Mexican food has been part of D.C. politics ever since San Antonio-era Congressman Maury Maverick (who introduced the term “gobbledygook” into American English and whose grandfather is the source behind the modern-day meaning of “maverick”) brought tortilla chips to Capitol Hill in the 1930s. So in a way, it's reassuring to know that Texas Senator Ted Cruz gathered his army of Tea Party Republican restaurants at a Tex-Mex restaurant called Tortilla Coast, a move that delighted pundits.
But in another way, it shows how out-of-touch Republicans are with what Americans want of their Mexican food.
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I'll be upfront: I've never eaten at Tortilla Coast, so their food might be great, for all I know. But the restaurant is stuck in the 1980s, just like the politics of Cruz and his pendejos. A quick glance at the menu reveals an uneasy bipartisanship between Tex-Mex (queso, combo plates) and Cal-Mex (tacos, burritos), with unnecessary sandwiches thrown in. There's even a salamander thrown in, a relic of the Southwestern cuisine movement–BARF. Where's Kokopelli when you need him?
The Washington Post goes into the history of Capitol Hill's love affair with Tortilla Coast, showing both Republicans and Dems love to use the place for fundraisers. And now you know, America, why our national politics are screwed: our reps don't even know what good Mexican food is!
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