Scarborough: Ted Cruz Acting Like 'Carnival Barker'

MARK HALPERIN: [Ted Cruz is] surprising me. Look, in the Senate today, you can get away with behaving like an independent actor, just basically an entrepreneur, as long as the people back home support you. And Texas is a pretty conservative state, so I don’t think he worries about losing his seat there. You know, you look at other senators like Mike Lee, like even Jim DeMint, who have been independent actors. Ted Cruz is taking it so far as a freshman, in his first weeks in the Senate, to a different level. I think he’s underestimating the extent to which operating like this will limit his effectiveness over the long term.

JOE SCARBOROUGH: Mike Lee is a great example. He’s a guy that–very conservative. This isn’t about being conservative! It’s about going out of your way acting like you’re, you know, a carnival barker at a local Republican event.