During an informative radio interview on Friday, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) revealed just how much opposition he and Tea Party favorite Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) are facing within their own party as they try to change things in Washington, D.C.
Lee told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt about a recent closed-door meeting with Republican senators, during which he and Cruz were "attacked" and ridiculed. Details of the meeting were leaked to the press, but the sources of the leak were not willing to go on the record and reveal their names.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 27: U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) (L) and Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) (R) speak to members of the media after a vote on the Senate floor September 27, 2013 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The Senate has passed a continuing resolution 54-44 to fund the government through November 15 with the exclusion of defunding the Obama care in which the provision was passed in the House. Credit: Getty Images
"Normally, I don’t comment at all on closed-door meetings between Republican Senators. It’s a pretty strict rule we have," Lee began, adding that someone had already released the facts of the meeting.
"It was an all-out attack against Ted Cruz and me," Lee recalled. "It was unflattering. It was unfair. It was demeaning."
Lee said the meeting was also "demeaning to those who engaged in the attacks." The Utah Republican refused to reveal which Republicans went after him, however, he said it was enough senators that he "lost count."
When asked if anyone came to his defense, Lee responded, "Sort of, not really."
So far, none of the GOP senators who berated Lee and Cruz have come forward to apologize.
While Lee agreed with Hewitt on the fact that the GOP "base" is "thrilled" with the stand he has taken against Obamacare, he said that others within the "Washington, D.C. political establishment" are "really angry" about what they are doing.
"I believe in forgiving and forgetting," Lee said later. "I think we can get beyond that. But we need to stay focused on the goal, which is not to fight fellow Republicans, but…fighting the party of Obamacare."
Listen to the audio via The Hugh Hewitt Show/Mediaite:
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