Cruz: GOP base is ‘alive and well’

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Wednesday said Republican Party leaders need to heed the warning of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s (R-Va.) upset primary loss.

{mosads}“The results of last night’s election in Virginia are reverberating all through the nation’s Capitol,” he said. “This election should be a reminder to all in Congress — Republicans and Democrats alike — that the conservative base is alive and well, and the American people will hold us accountable.”

Cantor was one of 87 Republicans who voted in October to reopen the federal government, which shut down after Cruz led an effort to block the implementation of ObamaCare.

Cruz praised Cantor as “a good man” but also said “voters in Virginia made D.C. listen loud and clear.”

“Washington needs to listen to the people, stop spending money we don’t have, and stand up and defend the Constitution,” he said.

Cruz said he looked forward to working with Dave Brat, who defeated Cantor by 11 points.

In an interview earlier Wednesday, Cruz told radio host Glenn Beck that conservatives are mobilizing against what they see as overreach by government officials in Washington.

“We’re seeing liberty under assault; we’re seeing an administration trampling our constitutional rights, disregarding the rule of law, but as bad as it is getting, it is waking people up,” Cruz said, noting that Cantor outspent Brat by a ratio of 50 to 1.

“The people woke up and said we’re tired of business as usual in Washington,” he said.