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Input: After four years of taunting and torturing fellow Republicans , Ted Cruz is shedding his just-say-no persona in the Senate for a new identity : Team player . 
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell -- a man Cruz once derided as a liar and an ally of Democrats -- is counting on the Texan to help navigate an Obamacare repeal bill through the Senate with virtually no margin for error . 
As a trusted voice of the conservative wing of the GOP and conduit to the House Freedom Caucus , Cruz is fast emerging as a pivotal player in the Republican bid to do away with the landmark Democratic health care law . 
But after receiving so much blowback for that and many other episodes , there 's nary a Cruz critic in the Senate Republican Conference nowadays . 
Cruz 's work on health care has been uncharacteristically low profile so far . 
It began with a private dinner in mid-February at the upscale D.C. steakhouse Capital Grille with the more compromise-minded Alexander , who once chided Cruz for calling McConnell a liar on the Senate floor by noting that one thing "you learn in Kindergarten is to respect one another ." 
Alexander and Cruz agreed to assemble a group of GOP senators to prepare for the eventuality that the House would send them a health care bill riddled with flaws that could not pass the Senate as written . 
But when it comes to passing a new health care law , Republicans believe the inclusion of Cruz and his close ally , Sen. Mike Lee -LRB- R-Utah -RRB- , could pay critical dividends by building support among conservative groups and the House Freedom Caucus . 
"One of the challenges when the Obamacare bill was in the House , was that early on was that the different parts of the party were not talking to each other ," Cruz said in an interview in his office . 
Collaborative and inclusive are not typically words associated with Cruz . 
Now that President Barack Obama is out of office , Cruz said his mission in the Senate is no longer to be the "loyal opposition ." 
"Different circumstances call for different approaches ," said Cruz , who is gearing up to run for a second term next year in a closely watched race . 
Cruz 's leading role has shocked some of his colleagues . 
The group that Cruz helped develop is , in some ways , a substitute for the traditional committee process . 
"We have skin in the game ," Cruz said . 
Still , there 's concern among some more centrist senators that the end-product could appeal too much to Cruz and not enough to the dozen or so Republican senators who have grave concerns about slashing Medicaid and removing protections for preexisting conditions . 
Clearly he believes Lee and Cruz are crucial ; but some GOP sources said there are deep doubts among senators that Collins or Sen. Rand Paul -LRB- R-Ky . -RRB- 
Though GOP leaders believe by getting Cruz involved they are minimizing the possibility that Cruz will later demolish their repeal efforts , the Texas firebrand is n't on the same page about everything . 
Cruz wants to go as big as possible , and if Senate rules prohibit his idea , he believes Vice President Mike Pence should simply overrule the parliamentarian . 
"The parliamentarian merely advises , the vice president decides ," Cruz said . 
But on almost every other front , Republicans say , Cruz is being highly productive .

GOP pins health care hopes on an unlikely figure : Ted Cruz . 