Having spent money foolishly to fight a Republican battle in Alaska and after losing Senate seats in Arizona and elsewhere in the country, Sen. Mitch McConnell has nonetheless won the needed votes from his Republican members to continue as Senate Minority Leader. You read that right: He could have been Majority Leader, but his use of the Senate Leadership Fund political action committee funds may have sealed the fate for Republicans to stay in the Senate minority.
Senate Republicans voted Wednesday in a secret ballot to keep McConnell of Kentucky as their leader. This continues his role as the lawmaker who is at the highest office of any Republican in the country and allows him to continue directing the Senate Leadership Fund, which spent millions of dollars to defeat Alaska Republican Kelly Tshibaka in an effort to prop up the campaign of Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who had been censured by the Alaska Republican Party.
Republican grassroots leaders in Alaska were furious with McConnell this fall for meddling in their election, after McConnell directed $7 million of donated funds to vicious ads against Tshibaka, who is the Alaska Republican Party’s endorsed nominee. It’s unclear how Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Sen. Dan Sullivan voted on McConnell continuing as Senate Majority Leader, but almost certain that Murkowski returned the favor.
But there were dissenters:
“We have a contested leadership election in the Senate GOP,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., wrote on Twitter. “My view is we should let @HerschelWalker vote! Don’t disenfranchise him. Tomorrow at the election meeting I will ask for a vote on a delay to allow Herschel, if elected, to participate.”
Herschel Walker, a Republican, faces a runoff with Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia on Dec. 6.
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas criticized McConnell on Cruz’ “Verdict” podcast on Monday.
“Mitch would rather be leader than have a Republican majority,” Cruz said. “If there’s a Republican who can win who’s not going to support Mitch, the truth of the matter is he’d rather the Democrat win.”
The vote proceeded despite an attempt to delay it, launched by Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla, and despite a letter from Scott, who launched a bid to take the spot. Scott wrote to his fellow Republicans on Wednesday, “I’m writing to you today because I believe it’s time for the Senate Republican Conference to be far more bold and resolute than we have been in the past. We must start saying what we are for, not just what we are against. I do not believe we can simply continue to say the Democrats are radical, which they are. Republican voters expect and deserve to know our plan to promote and advance conservative values. We need to listen to their calls for action and start governing in Washington like we campaign back at home. There is a Republican Party that is alive and well in communities across America. It is time there is one in Washington, D.C., too. That is why I am running to be Republican Leader.”
Open letter to Mitch McConnell: Stay out of Alaska election
“For those who want to get serious about ending reckless government spending and the devastating inflation it has caused, finally take action to protect Social Security and Medicare and preserve the promise of these programs for our children and grandchildren, hold government accountable from the FBI to the IRS, truly combat the extreme danger posed by Communist China and refocus our military on lethal defense instead of woke nonsense, I ask for your support in changing the direction of the Senate and rescuing America from the dangerous path Democrats have set it on,” Scott wrote.
Downing: McConnell’s proxy war with Trump in Alaska is stuck on stupid
How do you elect a party leader, minority or majority, when the election is not even certified yet?
Swamp wins again
BIGGEST RINO supported by cowardly republicans.
Cruz is right. The turtle is bought and paid for controlled opposition
turtles live in swamps.
Corruption seems to be job #1 for for the uniparty.
Buckle up. It’s going to be a bumpy ride for us tax paying citizens.
I personally sent a message to Senator Sullivan voicing my displeasure with McConnell being the Republican Leader in the Senate. This was because of McConnell’s direct attack against Kelly Tshibaka are preferred Senator for Alaska. I will watch how and what he does going into the 2024 Election cycle to determine if I will support him for reelection if he pursues the Senate seat again. Time will tell if he listens to constituencies or goes rogue supporting things and people who will hurt Alaska.
I wrote a letter to Sullivan last month about his endorsement of Murkowski while the AK Republicans censured her. Of course, I may not hear anything, or get a canned response. Disgraceful….. I like a lot of things that Sen. Sullivan does, but other things–not so much….
Republicans never had a real alternative to Obamacare, and have no real agenda other than build a wall and cut spending. At least Rick Scott is honest where the spending cuts will be by wanting to change social security from an entitlement to an appropriation. Old Crow just wants to kick the can down the road.
And we needed Obama care because of why? So we need an alternative to a boondoggle.
Obamacare has lowered private insurance rates, Medicaid Expansion has saved the State of Alaska $Hundreds of Millions, lowered insurance rates for higher income workers and improved healthcare for low income workers.
Frank, do you care to share with us what brand of glue it is that you are sniffing when you write nonsensical screeds like this one?
I was gonna contest this, but I can’t stop laughing.
Alaska needs to shift the PFD back from an appropriation into an entitlement!
If there is anyone that defines ‘the swamp’… Would be interesting to do a forensic accounting on his wealth and find the source of much of it…
BLM, as for the source of McConnel’s wealth think of a place called China, the same place that enriched the Biden ‘Crime Family. I think you will find that Mitch’s Sister in Law is a CCP member, and pop’s is one of the wealthiest Chi-Com’s ever!
What was it that U.S. Grant once said? “we have but two parties anymore, Patriots and Traitors.
Mitch’s wife’s family are from Taiwan not communist China. Both of Elaine Chao’s parents fled during the Chinese civil war. Also I believe Taiwan is a democratic government. Because they do business with China they are commies? Like Apple and Nike?
Turtles love wallowing in the Swamp.
McCarthy and then McConnell re-elected to leadership.
First as tragedy, then as farce.
What is past is past. We need to proceed as if we can make meaningful contributions to the times ahead, and right now we’re looking at a ground war between DeSantis and Trump.
Have they not learned anything??!!! This is terrible news. He deserves a major demotion. I do hold him responsible— especially in our state for the mid terms loss of the Senate. It pains me to think we have 6 more years of traitor Lisa — who does not represent her party.
Surprisingly, such a view is “structural”–Marxist! Oh, yeah! Come on, you can’t hang your bonnet on that hook, honey, without making major concessions to Karl! So it only took a few dollars more, eh?
God old boy club
We’ve lost elections before… but somehow this feels different – we’ve lost the nation and our State. Trying to recover from this will be next to impossible – but try we must. “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Pr.29:18a – where the Word of God is not honored and proclaimed, a nation falls into decadence and destruction. Woe to any nation whose leaders are fools.
Every senator who voted to keep McConnell as Senate leader is just as guilty as he is, of dishonesty, corruption, and faithlessness, if not outright treason.
The 2024 republican presidential primary candidates are going to have to figure out how to deal with this ancient swamp creature or risk letting the party lose again.
McConnell is the worst of the worst. He is a swamp creature with no conscience. He spent millions against MAGA Republicans to keep them out of the Senate Mafia chamber. If he can’t control them, he turns his machine against them. He is in bed with China and will continue to milk U.S. taxpayers (middle class) of every last retirement dollar and fist bump Senator Shumer behind closed doors. As long as the Republican Party chooses leaders like McConnell and McCarthy, it is dead and ceases to be a party of the people.
Help Mr. Wizard, I don’t want to be Minority Leader anymore!
Drizzle, Drazzle, Druzzle, Drome. Time for this one to go home.
Today we learned McConnell has 7% favorable in a poll…. and I would argue that is far to high.
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