A couple of weeks ago, we reported that Sen. Ted Cruz had agreed to participate in a “tele-town hall meeting” with activists from Gun Owners of America, an extremist gun group led by a far-right activist with a history of ties to militia groups and white supremacists.
GOA has posted audio of the call on YouTube, and it was quite the love-fest. Cruz thanked the “fighters” and “patriots” at GOA for endorsing him when he ran for Senate in 2012, and said that the group “played a critical part in helping get me elected.” Media Matters captured the comment:
Cruz specifically praised GOA’s extremism, saying, “I agree with Ronald Reagan who said we must paint in bold colors and not pale pastels, that’s why I’m running and that’s one of the things I love about GOA is GOA has never been accused of painting in pale pastels.”
GOA definitely does not paint “in pale pastels.” For instance, the group’s executive director, Larry Pratt, is fond of saying that the Second Amendment exists for the purpose of putting the fear of assassination into politicians who disagree with him on gun issues. Just the latest example of this was in April, when Pratt declared, “The Second Amendment was designed for people just like the president and his administration” and “Democrats who want to take our rights.”
In March, he said he hoped President Obama would learn from the example of Charles I, who was executed for treason:
Pratt has even repeatedly said that he hopes Cruz’s colleagues in Congress maintain a “healthy fear” of assassination:
The love between GOA and Cruz is mutual. Pratt frequently sings the praises of the junior senator from Texas, saying that Cruz “ has not disappointed us and I’m certain that he’s not going to disappoint us,” and rejoicing that “everybody understands that Ted Cruz runs the United States House.” The New York Times has described Cruz as Pratt’s “key ally in the Senate.”
