Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) took aim at libertarianism to the famously libertarian-leaning Conservative Political Action Conference crowd, implicitly knocking Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) — a possible rival for the 2016 Republican nomination — as he called for the GOP to stand strong on social issues and foreign policy. Calling for Republicans to "reassemble the Reagan coalition," Cruz demanded that the party not walk away from its traditional voting base.
"We bring together fiscal conservatives, social conservatives and national security conservatives. We stand strong for economic growth but we also stand for life and marriage. We defend the constitutional rights but we also stand and lead the fight against [the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria] and a nuclear Iran," Cruz said to a smattering of applause from the activist crowd before offering an olive branch to the idea of a big-tent GOP. "We need all three legs of the proverbial Republican stool. Not one leg, not two, but the way we get to 51 percent is we bring together conservatives and libertarians and evangelicals and women and young people and Hispanics and Reagan Democrats," he said.
Cruz, who finished a distant second to Paul in the 2014 CPAC straw poll, got strong applause at the beginning and end of his speech and on attack lines aimed at Democrats and "Washington."
But he didn't get as warm a response with his calls on social issues, even though many of Paul's backers weren't that visible in the hall, likely waiting for the senator's Friday speech.
"We could've had Hillary Clinton here but we couldn't find a foreign nation to foot the bill," he said to whoops at the beginning of the speech.
He also got strong applause for touting accomplishments over rhetoric, a major focus of his recent stump speech.
"Demand action, not talk," he said. "Actions speak far, far louder than words. We need to look to people who walk the walk and don't just talk the talk. ... If you are really a conservative you would have been in the trenches, you will bear the scars."
The Texas senator has long been a favorite of the hardline conservative base, but he has struggled to gain traction in early-state and national presidential polls as he looks to paint himself the true conservative in the race.
Cruz also took aim at his own party, knocking Senate GOP leadership for caving in the fight to block funds for the Department of Homeland Security unless President Obama's executive actions on immigration are defunded.
"Republican leadership is cutting a deal with Harry Reid ... they're not listening to you," he said during a softball question-and-answer session with Fox News host Sean Hannity before deriding Republicans who'd attacked him for the previous government shutdown.
"When so many men and women in this room stood up and said 'stop the train wreck that is ObamaCare,' the Washington pundits all said 'oh this will be a disaster, this will keep Harry Reid as majority leader forever.' Now, did I miss that in the last election?" he said to laughs and applause. "The key to change is a result of that fight."
