Better late than never: Yesterday, the editors of the Houston Chronicle's opinion page expressed regret at endorsing Ted Cruz last fall, writing that Cruz “has been part of the problem in specific situations where [his predecessor, Kay Bailey] Hutchison would have been part of the solution.”

“Does anyone else miss Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson?" the op-ed begins, before listing the ways in which Hutchinson would have helped in the current shutdown, torching Cruz in the process:

One reason we particularly believe that Hutchison would make a difference in these hectic days is that if she had kept her seat, Cruz would not be in the Senate.

When we endorsed Ted Cruz in last November's general election, we did so with many reservations and at least one specific recommendation - that he follow Hutchison's example in his conduct as a senator.

Obviously, he has not done so. Cruz has been part of the problem in specific situations where Hutchison would have been part of the solution.

We feel certain she would have worked shoulder to shoulder with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in crafting a workable solution that likely would have avoided the government shutdown altogether

But we'll never know.

As the person perhaps most responsible for the current government shutdown, Cruz's popularity is at an all-time low, with just a 14 percent favorable rating among American voters.

[Image via AP]