Add the International Association of Fire Fighters to the long list of people and organizations that won’t be endorsing Ted Cruz for president. In his Iowa caucus victory speech, Cruz did some posturing about how great he’d be for firefighters and other first responders, and, rather than being pleased and flattered by the attention, the IAFF’s president calls it “disgusting.” Cruz’s words sounded celebratory (while delivering the obligatory Obama slam):
"To the police officers, and the firemen and the first responders, the heroes who rushed in to burning buildings instead of out of burning buildings, the last seven years of having a president, having an attorney general that demonizes you, that vilifies you, that sides with the criminals and looters instead of the brave men and women of law enforcement -- that will end on Jan. 20, 2017," [Cruz] said.
Problem is, Cruz opposed reauthorizing a law that provides health care for 9/11 first responders. You know, the people who rushed into the burning World Trade Center and then sifted through its still-smoking wreckage. It’s not hard to see why firefighters would be a tad annoyed to hear Cruz telling a national audience how he’d be their champion.
"What Ted Cruz did the other night in his Iowa victory speech is disgusting," said Harold Schaitberger, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters. "He said he embraces fire fighters and the dangerous work they do, says he’s our friend and calls himself a great patriot. But when it came time to actually have the backs of fire fighters across the U.S., he was AWOL. Cruz is the worst kind of politician who will say or do anything to get elected."