Summary

To follow a chapter focused on the positive relationships Franken has fostered over the years with his Republican colleagues, he follows with a chapter solely dedicated to his distaste for Ted Cruz. He calls Ted an “absolutely toxic coworker,” and feels comfortable doing so because many of his colleagues in the Senate feel the same way (294). Despite a few brief and whimsical interactions during Cruz’s brief time on the Senate thus far, the two agree on nothing. According to Franken, Cruz has a tendency of lying with the assured confidence of an honest man, an obvious trigger for someone who built his political career calling out right-wing liars. Franken is not shy about his opinion on Cruz; “real senatoring requires that you build productive relationships with your colleagues. And Ted just isn’t that kind of guy” (307).

Delving further into the darker...