Cruz has cornered Republicans who want to cut a deal with Dems

Erick Erickson:

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All the shots at Cruz from inside and outside Congress only strengthen his relationship with the grassroots. 

But more importantly, and this is the bit the GOP and its media allies simply have not understood — the Cruz strategy would never work in and of itself. It required stronger, braver souls than the GOP currently has to offer. It does, however, throw such a light on these Republicans that it will make it both easier to challenge them in primaries and, more importantly, make it much, much harder for them to cooperate with the Democrats on Obamacare fixes. Win or lose, Cruz and Lee have boxed in both the Democrats and the Republicans into positions that will make it more difficult for them to nuance their way out of. 

In short, Ted Cruz and Mike Lee have, whether they can muster the support or not in this round, ensured the GOP cannot begin collaborating with the Democrats to fix what the voters want repealed. And you can be sure that they would be working to fix it, despite all their rhetoric otherwise. You can be sure of that because Ted Cruz’s fight has proven just how empty their rhetoric really is.
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It is probably another reason so many of the other Republicans are so angry with them.  They have been exposed as insincere when it comes to doing something effective to stop a despised health care law that they claimed to be running against.

Running against the law has been good politics, but too few are willing to actually stop it.