The Hightower Report

Let's take another cruise down the narrow byways and around the twisting turns that form Sen. Ted Cruz's mind.

The first right turn on our road trip brings us to a sweeping view of Ted's Energy Renais­sance Act, a proposal so studded with fossil fuel favors that it should be titled the "Exxon Mobil Relief Act." For example, it bans the federal government from ever imposing regulations on fracking. He also includes a Congressional edict to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, plus a requirement that any new EPA regulations must get a vote of approval from Congress, as well as a nifty plan to alleviate Native American poverty by opening up their tribal lands to oil drilling.

But let's cruise past that and go off-road on this obscure money trail. It leads to an expansive new opening in our election laws that Cruz hopes to carve out, making it simpler for plutocratic billionaires to outright purchase lawmakers – like, for instance, him. Ted's bill would "allow unlimited direct contributions by citizens ... to candidates in federal elections." Good grief, this is the "Koch Broth­ers' Wet Dream Act," for it legalizes quid pro quo corruption – they could openly write huge checks to politicians in exchange for the politicians promising to do political favors.

Favors like what, you ask? Just take a hard right turn from Ted's Bribe-a-Lawmaker scheme, and you'll come upon a bright flashing light representing an idea for a huge corporate favor that popped out of his head in July. He proposes to force the government to begin selling off our national parks, forests, wildlife areas, and other treasured natural resources, turning over these prized public lands to mining, drilling, and logging conglomerates – such as Koch Industries!

You never know what's in Ted's head, until you go cruising through it.