I'm sure this is one of those moments RNC Chair Reince Priebus was crying about following the CNBC Republican debate. Sen. Ted Cruz decided to use up all of his time whining about the nonexistent, so-called "liberal media' when asked about his desire to shut down the government rather than compromise on a budget deal by moderator Carl Quintanilla.
After he'd filibustered and used the time to grandstand and call the media and Democrats names, he was upset they didn't want to give him more time to finally answer their question.
Here's more from Real Clear Politics: Cruz Rips Press At CNBC Debate: "This Debate Illustrates Why We Can Not Trust The Media":
"Congressional Republicans, Democrats and the White House are about to strike a compromise that would raise the debt limit, prevent a government shutdown, and calm financial markets of the fear that a Washington crisis is on the way. Does your opposition to it show you're not the kind of problem-solver that American voters want?" CNBC anchor Carl Quintanilla asked the presidential candidate.
"Let me say something at the outset," the Senator from Texas said. "The questions asked in this debate illustrate why the American people don't trust the media."
"This is not a cage match. And you look at the questions -- Donald Trump, are you a comic book villain? Ben Carson, can you do math? John Kasich, will you insult two people over here? Marco Rubio, why don't you resign? Jeb Bush, why have your numbers fallen? How about talking about the substantive issues," Cruz said to commanding applause from the audience.
"Do we get credit for this one," Quintanilla asked Cruz?
"And Carl, I'm not finished yet. The contrast with the Democratic debate, where every thought and question from the media was, which of you is more handsome and why?" Cruz asked and then paused to cough.
"You have 30 seconds left to answer should you choose to do so," Quintanilla told the candidate.
"Let me be clear," Cruz said. "The men and women on this stage have more ideas, more experience, more common sense, than ever participant in the Democratic debate. That debate reflected a debate between the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks."
"Nobody believes that the moderators have any intention of voting in a Republican primary," Cruz said.
"The questions being asked shouldn't be trying to get people to tear into each other, it should be what are your substantive solutions to people at home," Cruz said before getting cut off.
"I asked you about the debt limit and got no answer," Quintanilla said.
"You want an answer to that question?" Cruz asked. "I'd be happy to answer your question."
Cruz was interrupted this time by John Harwood who said "we're moving on."
"Senator [Rand] Paul, I've got a question for you," Harwood said in his attempt to move on.
"So you don't actually want to hear the answer, John?" Cruz called out the anchor. "You don't want to hear the answer, you just want to incite insults."
"You used your time on something else," a dismissive Harwood said.
"You're not interested in an answer," Cruz scolded.
"I'm interested in an answer from Senator Paul," Harwood retorted.
Mission accomplished. Cruz avoids having to answer a tough question, and now he can scream media bias and has the talking heads over on Faux "news" more than happy to help him along with that meme for the night. Someone forgot to remind Cruz and the lot of them that the hacks over on CNBC are not the "liberal media," and the question asked by Quintanilla here was perfectly legitimate.
