AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz said Saturday that the GOP lost the government shutdown budget battle because some congressional Republicans turned on others, but that he doesn’t think they will make the same mistake during the next political impasse.

Welp. Cruz is taking the upcoming attempt at blackmail and manufactured crisis with the next Budget and Debt Ceiling vote as a given — and this time, his hope is that those stupid GOP Moderates RINOs will fall in line. Behind him, of course.

The deal sets up the potential for another budget showdown in January. Senate GOP leaders, however, have suggested that there won’t be a repeat of the shutdown or a potential default crisis like in recent weeks.

But addressing reporters after his speech, Cruz would not say that another fight won’t be coming.

“There will be plenty of time to consider the particular practical or strategic decisions,” he said.

In short: Saddle up partners, this ride ain’t over yet. (But we all knew that, right?)

But the money quote is at the end:

Cruz also took questions from the audience and was asked if ideology driving Washington could outweigh political pragmatism.

“The arguments I have laid out today have not been ideological,” Cruz said. “These were the essence of practical.”

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

Yeah, shutting down the government to the tune of 25 billion dollars, harming millions of people and setting back our economic recovery months if not years, was completely practical and not ideological at all. Completely.

… And he’s right.

Ted Cruz’s goal was to use this whole thing for his OWN fundraising. To a sociopathic Christian Dominionist like Cruz, who believes God has ordained him a king among men who is destined to collect all the wealth of the world for himself (in the name of God and the rapture, of course)… The rest of us don’t really count as people.

With that in mind, a 25 billion dollar hit to the rest of us, that’s nothing. He’d do it again in a heartbeat, with a song in his heart and a smirk on his lips.

Because we are beneath contempt to a King.