Senator Ted Cruz’s Dad Tells NPR that He Bribed His Way Into the United States

To quote the great Ricky Ricardo, “You got a lot of explainin’ to do.” Such is the case of Texas Senator Ted Cruz and his dad Rafael Bienvenido Cruz, who were featured today on NPR. The younger Cruz, born in Canada and now one of Congress’ stauchest critics of the current immigration reform bill being debated, has always said that he was a champion of legal immigration. Guess he never got the memo about who his dad left Cuba because last time we checked, bribing a government official is an illegal act.

Here is what the NPR segment said:

The views of that freshman senator — Texas Republican Ted Cruz — have been significantly colored by the saga of his own father, an immigrant from Cuba.

“In my opinion, if we allow those who are here illegally to be put on a path to citizenship, that is incredibly unfair to those who follow the rules,” Cruz has said.

And the example he frequently points to is his father, 74-year-old Rafael Bienvenido Cruz.

“I came to this country legally,” Cruz’s father says. “I came here with a legal visa, and … every step of the way, I have been here legally.”

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