21小時的演講—美國參議員泰德·克魯茲剛剛完成這一壯舉。
這位共和黨人週二下午開始,近一天后才停止。
這不是一次會議妨礙行為,參議員克魯茲並沒有阻撓投票。
他幫助參議院討論一些他和其他一些國會成員認為至關重要的事情。
在這個國家,美國人民因為奧巴馬醫改苦不堪言。
奧巴馬醫根本不起作用。
然而,從根本上講,這一體系中有的政客不聽取別人的意見。
規則允許一位元參議員採納沒有放棄權利同僚的提問。
參議員克魯茲就是這樣。
規則沒有講明你要談論什麼。
而在他的一部分時間裡,參議員克魯茲給他在家中觀看電視的孩子們講了一個睡前故事。
我不喜歡他們上躥下跳,我不喜歡他們出現在任何地方。
我不喜歡綠雞蛋和火腿。
參議員克魯茲的馬拉松努力了引來了很多關注,但他的一些同僚質疑這一點。
我們都對於這位德克薩斯州議員的演講感到欽佩。
但無意冒犯,但我不確定自己瞭解了新的進展。
所以,他為什麼這樣做?達納·巴什會探究其中原因及反應。
泰德·克魯茲抓住了參議院,並發誓不讓離去。
我打算談論支持奧巴馬醫改取消直到我的身體忍受不下去。
可以肯定的是這是劇場效應,克魯茲完全承認他利用參議院這個舞臺直接向他的聽眾們發言—保守的草根人士去年讓他的茶黨心煩意亂。
憤怒在哪裡?
參議員在哪裡站著這樣談話,年輕人因為我們的所作所為被拒絕一次美國夢的公平機會多麼諷刺,因為奧巴馬醫改?
克魯茲的談話秀正是反對他策略的共和黨領導試圖躲避的。
事實上,甚至就在克魯茲開始的時候,共和黨領導人在幾英尺之外告訴記者,力勸他放棄他們考慮的這一繁雜徒勞無功的工作。
就程式上的原因而言,克魯茲反對的是他支持的法案,政府融資，取消奧巴馬醫改。
如果你並不清楚,這正是許多擔心的共和黨人為之惱火之處。
實際上,他說的事實是你不站在他一邊,意味著這是一如既往的華盛頓。
他說的有道理嗎?
嗯,看看。我認為我們都很難解釋為什麼我們反對一項自己贊成的議案。
克魯茲將取消奧巴馬醫改法案變成一定通過議案的焦土策略讓許多共和黨人認為如果這導致政府關門,他們都會惹火上身。
21 straight hours of talking-U.S. Senator Ted Cruz just did that.
The Republican started Tuesday afternoon and didn't stop for nearly a day.
It wasn't a filibuster, Senator Cruz wasn't blocking a vote.
He helped the Senate floor to discuss something he and some other members of Congress think is crucially important.
All across this country, Americans are suffering because of Obamacare.
Obamacare isn't working.
And yet, fundamentally, there are politicians in this body who are not listening to the people.
The rules allow a senator to take questions from colleagues without giving up the floor.
Senator Cruz did that.
The rules don't say what you have to talk about.
And during part of his time, Senator Cruz read his kids who were watching at home, a bedtime story.
I do not like them here or there, I do not like them anywhere.
I do not like green eggs and ham.
Senator Cruz's marathon effort got a lot of attention, but some of his colleagues questioned the point.
We all admire the senator from Texas for his wanting to talk.
All due respect, I'm not sure we learned anything new.
So, why did he do it? Dana Bash looks at the reasons and the reaction.
Ted Cruz seized the Senate floor and vowed not to let go.
I intend to speak in support of defunding Obamacare until I'm no longer able to stand.
To be sure this is theater, Cruz aides fully admit he's using the Senate floor stage to speak directly to his audience-conservative grassroots activists who filled his Tea Party upset last year.
Where is the outrage?
Where are the senators standing here saying, what a travesty that young people are being denied a fair shot in the American dream because of what we have wrought, because of Obamacare?
Cruz's talk fest is exactly what his Republican leadership who oppose his tactics were trying to avoid.
In fact, even as Cruz started, GOP leaders were talking to reporters a few feet away, urging him to abandon what they consider a complicated fool's errand.
For procedural reasons, Cruz is opposing the bill he supports-funding the government, but defunding Obamacare.
If you don't follow, that's exactly why many worried Republicans are exasperated.
Effectively, he' saying the fact that you're not standing with him, means that it's Washington's business as usual.
Does he have a point?
Well, look. I think we'd all be hard-pressed to explain why we were opposed to a bill we're in favor of.
Cruz's scorched earth strategy tying defunding Obamacare to a must-pass spending bill is enflaming many fellow Republicans who think if this causes a government shutdown, they're going to get burned.
