U.S. Sen. Al Franken has a line about U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz: “You have to understand that I like Ted Cruz probably more than most of my colleagues like Ted Cruz, and I hate Ted Cruz.”

Texas Ted is one of the slimiest, bent, and ate-up personalities to have squirmed across the floor of the U.S. Senate in the 21st Century.

Josh Mandel is one of the most noxious bags of sulphuric hot wind to have drifted across the great plains of Ohio in the 21st Century. It’s pretty well known that even their Republican colleagues, in Congress and Ohio respectively, can’t stand them. Talk about a match made in heaven.

From the Lima News:

With the Republican majority in the U.S. Senate essentially razor thin, one Republican senator is hoping to expand that majority, and Ohio could be a key element in that effort. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, was in Lima on Tuesday evening to help bolster support for Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, who is seeking the Republican nomination to run against Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. To both Cruz and Mandel, Brown represents the interests of the far-left wing of the Democratic Party, not those of Ohioans.

It’s as though two dung beetles have found love after accidentally rolling their manure balls into each other.

From what I can tell from the Lima News report, Cruz and Mandel basically threw around a bunch of word gumbo accusing Brown of being an extremist doing the bidding of lobbyists. Boy, these guys have really taken to heart the Karl-Rovian tactic of trying to smear your opponent with your own worst traits.

I’ve never seen two people exemplify empty political opportunism better than Cruz and Mandel. I’ve never seen two politicians more willing to enthusiastically debase themselves by saying or doing anything, suffering any humiliation or ignoble affiliation, if they believe it will slake their thirst for power.

To any Ohioan paying attention, the irony writ large here is that Brown, on the other hand, is as reliable as a rock in making decisions based on the well-being of his constituents, with nary a regard for corrupting influences that may try to purchase his vote.

Cruz and Mandel deserve each other, but Ohio deserves so much better than both of them.