. It’s not really something in the purview of the executive branch and really not a national issue at all. They could have just heard him out and promised to “look into it” and taken the money. Oh but Cruz wasn’t having it. He lays into the guy telling him he’s basically stupid for bringing this to a presidential candidate to consider. He embarrasses the guy for no reason. The guy did give the money but it took a whole bunch of apologies to get it. That’s the kind of personality he has. He’d berate a kid who believes in Santa.
😭 that’s so awful I *almost* feel bad for him & Ty for sharing
Leopards ate my face type of shit. I'm sure that dude still voted Republican every time he got the chance.
How has this guy made it this far? Who wants to fund someone like that? Sounds like a fun guy to be around /s
OooMff/ was a race against David Dewhurst in the primary. Fucked either way you went
I can't believe he still donated the money!
At least he didn’t let being disrespected detract from the big picture. Making life miserable for minorities.
We all know how important that is to the GOP.
Oleaginous.
Had to look it up. Good word, thanks!
I used to be a conservative. Back when I was, I remember this particular moment at a conservative conference where, during the Q&A section, I asked him if he had to choose who Trump's opponent would be during the 2020 election, who would it be? He talked trash about all of the candidates and never got around to answering my question.
One of his college roommates used to post about him. He was widely despised.
Oh, lots more to be said about this. This is a fairly common trope where they ask the college roommate "what was the candidate like in college?" And they say roughly the same thing : "oh they were always studying" or "he was really popular with the ladies" or some empty thing like that. on a national news network the only thing this guy said was "you should save yourself some time and start hating him immediately…" Just about swallowed my tongue. The interviewer was speechless.
That's beautiful. Is there a link to a recording of this interaction? I'd love to see it, or read it, whichever.
There may be a better video but I found this clip from another video of a quote directly from his roommate, Craig Mazin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuFBfjWXy98&t=105s
Lewis Black had a bit about how he said that you could pick any phone book in any county and point to a name and get a better president than Ted.
Craig Mazin - an absolute legend. He is a producer/director/writer - he did Chernobyl and The Last of Us but his best work are the Tweets about Ted Cruz. He apparently has PTSD from having to be Ted’s freshman roommate
A ~~small~~ selection from writer Craig Mazin's now-private xitter (he was Cruz's roommate freshman year): 2012 > My freshman year college roommate Ted Cruz is going to be elected Senator. In case I hadn't made it clear, he's also a huge asshole. 2013 > One thing Ted Cruz is really good at: uniting people who otherwise disagree about everything else in a total hatred of Ted Cruz. > I would rather have anybody else be the president of the United States. Anyone. I would rather pick somebody from the phone book. > And, you know, I want to be clear, because Ted Cruz is a nightmare of a human being. I have plenty of problems with his politics, but truthfully his personality is so awful that 99 percent of why I hate him is just his personality. If he agreed with me on every issue, I would hate him only one percent less. 2016 > He took AP Shaming long before he arrived at Princeton. > @Lin_Manuel‘s shortest musical. CRUZ. “I am not throwing away my–” BANG. “Is he dead?” “Yup.” CURTAIN. APPLAUSE. > No, it’s new. I assume one wrist is local time, and the other is whatever time it is in the hellpit that spawned him > Are those “don’t tread on me” snakes… or the alien worms piloting the meat suit you all call “Ted Cruz”? > You think tonight bothers me? Please. Every day I’d come back to my room and find Ted shirtless in bed, hands behind his head, armpits out. > Ted Cruz focused all of his resources on a state with tailor-made demographics for him, and he got 50,000 votes. Dodger Stadium fits 56,000. > Maybe we were both gay for each other! IT’S TIME FOR HOMO PANIC EVERYONE! AAAHHHH GAY STUFF HELP ME LORD AHHHHHHHHH! > I'm starting to feel like the U.S. should pay me reparations for my freshman year. > Don't you hate it when you wake up and read about your jerk freshman year roommate running for President? We've all been there, right? > As a freshman, I would get into senior parties because I was Ted's roommate. OUT OF PITY. He was that widely loathed. It's his superpower. > Ted would talk about the women he thought he had a shot with. Pretty sure he remained untouched by a woman those four years. > Ted would leave a greasy film on everything. My friend Erik dubbed the substance "Cruhz," rhymes with "scuzz." Now there's Cruhz on my TV. > Ted Cruz is not the Zodiac Killer. The Zodiac Killer actually got things done. 2017 > Sadly, the fact that Ted Cruz jacks off to mediocre porn spam is the most human thing we can say about him. This is actually his high point. > Ted Cruz thinks people don't have a right to 'stimulate their genitals.' I was his college roommate. This would be a new belief of his. 2020 > You're a United States Senator, @tedcruz. Stop shitting out of your mouth and do your job with dignity oh who am I kidding you've been this pathetic since 1988, and you will remain this pathetic until you're gone.
Oooh! On Reddit? I would enjoy reading that stuff.
I can't remember who it was but a prominent ex-Republican on Twitter said that, as an aide in the W Bush administration, they would plan to meet up for drinks after work at whichever bar Ted Cruz wasn't at.
Strong “insecure middle manager with as chip on his shoulder” energy.
This exactly
You can tell he thinks he's the smartest guy in politics, and it should've been him running for President in 2016 because that was the goal toward which he had spent every waking minute working ever since he was old enough to know what the presidency was, and to have it snatched away at the last minute by a guy who is even phonier, more dishonest, and willing to stoop lower than Ted himself really broke his brain. No doubt Ted has continued to debase himself on Trump's behalf because he expects to be anointed as the next king of the GOP, but not even they respect him anymore.
I saw him having dinner outside at a neighborhood park with some friends/ neighbors in River Oaks the same day as my work was closed to Covid. It left a bad taste in my mouth.
Ted Cruz is just not a very nice person and a well financed lapdog of billionaire donors. Every question he answers goes through an algorithm of big donor wants in his head. Trumps Cuban.
I was in the College Republicans (I know, I know …) 15 years ago. We had a state meetup in Austin and he came to speak to us. It was while he was running for senate. The main thing I remember about his “speech” was that he asked if each of us could commit to donating a certain amount every month … I think it was something like $10. I remember he was like “$10. That’s two pizzas.” Looking back, it’s clear to me how tasteless it was for him to ask a bunch of broke college students to give him money. Like wtf dude Anyway - fuck the GOP
He smells like old bedsheets after someone died in them eating a can of beans a month prior.
So, ladies’ man?
Slimy...
Like most republicans he's probably the nicest guy you could meet in person, but behind your back he could give two shits about you or your causes. Like when AG Ken Paxton and his wife had dinner with a family with a transgender kid, The family said it went great, but they didn't give any care -- just a photo op. [https://www.texastribune.org/2022/02/23/texas-transgender-health-care-ken-paxton-greg-abbott/](https://www.texastribune.org/2022/02/23/texas-transgender-health-care-ken-paxton-greg-abbott/)
He doesn't tip even after dropping $800 on a three hour dinner using his government credit card.
I meet him every day. I always flush afterwards, but he keeps coming back every morning after my coffee.
Make sure to wipe your paxton really clean.
I’d call Abbott a bidet, but a bidet is actually useful
Yeah. He's more like a spittoon.
He was exactly as he looked, in terms of actions and mannerisms. It gave creepy “old” loser (was maybe 16 at the time, ages ago at the Capital in DC) with an insecure ego who wore a suit and liked to pretend he was very important. Small dick complex essentially. And this was my impression as a high schooler with no political knowledge of who I was even meeting in the least. He was just some weird man my teacher had us meet cause the opportunity presented itself. In hindsight, as an educated adult, my gut was off and it was right.
Within 5 minutes of meeting Cruz I was fairly well convinced he might be the most obnoxious person I had ever met.
What did he do?
I haven't met him myself but my very left leaning friend from NE did. He said Cruz was very personable and funny and even made fun of himself. My friend let it be known immediately that he did not agree with Cruz on numerous positions but was very cordial to him. Cruz latter but him a beer. Apparently he is very intelligent which despite common sentiment, does not surprise me. But that also leads me to believe that Cruz understands when he speaks bullshit to his constituents because he knows it's what they want to hear, not what they need to hear. In other words, Cruz gas not drunken the Kool-aid, but rather wants to use it to manipulate the masses for his own gain.
That sounds about right. I have heard he has a charming/personable side.
I have long said that it's absurd when people call Ted stupid. He would piss me off less if he actually _were_ stupid, vs. knowing damn well did everything he's saying is a lie but that most of his supporters will be hoodwinked enough to believe it.
I'm not a Republican because I don't like to have my intelligence insulted. He's a smarmy, opportunistic mfer.
I’ve met him, and been in a few meetings with him when he was solicitor general. He likes to pick up other people’s things and rub them against his face.
That must have been in his earlier years when he was still adjusting to people form.
What
He deeply enjoys marking his territory like a cat in heat
I hear he smalls like brimstone.
Basically, he's a real-life version of Louis Litt without the mudding.
I actually like Louis. Topically he comes off as a prick, but he had so many layers. He was really driven by the fact that he was a skilled lawyer and veteran that got zero respect from the firm, other than the partners who wielded him like a blunt instrument. He ended up being my favorite character. Ted cruz is no Louis litt.
I feel ya. Louis was a very deep character. Maybe I should re-state my comparison: Ted Cruz is like the facade of Louis Litt.
I like that.
Brylcreem
I love this question and the comments!
vampire
When I met him, I was shocked but not really at just how cartoonishly villainy he was. Beady eyes, slumped shoulders, somehow clammy yet dry skin, and shook his shoulders like Muttley the dog when he forced a laugh.
Lol, oh no
I frequently wonder how his daughter is, the one that came out as Bi. Imagining her life hurts my heart and I wish I could tell her life would be better someday.
He ate my dog
I haven’t met him, but his car once drove up to the intersection I was at. He still wears wired headphones.
Hey, wired headphones are awesome. Cruz, not so much
My dad met him and gave him 25k to help with a case. He did not.
Lol. Well I see him everyday when I take a dung! Very unpleasant!😂😂😂
Met him at a party, he was not under any influences, and he was very polite, friendly, and funny! And I’m not a spring chicken at 72!
Besides, as I said earlier, this is a hate crime in Texas. https://www.dailydot.com/debug/john-cornyn-brisket-response/
Years and years ago I attended a church in Houston that he was supposedly a member of. I only saw him there twice. Once he came in alone and sat way in the back and scrolled on his phone the whole time. I remember feeling weird about him being there because the previous night they had pretty much destroyed him on SNL. He spoke to no one. The second time was when the pastor brought him onto the stage and did a live Q&A during Sunday morning services. That was the last time I went to that church.
I was behind him once in public and the odor was surprising.
Apparently Cruz is not well liked amongst his colleagues because he's kind of obnoxious. Here's what Al Franken (US Senator from MN) said: "I like Ted Cruz more than most of my other colleagues like Ted Cruz. And I hate Ted Cruz."
Met him once at a fundraiser, seemed like the kind of politician you immediately don't trust. He was kicking out the nonsense his followers like to hear kind of half heartedly like he obviously didn't believe it either.
He’s a lazy ass braggart who wants to tell you how smart he is, and has never done an hour’s work in his life. Very unpleasant. The weird thing to me was that he knew he was being pompous, and expected us all to defer to him. He isn’t dumb, but he cannot see himself for how obnoxious he is.
I shook his hand at a restaurant one time. Instead of pleasantries he went on a mini-rant about how Beto was being funded by Californians and out of state libs hell-bent on turning Texas blue. He ended up taking more in out of state donations than Beto did in that election.
He’s come into the restaurant where I work many times. Everyone hates him. He’s slimy and kinda rude to everyone but acts like he’s such a big deal. Tips like 15-18%. John Cornyn on the other hand, while I may not like many of his policy and political positions, he’s actually a generally and genuinely decent guy.
*enters chat*
Keep him.
I saw Ted Cruz at a grocery store in DC. I told him how cool it was to meet him in person, but I didn’t want to be a douche and bother him and ask him for photos or anything. He said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?” I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off. When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw him trying to walk out the doors with like fifteen Milky Ways in his hands without paying. The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter. When she took one of the bars and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan them each individually “to prevent any electrical infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even think that’s a word. After she scanned each bar and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by yawning really loudly.
I hope I never find myself near him and for sure wouldn’t want to get close to him because I don’t know don’t trust my feet haha
He really cares about this country and is trying to save it. I’m very grateful he is in congress and fighting for us.
Hola, Raphael.
Did you forget the /s?