Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Tex., had heard enough on Friday. Once again a fellow senator, this time Democrat Charles Schumer of New York, accused him on the chamber floor of wanting to shut down the federal government.
The freshman senator from Texas delivered a brisk defense.
"It has been several days since I have been on the floor of the Senate yet I feel I have been here in absentia because so many Democrats have invoked my name as the root of all evil in the world and the same majority leader (Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada) that gave an ode to civility just a few days ago was describing me and anyone who might agree that we should stop the harms of Obamacare, describing us as 'anarchists,'" Cruz said. "I think the encouragement towards civility is an encouragement that should be heard across the board."