Senator Ted Cruz so far has run a very smart and efficient campaign. He's raised a ton of money, has the right wing AM talk radio hosts solidly in his camp and has leeched onto other Republican candidates ideas, (like Trump's) so that he can cultivate good will from their voters, so later he could siphon of their support.

But in the midst of a birther controversy that has been gaining national traction, Cruz slipped up badly. He actually attacked the state of New York, the home of our worst terrorist attack:

“Well, look, I think he may shift in his new rallies to play ‘New York, New York’ because Donald comes from New York and he embodies New York values,” Cruz said, referring to the famous Frank Sinatra song.

The Texas senator went on to say that Trump seemed “rattled” by his rising stature in the race. He added that Trump had been “unloading at every stop with direct attacks.” Cruz said he did not “intend to respond or reciprocate.”

I guess strength, loyalty and courage aren't values that Cruz admires very much. Ted's slimy attack against "New York values," was about as idiotic a political move as I've ever seen, especially from a smooth operator like the Texas Senator. It shows how isolated and insular Ted Cruz' world is that he thought going after the state that was ground zero for the 9/11 attacks was a great character attack on Donald Trump. I was very upset by those words and so was Rep. Peter King.

"Memo to Ted Cruz: New York Values are the heroes of 9/11; the cops who fight terror; and the people you ask for campaign donations. Go back under a rock," King said in a statement to CNN Thursday.

This gave Donald Trump the motivation to score the biggest takedown of the Fox Business debate last night and one that made Sen. Cruz look like a puppy that had his nose smacked with a newspaper for peeing on your bed.

Following that Trump scolding, (see video here) The NY Daily News' front page cover carried the thoughts and feelings of every New Yorker after Cruz uttered those moronic words.

Today's @NYDailyNews Cover: There's just no 'value' to @tedcruz's criticism of ‘NY Values' https://t.co/upgX5wyRf4 pic.twitter.com/mCisWP1nZ1

— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) January 15, 2016