Cruz is In

http://ift.tt/1Mtfd1S

Quote:

LYNCHBURG, Va. — Hours ahead of an expected Monday morning announcement at Liberty University, Ted Cruz told supporters just after midnight that he was launching a White House bid. “I'm running for president, and I hope to earn your support!”he tweeted. Cruz becomes the first major presidential contender to formally declare himself a 2016 candidate, a move likely to upend the dynamics of the nascent presidential race. Cruz, the combative conservative who has made liberty the clarion call of his politics, is scheduled to speak about his presidential bid Monday morning at Liberty University here, according to a campaign adviser. The announcement by Cruz (R-Tex.) makes him the first major 2016 contender to formally declare. By skipping the step of forming an exploratory committee and jumping right into the race, he is providing a jolt to a field that has so far been relatively sleepy and potentially pressuring other candidates to step closer to making their own announcements. His entry also gives other Republican contenders — including Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and former Florida governor Jeb Bush — a competitive rival on the right. Cruz, 44, a Harvard-and-Princeton-educated lawyer who was elected to the Senate in 2012, is best known for championing controversial efforts to block *implementation of President Obama’s health-care law in 2013. The crusade led to a 16-day government shutdown. Cruz’s unrepentant battles against the Obama administration and with leaders of his own party have made him a hero to many conservatives and left him with a powerful national network of small-dollar donors. He will aim to raise $40 million to $50 million for his presidential bid.

Total bum and unqualified to be president, in my opinion. But it's more or less :qunq:official:qunq: that the 2016 presidential race has begun.

Cruz is In