Posted on 07/01/2007 9:27:40 PM PDT by Baladas
I asked one of the few conservative Republican senators who stuck with President Bush on immigration to assess how Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell handled the issue. Asking not to be quoted by name, he replied: "If this were a war, Sen. McConnell should be relieved of command for dereliction of duty." Not only did the minority leader end up voting against an immigration bill that he said was better than the 2006 version he supported, he abandoned his post, staying off the floor during final stages of the debate.
Although I had never before seen a Senate party leader bail out of a major legislative fight, relieving McConnell of his command seems too drastic. Until now he has gotten high marks from colleagues since taking over the leadership six months ago following four dreary years under Bill Frist. McConnell's non-performance on immigration derived from general Republican malaise going well beyond a single issue.
It is difficult to exaggerate the pessimism about the immediate political future voiced by Republicans in Congress when not on the record. With an unpopular president waging an unpopular war, they foresee electoral catastrophe in 2008, with Democratic gains in both the House and Senate and Hillary Clinton in the White House. That's the atmosphere in which these lachrymose lawmakers have for several months faced an increasingly hysterical onslaught from constituents demanding the death of the "amnesty" for immigrants they heard vilified on talk radio.
These callers swamped phone lines to Republican congressional offices (as well as to the White House) with threats that they would never vote again for anybody supporting "amnesty." While that intimidated some previous supporters of the immigration bill, its opponents saw in the xenophobia of their backers a ray of light in the bleak political landscape.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I agree. The only ones who seem to get it are those who do not live or work in Washington.
Sounds like something Trent "Vacant" Lott would say.
Mitch McConnell should be thrown from office, IMO.
I’ll have you know that’s TRENCH LOT to you. LOL
“The pessimism among Republicans”
Gee, I wonder why? Ignore your base, then call them racists, then try to ram secretly crafted legislation down our throats that ignores the Border Problem altogether...
Get back to basics or you will be offering insightful commentary on a cable news channel, tax cuts, decrease spending, don’t alienate your friends out in flyover country and support the President on obvious War on Terror issues like Gitmo and pressuring Al Qaeda detainees...
Duhh......
Nope.
If McCaonnell was just sandbagging, I have no problem with that. Much better than actually supporting this turd.
Novak is a conservative commentator, but his spin is all wrong here.
He’s swallowed the inside-the-beltway conventional wisdom that ‘doing something’ is what people want over ‘doing nothing’. He swallowed the phony idea that its was only ignorant boobs calling up the senate.
Never mind the Rasmussen poll that showed 2 to 1 against the bill.
Never mind that Rasmussen also reports now that Republican identification has gone *up* in the wake of this bill, and that immigration is the one topic that republicans are trusted more on than democrats.
Never mind that acceptance of this bill is hardly a linchpin for gaining hispanic support, and whoever is thinking that is on crack.
Whatever deriliction of duty McConnell apparently had, the fact remains that HARRY REID is the majority leader. Reid put the measure on the Senate floor and concocte the play pigeon strategy.
For McConnell to get ‘blamed’ for Reid’s failure to get the bill through would be an acceptable conclusion only in outer space ... or DC.
Add Novak to the “Fred Barnes” doesnt get it list.
Here in real America we are just glad the bill died.
Just another pompous Beltway ass. Bite me, Novak.
IMO, the other side isn’t fairing all that well with their base either. I can’t find anyone that supported the amnesty travesty. That goes for both Parties. Saying this was a shoe in for the Dummies isn’t true. IMO, a strong conservative, who is willing to tell the country the truth, has a good chance of getting voters from both sides of the aisle. The American people are getting angry at all of them.
...”Reids failure”... ABSOLUTELY
Harry is making Bill Frist look dynamic
If i’m not mistaken , Novak is a registered Democrat that happens to have some common sense . Definately not a RINO .
“Angry”?
Indeed, the first politican who can be credible on not only fixing the border problem, but dealing with the internal population of illegals will be in the driver’s seat for 2008.
IMO people want the border problem solved, and they want the illegals to be dealt with both legally and decently. And none of this secret legislation stuff, none of this money over the country Bravo Sierra (yeah riiiight).
He has no buisness being Minority Leader IMO, showed total lack of leadership/political skills during all this.
Just let five aliens start blowing up cars, here. See what happens.
LOL ! Those pictures say it all , perfect !
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