http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/189780-cruz-people-dont-like-me-doing-my-jobNovember 09, 2013, 10:12 am
Cruz: 'People don't like' me doing my job
By Alexandra Jaffe
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Friday chalked up his critics to people unhappy with him trying to "do my job."
Speaking on NBC's "Tonight Show", Cruz was asked by host Jay Leno about criticism of him as "aggressive, arrogant and abrasive."
"I don’t know that you can believe everything you read," Cruz responded.
Pressed further on whether he fit any of those descriptors, Cruz insisted his detractors were just frustrated with the work he's doing in Congress.
“You know, what I’m trying to do is do my job,” Cruz said. “And occasionally people don’t like that.”
Cruz, as the main architect of the strategy to shut down the government to defund ObamaCare, has taken heavy fire from critics on the left and the right.
Cruz said on the Tonight Show he remains opposed to ObamaCare because it's "taking away a lot of people's health insurance" and "killing jobs," but that he's "a big believer in health care reform."
“I think we ought to reform healthcare so it’s personal, it’s portable, it’s affordable. We ought to empower patients rather than government bureaucrats getting between you and your doctor," he said.
He also responded to critics of his father, Rafael Cruz, who has gained his own following in conservative circles. He often joins Cruz on the trail or serves as a surrogate for him at conservative confabs.
The elder Cruz sparked controversy when he suggested Obama be sent "back to Kenya." But Cruz said detractors of his father should focus their ire back on him.
"You know, some folks have decided to try to go after him cause they want to take some shots at me," he said. "I think the critics are better off attacking me. My dad has been my hero my whole life."
