title:  Ted Cruz Reveals Paranoid Fantasy Involving Obama, A Chisel, And Arlington Cemetery (TWEETS)
text: Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz stunned audiences on the campaign trail this week with a piece of paranoid fantasy that would make Alex Jones blush. On Wednesday, Cruz reportedly told crowds:Cruz: "We're just steps away from the chisels at Arlington coming out to remove crosses and stars of David from tombstones."  daveweigel (@daveweigel) January 6, 2016For most rational human beings, this statement would occur as a flight of fear-mongering fancy so far beyond the bounds of reality that it was laughable. But, he is appealing to Republican voters after all   a majority of whom believe the Earth was created 5000 years ago, by an omnipotent God.But even for a GOP candidate, this is out there. So, what on earth prompted this moment of insanity?Context of that Cruz nightmare of crosses being chiseled off soldiers' tombstones: It could happen if 5 liberals dominate SCOTUS  daveweigel (@daveweigel) January 6, 2016Seriously, that s it. Apparently Senator Cruz believes that the only thing restraining Obama from sneaking into Arlington with a chisel and removing religious symbols from the gravestones, is the presence of conservatives on the Supreme Court of the United States.Could it be that the GOP hopeful s rant had less to do with Arlington, and more to do with the fact that the birther conspiracy has blown up in his face?Cruz, born in Canada to a U.S. citizen mother and a Cuban father, is now facing the Birther conspiracy that he so enjoyed inflicting upon President Obama. The three requirements to be President of the United States are:The definition of  Natural Born Citizen  is still unsettled in U.S. law, meaning that Cruz is far more open to genuine challenge by the Birther movement than Hawaii native Barack Obama.This sounds like the desperate rant of a candidate in trouble. As Driftglass points out expertly:Ted Cruz knows the rotting, raving heart of the GOP perfectly well. From his dentist s drill voice to the transparently concocted, treacly fascism of his style, he has spent his adult life meticulously constructing a public persona to fit the madness of his party hand-in-glove.And he is not going to let some interloping radioactive Chia-publican sweep in and steal his brownshirt chumps.Awkward.Featured Image via Flickr Creative Commons