Senator Ted Cruz’s father Rafael may be a pastor, but he could use a lesson or two on religion. In a speech at a GOP dinner in Colorado, the senior Cruz claimed that “if the winds shift” the president was likely to “side with the Muslims.”

When an excited woman in the audience yelled, “He is a Muslim,” Mr. Cruz responded with, “McCain couldn’t say that because it wasn’t politically correct. It is time we stop being politically correct!"

These words imply that despite Obama’s longtime allegiance to the Christian faith, he secretly practices Islam — an accusation Republicans have entertained for years, along with denying the president’s citizenship. Both notions have been thoroughly debunked.

The senator’s father also spouted off with a slew of derogatory, if unfounded, statements about the Affordable Care Act.

“As a matter of fact, one of the things in Obamacare is that for the elderly, every five years you must have end-of-life counseling,” he said. “Translation: suicide counseling.”

Mr. Cruz, a Cuban refugee who moved to the U.S. in his youth, also attacked “RINOs”  (“Republicans in name only”) who disagree with his son’s actions to shut down the government.


He continued, “They have no clue of what’s happening in the country. As a matter of fact, most of them refused to have town hall meetings because they didn’t want to face we the people. They have their minds made up, and basically their idea is this: ‘You’re too stupid and I know what I’m doing.’”

Mr. Cruz also called separation of church and state “idiotic,” and blamed the state of Congress on the fact that “three of four evangelical Christians sat home in the last election.”

Sources: Talking Points Memo, Politico