Archive for the 'Senate Minority Leader' Category

Capitol Hill Republicans: McConnell a bigger moron than we thought

Matt Gunterman July 1st, 2008

There is MUCH dissatisfaction with the leadership performance of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) these days within his caucus. The latest debacle of engineering steep cuts in Medicare payments to doctors has many a Republican scratching his or her head.

From today’s installment of Politico:

[...]

The American Medical Association, a longtime Republican ally, is outraged and is scheduled to begin running television ads on the issue Tuesday. On Friday, the Texas Medical Association withdrew its endorsement of Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) as a direct result of his vote on the Medicare bill.

“We’re going to get killed, and we’ll have no help from the doctors,” lamented one Senate GOP aide, who called the leadership’s position on the bill “unfathomable.”

Having begun to hear from doctors back home, he asked, “Why the hell did we fight this as a party? You took a constituency that’s very friendly and just flushed it down the toilet.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) argued on the Senate floor that passing the bill as is was futile because President Bush had promised to veto it. Republicans accused Democrats of failing to work with them to achieve a compromise measure.

[...]

Ooops.

Briefly, however, let’s take a look at the predicament of the national GOP (i.e., the party’s going to be set back so far come November that a child born today will likely never know a Republican-majority Congress before he or she’s old enough to vote) and make an observation:

Kentucky Republicans have been at the center of the downfall of the national Republican Party.

Item 1: Karl Rove led Pres. George W. Bush (R) down a disastrous political path that voters are prepared to punish the GOP for. Kentuckian J. Scott Jennings was Karl Rove’s assistant and right-hand man.

Item 2: Mitch McConnell builds up a faction of the Republican Party that is centered on pay-for-play politics, general money-grubbing, influence-mongering, and hyper-partisan. McConnell’s politics revolved around maintaining power and winning elections, and not the development of ideology. McConnell’s style of politics comes to dominate the national Republican Party, with Karl Rove being its ultimate manifestation (J. Scott Jennings leaves McConnell’s office to work for Karl Rove).

Item 3: Inez, Kentucky banker Mike Duncan takes over the Republican National Committee, and — as Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) recently noted — the Republican Party might face extinction.

Sugar Coma

Terri Whitehouse June 17th, 2008

Page One and some other self-aggrandizing bloggers have noted Sen. Mitch McConnell’s shaky poll numbers, and I wanted to expound on that a little.

Career beltway-ist McConnell has done his best to paint incumbent candidate Bruce Lunsford as an incompetent status-seeking businessman. Funny, then, that Lunsford is leading among low-to-middle-income Kentuckians without college educations. Now, I hold nothing against people who make more than I do, and I certainly wouldn’t go hurling “college-educated” around as an insult, but given that Kentucky ranks near the bottom in terms of education and income, McConnell is going to have a heck of a time positioning himself as someone who is really in touch with the “average” Kentucky voter.

Being that McConnell’s campaign site has been redesigned to showcase his ability to roll up the sleeves on his tastefully casual shirt rather than sit around pushing papers in a suit and tie, I’d guess that he’s more than a little worried. Over half of Mitch’s twenty most-recent blog posts urge readers to sign a petition for a bill designed to do exactly nothing about our petroleum dependence, so I’d urge you to try something different instead. Why, it seems like it was only yesterday when McConnell thought it’d be enough that he brought home the pork-barrel projects. I guess he’s getting wise that Kentuckians need someone with a little more substance than that.

It’s Official: Even Fellow Senate Republicans think McConnell is a failure as leader

Matt Gunterman June 9th, 2008

The national GOP is imploding. The legacy of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R) as Minority Leader of the Senate will be one of having overseen tremendous failure of the Republican party in that body.

The only question, really, is whether McConnell would be remembered as: (1) having been a man of skill who tried his best while working beneath an idiot of a president, or would he be seen (2) as an idiot himself who simply could not grasp the changing lay of the political land and whose idiocy only made the situation worse for his party and for the American people.

It appears that McConnell’s fellow Republicans in the Senate are coming to the conclusion of (2). From The Politico:

CATCHING HEAT: Did Senate Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL blow it when he blew up last week’s global warming debate over the issue of judicial nominations? Some Republican members apparently think so.

Roll Call’s Emily Pierce finds “several Senate Republicans” who say “their leadership made a tactical mistake by needlessly complicating the debate with an unrelated fight over judicial nominations.”

The complaint: Republicans were “winning” the debate over the climate-change bill — higher energy prices being a tough sell just now — when McConnell switched gears to judges.

Sen. JOHN CORNYN: “I think there were some who felt we were showing some momentum on the bill, and that [maneuver] sidetracked us a bit. But we couldn’t just let the broken promise on judges stand.”

It’s Been A Long Time Coming

Terri Whitehouse June 5th, 2008

Reading more national coverage about the posts below, it is clear that it’s not just us Kentuckians that are sick and tired of Sen. Mitch McConnell and his shenanigans. So I’d like to issue a little challenge for those of us who truly want to Ditch Mitch this November.

For every minute (~ 510) that it took a clerk to read the bipartisan climate change bill aloud, I’d like to urge you to to donate to campaign of Bruce Lunsford. At a rate of penny per minute, that would total a mere $5.10 donation. A nickel per minute would total $25.50. You get the picture. I know it’s not a great deal of money. But I think it would be a powerful gesture, regardless.

The people of Kentucky and of America are not pawns in Mitch McConnell’s political power games, and before we hit him at the polls, we must hit him where it *really* hurts - his pockets. The government’s business should never be political strategy. Not on my dollar. Not on my penny.

If you agree with me, please repost this blog entry wherever you think it may be welcome, and urge like-minded people to do the same. When a person such as Mitch McConnell makes it so crystal-clear that he has zero interest in representing the people of the Commonwealth, then we have no choice but to elect a person who does. And that person is Bruce Lunsford.

UPDATE: You can also sign up to volunteer for Lunsford’s campaign here. DO IT!

Mitch McConnell Holding His Breath ‘Til He Gets His Way

Terri Whitehouse June 4th, 2008

Well, actually, Sen. Mitch McConnell is holding a senate clerk’s breath until he gets his way. So says Politico:

McConnell has essentially shut down the Senate floor this afternoon by forcing the Senate clerk to read aloud the entire 500 page global warming bill. So if legislative language is your thing, turn on C-SPAN and watch the Senate at its best, or worst, depending on your perspective.

The Politico bit mentions judges and such, but we know this is all about his desperate need to help oil profiteers. DITCH MITCH!

(h/t: Page One)

UPDATE: This just in from the League of Conservation Voters:

Senators McConnell, Cornyn, Allard and Inhofe: the Exxon Delegation Stalls the United States Senate

Washington, DC – Senators Mitch McConnell, John Cornyn, Wayne Allard, and Jim Inhofe and their friends in the oil industry don’t want to talk about the Climate Security Act. Not only did McConnell, Allard and Inhofe vote against the Cloture motion to open debate on the bill, at this moment, the four Senators are forcing the Clerk of the Senate to read all 491 pages of the bill aloud. The bitter irony of wasting hours reading the bill aloud is that this bill addresses the urgent need for action on global warming and for viable alternatives to skyrocketing gas prices.

“Doing Big Oil’s bidding does nothing to address global warming or America’s energy crisis.” LCV President Gene Karpinski said. “McConnell, Cornyn, and Inhofe are running for reelection and American voters want action, not political stall tactics from the Exxon delegation.”

Senator McConnell has accepted $580,311 from oil and gas interests. Senator Allard has accepted $405,156; Senator Inhofe has accepted $999,023; and Senator Cornyn has accepted $1,197,305. (opensecrets.org)

The Early Bird Gets the Turd

Terri Whitehouse February 7th, 2008

Sometimes, I wonder why I don’t just stick cotton in my ears every morning:

The Army blocked help for wounded vets and then lied about it.

Sen. Mitch McConnell and his ilk stopped legislation that would actually help people in this dear-God-whatever-you-do-don’t-call-it-a-recession.

We’re paying more and getting less for our national defense.

Ooooooh! Buuuuurrrrn!

Terri Whitehouse February 2nd, 2008

There is an excellent editorial in today’s Courier-Journal about Sen. Mitch McConnell titled, appropriately enough, “The Back Of His Hand“:

Millions of Americans are in economic trouble, while the Big Energy friends of George W. Bush and Mitch McConnell wallow in historic profits. Yesterday, Exxon Mobil Corp. posted the largest annual gain ever by a U.S. company — $40.6 billion. The rest of us are left to cower at the gasoline pumps.

Mitch McConnell feels he deserves re-election because he “does so much for Kentucky.” Never mind what he and his friend have done to America.

For real, though! Go read the whole shebang.

Thanks. I Needed That.

Terri Whitehouse January 30th, 2008

Breaking news:

Members of Congress assured Americans that they have a definitive plan for reviving the slumping economy when they unveiled on Monday a bold new fiscal stimulus package that calls for the purchase of a pair of alpacas.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said the proposal, which is expected to solve the sub-prime mortgage crisis, boost consumer confidence, and pump much-needed liquid capital into the market, will be put into motion as soon as the first issue of Alpaca World magazine arrives and Congress has a chance to go through the catalog and select the perfect mating pair.

They Protest Him There, Too

Terri Whitehouse December 11th, 2007

The C-J’s James R. Carroll is reporting that a demonstration is being held at Sen. Mitch McConnell’s Washington office. Apparently, Kentuckians aren’t the only ones disgusted that Sen. McConnell (aka “Big Money Mitch“) is in the pocket of the coal industry:

One of those sitting in McConnell’s Russell Senate Office Building suite is Ted Glick, coordinator for U.S. Climate Emergency Council, a Washington-based non-profit group that supports efforts to combat global warming and to promote cleaner energy sources.

Glick said he and as many as 20 others have been staying in the office and have demanded a meeting with McConnell.

…

Glick’s group and others want Congress to keep strong provisions for renewable fuels in the comprehensive energy bill. The House passed the bill last week, but the Senate did not, and Glick faults McConnell.

People are pretty fed up with your obstructionism, Senator! And we’re just itching to vote you out of office next year!

The Historic Obstruction of Senator McFilibuster

Joe Sonka December 4th, 2007

(crossposted at BlueGrassRoots and DailyKos, go recommend it!)

Mitch McConnell is currently employing the most cynical and selfish of tactics within the Senate. Mitch finds himself faced with a minority in the House and Senate, where much progressive legislation has passed in the House and been supported by 50+% in the Senate.

But this would certainly make Democrats look good, as they promised to raise the minimum wage, expand health care and shift course in Iraq. And they have had the votes to pass such legislation.

So what's Mitch McConnell's strategy? Block everything. Filibuster everything. And then, accuse Democrats as being a "do-nothing" Congress. Then, hope that the American people are stupid enough not to realize that it is the Republicans that are blocking legislation from passing. The strategy was laid out in public by Trent Lott when he said, "The strategy of being obstructionist can work or fail … and so far it’s working for us." Working for the American people is a far different matter.

And these filibusters have come at a record-shattering pace. In July, the 110th Senate was already on pace to almost triple the record number of filibusters, as you can see in this handy little graphic: (and an incredibly thorough run down here)

And they're still on pace to shatter this record. From the New York Times, we learn that Mitch and his Republican buddies continue to obstruct on an unprecedented level:

So far in this first year of the 110th Congress, there have been 72 motions to stop filibusters, most on the Iraq war but also on routine issues like reauthorizing Amtrak funding. There were 68 such motions in the full two years of the previous Congress, 53 in 1987-88 and 23 in 1977-78. In 1967-68, there were 5 such votes, one of them on a plan to amend cloture itself, which failed.

For policy making, this is the legislative equivalent of gum on a shoe.

It has produced a numbing cycle of Washington futility: House Democrats pass a bill, but Senate Democrats, facing a filibuster by the Republican minority, fail to get the 60 votes needed to end debate. Little wonder that approval ratings of Congress stink these days.

But is this strategy working for McConnell? Are the American people duped by this obstruct and blame strategy?

While it is true that Congress' approvals are abysmal, a look at the numbers shows that Americans are not blaming the Democrats at this point. A recent USA Today/Gallup showed that 54% have a favorable view of Democrats, 37% unfavorable. The Republicans? 40% approve, 50% disapprove. And a recent Washington Post/ABC polled showed similar numbers as the Democrats had a 51% favorable rating to the Republicans 39%.

Want further proof that this cynical strategy is not working? Take a look at Mitch McConnell's plummeting approval ratings, which are an all-time low of 44/47%. Furthermore, his numbers among moderates and Independents in KY are particularly god-awful and continuing a steep downward spiral. People are sick of McConnell's allegiance to Bush and his corrupt party.

But Mitch and his Republican friends in the Senate are going to stick by this strategy: 1.) Block every piece of popular legislation which will help our country move forward. 2.) Blame Democrats for nothing passing and "doing nothing". Forget the negative consequences of blocking such important legislation, just think about driving down Democrats' approvals by dishonestly blaming them.

Too bad for them, people aren't getting fooled and Republicans will have no shelter when the great Democratic tidal wave of 2008 hits. 

Especially the "Grim Reaper" of the Senate. 

Mitchy-Poo, Where are You?

Terri Whitehouse October 18th, 2007

Editorials in two major Kentucky newspapers ask that question.

Exhibit A: The Courier-Journal, “McConnell Versus Truth”
Exhibit B: The Herald-Leader, “McConnell Error”

Indeed, Sen. Mitch McConnell has been curiously quiet in the last week or so. What he needs to do is simple, really. Condemn the attacks on the Frost family made by his supporters. Apologize for lying (or, at the very least, come up with some other transparent lie to explain why the first one wasn’t really a lie), and get back to work.

Action: McConnell Still Hiding

Terri Whitehouse September 27th, 2007

From the Sunlight Foundation:

Last April the Campaign Disclosure Parity Act of 2007, which would require Senators to file their campaign disclosure forms electronically, was blocked by a Republican Senator. The Sunlight Foundation launched a campaign called What’s McConnell Hiding? to find out who that Senator was and why they would object.

On September 24th, 2007, Sens. Russ Feingold and Dianne Feinstein offered the Senate Campaign Disclosure Parity Act of 2007 for Unanimous Consent again, however, it was blocked again by an objection from Sen. John Ensign (R-NV). Unlike previous objections to the bill, Sen. Ensign’s objection was not anonymous. This is likely due to the ban on secret holds, imposed by the recently passed Honest Leadership and Accountability Act of 2007.

Sen. Ensign objected to the bill and offered an irrelevant poison pill amendment. Ensign’s amendment would require outside groups filing ethics committee complaints to disclose their funding. Rather than vote on this unrelated amendment Sens. Feingold and Feinstein pulled their Unanimous Consent request. Sen. Ensign has since stated that he is unsure if he was the senator who placed the original anonymous hold on the bill. Staffers in his office claim he wasn’t.

A document circulated among Democratic Senate offices indicates that the efforts to block passage of the Senate Campaign Disclosure Parity Act originate from the office of the Minority Leader Mitch McConnell himself. The document, a Unanimous Consent agreement, labels the amendment offered by Ensign as a “McConnell amendment.” So, McConnell wasn’t hiding the identity of a fellow senator. He was hiding himself!

We still feel this bill is important to create a more transparent Congress. Please call Sen. McConnell and tell him enough is enough pass S.223 and stop hiding.

Washington Office: (202) 224-2541
Western Kentucky Office: (270) 442-4554
South Central Kentucky Office: (270) 781-1673
Louisville Metro Office: (502) 582-6304
Bluegrass Area Office: (859) 224-8286
Northern Kentucky Office: (859) 578-0188
Eastern Kentucky Office: (606) 864-2026

Sen. Mitch McConnell on Bush’s Iraq Address

Terri Whitehouse September 14th, 2007

From CBS News:

The president’s plan “meets a demand many of my members have been looking for, which is some sign of success that can allow us to reduce our forces in the near future. … I think we’ve turned the corner in Iraq and are heading into a new place, and the president’s remarks tonight were certainly encouraging in that respect.”

And a link to audio interviews with majority leader Sen. Harry Reid and minority leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, whereby Sen. McConnell says:

I think what the majority leader, and, some of his colleagues, at least, are saying is they want to surrender as fast as possible.

In other words, more blathering hot air from a delusional godbag, who is obviously so troubled and stifled that he can do nothing more than speak in rhetorical, meaningless one-liners about “surrender.” Asshole.

McConnell’s bile and viciousness tearing GOP apart

Matt Gunterman September 7th, 2007

Before things started falling apart for the Kentucky GOP with the administration of Governor Ernie Fletcher (R) and at the national level with the worsening crises of the bungling presidency of George W. Bush, Senator Mitch McConnell (R) had the luxury of reserving his bile and viciousness for Democrats.

As the going’s gotten rough as of late, McConnell has found himself at odds with his number two Senator Trent Lott (R) and others in leadership (most visibly during the debate over immigration reform), with his fellow Kentuckian Senator Jim Bunning (R) over the handling of the latest GOP scandal with Senator Larry Craig (R), and now McConnell’s wicked traits of personality are tearing the entire GOP apart on Capital Hill. Here’s the story from The Hill:

Lashing out at McConnell
By Betsy Rothstein and Elana Schor

Rep. Mike Simpson (R) condemned Senate GOP leaders on Thursday for their treatment of fellow Idahoan Sen. Larry Craig (R), accusing them of hypocrisy.

“I hope I never stub my toe and they throw me under the bus,” Simpson said of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and other Republican leaders. “It kind of makes you wonder what party you want to be a member of.”

Simpson underscored that he is not considering switching parties. But he also emphasized that he would not want to serve in the Senate, even if chosen by Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter (R) to replace Craig.

The five-term House member appeared ready to take himself out of the running for a Senate appointment, even though his name remains on Otter’s short list and Craig veered back on Thursday toward resigning, as planned, on Sept. 30.

Simpson said he would pursue a Senate appointment were it in the best interests of his state, but analysts have agreed that his House seniority and status as an appropriator make Simpson more politically valuable to his state if he stays put.

The frustrated response from Simpson, a longtime ally of House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), also rekindles the embers of House-Senate tension that at times plagued Republicans during their time in the majority.

“If that’s how they treat their own,” Simpson said, referring to Senate GOP leaders’ quick push for Craig to resign, “that tells me they’re more interested in party than individuals, and the party is made up of individuals. How you treat them says a lot about your party.”

Simpson pointed a finger at Craig’s leaders for staying mum on the legal and personal jeopardy facing other GOP senators, including Alaskan Ted Stevens, now under federal investigations, and Louisianan David Vitter, who has admitted contacting an escort service.

“They have people over there [in the Senate Republican Conference] in far worse trouble that they haven’t said a thing about,” Simpson said.

Simpson was not present for Craig’s emotional resignation announcement speech on Saturday, but said he spoke with Craig by phone that day. Simpson emphasized the bond between his and Craig’s families.

McConnell declined to comment on Simpson’s remarks, but Senate Republican sources shrugged off his frustration with their conference’s handling of Craig.

“Who cares what Simpson thinks? He is irrelevant,” one Senate GOP aide said. “We didn’t throw [Craig] under the bus. He lay down in front of it and it ran over him. There is a great deal of compassion for him as a human being and a colleague. But this is bigger than him and that single Senate seat.”

“Condemning decisions that were met with near unanimous praise inside the conference and out is an obvious political miscalculation,” said another Senate Republican aide. “If the representative truly believes that Senate leadership is the one that deserves criticism in this incident, then his senatorial ambitions are far outweighing reality.”

[...]

Safety? Schmafety!

Terri Whitehouse August 22nd, 2007

Dave Meyer of OpenKY.com has a timely post about Mine and Health Safety Administrator, Richard Stickler. As has been reported in the media, Stickler is a former mining executive whose safety track record was less than satisfactory. And, as Meyer points out in his post, Sen. Mitch McConnell played a big role in Stickler’s recess appointment:

I know there has been a hold on the MSHA Director nomination on the other side of the aisle. I have been told that there will be an objection yet again today. But I want to plead with those from the other side who may believe that this is not the perfect nominee— he is the nominee, nominated by the President, reported out of the HELP Committee. If he were to be drawn down and this whole process were to be started all over again, we wouldn’t have an MSHA Director for months and months into the future. We need a permanent Director of the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

The McConnell/Chao/mining connection has been previously documented on DM-KY. Meyer’s post on the topic is definitely worth the read.

What next for McConnell? Perhaps an attack on the salon-like atmosphere at Starbucks and how it undermines Midwestern values?

Matt Gunterman August 16th, 2007

I don’t know whether the best modifier for Senator Mitch McConnell’s behavior as of late is weird, desperate, silly, lame, or stupid, but Senate 2008 Guru calls it “esoteric” and that word seems to fit on many different levels. So, esoteric it is.

The evidence?

First, McConnell arrives at Fancy Farm and starts deranged rants about the supposed dangers of “liberals” and also of women like Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton. The problem for McConnell there is that, while liberals and powerful women might be dangerous in his claustrophobic DC bubble, the only dangers that Kentuckians are experiencing — like significant inflation at the pump and grocery, their sons and daughters being shipped over seas to tamp down a religious civil war, the threat of the loss of good jobs and being without health care — those things are the direct result of conservatives and Republican men (by and large).

Second, McConnell’s having an online seance with departed Democratic Senator Alben W. Barkley and hoping a bit of Barkley’s “hero” status wears off on him. There’s not a beloved Republican left in the nation, and there’s no living Democrat who will be seen with McConnell; so McConnell is forced to seek out the popular dead Democrats. What next? An effigy of FDR appearing with him at every campaign stop?

Now, we have Senator McConnell blathering about the dangers of an “Old Europe” mentality among Democrats. Yes, you know that Old Europe where the economy’s outperforming the U.S. and everyone has access to good education and health care? Yes, that Old Europe. Wouldn’t want to learn anything there, would we?

Here’s what McConnell had to say, from The Hill.

McConnell slams ‘Old Europe’ Democrats
By Manu Raju
August 15, 2007
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) mocked congressional Democrats Wednesday, attacking the new leadership of the 110th Congress for attempting to ram through proposals that would turn the American government into “Old Europe.”

In a speech at the Ronald Reagan presidential library in Simi Valley, Calif., he said Democratic leaders have been pushing through bills on health care, federal spending and taxes that would substantial grow the government and lead to the economic stagnation that has dogged some European countries.

“I can tell you that in the Senate it seems as though the other side is still looking to Old Europe for answers,” McConnell said. “In one of the great political ironies of our time, the new majority in Congress seems intent on taking America down the path of bigger government and higher taxes just as Europe is frantically trying to steer themselves away from it.”

[...]

“The Senate Minority Leader might be focused on Old Europe, but the vast majority of Americans are more interested in what he is going to do to change course in Iraq,” responded Rodell Mollineau, a spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). “It is our hope that come September, he and other Senate Republicans will stop protecting the president and begin working with us to redeploy our troops from an open-ended civil war.”

Political Wire: Discontent among Republicans with GOP leadership in Congress growing

Matt Gunterman August 15th, 2007

Check it out. Political Wire notes that the Evans-Novak Political Report says that there’s discontent growing among Republicans in the House and the Senate over their respective leadership teams. That would, of course, mean Senator Mitch McConnell (R).

If the national GOP decides to avoid political wilderness for the better part of a generation by quickly and aggressively embracing the rhetoric and an agenda of reform, one of the keys to that reform will be dispensing with Mitch McConnell.

McConnell is not only a symbol of the old guard, he practically founded the system of money-grubbing and influence-mongering that corrupts and paralyzes American politics today.

In the end, Mitch McConnell may survive this election next year, but his legacy will be one of shame, fecklessness, and incompetence.

Republican Leadership May Face Test

From the latest Evans-Novak Political Report: “Discontent with the GOP leadership is growing within the slender band of Republican reformers in both the House and Senate. They are considering but have not decided whether to go public.”

T.G.I.F.

Terri Whitehouse August 3rd, 2007

The DM-KY team has a jam-packed weekend, and while I won’t be attendance at Fancy Farm, my posting, too, will be sporadic. Don’t let that stop you from checking in, though, as I know that I am looking forward to hearing about YearlyKos and Fancy Farm from some of my favorite bloggers. (I’m not just saying that, I promise.)

To kick things off, check out Sam Youngman’s national coverage of Kentucky’s governor’s race and the impact it will have on the 2008 U.S. Senate campaign. I think all this interest will make for a very interesting picnic!

Sen. Mitch McConnell Is a Heckuva Busy Man!

Terri Whitehouse August 2nd, 2007

Between hiring a stealthy campaign strategist for his 2008 reelection campaign, working to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and reluctantly voting for greater transparency in government, how on earth does Sen. Mitch McConnell find the time to draft some b.s. anti-family and anti-children legislation and find the nerve to call it the “Kids First Act”?

Being a literary sort of person, I should probably recognize this whole nonsense of cleverly naming legislation so that Americans will not be outraged at what the legislation really says and does as an ironic device. Fortunately, my low-brow aesthetic most always trumps my literary one, and from here on out I will refer to this practice (system, manner, or condition) as it occurs in politics, as “oppositism.” The noun “oppositicity” will describe the state or quality of being of an “oppositist” mindset. An “oppositist” shall henceforth refer to any politician who insults my intelligence by engaging in oppositism.

McConnell Fights to Deny Healthcare for Children

Joe Sonka July 25th, 2007

(crossposted at BlueGrassRoots)

If you ever wanted to know just what type of person Mitch McConnell is, all you have to do is read this story from the NYT this morning:

WASHINGTON, July 24 — Republican leaders of the House and Senate on
Tuesday attacked proposals that call for a major expansion of the
Children’s Health Insurance Program, to be financed with higher tobacco
taxes.

“Republicans will fight these proposals,” said the House Republican leader, Representative John A. Boehner of Ohio.

In an unexpected turn of events, the top two Republicans in the Senate, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Trent Lott
of Mississippi, said they opposed a bipartisan bill that the Senate
Finance Committee approved last week and would offer an alternative on
the Senate floor.

House Democrats announced their proposals on
Tuesday night and estimated that they would provide coverage for five
million children who are now uninsured. The Senate bill is expected to
cover 3.2 million children.

Yes, it’s about time those poor kids pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps. Can’t they get a paper route or something? Damn lazy ingrates.

The bill approved by the Senate Finance Committee, 17 to 4, calls for an increase of $35 billion, for a total of $60 billion.

In a letter to colleagues, Mr. McConnell and Mr. Lott said that the measure “imposes an open-ended financial burden on American taxpayers and takes a significant step toward a government-run health care system.”

Six Republicans voted for the bill. Mr. McConnell said other Republican senators were concerned about “the size of the plan
that came out of the Finance Committee and what that may portend for the future in terms of an entire government takeover of American health care and, in essence, a single-payer system down the road.”

Representative Diana DeGette, Democrat of Colorado, a leading proponent of the House bill, said: “For the longest time, I was mystified why Republicans would oppose expansion of the Children’s Health Insurance Program to kids who are eligible but not enrolled. Now I realize. They are trying to deny us a political victory. They want to be able to say that Democrats can’t get anything done.

“Unfortunately,” Ms. DeGette said, “Republicans are pursuing this strategy on the backs of poor children.”

Yes, Mitch McConnell again shows just how out of touch he is with his constituents. Whether it’s Iraq or healthcare, Mitch just follows the pathetic party line. In the face of overwhelming public support to change course in Iraq and expand healthcare, Mitch would rather obstruct progress. This little plan he has to block every piece of legislation and then accuse the Democrats of running a "do nothing" Congress is cynical politics at its worst. It really shows a lack of respect for the intelligence of Kentuckians and all Americans. Mitch is banking on the fact that he’ll be able to convince the public that Democrats aren’t getting anything done, while Mitch and his Rethugs are the ones laying down roadblocks to every popular piece of legislation.

Kentuckians are smarter than that, Mitch. As the last SUSA poll shows, they’re beginning to catch on.

Mitch = Full of Shit

Joe Sonka July 23rd, 2007

(crossposted at BlueGrassRoots)

Here’s a quote from Bullshit Mitch: (h/t Carpetbagger)

“I think we do agree this is the last chance for the Iraqis to get it right. But we ought to give one of our finest, if not our very finest, general a chance to see if he can succeed in the next few months.”

Oh, btw, he made this quote exactly six months ago today.

And Kentuckians continue to be fed this nonsense from Itchy Eye Mitch, as he blocks any adjustment to Bush’s failed Iraq policy and also Webb’s effort to give our troops the proper rest and rotation between tours that they need. I’m sure Mitch thinks he’s being clever with this little run-out-the-clock/ move back the goalposts/ filibuster game, but I assure you, this will come back to bite him.

Courier-Journal: McConnell Should Lead

Matt Gunterman July 21st, 2007

The Courier-Journal and Herald-Leader editorials have been doing a terrific job of holding Senator Mitch McConnell accountable since he took over as Senate Minority Leader. McConnell has been making a big deal of all the power he’s supposed to have in Washington now. If that’s the case, let’s see him use it to make the nation a better place when he leaves than it was when he arrived. Of course, the Mitch McConnell we know has only been concerned with the state of his own Republican party in Kentucky and in DC. The nation’s and the American people as a whole have not been at the center of his career.

This editorial appeared yesterday:

McConnell should lead

If Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is upset about being portrayed as a blinkered partisan, maybe he should try something new.

It’s called leadership.

And there is no more important issue on which to exhibit it than on the Iraq war. But instead of living up to his title, Sen. McConnell prefers to bury his head in the sand and ignore facts on the ground, not to mention the public’s dwindling support for this conflict.

This week he helped Republicans filibuster a final vote on pulling out of Iraq. But, instead of providing the American people with a reason to continue the occupation, he glibly accused Democrats of conducting political theater, referring to “all the gags and giggles and gimmicks, the cold pizza and the empty cots.”

“My constituents are overwhelmingly on the side of Gen. (David) Petraeus and the effort,” Mr. McConnell insisted earlier this week. “We are the home of the 101st Airborne. We also have Fort Knox.”.

It would be one thing if Sen. McConnell were using his position to posit an ethical justification for a continued American military presence in Iraq. In doing so, he would be disagreeing with 52 percent of Kentuckians, who want the war to end, according to a Courier-Journal Bluegrass Poll, but at least he would be trying to persuade his constituency. That is called leadership.

It’s quite another thing to defend the war by politicizing the soldiers who are courageously containing an Iraqi civil war. Everyone supports the troops, many of whom are serving because of a deep love for their country and because such service is a family tradition. But Sen. McConnell cynically offers support for the troops as political cover.

That’s a cheap trick. It neither demonstrates political conviction nor acknowledges the people’s will — both things that leaders do.

There is no more significant issue to voters than the Iraq war, and rightly so. More than 3,500 Americans have died in combat, and civil society in Iraq has been destroyed.

There are many legitimate concerns about an American withdrawal from Iraq, but Sen. McConnell doesn’t honestly address any of them. He just indulges in word games, to offer Republican colleagues wiggle room. There are many descriptions for that kind of posturing, but leadership is not one of them.

My E-Mail to the KY GOP

Joe Sonka July 21st, 2007

(crossposted at BlueGrassRoots)

In response to the top three news items on the KY GOP’s website, I was forced to send them a friendly letter.

Item #1- They cite the 2 week old poll showing Beshear and Fletcher in a close race, which "shows" that Fletcher’s "leadership" in calling for the special session gave him a huge bump in the polls.

Item #2- They post an absolutely hilarious letter from Ned Flanders Stan Lee to his opponent Jack Conway, asking him to oppose Beshear gaming expansion, or as Ned Stan puts it, "his desire to see casinos in every county across the commonwealth". Basically, he cites studies showing that casinos lead to rape, robbery, drugs, aggravated assault, embezzlement, prostitution, divorce, motor vehicle theft, murder, suicide and abortions. Wow! But he buries the lead: “In 2002, the Indiana Gaming Commission fined the Belterra Casino $2.2 million for providing prostitutes to its customers. As part of the investigation into the prostitution scandal, it was reported that casino owners would send female ‘player development managers’ into surrounding communities to lure gentlemen back to the casino boats. One such female casino employee even stated that she was told to go to the popular bars and nightclubs in Lexington and pick up gentlemen to bring back to the casino.” Oh my.

Item #3: They post a column from right-wing nutjob Hugh Hewitt, in which he lavishes praise on McConnell for the filibuster to enable Bush’s Iraq policy.

My response:

Some comments on the three top stories on your website right now:

#1: I see that you posted the poll that showed the Governor’s race as being tight 2 weeks ago, just wondering why you haven’t posted the new SUSA poll showing Beshear stomping Fletcher? Perhaps the internet tubes are clogged and you haven’t received those yet. If so, I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

#2: Is it wrong to ask about the causal linkage of casinos with rape and divorce? I’d be really interested to hear this explanation, especially from Ned Stan himself. And as far as the attractive women that go to bars in Lexington to pick up men: I need the names of the bars, Ned Stan. The NAMES, damnit!. Don’t Bogart this info just because you’re not interested, share the wealth.

#3: Additionally, I am glad that you finally found one conservative pundit that actually isn’t ashamed of Mitch McConnell. I know that this has been really difficult to find. I do like the fact that he’s praising Mitch for wrapping the Iraq anchor around the GOP’s neck too, it’s a nice touch.

All the best,
Joe

The story that Senator Mitch McConnell is trying to be an “absentee” leader has legs: nationwide legs

Matt Gunterman July 17th, 2007

Wow. Wow. WOW!

You know, the ultimate goal of the wider Ditch Mitch movement is to defeat Senator Mitch McConnell at the ballot box in November 2008.

However, our penultimate goal is to ensure that, defeat or no defeat at the ballot box, the nation comes to know Mitch McConnell for what he really is: a smarmy, self-interested, bile-infested, money-grubbing, influence-mongering redneck from Alabama. We are making certain that the legacy of McConnell is exactly the one his filthy career deserves.

And, while we’re well on our way to accomplishing both objectives, we’re really getting across the latter point these days.

This article from the Associated Press’s Julie Hirschfeld Davis highlights several important aspects. I’m linking to the article as it appeared in Forbes.

GOP Senator Walks a Narrow Line on Iraq

WASHINGTON - Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell was conspicuous by his absence when key Republicans met with White House officials last week on how to limit party defections on Iraq.

And weeks earlier he had raised eyebrows among some of his colleagues by disappearing into the woodwork in the immigration debate, then voting against President Bush’s plan.

Lately, the laconic Kentuckian who is supposed to be Bush’s point man on Capitol Hill has been anything but.

McConnell - a stern-faced strategist in a chamber full of bombastic orators - has never been the type to seek the spotlight, and his allies say his recent approach is in keeping with his low-key style.

Stung by the criticism that he was being an absentee leader, McConnell struck back late last week, moving daily strategy meetings on Iraq into his Capitol office suite, rushing to join news conferences and schedule TV appearances, and making a rare impromptu stop in the Capitol to chat with reporters on the war.

“I don’t know how visible visible is, but I’ve had numerous meetings - I met with the president (July 11) on the subject, I’m involved in working the votes on the floor. I think you’re being spun on this issue,” said McConnell.

[...]

Still, McConnell is battling a perception among some top Republicans that he has shrunk from the debate on Iraq - just as he did on immigration - in efforts to insulate himself on a difficult issue that could affect his own re-election.

McConnell - like many of the Senate Republicans who have distanced themselves from Bush’s war policy - is to face voters in 2008. He won his last election with 65 percent of the vote in Kentucky, but with the political climate for Republicans deteriorating, the leader could be particularly vulnerable to charges that he has marched in lockstep with Bush.

“McConnell knows he can’t take anything for granted, and he doesn’t,” said Al Cross, who runs a rural journalism center at the University of Kentucky. “The immigration vote was the real signal that he knows he’s not a shoo-in for re-election.”

[...]

Privately, however, some Republicans and their top aides express alarm that McConnell has recently hung back on more divisive issues, allowing party rifts to be highlighted and weakening Bush’s position where he can least afford it.

In many cases, Sens. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., who chairs the party’s communications operation, and Trent Lott, R-Miss., the whip, have instead taken the lead. It was Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who stepped in to organize daily strategy sessions on Iraq last week before McConnell began holding them in his office.

[...]

“I have a number of my members who are in favor of it, and out of respect for them, I’m not going to announce how I’m going to vote - yet,” McConnell said late last week, with the plan still emerging.

That’s little comfort to the White House as it tries to beat back the idea that Republican support for Bush’s war policy is eroding by the day.

“The White House needs him badly right now, but McConnell’s first constituency is his colleagues,” said John J. Pitney, a Claremont McKenna College political scientist. “If they’re expecting a minority leader who’s going to fall on his sword for the White House and sacrifice Republicans seats, they’re not going to find anybody. McConnell is the best that they’re going to get.”

Mitch Continues to Lose Military Support Back Home

Joe Sonka July 15th, 2007

(Crossposted at BlueGrassRoots)

This morning the Lexington Herald-Leader ran a story about the immense strain that the Iraq War has had on the Ft. Campbell community. Once an area of uniform support for Bush and McConnell, military families are now beginning to question the nonsensical policies of Bush/McConnell. The 101st Airborne is now preparing for its 3rd deployment to Iraq, a rather remarkable fact, considering the war has only lasted a little over 4 years. And now these military families, that have sacrificed so much, have their Senator, Mitch McConnell, voting against and organize the filibuster of the Webb amendment, which would finally give our soldiers the proper rest and rotation they deserve before they are sent to Iraq. Scores of wounded soldiers all around the country, including Ft. Campbell, are getting injured in Iraq, coming home, and then finding out that they’re going right back to Iraq. It’s shameful what Mitch McConnell is doing, and the Ft. Campbell community is beginning to speak up against it. From the article:

A few days after the Sept. 11 attacks, Bo Ward put these words on the sign at his 12-chair barbershop near the main gate at Fort Campbell: "President Bush, show no mercy. Kick their ass!"

But almost six years later, and after more than four years of war in Iraq, Ward’s no longer so sure.

"Soldiers are tired; wives are tired; families are getting worn down," Ward said. "I know these boys can’t just pick up and come home from Iraq, but we need some kind of exit plan."

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell’s recent visit to Fort Campbell highlighted the emotional strain and frustration this southwestern Kentucky military town is feeling as the 101st Airborne Division prepares for its third deployment since the Iraq war began.

…

Pressure back home

McConnell, who is up for re-election next year, also faces increasing pressure in Kentucky from Democrats. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, a national group, launched commercials this week that are highly critical of the senator’s leadership on the war and are aimed at eroding support in his home state.

Kentucky has given heavily to the war effort. Fort Campbell’s latest round of deployments will push to 23,000 the number of soldiers from the post serving in the Middle East conflict.

At Fort Campbell, the place Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. military commander in Iraq, once called home, feelings about ongoing efforts in the Middle East and Republican leadership during the war are mixed.

On any given weekday, Ward’s barbershop, the fort’s largest, is a place where privates and senior officers sit side by side waiting for a trim. Ward chats with these soldiers as he snips away. And he says he thinks many of them now would be happy to see Washington set a date for leaving Iraq.

"Right now, you’ve got first sergeants and sergeant majors and E-7s and E-8s that are getting out of the army right and left," Ward said. "They’re saying ‘I’ve been deployed three times, I’m pressing my luck, I’m not going to give up my life and my family for something where there’s no end to it.’"

Karla Tucker works at a furniture store just down the street where many military families shop. She also says that many soldiers, exhausted by repeated deployments, are deciding not to "re-up" as their enlistments end.

"These young men and women are coming back with all kinds of problems; some of them are on anti-depressants; their marriages are in trouble," Tucker said. "There are families right and left that are deciding not to hang around; they’re leaving here and going home. I personally have not heard anyone say they’re going to re-enlist. It’s sad."

…

"Mitch McConnell is on the floor of the U.S. Senate every day standing in the way of changing policy in Iraq," said DSCC spokesman Matthew Miller. "He is the face of the party. When the party marches lock-step with the president’s policies, then in 2008 the voters will hold them accountable."

Mitch, who displayed how remarkably out of touch he is with his constituents on CNN last week, is going to hear this discontent more and more this summer, especially from Iraq Summer and VoteVets, as Kentucky veterans follow his every move.

Meanwhile, Marine vet Jim Webb shows how you deal with a repetitive talking point regurgitator and Bush enabler on Meet the Press.

Can you imagine Mitch McConnell having to debate a tough Marine veteran like this in his Senate race next year? Someone that actually has a DISTINGUISHED military record and can speak for the veterans and their families that have paid such a heavy price for their sacrifice to their country in Iraq?

Perhaps we can make that happen, eh?

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