Ted Cruz Breaks Reagan's Rule in Iowa

Oct 26, 2013 12:33 PM EDT

The Tea Party darling whipped up supporters in the all-important election state of Iowa. David Catanese on why Ted Cruz is breaking Reagan's Rule.

Ted Cruz loves rekindling the story of Ronald Reagan as a political roadmap for Republican revitalization.

Except, that is, for the Gipper’s oft-cited 11th commandment.

Just ask Terry Branstad. Iowa’s longest-serving governor issued a pointed reminder to attendees of the party’s annual Ronald Reagan dinner Friday night to get back to heeding the 40th president’s much revered commandment designed to foster unity and comity: Speak no ill of other Republicans.

Minutes later, Ted Cruz -- the gala’s guest of honor who is capping his ninth month as a senator -- shamelessly did just that. And with vigor.

The Texas freshman claimed that the only reason he ultimately fell short in his quixotic quest to defund Obamacare, which spurred a 16-day government shutdown, was because his fellow Republicans couldn’t stomach the fight.

“Unfortunately a significant number of Senate Republicans chose not to unite and stand side by side with House Republicans,” Cruz told the gathering of 600 party regulars in a downtown convention hall. “Had we stood together, I’m convinced the outcome of this fight would be very, very different.”

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