“Every statement I’ve made is based on the facts.”
So said Ted Cruz during a recent appearance on Dan Patrick’s radio show, the same appearance where Ted famously lost his cool and all but accused the host of being part of a conspiracy to elect David Dewhurst.
But does Ted’s suggestion that “every statement” he’s made is “based on the facts” stand up to scrutiny? Not even close.
One of Ted Cruz’s most common accusations is that David Dewhurst supported an income tax for Texas. But the independent fact checker PolitiFact looked into that claim and gave it the worst possible rating, a “Pants on Fire” lie. PolitiFact concluded: “[T]he idea that Dewhurst has a record of promoting an income tax is so far from accurate, it’s ridiculous.”
Speaking of PolitiFact, they also looked into Ted Cruz’s claim that David Dewhurst has never cut spending, a claim they rated “False.” Most people know that — thanks in part to David Dewhurst’s leadership — the Texas state budget has been balanced five straight times without raising taxes, and David Dewhurst worked to secure billions of dollars in spending cuts to the most recent budget.
Ted Cruz also claims David Dewhurst killed legislation cracking down on sanctuary cities, despite the fact that David Dewhurst recommended adding sanctuary cities legislation to the special session last year.
The lie has become so widespread that other members of the Texas legislature are calling out Ted Cruz’s blatant disregard for the truth.
State Senator Tommy Williams said after a recent Supreme Court decision on Arizona’s immigration law that he was “proud to work side-by-side with Lt. Governor David Dewhurst and all my Republican colleagues in the Senate who attempted to put an end to sanctuary cities in Texas.”
State Senator Dan Patrick, responding to Ted Cruz’s accusation about Dewhurst killing sanctuary cities legislation, told Cruz that the Senate passed the bill, which then died in the House after sitting there for two weeks. “That was over in the House,” Patrick told Cruz. “If you want to complain about their leadership, complain about their leadership.” (Patrick also called out Cruz’s lie on sanctuary cities last month.)
And state Representative Debbie Riddle also pointed out — via her Facebook page — that Cruz’s claim is a lie, saying in reference to sanctuary cities legislation and the anti-groping TSA bill: “Dewhurst did NOT oppose those bills – I was there – that is wrong information!”
All of this begs an important question: Why is Ted Cruz lying?
As Dan Patrick told him recently: “Ted, you just don’t know what you’re talking about.”
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