Why replacing Sessions at Justice with Ted Cruz is a bad idea

First, just to get it out of the way, firing Attorney General Jeff Sessions because of his recusal from the Russian nonsense is not a good idea. Glenn Reynolds makes a good case for giving Sessions the royal order of the boot for his embrace of civil forfeitures. In any event, reaching out to Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas as a replacement for Sessions is also a Bad Idea. Becoming Attorney General at this point in his career is not part of Cruz’s master plan.

What is Ted Cruz’s master plan?

To be it succinctly, Cruz still wants to be president of the United States. He might have fulfilled that desire last year had it not been for Donald Trump. In any case, Plan B is to stay in the United States Senate for a while and bide his time. Cruz is still a young man, younger than 50. He will still be in his prime when 2024 (or 2020 if Trump collapses) rolls around.

The problem with the office of Attorney General is that it is a position that a United States senator accepts at the end of his career if he hasn’t managed to get elected president or vice president.

Cruz might be a good fit for a cabinet post in 2040 or so when he could do four years and then retire to a lucrative corporate law position. Cruz is not ready yet to cap his career, no matter how attractive being attorney general might be.

In any case, Cruz is concentrating on getting reelected in 2018. He will likely succeed, but he is going to have to work for it. Leaving the seat open to go to a cabinet post would be a bad idea for the cause of keeping his senate seat in the Republican column. Cruz is going to stay awhile and build a legislative record, thus passing his resume for his inevitable second run for the presidency.

The one thing that could tempt Ted Cruz away from the United States Senate

Of course, a seat on the Supreme Court is a different matter. The position of Supreme Court justice is a lifetime appointment. If Cruz could not shape the course of world events as president in the United States, he could spend the next 40 years forging American jurisprudence. The idea could be a tempting one.

On the other hand, Cruz is not on Trump’s short list for the Supreme Court. The president has an embarrassment of riches where sharp, young conservatives are concerned. If Trump were to reach into the Senate for Supreme Court, he is more likely to pick Cruz’s good friend, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. So, very likely, the junior senator from the great state of Texas is going to stick to his current plan.