Ted Cruz (R., Texas) has only been a United States Senator for 33 days, but already he is making a name for himself, earning significant praise from conservatives, and plenty of credentials-boosting scorn from liberals, and MSNBC host Joe Scarborough.

This past week in particular, the freshman from Texas made clear he does not intend to abide by the supposedly unwritten guidelines for new members: Keep your head down, mouth shut, and learn the ropes before inserting yourself into the national conversation.

Apparently, that’s just not his style. Here is a rundown of Cruz’s big week:

Sunday

The GOP freshman went head-to-head with fellow senator and Democratic spin master Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) on NBC’s Meet the Press. Cruz challenged Schumer and host David Gregory on a host of liberal assumptions with respect to gun control, specifically the outright myth that 40 percent of gun purchases occur without a background check, and criticized President Obama’s recent push for gun-control legislation. “This is not designed to actually solve the problem of violent crime, this is designed to assuage liberal partisan who want to push gun control,” he said.

Monday

Cruz voted against the $50 billion spending package for states recovering from Hurricane Sandy, slamming the measure as a pork-laden mistake. “Hurricane Sandy inflicted devastating damage on the East Coast, and Congress appropriately responded with hurricane relief,” he said in a statement. “Unfortunately, cynical politicians in Washington could not resist loading up this relief bill with billions in new spending utterly unrelated to Sandy.”

That same day, Cruz became one of the first Republican lawmakers to voice skepticism about the Senate framework on immigration reform, citing “deep concerns” about the proposed pathway to citizenship. “To allow those who came here illegally to be placed on such a path is both inconsistent with rule of law and profoundly unfair to the millions of legal immigrants who waited years, if not decades, to come to America legally,” he said.

Cruz’s position put him at odds with that of Senator Marco Rubio (R., Fla.), who helped draft the framework. The political relationship between these two Hispanic Republicans will be something to watch over the coming months.

Tuesday

Cruz was one of just three senators to vote against John Kerry’s nomination to be the next Secretary of State, citing the Massachusetts Democrat’s “longstanding less-than-vigorous defense of U.S. national security issues and, in particular, his long record of supporting treaties and international tribunals that have undermined U.S. sovereignty.”

He also introduced legislation to fully repeal Obamacare, along with 32 Republican co-sponsors, and issued a colorful retort to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s call for mass-scale divestment from firearms manufacturers.

Cruz sent a letter to the CEO’s of gun makers Smith & Wesson and Sturm Ruger & Co, as well as leaders of Bank of America and TD Bank, financial institutions that Emanuel specifically urged to cease their relationships with the firearms companies. He slammed the mayor’s actions, and urged the companies to bring their business to his home state.

“In Texas, we have a more modest view of government,” Cruz wrote. “We do not accept the notion that government officials should behave as bullies, trying to harass or pressure private companies into enlisting in a political lobbying campaign.”

Wednesday

During a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee to discuss the efficacy of proposed gun control measures, Cruz drew ire from liberals for challenging Baltimore Police Chief Jim Johnson, a Democratic witness. He pressed Johnson to explain why large cities in Texas, a state without strict gun-control laws, did not suffer from the high gun-related murder rates prevalent in Chicago, New York, and Baltimore, where gun ownership is heavily regulated.

Thursday

Cruz’s aggressive questioning of former Senator Chuck Hagel (R., Neb.), during the latter’s confirmation hearing to become the next Secretary of Defense, earned him some colorful epithets from his detractors. Alleged Republican Joe Scarborough said Cruz turned the hearing into a “clown show.”

Cruz asked tough questions of Hagel, pressing the former senator to explain a 2009 appearance on Al Jazeera, during which Hagel seemed to agree with a caller’s suggestion that the United States is “the world’s bully.”

The GOP freshman slammed Hagel over his positions on a host of foreign policy issues, such as Israel, Iran, and nuclear disarmament. “Your record as a United States senator demonstrates greater antagonism for the nation of Israel than any member of this body,” Cruz told Hagel at the hearing. The senator also slammed Hagel for the “striking” degree to which he has flipped-flopped on these critical issues since his nomination was announced.

Cruz even hinted at the possibility that he would filibuster, or put a hold on, Hagel’s nomination. He did not mince words, telling National Review Online: “I have serious concerns that if Chuck Hagel is confirmed as secretary of defense, it will encourage those who would seek to do harm to the United States, and it would make military conflict more likely not less likely.”

It would be the first time …