Ted Cruz used his young daughters as political props in a campaign ad recently, as they read from a script and said exactly what he wanted them to say.
Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Ann Telnaes then portrayed him as a monkey grinder, having his pets perform for his benefit.
“Ourageous!” the Cruz people said. “Kids are off limits!” The Washington Post backed down and pulled the cartoon from their web page and apologized.
Telnaes did not. Good for her.
Individuals deserve their privacy, even if they are married to politicians and especially if they are children. But if you thrust yourself into the spotlight, you cannot later complain about it.
If Ted Cruz is mad about his kids being lampooned, then the only person he has to blame is himself for allowing their privacy to be violated.
Telnaes’ fellow cartoonists have been largely supportive, with the best quote coming from Clay Jones: “The cartoonist didn’t expose them. Daddy did. Daddy is a hypocrite. Daddy is upset that someone exploited his children to make fun of him exploiting his children.”
Below are Jones’ and a few other cartoonists’ takes on it, in the best way they know how:
Clay Jones:
Clay Bennett:
Rob Rogers:
Darrin Bell:
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