Senate Isolation Now Fuels Ted Cruz's Presidential Bid
The Texas senator's alienation with Congress is shared by many in the Republican Party's base.
Senator Ted Cruz speaks during the Values Voter Summit in Washington on Sept. 25, 2015.
Photographer: Drew Angerer/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Ted Cruz has never been more isolated in the Senate. And that isolation is fueling the Texan's “outsider” campaign for the presidency.
The latest indication came Monday night, when the Tea Party Republican sought a vote on scuttling Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's effort to fund the federal government with Planned Parenthood money intact.1443609409023 Cruz sought a “sufficient second” on his motion for a roll-call vote—a request that is routinely granted to members of both parties. For the second time this year, he was denied.