Texas Sen. Ted Cruz couldn't have known the results of the CPAC straw poll before he wrote his keynote address he delivered here Saturday evening, but he could hardly have targeted his message better if he had. The poll results showed an overwhelmingly young and libertarian-leaning crowd, and Cruz spent much of the speech trying to take some credit for Rand Paul's popular filibuster against drone secrecy this month, which Cruz assisted.Cruz made drones and civil liberties the cornerstone of the speech, using the issue both to take a stand for something he believes in and to hammer President Obama. It played such a prominent role in his speech that one has to wonder if Paul, who won the straw poll just moments earlier, would resent Cruz's attempt to steal a bit of his thunder. Cruz also relished the opportunity to take a shot at Sen. John McCain, who sharply criticized Paul and Cruz's filibuster, calling them "wacko birds." “If standing for liberty and standing for the Constitution means you’re a wacko bird, then count me a proud wacko bird. I think there are more than a few other wacko birds gathered here today," he said to cheers.Continue Reading... … Read More
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