Washington Post - What Does "Calvin and Hobbes' Have to Do with Obamcare? Ask Ted Cruz.

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By Katie Zezima

In a speech on the Senate floor and written statement, Ted Cruz used some interesting language to describe his opposition to the Supreme Court's ruling that upheld a key provision of the Affordable Care Act.

"Robed Houdinis" to describe the justices, who "hide their prevarication in legalese." The cloaked illusionists, as Cruz called them, "transmogrified a "federal exchange' into an exchange "established by the State.' "

Cruz chose the word transmogrified for two reasons -- its meaning, which is to change, and because it is a sly shout-out to one of his favorite comic strips, "Calvin and Hobbes."

In the strip, Calvin creates a transmogrifier from a cardboard box that is turned upside down.

"You step into the chamber, set the appropriate dials, and it turns into whatever you'd like to be," a strip from 1987 reads. "It's amazing what they can do with corrugated cardboard," Hobbes replies.

The transmogrifier, and transmogrification, appear in other strips. Calvin later employs a portable version of the transmogrifier, modeled on a water gun.

Cruz's use of the word was very intentional.

"I'm a huge Calvin & Hobbes fan -- Bill Watterson is a comic genius -- and the reference was very much intentional. Since Chief Justice Roberts doesn't possess Calvin's transmogrifier, he shouldn't be trying to change the words of federal statutes," Cruz said in a statement.

The Texas Republican, who is running for president, has tweeted about his affinity for "Calvin and Hobbes."

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