Newt Gingrich, Vin Weber, Bob Walker and Conservative Opportunity Society (COS) members used House ‘special orders’ and a captive C-Span camera in the 1980’s to frustrate and ultimately take down House Speaker Jim Wright — and now Ted Cruz figured out a way to use the Senate chamber in a similar manner with C-Span2.
The idea? Simply conduct a faux filibuster in the Senate chamber and command live coverage on C-Span2 while the cable nets follow the action via split screen. Forget about the facts; forget about the reality the GOP doesn’t control the White House or the Senate; forget that ‘defunding’ Obamacare in the manner he sought is impossible.
Grandstanding in Washington? Ted Cruz took it to a new level, using a new method, and it worked from the standpoint of achieving his simple objective: getting big time attention. Harry Reid better figure out a procedural maneuver to prevent future hijackings of C-Span2, or the fake filibuster will be emulated.