Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who isn’t known for having much by way of principles, surprised many observers with a statement yesterday about January 6th that rejected a recent characterization by the national party of it as “legitimate political discourse”:
Folks were wont to say, it can't happen here, and then it did. A major political party can't collapse in a manner akin to the Federalists and the Whigs, or says conventional wisdom, and yet here we are.
I wasn't all that thrilled with McConnell's leadership long before Trump. There were the Obama years when McConnell was Majority leader preceding the Trump era - the years where McConnell vowed to obstruct Obama and make him a one term president, etc. He is not a moral man at all. He showed it then and throughout Trumps administration. Now, 13 months after the insurrection he & his cronies see that the party of Trump is flagging so they want to garner support - from Republicans and from Moderate, Progressive & liberal Dems (not to mention disenchanted Independents). Much as I'd love to believe they found a conscience truth is I'm listening to yet another GOP sales pitch. These are transactional people, not "good guys".
The Grand Old Party is too far gone to "return from the brink." I wonder if in hindsight McConnell -- who has said he will retire at the end of this term -- wishes he had voted his conscience and pushed nine more with him to vote for conviction, instead of hiding behind the legalistic fig leaf that Trump was already out of office. A conviction would have made Trump's future irrelevant to the party.
Seeing Mr. McConnell referred to as being “principled” was definitely not on my bingo card. He’s as wishy washy as ever. I have no doubt that if he felt supporting Cheney and Kinziger might cost him his power trip he would turn on them in a heartbeat.
Yes ! And See Empty Wheel post about why the RNC actually issued that statement about J6- buried by the WP reporter to protect his turf. layer upon layer.
I so appreciate your willingness to advocate working with republicans In those (currently very very few) instances some of them take stances that value our country more than the party under Trump’s control.
Folks were wont to say, it can't happen here, and then it did. A major political party can't collapse in a manner akin to the Federalists and the Whigs, or says conventional wisdom, and yet here we are.
Excellent breakdown of events
I wasn't all that thrilled with McConnell's leadership long before Trump. There were the Obama years when McConnell was Majority leader preceding the Trump era - the years where McConnell vowed to obstruct Obama and make him a one term president, etc. He is not a moral man at all. He showed it then and throughout Trumps administration. Now, 13 months after the insurrection he & his cronies see that the party of Trump is flagging so they want to garner support - from Republicans and from Moderate, Progressive & liberal Dems (not to mention disenchanted Independents). Much as I'd love to believe they found a conscience truth is I'm listening to yet another GOP sales pitch. These are transactional people, not "good guys".
The Grand Old Party is too far gone to "return from the brink." I wonder if in hindsight McConnell -- who has said he will retire at the end of this term -- wishes he had voted his conscience and pushed nine more with him to vote for conviction, instead of hiding behind the legalistic fig leaf that Trump was already out of office. A conviction would have made Trump's future irrelevant to the party.
Seeing Mr. McConnell referred to as being “principled” was definitely not on my bingo card. He’s as wishy washy as ever. I have no doubt that if he felt supporting Cheney and Kinziger might cost him his power trip he would turn on them in a heartbeat.
Yes ! And See Empty Wheel post about why the RNC actually issued that statement about J6- buried by the WP reporter to protect his turf. layer upon layer.
I so appreciate your willingness to advocate working with republicans In those (currently very very few) instances some of them take stances that value our country more than the party under Trump’s control.