Graham on Trump, Cruz: ‘Like being shot or poisoned’

She says by comparison Trump, who is leading in national polls for the GOP nomination, hasn’t clearly laid out a policy on a number of issues. Studies have also shown that immigrants actually create jobs for American workers – each new immigrant has produced about 1.2 new jobs in the U.S.

Ted Cruz, once a man who heaped praise on businessman Donald Trump, now says that the real estate mogul’s immigration plan amounts to amnesty for undocumented immigrants, according to a new report Friday.

Cruz responded to Trump at an event in Ankeny, where he picked up the endorsement of conservative firebrand Glenn Beck, a counterweight of sorts to Trump’s endorsement by 2008 vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

Some Republican lawmakers and pollsters view Cruz as more problematic than Trump, since Trump might have more cross-over appeal to independents.

And Cruz is continuing to be raked over the coals by establishment Republicans, with takedowns this week from Iowa’s Republican governor, former Iowa senator Chuck Grassley, and former presidential nominee Bob Dole, who called Cruz an “extremist” who would bring “cataclysmic and wholesale losses” to the party if he wins.

However, the establishment’s growing acceptance of Trump’s electoral prospects so far hasn’t manifested itself in tangible support for his campaign. It’s probably time to consider a similar scenario on the Republican side, now that Trump is well positioned in the same two states.

Trump’s ad – which is slated to run in Iowa, New Hampshire and SC – contrasts Cruz’s sometimes stuttered answers to Baier’s questions with Trump’s statements that “we have to have a country”. “Most campaigns are focusing on those early states right now”. Not even his ally, Jeff Sessions as of yet on immigration? Despite the dominance of those two candidates, and the repeatedly thwarted efforts of the other candidates to take them down, it still makes sense to look at the Republican primary as a three-way race.

There are only nine days left until decision day in Iowa. What they tend to do is winnow the field to the final group of contestants.

“A lot of establishment Republicans had touchback”, Cruz said in an interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos.

Marco Rubio was third with 14 percent, up from 11 percent in December. “The average voter in New Hampshire doesn’t care”.

The point is that there remains a market for a mainstream conservative.

At the same time, Bloomberg could also have sway with more moderate-minded Republicans who are uncomfortable if Trump or Sen. And, once we do, the establishment will have one last chance to save its Party.