Anti-Trump Republicans come to terms with Cruz nomination

(AP) — Anxious Republican officials are coming to terms with the idea that their second least favorite GOP presidential candidate — polarizing Texas conservative Ted Cruz — may be the party's best last chance to stop Donald Trump.

Possible Cruz supporters include reluctant Senate colleagues and former presidential rivals with strong ties to major donors, who have long feared Cruz's purist ideology but dread the prospect of a Trump nomination even more.

The billionaire businessman is calling on mainstream Republicans to unify behind his candidacy ahead of next week's primaries, which could give him an insurmountable delegate lead.

The GOP establishment's overwhelming favorite, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, picked up where Bush left off, but struggled badly in Tuesday's round of primary contests, failing to pick up a single delegate.

[...] no Republican senator has endorsed Cruz, who called Majority Leader Mitch McConnell a liar and helped engineer the 16-day partial government shutdown in 2013.

Facing off just six days before Florida's primary, Clinton faulted Sanders for repeatedly voting against a 2007 comprehensive immigration reform bill; he faulted her for opposing a 2007 effort to allow people who were in the country illegally to obtain driver's licenses.

"The Republican establishment is in its death throes," said longtime tea party leader Mark Meckler.