FOX NEWS' CHRIS WALLACE: As Soon As We Announced Ted Cruz As A Guest, Republicans Wanted Us To Hammer Him

As soon as "Fox News Sunday" booked Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) as a guest for its program on Sunday, host Chris Wallace began receiving "unsolicited" research against Cruz.

For Wallace, it was one of the strangest experiences he's ever had in Washington. Not because the research was being peddled to him - but because he was receiving it from not Democrats, but fellow Republicans.

"This has been one of the strangest weeks I've ever had in Washington," a flabbergasted Wallace said during the panel segment of the show that included GOP strategist Karl Rove, a Cruz critic.

"And I say that because, as soon as we listed Ted Cruz as our featured guest this week, I got unsolicited research and questions - not from Democrats, but from top Republicans - to hammer Cruz. Why are Republicans so angry at Ted Cruz?"

"Well, because this was a strategy laid out by [Sens.] Mike Lee and Ted Cruz without any consultation with their colleagues," Rove said.

Rove and other establishment Republicans have been critical of Cruz's strategy on tying the "defund Obamacare" fight to the continuing resolution to keep the government funded, arguing that Cruz has no end game.

Senate GOP aides complained Sunday after Cruz went on Fox News and said that any senator who votes for a procedural step to move along consideration of the continuing resolution is "vot[ing] for Obamacare."

Senate Republicans also brushed back at Cruz. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) said the debate over a shutdown had to be based in "reality" - and the reality, he said, is that Republicans don't have the votes in the Senate. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) threw shade at Cruz by lauding Coburn's comments afterward.

Here's the video of Wallace, via Mediaite: