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The Old GOP and the Lunar Eclipse – Time to Replace Mitch McConnell
Political cartoon by Michael Ramirez
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell had an opportunity and a mandate from the November elections but he has failed to keep his party united. Even Senator Lyndsey Graham (Maverick 2 with John McCain) is bitchin’ and moaning.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) lashed out at fellow Republicans Tuesday for a “capitulation … of dramatic proportions” to Democrats and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in the lame-duck Congress.
Graham said Republicans have no one to blame but themselves for allowing ratification of the New START Treaty and other legislation in the period before new lawmakers are sworn in in January.
“When it’s all going to be said and done, Harry Reid has eaten our lunch,” Graham said on Fox News radio. “This has been a capitulation in two weeks of dramatic proportions of policies that wouldn’t have passed in the new Congress.”
Republican senators have broken with the party’s leaders on several key votes in order to advance some of President Obama’s top policies during the lame-duck. GOP members defected to pass a repeal of “Don’t ask, don’t tell” and have done likewise to secure likely ratification for the START Treaty. Some Republicans might allow a health bill for 9/11 first responders to move forward, while three Republicans voted to end debate on the DREAM Act, an ultimately unsuccessful immigration bill.
Time for Senate Republicans to consider electing a NEW leader in January.
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Day By Day December 21, 2010 – Lions of the Senate
GOP Sentate Minority leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky will bear watching this next year. He has been duplicitous to the RIGHT before and seen as a RINO compromiser. Look at this Big Government Food Bill. There really is no reason to accommodate the Democrats on Harry Reid’s mistake.A landmark food safety bill that aims to modernize America’s food inspection regimen appeared destined for the ash heap until the Senate rejuvenated it Sunday in one of the last acts of a busy lame-duck Congress.
The Senate approved the food bill Nov. 30, but a procedural mistake meant that its funding was tied to a now-scuttled omnibus spending bill. Without a funding mechanism in place by the time the new Congress takes its seat in January, the food safety law — the first major upgrade in the US inspections process in 70 years – would be a nonstarter.
Food safety advocates say they knew ultimate passage of the Food Safety and Modernization Act could go down to the wire given grumblings that it amounts to an unnecessary expansion of federal powers to regulate what goes on the American kitchen table
More Big Government from the Obama Administration and the GOP Senate makes accommodations?
I know one or two NEW Senators taking office in January who will hold McConnell and his leadership accountable to the Constitution and conservative principles: Rand Paul and Marco Rubio.
Calling Senator Jim DeMint as the new Republican leader?
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The Day By Day Archive -
GOP Senators to Block All Bills Until Tax Cuts Are Addressed
Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., left, accompanied by Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., center, and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington.
As they should.Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell will announce this morning that Republicans will block any legislation from coming to the Senate floor until two key economic issues are addressed: funding the government (the “continuing resolution” which must pass to prevent a government shutdown) and the extension of the Bush-era tax cuts.
McConnell will say that members of his caucus are united in the pledge to use procedural votes to prevent any other non-economic issues — including the new START treaty, the DREAM Act, or the defense authorization bill that contains a potential repeal of the military’s Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy – from coming to the floor for debate.
Power politics to force Obama and the Democrat’s hand on the Bush era tax rates. If they expire, then the GOP will re-enact them in January (the next Congress) and force Obama to either sign the bill or use his veto.
Believe me, Americans care about jobs and taxes – not whether gays can serve in the military and amnesty for illegal aliens.
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Day By Day November 23, 2010 – Junk Science
Chris, why U.S. Senator and GOP Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell from Kentucky is spouting off about “clean”coal is beyond me.While we shouldn’t expect our left-wing elitist of a President to understand last Tuesday’s electoral rejection of his “progressive” prescriptions for America, we should expect Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to get it.
But Sen. McConnell seems to have missed the message, at least when it comes to cap-and-trade — odd for a coal state politician. The day after the election, Sen. McConnell said:
“The president says he’s for nuclear power. Most of my members are for nuclear power. The president says he’s for clean coal technology. Most of my members are for clean coal technology. There are areas that we can make progress on for the country.”
But, the Tea Party organizations and the new House GOP majority are not going to allow this “clean coal” excuse for cap and trade to proceed in ANY way.
Senator McConnell is wrong and indeed with a few more missteps will be OUT as GOP leader in the Senate.
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