Ted Cruz Tries to Dunk on Libs by Backing Anti-Vax NBA Stars – Texas Monthly

The political history of Texas is one of colorful, headline-grabbing politicians. From Sam Houston to Lyndon Johnson to Ann Richards to Ron Paul, the characters whove occupied high office in this state are famousand infamousfor their big personalities and the often unusual ways they have of saying and doing things. Junior senator Ted Cruz is no exception. Long considered a striver whod do anything to attain a seat in government, Cruz became nationally renowned for trying to shut down that very government in 2013. The Republican senator reveled in his role as a political heel throughout the Obama era, before enduring a turn as a begrudging yes-man during the Trump presidency. Now that hes returned to his more natural state during another Democratic administration, weve created the Ted Cruz Watch, to help readers track the senators latest doings and his whereaboutsbe they in D.C., Texas, or, say, Cancun.

September 29, 2021:

Ahead of the NBA season, Cruz, a noted basketball enthusiast, has a handful of new favorite players: Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving, Golden State forward Andrew Wiggins, Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac, and Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal. The makings of a formidable starting five, to be sure, but the Texas senator appreciates them for their work off the court: the group are among a handful of NBA players who have refused to provide the league with confirmation that theyve received a COVID-19 vaccine. On Tuesday, Cruz tweeted his support for the Unvaxxed All-Stars.

Cruzs relationship to the vaccine is complicated. He says hes vaccinated. He added in May that the jab has given us a lot of freedom. And Ted Cruz loves freedom! However, hes simultaneously argued against proposed government vaccine mandates, describing them as authoritarianism. Though some local restrictions will prevent unvaccinated players from entering arenas in certain cities, such as the Barclays Center and Madison Square Garden in New York and the Chase Center in San Francisco, the NBA has imposed no such mandate. The leagues rules only indicate that unvaccinated players, who are restricted from certain social activities such as dining with teammates, are likely to have less fun on the road than their vaccinated teammates.

Whats the source, then, of Cruzs vocal support for players who are refusing a vaccine that no one is mandating they get, that he himself has received, and that he has heralded for bringing Americans more freedom? Its all about owning the libs. Cruz, a staunch opponent of abortion, ended his tweet with the longtime pro-choice mantra your body, your choice. Standing with the players whove chosen not to get vaccinatedor who wont confirm they have beenby repurposing a catchphrase used by his political opponents is unlikely to get the NBA to change its relatively light policies around unvaccinated players. But failure to score actual points has never stopped the senator from trying to dunk on his opponents.

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Ted Cruz Tries to Dunk on Libs by Backing Anti-Vax NBA Stars - Texas Monthly