Sen. Ted Cruz and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid opened the Senate's battle over defunding Obamacare with a tense but cordial tussle on the Senate floor Monday. Cruz, the Texas Republican who pushed the House GOP into adding defunding language to its bill to keep the government funded past Sept. 30, sought to blame Reid, and by extension Democrats, for causing a possible government shutdown come Oct. 1. And he did it after baiting Reid into objecting to two requests that would have favored Republicans in the debate. "Five minutes ago, the Senate could have acted to prevent a government shutdown," Cruz said after the interaction. And, he lamented, "there is a tendency in this town toward brinkmanship." Cruz offered two unanimous-consent requests — one to to clear the House-passed continuing resolution with its ban on Obamacare money intact and another to require any amendment votes to clear a 60-vote threshold. Reid objected to both, but not before noting that Cruz's stunt interrupted his afternoon schedule. (more…)
