Just when CPAC attendees expected Sarah Palin to take the stage for her speech this afternoon, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, stole the podium to give her a second introduction.
“The mainstream media wants us to be timid and hide in the corner and the mainstream media is absolutely convinced that women cannot be conservatives,” Cruz said. “And if they are [conservatives], they especially cannot shoot really big guns and hunt grizzly bears. Let me tell you, that’s why Gov. Sarah Palin drives the mainstream media bat-crap crazy.”
Cruz then rattled off a list of Palin’s successful endorsements — Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and Gov. Nikki Haley, R-S.C. — before getting around to the 2012 campaigns
“And this last election cycle, there were three Republicans who won new seats — Deb Fischer, Jeff Flake, and myself — she supported all three of us,” Cruz said. “Let me tell you something, I would not be in the U.S. Senate today if it were not for Gov. Sarah Palin.”
Palin continued the love-fest when she emerged — Cruz “comes to town, he chews barbed wire and he spits out rust” — before using his opposition to the latest iteration of the assault weapons ban to work in a dig at President Obama.
“More background checks?” Palin asked. “Dandy idea, Mr. President — should’ve started with yours.”
