Letter: Cruz' principles are questionable

Re: Sandy Thackeray's letter, "We need third party," Forum, Oct. 18: Thackeray states "Perhaps the tea party is a credible third party as those are the only people who stick to their beliefs and values."

I particular admire Sen. Ted Cruz' personal approach to health care insurance: Just marry a relatively high-up official at Goldman-Sachs and then receive benefits under her platinum plan. Next, claim you are doing this because it doesn't cost the taxpayers anything.

Finally, as a true populist who opposes the Wall Street elites (one's spouse excepted, after all you are a dedicated family man), continue to rail against the Bush-Obama taxpayer-funded big bank bailouts. Or, are such bailouts OK just so long as they have trickle-down benefits to common folks such as yourself, Sen. Cruz?

I honestly hope the tea party does become a third party alternative. We would have so much to learn when the full light of public scrutiny was cast upon its leadership and it's ever so "populist, anti-establishment principles" were fully exposed.

Andrew G. Bjelland

Salt Lake City