and why does he leave ted cruz's name out when he means ted cruz? >> that's usual as the you know.awrence. senate protocol. the reception for senator cruz in republican lunches has been unruly and hostile over the past few weeks. thing. senator cruz, taking a lower profile. may have went too far with public rhetoric. he hasn't been playing so much inside game in the last week. >> mark mckinnon. this third party threat is a dream come true for the democrats. is there anything the democrats can do to somehow encourage this third party movement by the tea party? i think already, lawrence. a lot of people in the republican party. we have to burn it down. start all over. starting a different party would be part of the long term solution. obviously a short term game for democrats. a huge rift in the party. certainly doesn't reflect what we are hearing from no labels constituencies outside of washington. that want our leaders to work together. 50, no labels, representatives from the problem solvers caucus. showed up. half democrat, half republican. got to engage and talk to one another. t

and then now with the ted cruz shutdown, he decided to go right along with ted cruz, but wasn't a leader't get any credit. just looks like a coward. so if the party does by some miracle go in a direction of wanting to be a governing party again, they're not going to look to marco rubio. they're going to look to someone like chris christie. if they go in the direction of anilism and sanity, which is the direction they're headed in currently, they're going to look to ted cruz so marco rubio is nowhere in this conversation. >> ted, let's talk about senator rabid paul for a moment. here's what politico says about the kentucky republican and likely 2016 contender. has defendantly maneuvered the past several weeks of shutdown politics, toeing the conservative line without alienating the rest of the party. so is it possible that ted cruz has cleared a place at the 2016 table for a kinder, maybe jebt gentler wacko bird? >> i think paul did a nice job of sort of drafting behind cruz on this. cruz made himself the front man of this fight. and honestly, you know, you get out in republican america a

ted cruz is all about ted cruz right now.e's doing -- >> what are most politicians really about? 99%. >> you call them politicians, i would refer them to be elected officials. >> right. >> they forget that you're supposed to have the dual brain. if you're going to lead then you have to govern. and ted cruz is not about governing right now. he's about getting in the leadership position so he can set himself up for 2016. it may be fine for him and the people who like him but not the country. the point about ted cruz is, he's made obama care his great bet he's going to go after. his instincts might be right that obama care is potentially a disaster for the democrats and the president. the system simply didn't seem to work very well. >> i agree with him on that. >> throughout this nonsense of the last two weeks have hit on the great vulnerability. >> i am not saying that he is wrong on a lot of these issues. it's the way that he's gone about doing it they disagree with. however, that said, i know a lot of people in texas who abso

ted cruz is all about ted cruz right now.ng -- >> what are most politicians really about? 99%. >> you call them politicians, i would refer them to be elected officials. >> right. >> they forget that you're supposed to have the dual brain. if you're going to lead then you have to govern. and ted cruz is not about governing right now. he's about getting in the leadership position so he can set himself up for 2016. it may be fine for him and the people who like him but not the country. the point about ted cruz is, he's made obama care his great bet he's going to go after. his instincts might be right that obama care is potentially a disaster for the democrats and the president. the system simply didn't seem to work very well. >> i agree with him on that. >> throughout this nonsense of the last two weeks have hit on the great vulnerability. >> i am not saying that he is wrong on a lot of these issues. it's the way that he's gone about doing it they disagree with. however, that said, i know a lot of people in texas who absolutely

before ted cruz was ted cruz.nt, republicans couldn't win anything. so it doesn't matter if we went to extremes because we weren't going to win anyway. but then ronald reagan came along. we became a majority party. and what did helms do? he didn't cut the republican party's knees off. he pitched in in a positive direction to get stuff done and grow the republican brand. that's a lesson i think our party needs to learn. we're competing for leadership here and what may feel good in the base doesn't always help us achieve the things we want to achieve electorally. >> so that's a nice way of saying ted cruz is hurting the party. >> well, he's got to learn the difference between standing for principle and standing in front of a train. and this has hurt, i think, the republican brand in a -- you know, the republican brand, whether you like it or not, is the political expression of conservative principle. and you can't sacrifice your political gains just for purity. we love -- we think as republicans we're a party of pri

i think you can make a strong argument that ted cruz is doing is deeply unconstitutional, whether a courtept that or say it's a political question is a question. cruz ought to look into the constitution and his heard and say what would he do? >> bill richardson, you sat down with some of the most evil tyrants in the history and not putting ted cruz or boehner or the president in that, but there seems to be a problem here in the ability of the key players in this particular debacle to sit around a negotiating table and get things done. what is the problem, and from all of your experience and as detailed in your book, how do we get through this? >> i suggest add mediator but it's too late now. we're on the brink of a major decision, a catastrophic decision if we don't take action. here is what i would do. i would test ted cruz with a vote. i would test -- john boehner can test his own members. i think the key player is john boehner. he can go tomorrow to the caucus after the senate presumely a passes a bill, possibly over riding ted cruz in a filibuster and say look, i have achieved the goa

but ted cruz's, he's at minus 14. the tea party movement, it's at minus 26. 's at minus 29. senator cruz may be the best thing since sliced bread to the tea party folks, but the real surprise, democrats are also loving him these days. joining me now are dana milbank and maria teresa kumar. thank you for coming on the show. dana, your column this week is titled, quote, the cruz afiction of the gop. you write the standoff has been a political blood bath for republicans and maybe that's exactly what was needed to right the political system. what do you mean by that? >> well, look. ted cruz did something very good for ted cruz and very bad for the republican party. and for that matter, for the conservative movement now you showed him being under water with that negative 14, the reason it's not much lower than that is not enough people know him yet. the more he's getting known to the american public, the more negative his numbers become. so he became the de facto leader of this shutdown, this -- and it was chiropractor clear from the beginning that it would be a di

nothing to do with ted cruz or the republicans. in fact, lay it at the house of the white house, it's their fault. >> no, look, it's absurd and there is very few awe mer cans that believe the story this is the president's fault. john boehner could open the government by passing the clean senate c.r. tonight marsha is talking about the debt and long-term deal and we agree on that. we should negotiate that. two weeks ago it had nothing to do with negotiations of the debt. it was about repeal of the obama care. >> the continuing resolution -- >> every day the republicans have realized their position is increasingly untenable and they have changed their position. so even if the president were in -- you know, even if the president had any about pi to control the republicans in the house of representatives, which, by the way, the speaker of the house doesn't have, even if the president could control the house of representatives, what would he negotiate on? >> i got to leave it there. jim heinz and marsha blackburn, thank you. >> thank yo

nothing to do with ted cruz or the republicans. in fact, lay it at the house of the white house, it's their fault. >> no, look, it's absurd and there is very few awe mer cans that believe the story this is the president's fault. john boehner could open the government by passing the clean senate c.r. tonight marsha is talking about the debt and long-term deal and we agree on that. we should negotiate that. two weeks ago it had nothing to do with negotiations of the debt. it was about repeal of the obama care. >> the continuing resolution -- >> every day the republicans have realized their position is increasingly untenable and they have changed their position. so even if the president were in -- you know, even if the president had any about pi to control the republicans in the house of representatives, which, by the way, the speaker of the house doesn't have, even if the president could control the house of representatives, what would he negotiate on? >> i got to leave it there. jim heinz and marsha blackburn, thank you. >> thank yo

the national debate over the harms of obama care. >> there is one other republican who cheered on ted cruz. >> i just want to remind president obama mike lee and ted -- mike lee and ted cruz, they did run for election and they did win. and they campaigned on getting rid of obama care so they went to washington and they did exactly what they were elected to do. the people that elected mike lee and ted cruz are very happy. >> joining me now, i want to read what ted cruz told you about shutting down the government. on restoring jobs and economic growth. that will remain my focus and it hoped it would be the focus of the house republicans and senate republicans joined together and united. it is just astonishing the things he says about other republicans. >> i don't think that civil war is ready to end at all. when i sat down with senator mcconnel who said he would like to have the shut downs end but when i spoke to senator cruz the next day, he wants to continue to fight into january and february. >> i tend to be on the side of numbers and in this case i think the numbers have clearly demonstr

ted cruz is not looking to govern. he is looking to tear asunder and kneecap those who are trying to govern. and he certainly has said some outrageous things about the president of the united states. this is someone who voted against confirming the secretary of defense, the secretary of treasury, the secretary of state, who voted against the farm bill and has turned around and manipulated those votes and said the president is abusing his power. it's shocking. >> i think it's important to note that i went back and read cruz's senior thesis at princeton. he has been concerned about the role of the president way back to his college years. i'm completely anti-castro. so i'm with him 100% on castro. i just don't think castro has anything to do with president obama. >> i grew up in cuba under a strong military oppressive dictatorship. i think the most ominous words i have heard were the last when our president said if congress does not act, i will act unilaterally. not much different than that or the trend that i left behind

ted cruz is all about ted cruz. >> let me go here now.ow many republicans say they think they're winning here, like him, despite all the polls show americans blame the republicans for the shutdown. and all the fighting going on right now. phil gingrey said quote, there's some pain and suffering but i don't think that compares one bit to the pain and suffering of obama care. he's michele bachmann on fox this week. let's watch her in action. >> i think we will continue to hold on. ultimately the republicans are the conservatives that are going to work together to make sure that we can push back obama care. we're really very energized today. we're strong. this is about the happiest i've seen members in a long time. because we see that we're starting to win this dialogue on a national level. >> what do you make -- you're laughing. what is this? it's like a subjective therapy they're going through. if we fight this law, we're going to somehow become stronger people and that's made it worth it to the country? >> remember, michele bachmann thoug

ted cruz is taking the stage.y his speech for you, actually we'll stay with it right now because ted cruz the republican senator from texas who has been instrumental in republican efforts over the last several weeks in the shutdown he is about to speak to the people in this audience, a socially conservative audience, talking about fighting against same-sex marriage and abortion. listen to senator cruz. >> with us for you, who can you against you?! >> thank you. i received that blessing. >> amen! >> and let me say to each and every one of you, i am inspired by you. >> we're inspired by you! >> i am invigorated by your passion for this great country! now as inspired as i am, i will do my very best to speak for less than 21 hours. >> we're glad you did! >> but you will know i'm near wrapping up when i begin to read "the cat in the hat." i am here with a word of encouragement and excitation. these are extraordinary time. the challenges facing this country are unlike any we've ever seep. you look at our constitution, y

he calls ted cruz a fraud more than once. i don't know if you remember anything quite like this within a party of this kind of attack ing it's just beens a stonicing to me. >> i remember some of this but it always happened within the democratic party. but what is really striking is that if the collection that steve smith suggests, you're going to need a lot more of the non-right wing republicans. they have been incredibly timt they were two of the only people willing to say hold on this is a really bad strady. that they just hang back and are silent. and they cannot let themselves get intimidated any more. the cost of what's when you don't stand up and say this is dumb. >> very good to be with you. >> coming up, the tea party wants you to know that when they yell racist chants and call him a muslim it's not that they're racist. they just want a white president. that's why you take charge of your future. your retirement. ♪ ameriprise advisors can help you like they've helped millions of others. listening, planning, working one

ted cruz was one of the headliners today. ted cruz gets hammered in this poll. >> yeah. you know, andrea, his favorable, unfavorable, people have a positive view versus negative view, far more people have a negative view. here is one thing i say about ted cruz. people say he could never win a general election for president. my argument is ted cruz would probably worry about winning a general election, he'd take that because it would mean he would be the presidential nominee. i don't think what he's done strategically has helped his party any way, shape, or form. i do think he's slidified himself as the one true tea party figure who may run for president in 2016. i don't know that's a recipe for the presidential nomination but i certainly don't think he's someone you could dismiss certainly as a factor in that race. >> there were interruptions at the value summit by protesters in favor of immigration reform. despite interruptions, he was certainly the star of the show. lets watch. >> senator cruz, why won't you support a pathway to citizenship for every family. >> thank y

senator ted cruz the most c conservative in the party. ong a group of senators at the white house meeting with the president in negotiations over the government shutdown and the debt ceiling. plus, the desperate search for an aus autistic boy missing more than a week after running out of school with no one at the school noticing. actress holly robinson peete, the mother of an autistic child why join us live. >>> outrage, the girl shot by the taliban is not awarded the peace prize. her reaction is our "news nation" gut check. >> hi, everyone, i'm tamron hall. following new reaction to the

and that one man was ted cruz. and ted cruz came out into the hall outside the senate after the deal in the senate side had been announced. and far from seeming cowed. far from seeming defeated, he seemed empowered. and within the ranks, perhaps dwindling, but within the ranks of the tea party, he's a new hero. he may be the emperor of a dwindling kingdom, but he is out there taking it to the grassroots from now until the end of the new year. >> does he still have the power to ignite government terrorism? can he terrorize members of congress and say all i have to do is point my finger at you and threaten you with a primary opponent and you'll do what i tell you to do? >> no. i think not. i know he's going to be out there for the next couple month, and i agree we're going to be facing similar scenarios in january and february, but i got a sense that the senate as a whole is going to surround ted cruz. and they're going to say either you play ball to some extent or we're all going to come after you. that's sort of wh

ted cruz is despised. they feel ted cruz has broken all sorts of protocol. he has undue influence with a certain group of members in the conference. he's basically just caused them to lose all negotiating power they had. imagine if this played out the way boehner wanted it. they had never shutdown the country and more than likely would have gotten something to show for it. instead, they have absolutely nothing. i think mcconnell and boehner are still on the same page a lot of the times. there was sort of this schism last week when mcconnell and reid started their talks. they didn't keep the house gop in the fold. paul ryan spoke out against that saying it was poor. but they know what his mind is going. so i think if anything to look forward, it's this relationship cruz has within the conference and at what point do the gop leadership and the more established guys really try and put that out. as of right now, they're just angry. they don't want to deal with him anymore. it's a relationship that has definitely been poisoned. it'll be fascinating to see how it

as long as we're talking about ted cruz, that is going to win the day for democrats. >> but even when you see, james, republicans try to take cruz on, there's the backlash from these far right wingers. for example, an established figure like jeb bush, he criticized ted cruz for his efforts to defund health care. listen to this. >> have a little bit of self-restraint. it might actually be a politically better approach to see the massive dysfunction, but we don't even hear about that because we've stepped on that message. and i think republicans need to just take a step back and allow, show a little self-restraint and let this happen more organically. >> but almost immediately, glenn beck took offense at jeb bush's attacks on ted cruz. listen to this. >> if you guys would not have been shooting at ted cruz, you could have been showing the world how bad it was. and if i just may point out that maybe it's time to stop listening to the bushs. are we really going to go down the jeb bush road now? is that where we're going to we went down the george h.w. road and now the jeb bush road? >> is

>> are there any future dates for senator ted cruz in iowa? >> not yet. he will speak tonight. he will hunt some pheasant with revisited of king tomorrow. and he's also speaking at a fundraiser for representative king, so it is a two-day visit for him. >> jennifer jacobs, covering all it takes for the des moines register. you can reach her at the des moines register.com and also follow her on twitter. thanks for the update. we will give thanks here in a minute and then settle in and get ready for a great night. thanks. >> c-span live tonight from iowa, the state republican party reagan dinner here in des moines. introductions still need to be are making their way to their tables. senator ted cruz of texas, his third visit to iowa in three months. we also expect to hear from iowa governor terry branstad. we saw him enter the room just a minute ago, as well as senator chuck grassley. he is also in the audience tonight. senator ted cruz is excited to talk about the government shutdown, other issues facing the country and the republican party. the

there is anyone who can shut down ted cruz. ♪ >> can you make some sense of the week that just was?> there are no winners here. >> thank god. >> john boehner, you know the orange guy? >> mitch mcconnell says -- >> a government shutdown is off the table. >> those who can't stand strong, heck yeah, they've got to be primaried. >> people kept saying congress was acting like a bunch of kids. >> it was a fool's errand. that's why some of us became so angry. >> some think they can control the republican party. >> are you referring to heritage? >> of course i am. >> this was seen as the ted cruz shutdown. >> really strong language. from your own fellow republican senators. >> there is an old saying that politics -- >> ted cruz is doing a fabulous job of being ted cruz down the field. >> i'm not serving office because i desperately needed 99 new friends. >> this is a fight that's going to continue. >> i would do anything to stop

support and a few other very, very conservative senators in the senate, ted cruz you see him right there gloria borger was watching all of this with us. now we have to figure out, does the vote come up in the senate right away? >> right. >> now that cruz says he won't block it? will others try to block it, mike lee of utah, for example? >> i think they kind of come together. >> i assume they've all worked together. then what happens. the house and the speaker allows what may pass in the senate to come up for a yea or nay vote in the house. >> we have to presume it passes in the house, that there are now enough republicans who would join with democrats to get this done. i think ted cruz's decision was kind of one of the last issues regarding the timing of this because he could have held this up for as much as 30 hours. and it's clear that he's decided not to do that, whether there was pressure put upon him from leadership or whether he thought for his own political reasons that this has been such a disaster for the republican party as a whole that he may have decided to back off and just

ted cruz is the unvarnished, unclothed version of it.arl's point is that will never sell to the country as a whole. >> go ahead. >> i'm onnot sure tea party sees it as a problem. depends what the ambitions of the tea party are. i remember in 2009 going to missouri and enter veeg tea party when it was starting. it was local. they wanted to control local party. when you see those that signed the suicide letter, what they are concerned about is how things run in their district. i think they are happy to gum up the system and give a kick to the establishment. i'm not necessarily sure they are thinking we need to have a national platform to take over politics and policy. >> i've got to ask you, it's a mitch mcconnell question. therefore i must ask you. the senate conservatives fund endorsed matt bevin, mcconnell's challenger from the right. if she's right and they don't have national, why kneecap the guy bringing everyone together and getting a deal. >> bunch of forces, the local people that sprang up on their own at the beginning of the tea

the person of ted cruz.cans will consider him their best surrogate and we consider him our best surrogate, too. whether every he goes though, i think he's a political liableily for all republicans. is that true? kind of like a bad guy? is he won of those pariah that hurts you as a senator? hurts other senators? >> he was in virginia last week in a governor's race and ken cuccinelli, who earlier in the campaign, said we needed more senators like ted cruz, wouldn't even get on the stage with him. i think that says it all. >> what do you think cruz said to that? he shows up for the guy, travels there, gives him his weekend, but he doesn't want to stand next to him. does he just say, i know i'm hated? how does he absorb that information in bhen they thought about it, don't be seen with this guy. >> you can't see the poll is wrong if you see a dpi running away from you. but i think it's a mistake and obviously, ted cruz is becoming more unpopular. gallup shows he's become better known at all of that new notoriety

at the pharmacy counter. >>> ted cruz is backing down. remember this ted cruz? the house of representatives stand strong, listen to the people, and stand strong against obama care. sadly as you just noted, what we then saw was senate republicans not unite but be divided. if senate republicans had united and supported house republicans, supported the american people, we could have had a very different outcome. >> that was ted cruz talking two weeks ago. actually while congress was still voting to open the government, raise the debt ceiling, and yes, continue funding the affordable care act to. day politico reporting that ted cruz is backing down and promised his fellow republican senators he will stop attacking them. according to politico, ted cruz attended a closed door lunch meeting with senate republicans where he told them he won't engage in the senate conservative fund's hardball tactics to defeat his colleagues. the freshman conservative told his colleagues he would not intervene in their 2014 primary fights or fund raise for the controversial outside group