For unto you is born this day...a Savior, which is Christ the Lord

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

As this year winds to a close, continuing to hope and pray for increased awakening throughout our land, we reflect and commemorate the most Holy significance of this day...the reason for the season.

AND it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David :) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. ~ Luke 2:1-14

On this day, we give thanks to God for a Savior, His only begotten Son...

GOD, who makest us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of thine only Son Jesus Christ; Grant that as we joyfully receive him for our Redeemer, so we may with sure confidence behold him when he shall come to be our Judge, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

It's recharge time, America! May we remain as vigilant in returning our nation to Christ as keeping watch for His redeeming return.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Related link: John 1:1-14

Season's Greetings: a Cruz family Christmas

Besides Star Wars chatter, there was another visual experience abuzz on Saturday (certainly in the SNL Iowa market). With over a million hits throughout the weekend, the premier conservative of the presidential race pulled off what may amount to the most brilliant campaign ad yet, adding the right balance of ire for libs, joy for conservatives, and the appropriate amount of yuletide cheer!

LOVE the disclaimer at the end! All in all, simply brilliant.

"If you are not completely satisfied with this collection of Cruz Christmas classics, you probably hate Christmas...and America."

"Oh, this is a good one!"

#CRUZ2016!

Related links: Ted Cruz’s Christmas ad parody racked up more than 1 million views over the weekend
The Liberal Christmas from Hell

RUSH: Why didn’t the question of 'Who we are?' ever come up before Obama moved into the White House?

Because it never was a question before the hate-America-first crowd came to power and installed their imperial One as payback for those of us who love America through thick and thin...

"Steve Inskeep interviewed Obama. First bite, we have question. “Mr. President, we are nearing the end of a year where the question of national identity, who we are, has been a part of one large event after another.” See? I mean, they’re even openly talking about it now: Who we are. “I made a list here, in fact. Gay marriage, the Black Lives Matter movement, immigration, the question of whether to admit Syrian refugees, the question of whether to admit Muslims. All of them in some sense touch on that question of who we are.

“What is the reason, what has caused that issue of who we are to come forward again and again and again at this moment in history?” Another way to ask this question: “Why didn’t any of this ever come up before you moved into the White House? What is it about you, Mr. Obama? What is it about you, Mr. President, that has made this whole question of ‘who we are’ become a question? Why all of a sudden is it a question, ‘who we are’?” I think the question answers itself if you phrase it that way."

(extended clip here)

...so when it's about nothing else but fundamentally transforming America, then it's blatantly obvious that there's no love for her or her people. And we've got another year left of this insurgent...

Related links: President Obama's Interview With NPR's Steve Inskeep - December 2015 (if you can stomach it!)
Obama Addresses the Bitter Clingers
I'm Amazed by How Few Understand Obama and the Movement He's Mobilized

This is what DELUSIONAL looks and sounds like...

"I’m proud of what the new Republican majority has accomplished in such a short time. We’re not only putting the Senate back to work, we’re putting it back to work on your side. Just like you asked. Just like we promised.” - Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)

As one talk show host so excellently put it this morning, "This is what delusional looks & sounds like."

Ryan gave away the store, and Cecil McTurtle capitalized on that failure with such a truly delusional address.

Breitbart: Democratic leaders are unanimous in declaring a complete victory over House Speaker Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and his close allies, who wrote the $1.1 trillion omnibus budget without asking House conservatives for any input — or even for some public objections to help their closed-door negotiations.

The Democrats’ victory, and Republican Ryan’s defeat, was garishly displayed when his omnibus got more Democratic votes in the House and in the Senate than it got Republican votes.

“I said I would not accept a lot of [conservative] ideological riders that were attached to a big budget deal,” President Barack Obama said Friday, at his end-of-year press conference. “And because of some terrific negotiations by the Democrats up on Capitol Hill and I think some pretty good work by our legislative staff here… it was a good win,” he said. “We met our goals,” he said.

In 2015, “we wanted to get rid of sequestration, we were able to do that,” gloated the Democrats’ leader in the Senate, Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV). “We wanted to make sure there is parity between defense and the middle class, we wanted to make sure that we kept these poison pills off the legislation… All three goals we had, we accomplished,” he said. Ryan’s omnibus deal “caps off a successful year for Senate Democrats,” he added.

“Well, if you would’ve told me this year that we’d be standing here celebrating the passage of an omnibus bill, with no poison pill riders, at higher [spending] levels above sequesters than even the president requested, I wouldn’t have believed it, but here we are,” Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer told reporters shortly after the $1.1 trillion omnibus bill was passed.

“Almost anything, the Republican leadership in the Senate achieved this year, they achieved on Democratic terms… Democrats had an amazingly good year,” he declared.

Related links: Democrats Gloat, List Conservative Policies They Stripped From Ryan’s Omnibus
Democrats Celebrate Christmas Early With Huge Victories In The Bipartisan Omnibus

I've also gotta agree with Rick Manning's assessment on Friday...

If the omnibus advances Republican priorities, the GOP officially died on Dec. 18, 2015. ...

When historians look back at the end of the GOP, and hopefully not also the final death throes of the republic, [this day] will be the day they mark as the one when the Grand Old Party lost its legitimacy to lead.

This is nothing short of one-party coalescence, as these congressional Christmas gifts continue to pile upon the coal and ash heap of our once vibrant republic.

Related links: Five Reasons The Omnibus Bill Is A Terrible Christmas Present To The American People
Republicans Didn't Oppose Obama's Budget Because They Don't See a Country in Crisis

May the Force be with you...

With all the Washington BS, I thought it might do some good to laugh a little on Star Wars Friday and ratchet down our collective blood pressure! So without further adieu...

We'll start with Bill Murray's classic from '78 to get the chuckles rollin'...

Then keeping in line with the blog, there was this brilliant little jewel created earlier this month, ala Trumpisms...

Related link: Rush Limbaugh: "Darth Trump" satirical video is "hilarious"

2conservatives made this very compelling unofficial campaign add a few days back...

"The Dark Side...The Jedi...they're REAL."

"The Force...it's calling to you...just let it in."

Now THAT sends a thrill up the leg! #CRUZ2016!

Finally, Steve Crowder released this hilarious Star Wars parody yesterday...

In a galaxy not too far away, social justice wars wage as Kylo Ren checks some privileges...

Ain't it the truth!

Be sure to recharge over the weekend with the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens movie, and we'll see ya back for battle next week.

Rubio MISSED omnibus vote! (Cruz, Paul voted AGAINST it)

Wow. That didn't take long. Look who didn't even bother to show up for the Senate vote on the Obama/Ryan omnibus budget-buster. Looks like somebody's tap dancing, huh? Who do you believe now, folks?

TheHill: Sen. Marco Rubio missed Friday’s Senate vote approving a massive $1.8 trillion end-of-the-year spending bill and tax package — a day after he suggested that he could try to slow the legislation down.

The Florida Republican, who is running for president, was the only 2016 contender to miss the vote, which is the Senate's final vote of the year.

Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), three other presidential candidates, all voted against the legislation. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a fourth GOP presidential candidate from the Senate, backed the bill.

Cruz announced his opposition to the legislation on Thursday, describing his vote as a “hell no.”

“This is what's wrong with the Washington Cartel,” he told "The John Fredericks Show." “Republican leadership has proven to be the most Democratic leaders we have ever seen. ...[This] does not honor the promises we made to the men and women who elected us.”

Frederick & Cruz's discussion about this beast of a bill and his "hell no" vote starts @ 3:16...

Rubio's missed vote comes after he suggested that he could use procedural tactics to try to slow down the legislation, which he said he opposed.

“We should use every procedural aspect that we have to slow it down and perhaps force some changes on these things we've been discussing,” Rubio told Fox News.

However, Democrats quickly pointed out that the time agreement on the votes clinched that the Florida Republican would miss his chance.

Rubio's campaign has previously defended his voting record, saying that he will show up in the Senate when he believes his vote could be a deciding factor.

The Florida Republican has missed more than half of the Senate's votes since October.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) declined to weigh in on Rubio's absence Friday, telling reporters he wouldn't comment on the presidential race.

Procedural tactics? Yeah, that was to run interference this entire week, while Ryan and McConnell fast-tracked this to Obama! What a huge disappointment and total RUBE Marco has become for the Washington establishment.

Senate roll call here.

Related links: Rubio: Not voting for the Omnibus was in essence a vote against it
The Republicans in Congress Are Surrendering to Obama
  Why I won’t support the latest last-minute $1.1 trillion spending bill.

ADDENDUM: Sen. Ted Cruz sent a stern message to Congress and the Nation following the passage of this monstrocity...

"What we’ve seen in Congress today is profoundly disappointing. This spending bill does not honor the promises we made to the men and women who elected us. It funds Obamacare. It funds Planned Parenthood. It funds executive amnesty. It fails to protect our national security and stop Syrian refugees from coming to this country. It fails to do anything to stop the Iranian Nuclear Deal. And what does it do? It jacks up yet more low-skilled immigration, which will only drag down wages, kill American jobs, and hurt working men and women.

This bill is the big-government agenda of Democrats that effectively forfeits our massive Republican victories of 2014 and cements Obama’s priorities for nearly the full remainder of his term. This is the Washington Cartel in action, and it’s precisely why the American people from coast-to-coast are so volcanically frustrated."

Related links: Faith leaders pick Ted Cruz 'the Fighter' over Marco Rubio 'the Communicator' as their presidential bet
TED CRUZ’S FOREIGN POLICY TRIUMPH
A Stark Choice: Ted Cruz’s Jacksonian Americanism vs. Marco Rubio’s Wilsonian Internationalism

The $1.14 TRILLION Omnibus fast-tracked through Ryan's House, onto McConnell's Senate, then Obama's desk

A one-week screwjob for the new year. The miscreants in Washington are taking fast-track to a whole new level. Having just agreed upon a backroom dealt omnibus on Tuesday in the cover of the GOP debate, Ryan's House Republicans along with Democrats have now passed a MASSIVE omnibus spending bill, which will be shuttled through McConnell's RINO Senate later today, then signed by Obama before they're out of Washington for the Christmas break. Merry Christmas? Happy New Year? Feels a lot more like a crooked middle finger.

AP: The House on Friday easily passed a $1.14 trillion spending bill to fund the government through next September, capping a peaceful end to a yearlong struggle over the budget, taxes, and Republican demands of President Barack Obama.

The 316-113 vote exceeded expectations and sent the legislation to the Senate for action later Friday. Senators planned to vote on the spending measure in combination with a year-end tax plan that would give breaks to working families and a wide variety of business interests.

With the series of votes, lawmakers were on track to conclude a surprisingly productive, bipartisan burst of late-session legislation in a divided Congress.

Obama has promised to sign the legislation, which includes many of the spending increases he has demanded all year.

'Republican demands'? Laughable. Just as much as the supposed 'breaks for working families'. We know that's got more to do with special interest. And foisting this increased debt onto future generations is called 'productive'. The Democrats gave Obama everything he wanted going in, and the Republicans are giving him everything going out. Where's the opposition to this post-American president? Not in this lot of losers.

House roll call here.

Related links: Paul Ryan Betrays America: $1.1 Trillion, 2,000-Plus Page Omnibus Bill Funds ‘Fundamental Transformation of America’
Paul Ryan Hands Everything Obama Wants in $1 Trillion Omnibus Bill – Including Funding Refugee Plan and CISA
House, Senate rush to send huge budget and tax deal to Obama
LEVIN: Young people should be FURIOUS with congressional sellouts!

ADDENDUM: via Friday's Mark Levin Show...

Today, the House and the Senate voted to destroy your children and grandchildren’s future with a massive omnibus spending bill and the Republicans got nothing in return because they are afraid of a government shutdown. The fear of default is not a valid concern as it has never happened during the 18 other shutdowns, but America is in danger of defaulting if we continue on this path of massive spending. Republican establishment types think that giving into Democrats will win them the Presidency. However, the way you win the Presidency is to stand up on principle.

Related link: “NO” ON $1.1 TRILLION OMNIBUS SPENDING BILL

Case Closed: Rubio ‘molded’ pathway to citizenship bill

"Let me try to make this simple, as a caller put it: Cruz opposed Gang of 8 bill, Rubio was one of its architects" ~ Mark Levin, 12/17/15

It really is this simple. And don't just take my word for it. Schmuck Schumer told the world as much in early November on CNN...

One of the members of the 2013 Senate “Gang of Eight” Senators, New York Democrat Chuck Schumer, gives the inside scoop on one of his fellow members who led the passage of the amnesty bill in the Senate, Republican Marco Rubio of Florida.

Schumer speaks in glowing terms of the efforts of Rubio on behalf of illegal alien squatters. He’s asked in an interview, “When you worked with him, how committed was Senator Rubio to getting this big bill through with a pathway to citizenship for eleven million 'undocumented'?

Schumer replies, “He was not only totally committed, he was in that room with us, with you know, four Democrats, four Republicans, some very conservative like Marco, some liberal, for hours a day, week after week after week. And in that room, he was smart, he was well prepared. He knew when to hold and when to fold. His fingerprints are all over that bill.”

He’s asked, “Did he resist the pathway to citizenship for the eleven million?”

Schumer responded, “No, he understood it, he molded it, he made it.

Case closed.

Related links: Candidate Marco Rubio in 2010: An 'Earned Path to Citizenship is Basically Code for Amnesty'
Did Rubio Lie to Mark Levin?
Ted Cruz didn’t propose legalization on the Gang of 8 bill
WATCH: Ted Cruz is out with a new TV ad called 'WIN'
Understanding the Cruz/Rubio dust-up (UPDATE)

ADDENDUM: Equally good to know, from Michelle Malkin...

Open-Borders Money Backs Marco Rubio

And on Friday, Levin acknowledged that, "Marco Rubio’s former stance on immigration and opposition to amnesty has not been mentioned once by any establishment Republican media or commentators. Rubio has adopted Chuck Schumer’s position on immigration; if he had stuck to his principles he would have been a great leader." Yep. Damn shame, because he's completely abandoned this reasoned thinking:

'Marco Rubio campaigned telling the people of Florida if you elect me, I will lead the fight against amnesty. But come 2013, we made very, very different decisions.'

Related link: Candidate Marco Rubio in 2010 An Earned Path to Citizenship is Basically Code for Amnesty

LEVIN: Young people should be FURIOUS with congressional sellouts!

Particularly that of the supposed opposition, who work right alongside this post-constitutional president...

CR: This week the Republicans in Congress, under the leadership of Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell, are set to pass a 2,009-page omnibus spending bill and a 233-page tax subsidy bill. $1.41 trillion has been appropriated for fiscal year 2016 by this Congress. The national debt is over $200 trillion.

The nation cannot survive like this. The national debt is an existential threat to the people of the United States. The short-sighted selfishness of Congress will rob the liberty of future generations.

On his radio program, Conservative Review Editor-in-Chief Mark Levin wanted to know how these Republicans can claim to be fiscal conservatives when they refuse to rein in spending. What are they doing about it?

On Thursday's Mark Levin Show, The Republicans have become handmaidens to President Obama through a massive omnibus spending bill that brings spending hikes across the board and brings in special interest tax breaks. Republicans and Paul Ryan didn’t even try to roll back EPA’s attack on the Industrial Revolution and Obama’s massive executive overreach. This omnibus spending bill will increase deficit by hundreds of billions of dollars. Debt obligations are real and even America can’t ignore them. Unfortunately, the Republican party is as gluttonous and insatiable as the Democrats, and is shutting down future generations (instead of the government) through their surrender of the power of the purse. Also, Donald Trump’s immigration plan has been trashed and considered to be radical, but that was Marco Rubio’s same position in 2010, which he has now changed. Leftists and their Republican cronies who are big spenders and support illegal immigration are called “compassionate”, while those who are against these policies are criticized and trashed.

Related links: Here’s what 'crap sandwich' of a spending & tax package Congress was assembling last night (UPDATES)
Budget deal increases federal deficit by hundreds of billions of dollars
As lawmakers clash over refugees, Syrian immigration quietly tops 100,000 since 2012
Congress Provides $1.6B to Resettle Illegal Immigrants Arriving at Border Through 2018
WH Praises Spending Deal With GOP Congress: 'We Succeeded'
Paul Ryan Builds Border Fence Around His Mansion, Doesn’t Fund Border Fence in Omnibus

Here’s what 'crap sandwich' of a spending & tax package Congress was assembling last night (UPDATES)

So, while we were all watching the final GOP debate of the year last night, you may or may not have noticed a ticker message flash across the screen pertaining to the following. This is what the party's congressional leaders were scheming behind the cover of the debate. Just like McConnell and Boehner Jr. to pull this kind of crap sandwich...

DailySignal: Congressional leaders announced the details of a $1.1-trillion spending bill to fund the government on Tuesday night. But with spending levels already predetermined, lawmakers were more concerned with what policy provisions were attached to the legislation.

The spending legislation will be introduced with a package renewing billions of dollars in tax breaks for businesses and low-income Americans. Text of the 2,009-page spending bill was released at 2 a.m. Wednesday; the separate 233-page tax-extenders bill was released just before midnight.

The result of the secretive negotiations is compromise, with both Republican leadership and Democrats claiming wins.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., are able to brag about at least some policy provisions included in the spending bill, most significantly measures ending a 40-year-old ban on oil exports and stopping what Republicans refer to as a “bailout” of Obamacare’s risk corridor program for health insurers.

But House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., were able to block most of the high-profile provisions conservatives sought.

The bill does not contain measures restricting the Syrian refugee program, ending funding for Obama’s executive actions on immigration, or defunding Planned Parenthood. Conservatives also opposed the price tag of the$1.149-trillion spending bill, which was set by the Bipartisan Budget Act last month.

A few thousand pages of legislation will be unveiled late tonight. At 10 a.m. tomorrow, leadership will ask us how we're voting. #Congress

— Justin Amash (@justinamash) December 16, 2015

Heritage Action for America chief executive Michael A. Needham said the package represents the most sweeping changes to tax policy since 2012.

“In fewer than 48 hours, lawmakers will likely be asked to vote on two massive bills that were negotiated behind closed doors over the past several weeks,” Needham said. “Heritage Action is reviewing both bills and will educate conservative constituents across the country on the policies buried in all 2,242 pages.”

Before his Oct. 30 departure, former House Speaker John Boehner helped negotiate the Bipartisan Budget Act with Obama that set spending levels above caps negotiated in 2011. Upon becoming speaker, Ryan has said he was left in a difficult position, referring to the spending bill as a “crap sandwich.”

Who's serving up the crap sandwich now, Paul?

Washington's idea of a Christmas present: a 2,009 page #omnibus that rips off the taxpayer. #nc03 #ncpol pic.twitter.com/hvyZbePKXc

— Rep. Walter Jones (@RepWalterJones) December 16, 2015

Democrats are celebrating that conservative policies were taken out of the omnibus spending bill and Paul Ryan is helping to pass this. ~ Mark Levin, 12/16/15

See, this is what compromise looks like when defeatists and quislings lead the opposition...

DailySignal: Democrats are claiming they scored significant policy victories in the omnibus spending bill.

Hours after the mammoth spending bill dropped, Democrats are counting their triumphs, outlining conservative policy riders and priorities that were not included in the final spending bill.

A top Democratic Senate aide summed it up in a single tweet. Adam Jentleson, Minority Leader Harry Reid’s deputy chief of staff, wrote:

In addition to nixing more than 150 GOP riders, the final agreement will secure major progressive policy successes. https://t.co/uATj5i9R8Q

— Adam Jentleson (@AJentleson) December 16, 2015

Reid credited Democrats for working to help craft a “good compromise.”

The omnibus deal isn’t perfect, but a good compromise for the American people. It could have been a lot worse if it weren’t for our efforts.

— Senator Harry Reid (@SenatorReid) December 16, 2015

Early Wednesday morning, the Democrats of the House Appropriations Committee released a summary detailing Republican provisions left out of the bill.

UPDATES: So here's our damn Christmas gift from Washington! The House approves a deceptive $622B tax plan; now on to the Omnibus BEAST. Wonder if Rubio will be voting for this one alongside Ryan? Then somehow blame that on Cruz too!

Illegal immigration is about to get a MASSIVE boost from Congress
Republicans in Congress are about to give illegal immigration a $1.6 TRILLION dollar boost through 2018!

Furthermore, here's 5 ways the Republican-passed budget COMPLETELY caved to Obama’s agenda!

1. They Took Our Jobs!! Quadruples Legal Immigration
2. Will Allow Obama To Bring In Tons of Syrian Refugees
3. Gives A BILLION DOLLARS To Mexico And Central American Nations
4. FULLY FUNDS Sanctuary Cities For Illegal Aliens
5. Funds Billions In Tax Credits For Illegal Aliens

TheRightScoop adds, "And people wonder why Americans are fed up and distrust anything that any politician says. How come we’re not hearing about any of this from the candidates? You would think all of this would have been perfect fodder at the debates, but it wasn’t mentioned ONCE!!!" The answer to that is that it was all closed-door, backroom dealt behind the cover of Tuesday night's debate and the surrounding controversies.

Damn right, it's time to get RAGEY! The GOP has betrayed us yet again.

Related link: House passes $622 billion in tax breaks

Understanding the Cruz/Rubio dust-up (UPDATE)

Well, for the press, it was back to let's get'em fightin'! But where their push was for a Trump/Cruz showdown, they ignored what most conservatives knew would produce the fireworks of the evening: Cruz vs. Rubio. 

Daaaang! Ted Cruz started a BAR BRAWL with Marco Rubio at the GOP Debate over the NSA!!
CRUZ MARCO ROUND TWO!! This time it’s personal…
BOOM! Ted Cruz: ISIS jihadis need to know when they join ISIS they are signing their death warrant!
Ted Cruz gets it RIGHT on dictators in the Middle East; Rubio tries to defend Libyan intervention

Related links: Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio brawled over national security, and it turned into a free-for-all
In Las Vegas Debate, a Rubio-Cruz Showdown Takes Center Stage
Cruz v. Rubio on Surveillance
Ted Cruz YouTube

Other mentionables (I'll get back to this in a moment to drive home another point):

Ted Cruz NAILS IT on why he disagrees with Donald Trump on Muslim ban
WHOA: Trump GOES BACK on calling Cruz a maniac, says he has the right temperament!

Related link: Ted Cruz has the Line of the Night during Fifth Republican Debate

Preceding the debate, Erick Erickson over at RedState notably gave even assessments on the positives of both Cruz and Rubio:

Here’s Why You Should Vote for … Ted Cruz
Here’s Why You Should Vote for … Marco Rubio

Related links: Winners and Losers in Tonight’s CNN/Salem Debate

But there's some pretty important understanding to last night's dust up between these two candidates, particularly in regards to accusation that the Rubio camp has been lobbing out there over the past few weeks concerning Cruz's immigration record. Alinsky tactics have been in full play on this.

TRS: This isn’t the first time we’ve reported this. But considering all the misinformation and nonsense being pushed by a lot of Rubio supporters who refuse to be intellectually honest about this, I decided to republish this.

This video is at the heart of the misinformation:

Amanda Carpenter, who used to work for Ted Cruz in the Senate, explains why Ted Cruz ‘proposed’ the legalization of illegals during the Gang of 8 bill, as you see in the video.

In short, it wasn’t that Cruz wanted to legalize illegals, but rather Cruz was brilliantly exposing how the Gang of 8 bill was all about a path to citizenship and not fixing the immigration system and border enforcement as the Gang of 8 would have had you believe.

Amanda Carpenter: "Can we talk about the Cruz/Rubio differences on immigration? I was there in the Senate when it all went down. I understand why the Rubio camp wants to say they have the same position, but it's blatantly false. There's nothing slippery about Cruz.

Ask yourself this: If Cruz had the same position on a path to citizenship, why would he try to kill Rubio's Gang of 8 bill?! Cruz took on an incredible amount of political risk working to stop amnesty. I was there. Everyone was against us. Cruz introduced amendments specifically designed to expose the fact that all the Gang of 8 cared about was a path to citizenship.

During debate, the Gang wanted everyone to think it was about fixing the system and border enforcement. No, it was about a path to citizenship. So Cruz said ok, here are some amendments that do everything EXCEPT a path to citizenship. And the Gang killed them exposing the big hoax. Cruz's work was essential in proving that the Gang bill was only about a path to citizenship. He was successful! And to say now that somehow his work killing the bill is somehow a sign of support for it is well...."slippery".

Lastly, if you question Cruz's dedication on stopping amnesty, look at his work to defund Obama's executive amnesty. Cruz and Lee demanded a vote on it, throwing the Senate into a rare Sat. session last December. Everyone in DC was FURIOUS."

Rubio folks should be intellectually honest about this and stop smearing Ted Cruz. It’s just dumb and tiresome.

Cruz stood with Jeff Sessions, while Rubio led the Dems' push for amnesty. It IS that simple.

Now, circling back to those previous mentionables, there's a reason behind some's bewilderment as to Cruz's soft approach with Trump while going after Rubio. This is as much about the game of politics as it is about the need to winnow the field...

RedState: Ted Cruz knows RedState. He sees Dan McLaughlin saying “Keep calm. It won’t be Trump.” He sees Erick Erickson saying the race will come down to Cruz v Rubio. So if these men are right, Cruz’s strategy now must prepare for the fight with Rubio, not a fight with Trump. Everything Ted Cruz has done over the last month comports with this reasoning.

Ted Cruz is doing everything he can to avoid a fight with Trump because he knows that will only sour Trump’s supporters on him. Leon Wolf think Cruz sounds weak, but to Trump’s masses of supporters, Cruz sounds like the only guy in the room who ‘gets it.’ Cruz sounds like someone who wants to Make DC Listen, rather than paper over the GOP’s and the country’s problems.

I admit, it’s frustrating seeing Cruz treat Trump like an irrelevant nothing to be petted on the head, his supporters ripe to be lured away, while he turns his sharpest political rhetoric against Marco Rubio. Like Cruz, Rubio is a long time friend of RedState, a speaker at the first Gathering. I would be thrilled to see either man be President. Seeing them in a rhetorical war with each other pains me.

But if it is to be Ted Cruz versus Marco Rubio, then each man must do what it takes to win. Ted Cruz is already so hated by the establishment, that he knows they will back Marco Rubio by default in order to defeat Cruz. He knows Rubio is a great public speaker, and will have the ability to win supporters with his charming appeals to the problems ordinary Americans face, and the solutions that conservative ideas provide. So Cruz has to get the votes any way he can, and that means find the people who are angry.

Cruz must find the people who are ready to light torches and march on Washington. There aren’t enough votes left among the other mainstream candidates in the race for Cruz to appeal only to them, and to win. So Cruz must break the Cordon Sanitaire that the Acela set wants to apply to Donald Trump and his supporters, and he must do the same to the wall the hawkish/PNAC wing of the party wants to build around Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and his supporters.

Ted Cruz wants to win. As American Majority trains conservatives across the country, if you want to run for office, count the votes it will take to win, then find a way to win those votes. Ted Cruz knows his best and perhaps only path to victory is to unite RedState-style conservatives, with the backers of Rand Paul and Donald Trump. It’s uncomfortable for some of us to watch, but we know Cruz and can deal with that. He needs to make people comfortable with him who otherwise might not be. That’s how you build a coalition and win an election.

The establishment routinely tells conservatives what we want to hear, in order to win our votes so they can achieve their ends. Ted Cruz is playing the same game, in order to fight back against them. It’s messy, but war is hell.

Hopefully, you can go back through, click on some of the links provided, and check out all the action for yourselves. But this should give a good indication of where this dust-up derived.

Related links: Rubio's foolishness
A Stark Choice: Ted Cruz’s Jacksonian Americanism vs. Marco Rubio’s Wilsonian Internationalism

ADDENDUM: Levin had a LOT to say about much of this today...

On Wednesday’s Mark Levin show, The person under attack today by neocons and phony conservatives is Ted Cruz and it’s because they fear him. They want anyone but a conservative or an outsider. Conservatives have had enough of the chorus of neocons, quasi, and newbie conservatives attacking Cruz. RINO Republicans are the ones responsible for delivering elections to President Obama by jumping on the Mitt Romney and John McCain bandwagon. Also, America doesn’t need to be involved in every single civil war in the Middle East. America doesn’t have the ability to change the world and can’t change backward societies. What we need is Reagan’s foreign policy, a policy of prudence instead of another “Pickett’s Charge”. ... Later, the NSA metadata program is illegal and violates the Patriot Act. It is not authorized by Federal law and should not be allowed unless approved by Congress. What law enforcement needs to do is legally profile.

Related links: Smearing Ted Cruz as an isolationist is absurd
Setting the Record Straight on the USA Freedom Act
Republican leaders should worry about themselves, not Trump
Feud between Rubio and Cruz rages on

Also, Amanda Carpenter wrote a great piece Thursday morning asking, 'Who To Believe? Rubio or Cruz?' providing more detail about Cruz’s opposition to the Gang of 8 bill and his subsequent amendment offered that Rubio and crew are trying to deceive people about (h/t: TheRightScoop)...

Marco Rubio supported a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants; that is known. And Rubio is now seeking to undermine Ted Cruz’s credibility on immigration issues by saying Cruz supports a path to legalization for illegal immigrants.

So, who to believe? Rubio, whose campaign is working hard to knock holes in Cruz’s record, or the record of the man himself?

At the top level, this much should be clear to anyone. Rubio’s Gang of Eight legislation, which included a path to citizenship and was supported by many Democrats, the White House, and moderate Republicans, was defeated. Why? Because Ted Cruz and others, such as Jeff Sessions, Mike Lee, and a vast array of conservative activists worked together to expose the fact that it was an amnesty bill and kill it.

Rubio was for it, Cruz was against it.

People forget that the Gang of Eight bill contained both legalization and a path to citizenship. The key to taking down the bill was to demonstrate it would provide citizenship to millions of illegal aliens. Which also took down the path to legalization that Rubio claims Cruz wanted all along.

In the course of killing the bill, Cruz proposed a series of amendments in committee designed to make clear the legislation did contain a path to citizenship, which many supporters of the legislation did not want to admit.

What Carpenter points out is that Cruz didn’t propose 'legalization' because it was ALREADY IN THE BILL! His amendment merely stripped out the path to citizenship, and Rubio's Gang of 8 would have none of that, thus revealing what the Florida Senator was actually pushing.

Related links: C’mon conservatives, stop smearing Ted Cruz on his immigration stance!
CRUZ: PERMANENTLY BLOCK ILLEGALS FROM WELFARE (5/9/13)

UPDATE: via TRS...

Ted Cruz talked to the press today explaining his poison pill strategy from 2013, saying that what is going on now is the establishment striking back against him because he helped stop them from getting the amnesty they wanted.

He also pointed out that both he and Marco Rubio promised voters that if they were elected they would lead the fight against amnesty when they got to Washington. But come 2013, he said, the both made very different decisions. Yeah, that’s putting it mildly.

Related links: Jeff Sessions: Ted Cruz stood with ME against Gang of 8 bill
Jack Welch: ‘Ted Cruz Is Speaking the Truth’

A time for truth: Conservatives seeing the light on Trump, the path for Cruz

It's interesting that this occurs a mere week after Steve Deace's truth bomb. Nonetheless, are conservatives finally starting to see the light on who Donald Trump really is?

Limbaugh called it a "huge mistake" and a "red flag" for conservatives...

Related link: Rush Limbaugh: Trump’s un-conservative attack on Ted Cruz raised a red flag for me

Levin says Trump "really screwed up" on Scalia, Cruz and Ethanol, saying that anyone even ‘moderately conservative’ disagrees with him...

Related links: Levin: Trump ‘Really Screwed Up’ On Scalia, Cruz, Ethanol, Anyone ‘Moderately Conservative’ Disagrees With Him
Rove-Stupid: WTF? Donald Trump Goes Full Establishment Against Cruz, Scalia, More

Backing up Levin's assessment, Beck flashbacked to a 2011 discussion from Levin to remind viewers of Trump's past campaign contributions...

FoxNews, who really cares little for either of these men, took note last night as well, comically dubbing it the 'end of the bromance'...

So again, are conservatives starting to see the light on Trump? Michael Yaffee explores this question...

Upon that realization, it can equally be asked if conservatives are finally seeing more clearly on Cruz's path?

TRS: For the first time, Ted Cruz is now #1 in the USA Today political power rankings, with their experts saying they now see that he has a clear path to win the nomination:

It's a time for truth, folks. Let's get this right.

Related links: DARTH TRUMP
Ted Cruz: The Force Awakens