Posted on 06/28/2007 1:25:06 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
With his caucus bitterly divided and the Senate descending into procedural warfare, Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) stayed away from the Senate floor as the most sweeping overhaul of immigration laws in 21 years hung in the balance.
Facing the biggest challenge of his leadership tenure, McConnell has largely chosen to work behind the scenes and instead allow a bloc of conservatives to spar with Republican supporters of the bill.
Conservatives also railed all day on the process used by Senate leaders to bring the bill to the floor. But Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) and other Democrats wasted no opportunity to point out that the arcane procedural tactic, which limited debate to a pre-negotiated list of 27 amendments, was worked out with McConnell.
“It wasn’t done by me, it was done by us,” Reid said, referring to the Republican leader.
Yesterday the Senate moved methodically through the list of amendments in advance of a decisive vote today to shut down debate and move to a final vote on the bill’s passage. The success of today’s vote depended largely on how many amendments were considered and which were agreed to during yesterday’s debate.
Since the bipartisan negotiators and the White House reached a deal on the bill last month, opposition on the right has been growing. That has put Republicans who are up for reelection, including McConnell, in an uncomfortable position as the White House has launched an all-out push to give President Bush a major victory in his final months in office.
McConnell’s absence from the fight highlighted his lukewarm feeling on the bill. He is neither an advocate nor a staunch critic of the bill, and has not said how he would vote on the underlying bill. The senator voted against efforts to shut down debate earlier this month, but voted Tuesday on a motion to proceed to debating the bill. Last year he voted for the measure that passed the Senate but failed to clear Congress.
Publicly, McConnell has tried to limit talking about the issue. Reporters who pepper him with questions about immigration legislation often are greeted with silence. And recently he cut short a news conference on energy issues once questions turned to the immigration bill.
Analysts note that McConnell — who recently said next year’s reelection race will be the toughest of his career — is in a “lose-lose” situation. If the Senate passes the bill, they say, conservative critics will argue that McConnell helped facilitate its passage. If the bill stalls, Democrats will use the bill’s failure to aid in their characterization of the senator as an “obstructionist.”
McConnell was absent as several of his Republican colleagues highlighted the stark differences within the caucus over the process and the contents of the bill. In a heated argument, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), an opponent of the bill, yelled at another critic, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), for objecting to an amendment authored by the Iowa Republican. Sessions, in turn, blamed Reid for standing in the way. Reid said he was trying to allow people to debate their amendments all day.
Then Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) took the floor and blasted the Grassley amendment: “If you want to make sure the bill does not work, then adopt the Grassley amendment.”
Despite his absence on the floor, McConnell was engaged closely with the floor proceedings, holding member-level meetings through the course of the day, his aides said.
That was enough to infuriate conservative critics of the bill, who say he was not doing enough to stop Democrats from railroading the bill through the Senate. The conservative opposition, led by Tom Coburn (Okla.), Jim DeMint (S.C.) and David Vitter (La.), argued they were not given ample time to review substantive changes to the underlying bill before they had a chance to vote.
“It’s patently unfair,” Vitter said. “We have the right to understand what is before the Senate. We have the right to read it.”
McConnell spokesman Don Stewart said the senator wanted to move the bill through the regular channels.
“For whatever reason, the Senate Republican leader is not playing an active role in protecting the rights of his caucus,” said Brian Darling, director of Senate relations at the Heritage Foundation. “I think he’s staying out of the fight, and allowing others in leadership to cut deals.”
Still, some Republicans concerned about the process came to McConnell’s defense yesterday.
“He’s doing the best he can with a divided conference,” DeMint said.
Mitch can come out of the cloak room now, the coast is clear.
Isn’t that what JFK called “Profiles in Courage?” LOL
bttt
When the leader is absent from one of the most significant battles, one should question if he really is the leader we want ... cut and run when the fight gets hot and heavy is not my choice for a leader. Shameful.
And disgusting.
I believe that the Presidential hopefuls and coat-tailers were suckered by Kennedy (with Sphinkter as a useful idiot) and Lindsey, Kyle, McCain all got sucked into this backroom think-tank Frankenstein without the guidance, sponsorship, permission or coverage of the Leader, McConnell. McConnell finds himself with these guys out on a night patrol panty raid and he is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't as far a sponsorship support or leading and opposition.
Kennedy was brilliant in his evil design. He hung out the bait and they went for it. Now they can have it both ways. The Kennedy types can claim that they were Bi-partisan, giving Kyle full input and the Republican knuckle-draggers failed to support Kyle's effort. Conversely, they can claim that now they have to have their version as the President and the Repbulican members can't keep "their guys" in line.
Ky. PING!
perhaps, but see my take at #8.
I think McConnell was “out of the loop” but not by his own doing.
I think McConnell sold his ba... to the President’s lock box. Why I don’t yet know, but I bet we would have found out if it had passed. The power of the President to buy people off is enormous.
The fact that McConnell could be bought is not a good sign.
His wife works in the WH...
A typical vice of American politics is the avoidance of saying anything real on real issues.Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people.
When they call the roll in the Senate, the Senators do not know whether to answer "Present" or "Not guilty."
Theodore Roosevelt
"Democrats will use the bill’s failure to aid in their characterization of the senator as an “obstructionist.”"
Who gives a flying fig what they think? - They aren't going to vote for him unless he walks on water and changes to a liberal trash leftist.
Scary Harry Reid is threatening to resurrect the beast from the dead yet again. What will Mitch do, huddle in the closet with the democrats once more to bring it back or tell dingy to get lost? Only the shadow knows.
He will not be the Minority Leader for much longer. You don't vote against your own people as he did the other day, no matter what you think.
Not and stay the "leader" for very long.
Mr. Sessions seems to me to be the obvious choice for the future.
What we have here is a President that hasn't yet understood that as far as legislation goes, he is in the minority.
The strength he has, the executive strength, he understands how to use as commander in chief, but he doesn't understand how to use domestically when his party is in the minority.
If he was building fence like a landscaper being paid by the measured yard at double the unit price, and then raiding worksites and deporting people in Seattle roundups -- Bamm! he would have the Dems banging down the door whining and put Mitch in the drivers seat to get a good conservative reform that he could take to the big business leaders and the sister-in law and say, hey, look what I did. Instead, he tries to make legislation and that is not his job.
McConnell wasn’t the only one in hiding. Did anyone else notice how scare McCain has been the last few days? The media won’t acknowledge how this immigration fiasco has hurt McCain’s campaign, but he has certainly been quiet about it since his numbers started to go south.
...probably not for long now.
We need another, modern Teddy Roosevelt. That’s why I’m backing Fred Thompson, I think he’s our best chance of seeing another TR, Reagan, Churchill or Thatcher type.
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