Rand Paul: Cruz 'Pretty Much Done For' in the Senate

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) unloaded on his colleague and rival for the presidential nomination yesterday by saying Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is “done for” in the upper chamber.

Paul’s comments to Fox radio came after Cruz tried to push a block on government funding earlier this week but couldn’t get a second from any of his colleagues to move to a roll-call vote.

Cruz also slammed Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on the Senate floor again. McConnell responded yesterday: “I try very hard to stay out of the presidential race, and I think that’s probably a good rule for me and I think I’ll continue that.”

Paul, though, noted that “Ted has chosen to make this really personal and chosen to call people dishonest in leadership and call them names, which really goes against the decorum and also against the rules of the Senate, and as a consequence he can’t get anything done legislatively.”

Cruz has introduced 18 standalone bills and a few dozen amendments this Congress, and all except two — dealing with Obamacare repeal — have no co-sponsors or just a handful.

“He is pretty much done for and stifled and it’s really because of personal relationships, or lack of personal relationships, and it is a problem,” Paul continued. “I approach things a little different, I am still just as hardcore in saying what we are doing , I just chose not to call people liars on the Senate floor and it’s just a matter of different perspectives on how best to get to the end result.”

Paul noted that he forced a vote on Planned Parenthood in August, “but I try not to make it personal and I think in not making it personal and understanding other people have different perspectives and really this is a democratic republic, you have to woo people, you can’t hit them over the head.”

Cruz was on Fox last night but didn’t respond to Paul’s comments.

“We need leadership that actually leads. Right now, both Senate and House leadership — they believe that we must surrender to Obama on everything,” Cruz said. “It’s why people are so frustrated.”