Matt Gunterman July 11th, 2007

So, the word on the street in Washington, DC is that Senator Mitch McConnell is fast losing his reputation of being an effective leader in all corners: among his fellow Republicans, among the press, among the Democrats, among the talking heads. You name it, everyone’s talking about how McConnell’s just not up to the task of being leader of the Republicans at this moment in our nation’s history.

Here’s a damning excerpt from Roll Call that details the extent to which Washington insiders are reevaluating Senator McConnell:

McConnell Yet to Engage on War
July 11, 2007
By Erin P. Billings and John Stanton,
Roll Call Staff

A virtual no-show during last month’s divisive immigration debate, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) is expected by his fellow Republicans to emerge soon from the shadows and reassert himself as a leading face of the GOP. But at least in the early hours of this week’s showdown over the Iraq War, that hasn’t happened yet.

[...]

The extent to which that maneuvering will be public, however, remains to be seen. Even though McConnell has been to the floor more times in the past two days than during the bulk of the immigration debate, and led a cadre of his colleagues to the microphones on Tuesday to defend the White House efforts in Iraq, his comments on the war policy have been among the Senate’s most tepid.

Republican aides noted that McConnell was supposed to use his Tuesday press availability to take aim at an Iraq redeployment proposal sponsored by Sens. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Carl Levin (D-Mich.). But instead of attacking Democrats’ positions, McConnell made only brief comments, which he limited to a vow to hold Democrats to a 60-vote threshold for any Iraq amendments.

[...]

Internally, Republicans said they view Iraq as the next big test for McConnell to show he can lead his party on a position that isn’t widely favored by the public. GOP Senators know they are under the gun on Iraq as voters continue to lose confidence in the effort.

“He disappeared during the immigration debate … and he has yet to reappear,” said one GOP aide to a conservative Senator. “This may be a good re-election strategy, but it could weaken his position in Washington.”

[...]

Now, I have no doubt that McConnell would have his worshipers in Kentucky (can you say John David Dyche) even if he sprouted literal horns and a forked tail to go with the figurative ones he’s got now.

But, you know, McConnell’s a national figure and part of taking out McConnell is making sure that he owns the record and reputation he deserves to own on a national level.

I myself believe — by the time I leave this earth — Mitch McConnell’s name will be cursed by the vast majority of Kentuckians. They, like the rest of this nation, will recognize that Mitch McConnell is the man whose personal politics of money-grubbing and influence-mongering helped bring the nation’s institutions of government to a grinding halt at a time when we most needed action.

Mitch McConnell will be the congressional equivalent of President George W. Bush: a delusional failure. He will be seen as a man who was too small for times of big change. He will be a wretched stain on the name of Kentucky, and it will take a generation of scrubbing to undo his stinking mess.

• 2008 KY U.S. Senate Race , Immigration , Iraq War , Mitch McConnell , Senate Minority Leader
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