--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He has attempted to muddy the waters, but…" description: "\"He has attempted to muddy the waters, but I think anyone that watched the battle that we had - you know, there was a time for choosing, as Ronald Reaga..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/ted-cruz-487_amnesty_he-has-attempted-to-muddy-the-waters-but_2581032.png" --- # He has attempted to muddy the waters, but I think anyone… ![“He has attempted to muddy the waters, but I think anyone that watched the battle that we had - you know, there was a time for choosing, as Ronald Reagan put it, where there was a battle over amnesty. And some chose, like Sen. Marco Rubio, to stand with Barack Obama and Chuck Schumer and support a…” quote by Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/ted-cruz-487_amnesty_he-has-attempted-to-muddy-the-waters-but_2581032.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/ted-cruz-487_amnesty_he-has-attempted-to-muddy-the-waters-but_2581032.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/ted-cruz-487_amnesty_he-has-attempted-to-muddy-the-waters-but_2581032.png) > “He has attempted to muddy the waters, but I think anyone that watched the battle that we had - you know, there was a time for choosing, as Ronald Reagan put it, where there was a battle over amnesty. And some chose, like Sen. Marco Rubio, to stand with Barack Obama and Chuck Schumer and support a massive amnesty plan.” [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker accuses political opponents of supporting a sweeping amnesty, framing the issue as a moral battle between choices, echoing Reagan’s rhetoric. **In simple terms:** Political debate framed as a moral choice about amnesty. Key Takeaway Question the motives behind amnesty proposals. Themes politics immigration morality Mood controversial analytical Type political debate When to use this quote - campaign speeches - media commentary - public rallies Key Concepts policy debate legislative strategy Questions to Reflect On - Is amnesty a compassionate solution? - How does rhetoric shape public perception? A Different Perspective Amnesty may address humanitarian concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amnesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amnesty/) [Battle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/battle/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) ## Related quotes > [In the case of immigration, there has never been a majority for any of the proposals put forth by either party - executive amnesty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/in-the-case-of-immigration-there-has-never-been-a-majority-for-any-of/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I think what it's going to do is put an even greater highlight on the fact that Hillary Clinton has a 100-day amnesty plan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-christie/i-think-what-it-s-going-to-do-is-put-an-even-greater-highlight-on-the/) [Chris Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-christie/) > [ On his \[Marco Rubio\] Gang of Eight bill, he would have liberalized immigration, but he did not - and he steadfastly opposed any new… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/on-his-marco-rubio-gang-of-eight-bill-he-would-have-liberalized/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [What we saw with both Donald Trump and Marco Rubio, that their response, whenever you point to anything in their record, is just to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/what-we-saw-with-both-donald-trump-and-marco-rubio-that-their/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [ It's really remarkable to see two candidates,\[Donald\] Trump and \[Marco\] Rubio, making things up and putting things out for which there is no evidence… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/it-s-really-remarkable-to-see-two-candidates-donald-trump-and-marco/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [Marco Rubio said he was personally open over a long period of time to offering a path to citizenship for immigrants here illegally. Rubio's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/marco-rubio-said-he-was-personally-open-over-a-long-period-of-time-to/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [ One of the problems with Marco's \[Rubio\] foreign policy is he has far too often supported Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama undermining governments in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/one-of-the-problems-with-marco-s-rubio-foreign-policy-is-he-has-far/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [ Marco \[Rubio\] has more of an allegiance to Chuck Schumer and to the liberals than he does to conservative policy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/marco-rubio-has-more-of-an-allegiance-to-chuck-schumer-and-to-the/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [I was then and am now very much a happy warrior, very much joyful. Not engaging in character attacks myself, just putting out, "Here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-was-then-and-am-now-very-much-a-happy-warrior-very-much-joyful-not/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [I'm not going to impugn anyone's integrity. I'm not going to attack their character. And, in fact, I will happily praise both Donald Trump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-m-not-going-to-impugn-anyone-s-integrity-i-m-not-going-to-attack/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [Let me say something at the outset. The questions that have been asked so far in this debate illustrate why the American people don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/let-me-say-something-at-the-outset-the-questions-that-have-been-asked/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [ I introduced bill saying we need more security, we need more scrutiny. Once again, Marco \[Rubio\] opposed this. So Marco can't have it both… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-introduced-bill-saying-we-need-more-security-we-need-more-scrutiny/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [ I will sing their praises, I'll sing Donald's \[Trump\] praises and Marco's \[Rubio\] praises and everybody else's praises. But I'm going to keep the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-will-sing-their-praises-i-ll-sing-donald-s-trump-praises-and-marco/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [Marco Rubio was fighting to grant amnesty and not to secure the border, I was fighting to secure the border. And this also goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/marco-rubio-was-fighting-to-grant-amnesty-and-not-to-secure-the/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [We're seeing something fairly remarkable happen on the political train. We're seeing the Washington establishment abandoning Marco Rubio. I think they've made the determination…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/we-re-seeing-something-fairly-remarkable-happen-on-the-political/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) ## More by Ted Cruz > [I was born in Cuba. At the age of 14 years of age I was involved in a revolution. We were suffering from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-was-born-in-cuba-at-the-age-of-14-years-of-age-i-was-involved-in-a/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [ Donald Trump has opened \[ politically correct enforcement\] up wide. He's made a very bold statement and he's backed it back just a little… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/donald-trump-has-opened-politically-correct-enforcement-up-wide-he-s/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [I get that the media wants us to play theater critics and critique every other proposal. What I'm focusing on are my own policy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-get-that-the-media-wants-us-to-play-theater-critics-and-critique/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [We need to remain a nation that doesn't just welcome but that celebrates legal immigrants who come here seeking to pursue the American Dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/we-need-to-remain-a-nation-that-doesn-t-just-welcome-but-that/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [Donald Trump threatened to file a defamation suit against me for running a TV ad that consisted only entirely of his own words on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/donald-trump-threatened-to-file-a-defamation-suit-against-me-for/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [The immigrant experience of all of us is what makes us Americans, because we value in our DNA liberty and opportunity above all else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/the-immigrant-experience-of-all-of-us-is-what-makes-us-americans/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [The First Amendment exists to protect our religious liberty--to ensure that all Americans are able to seek out worship God with all our hearts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/the-first-amendment-exists-to-protect-our-religious-liberty-to-ensure/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [It is my hope that all of the Republicans who recognize that nominating a candidate who agrees with Hillary Clinton on a host of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/it-is-my-hope-that-all-of-the-republicans-who-recognize-that/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [The Senate Majority Leader has the unilateral ability to stand up and say, 'If you defy Congress, if you defy the Constitution, if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/the-senate-majority-leader-has-the-unilateral-ability-to-stand-up-and/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [You can't get to a balanced budget and begin to pay down debt and thus create jobs in this country if you don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/you-can-t-get-to-a-balanced-budget-and-begin-to-pay-down-debt-and/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [That's what actually caused me to run for office is, you know, my family story, the experience of growing up in a family where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/that-s-what-actually-caused-me-to-run-for-office-is-you-know-my/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [When you subpoena one pastor, you subpoena every pastor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/when-you-subpoena-one-pastor-you-subpoena-every-pastor/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [One of the things we've seen here is how easy it is for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to get distracted from dealing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/one-of-the-things-we-ve-seen-here-is-how-easy-it-is-for-barack-obama/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [Imagine a legal immigration system that welcomes and celebrates those who come to achieve the American dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/imagine-a-legal-immigration-system-that-welcomes-and-celebrates-those/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [The court follows elite opinion, not public opinion. And Democratic leaders in Congress and Republican leaders in Congress follow elite opinion as well. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/the-court-follows-elite-opinion-not-public-opinion-and-democratic/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) [Explore all 523 Ted Cruz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) ## More Amnesty quotes > [I am strongly opposed to any form of amnesty, including, especially, executive amnesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-scalise/i-am-strongly-opposed-to-any-form-of-amnesty-including-especially/) [Steve Scalise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-scalise/) > [How arrogant - how very far from humility - would be the self-satisfied, smug assurance that God, a tidy-up-after-us God will come and clean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/how-arrogant-how-very-far-from-humility-would-be-the-self-satisfied/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [Hillary Clinton has pledged to keep both of these illegal amnesty programs, including the 2014 amnesty which has been blocked by the United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/hillary-clinton-has-pledged-to-keep-both-of-these-illegal-amnesty/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [3 "amnesty" didn't mean rewarding illegal behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/3-amnesty-didn-t-mean-rewarding-illegal-behavior/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Why don't Republicans spend all their airtime attacking the media for lying about what Obama's amnesty does and what the Democrats are doing? It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/why-don-t-republicans-spend-all-their-airtime-attacking-the-media-for/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [...we will not grant amnesty to illegal aliens in this Congress or, hopefully ever again. We did that once. Everybody said it was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-gramm/we-will-not-grant-amnesty-to-illegal-aliens-in-this-congress-or/) [Phil Gramm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-gramm/) > [ I take the Constitution very seriously. The biggest problems that we're facing right now have to do with \[the president\] trying to bring more… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-take-the-constitution-very-seriously-the-biggest-problems-that-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I worked 30 years to try to restore respect for the rule of law because of Ronald Reagan's amnesty in 1986. And I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-king/i-worked-30-years-to-try-to-restore-respect-for-the-rule-of-law/) [Steve King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-king/) > [You are going to hear many things from Mr. Trump today in his speech on immigration. One, no amnesty. He is absolutely going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/you-are-going-to-hear-many-things-from-mr-trump-today-in-his-speech/) [Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/) > [I supported this bill. I believe in the idea of amnesty for those who have put down roots and who have lived here even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-supported-this-bill-i-believe-in-the-idea-of-amnesty-for-those-who/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Amnesty is a disaster, we need strong borders. We have no country if we have no border. In New Hampshire, the biggest complaint is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/amnesty-is-a-disaster-we-need-strong-borders-we-have-no-country-if-we/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [no study has brought out any solid evidence that the death penalty deters crime. In fact, Amnesty reports that 'the murder rate in states…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoinette-bosco/no-study-has-brought-out-any-solid-evidence-that-the-death-penalty/) [Antoinette Bosco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoinette-bosco/) > [We try it practically every time it comes up, be it amnesty, be it any other issue they want. We try and it gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-try-it-practically-every-time-it-comes-up-be-it-amnesty-be-it-any/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [ This bill \[Immigration Reform and Control act of 1986\] is a gamble, a riverboat gamble. There is no guarantee that employer sanctions will work… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-schumer/this-bill-immigration-reform-and-control-act-of-1986-is-a-gamble-a/) [Charles Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-schumer/) > [ No one believed \[the 1986 amnesty for illegal aliens\] was tough enough on illegal immigration, and it didn't give enough flexibility on future legal immigration. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-schumer/no-one-believed-the-1986-amnesty-for-illegal-aliens-was-tough-enough/) [Charles Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-schumer/) [Browse all 195 Amnesty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amnesty/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "He has attempted to muddy the waters, but I think anyone that watched the battle that we had - you know, there was a time for choosing, as Ronald Reagan put it, where there was a battle over amnesty. And some chose, like Sen. 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