Seriously, McConnell, What the Hell?

 

Mitch McConnell and his crony, big donor buddies are estimated to have spent $10 million in Alabama (I have also heard $30M) because they preferred one Republican candidate over another Republican candidate. They lost their bet, and squandered millions of dollars that would have been helpful in next year’s Senate races.

I suspect the GOP really doesn’t really want a 57- or 58-seat Senate majority. I think they like it better that they can pretend to forward conservative agenda items and then blame their failures on the defection of a handful of left-leaning Republican senators. But I digress.

As a senator, Ray Moore is not my cup of chai. Too old and too cozy with state authority for my preferences. That said, I didn’t care about the Alabama race because I would have expected Strange and Moore to vote the same way almost all of the time. OTOH, I can hope this is a harbinger of a Senate without the McCains, the Collinses ,the Flakes, and their like who have spent their entire careers thwarting conservative reforms and constitutional government.

Republican voters are like people who kept driving American cars out of sheer loyalty even after Japanese cars surpassed them in quality and reliability. There comes a point, though, when you’ve had to take your new Chevy back to the dealership so many times that a Toyota starts looking pretty good. That’s what happens when something you trusted repeatedly lets you down.

If Republicans don’t like that the people rejected their chosen candidate, then they should repeal the 17th Amendment. I am actually in favor of that. Since its enactment, the US Senate has become a parliamentary body emphasizing the desires of the national parties rather than the interests of states. And I don’t like it.

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  1. Seawriter Contributor
    Seawriter
    @Seawriter

    Victor Tango Kilo: I can hope this is a harbinger of a senate without the McCains, the Collinses ,the Flakes

    How many flakes would you say are in the Senate today? I would say it is at least 90. Unfortunately only one is honestly labeled as such.

    Seawriter

    • #1
  2. JoelB Member
    JoelB
    @JoelB

    Can you imagine what a disaster a 60+ Republican majority in the Senate would be? The Republicans might be expected to (gasp) do something.

    • #2
  3. Jamie Lockett Member
    Jamie Lockett
    @JamieLockett

    On which policies is Jeff Flake not sufficiently conservative?

    • #3
  4. livingthehighlife Inactive
    livingthehighlife
    @livingthehighlife

    I’m not sure exactly what the problem is.  It was a primary, and Roy Moore is a nutjob.

    Put a few Roy Moores’ in the Senate instead of McCain, Flake and Ms. Graham and nothing has been gained except to push other moderate Republicans into the open and loving arms of the Democrats.

    And the 17th Amendment should be repealed.  That single amendment allows the federal government to run roughshod over state budgets, and hold states hostage unless they conform to the whims and desires of the federal government.

    • #4
  5. Robert McReynolds Member
    Robert McReynolds
    @

    livingthehighlife (View Comment):
    I’m not sure exactly what the problem is. It was a primary, and Roy Moore is a nutjob.

    Put a few Roy Moores’ in the Senate instead of McCain, Flake and Ms. Graham and nothing has been gained except to push other moderate Republicans into the open and loving arms of the Democrats.

    And the 17th Amendment should be repealed. That single amendment allows the federal government to run roughshod over state budgets, and hold states hostage unless they conform to the whims and desires of the federal government.

    Oh do explain why Roy Moore is a nutjob. This ought to be good.

    • #5
  6. Jamie Lockett Member
    Jamie Lockett
    @JamieLockett

    Robert McReynolds (View Comment):

    livingthehighlife (View Comment):
    I’m not sure exactly what the problem is. It was a primary, and Roy Moore is a nutjob.

    Put a few Roy Moores’ in the Senate instead of McCain, Flake and Ms. Graham and nothing has been gained except to push other moderate Republicans into the open and loving arms of the Democrats.

    And the 17th Amendment should be repealed. That single amendment allows the federal government to run roughshod over state budgets, and hold states hostage unless they conform to the whims and desires of the federal government.

    Oh do explain why Roy Moore is a nutjob. This ought to be good.

    As a judge he subverted the rule of law and was removed from office. Just last week he refers to Native Americans and Asians as “reds and yellows”.

    Should we start there?

    • #6
  7. Columbo Inactive
    Columbo
    @Columbo

    Remember Mississippi!!

    Poor senile Thad Cochran wanted to retire in 2014. But that didn’t fit with Mitch and Haley’s plan to punch Chris McDaniel and all of the Tea Party in the noses. So Haley, Mitch and friends paid for attack ads and Haley even funded democrats to vote for his GOP candidate. A complete disgrace. Another answer to the “Why Trump?” question. The GOP base has had enough of these elitist do nothings.

    I see that Corker got the message. 2018 is a whole new ballgame Mitch.

    • #7
  8. livingthehighlife Inactive
    livingthehighlife
    @livingthehighlife

    Jamie Lockett (View Comment):

    Robert McReynolds (View Comment):

    livingthehighlife (View Comment):
    I’m not sure exactly what the problem is. It was a primary, and Roy Moore is a nutjob.

    Put a few Roy Moores’ in the Senate instead of McCain, Flake and Ms. Graham and nothing has been gained except to push other moderate Republicans into the open and loving arms of the Democrats.

    And the 17th Amendment should be repealed. That single amendment allows the federal government to run roughshod over state budgets, and hold states hostage unless they conform to the whims and desires of the federal government.

    Oh do explain why Roy Moore is a nutjob. This ought to be good.

    As a judge he subverted the rule of law and was removed from office. Just last week he refers to Native Americans and Asians as “reds and yellows”.

    Should we start there?

    He said there were communities in the US under Sharia law, but didn’t know where they were and said they were Christian, or maybe Muslim.

    • #8
  9. James Gawron Inactive
    James Gawron
    @JamesGawron

    Victor Tango Kilo: I suspect the GOP really doesn’t really want a 57 or 58 seat senate majority. I think they like it better that they can pretend to forward conservative agenda items and then blame their failures on the defection of a handful of left-leaning Republican senators. But I digress.

    VTK,

    The Republican Party that won the House in 2010, the Senate in 2014, and the Presidency in 2016 wants a 60 seat majority if it can get it. One way or another this will not be denied.

    Regards,

    Jim

    • #9
  10. Robert McReynolds Member
    Robert McReynolds
    @

    Jamie Lockett (View Comment):

    Robert McReynolds (View Comment):

    livingthehighlife (View Comment):
    I’m not sure exactly what the problem is. It was a primary, and Roy Moore is a nutjob.

    Put a few Roy Moores’ in the Senate instead of McCain, Flake and Ms. Graham and nothing has been gained except to push other moderate Republicans into the open and loving arms of the Democrats.

    And the 17th Amendment should be repealed. That single amendment allows the federal government to run roughshod over state budgets, and hold states hostage unless they conform to the whims and desires of the federal government.

    Oh do explain why Roy Moore is a nutjob. This ought to be good.

    As a judge he subverted the rule of law and was removed from office. Just last week he refers to Native Americans and Asians as “reds and yellows”.

    Should we start there?

    Oh give me a break Jamie. In context that comment was expressing the sentiment of a Sunday School song. In fact it is word for word. So I guess that Sunday School song is also racist. You need to do some investigation beyond what NR tells you.

    Second, I think he was in his right to basically nullify the absurd notion that the federal government can equate the presence of a statue to the establishment of a religion by a state and that the federal government can direct states to redefine marriage, particularly when marriage is explicitly a state issue since they are the ones that issue the licenses. Those stances are not indicative of “nutjob.” Particularly since your beloved National Review was also against Obergerfel and lamented the removal of the Ten Commandments back in the early 2000s. Mind you, this very abomination, the Ten Commandments, can be seen at the Supreme Court of the United States.

    • #10
  11. Robert McReynolds Member
    Robert McReynolds
    @

    livingthehighlife (View Comment):

    Jamie Lockett (View Comment):

    Robert McReynolds (View Comment):

    livingthehighlife (View Comment):
    I’m not sure exactly what the problem is. It was a primary, and Roy Moore is a nutjob.

    Put a few Roy Moores’ in the Senate instead of McCain, Flake and Ms. Graham and nothing has been gained except to push other moderate Republicans into the open and loving arms of the Democrats.

    And the 17th Amendment should be repealed. That single amendment allows the federal government to run roughshod over state budgets, and hold states hostage unless they conform to the whims and desires of the federal government.

    Oh do explain why Roy Moore is a nutjob. This ought to be good.

    As a judge he subverted the rule of law and was removed from office. Just last week he refers to Native Americans and Asians as “reds and yellows”.

    Should we start there?

    He said there were communities in the US under Sharia law, but didn’t know where they were and said they were Christian, or maybe Muslim.

    I would like a link to this please. I want to see the actual comment. On the face of it, I would say that is rather off the wall, but I would like to see for myself.

    • #11
  12. Victor Tango Kilo Member
    Victor Tango Kilo
    @VtheK

    Just last week he refers to Native Americans and Asians as “reds and yellows”.

    Didn’t the minister at Obama’s Inauguration do the exact same thing?

    we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get back, when brown can stick around — (laughter) — when yellow will be mellow — (laughter) — when the red man can get ahead, man

    • #12
  13. Victor Tango Kilo Member
    Victor Tango Kilo
    @VtheK

    Jamie Lockett (View Comment):
    On which policies is Jeff Flake not sufficiently conservative

    He was one of the Gang of Eight, he supported Obama on the Iran Nuclear Enablement Plan, he supported Obama on opening to Communist Cuba, he voted against defunding Obamacare…

    • #13
  14. Jamie Lockett Member
    Jamie Lockett
    @JamieLockett

    Robert McReynolds (View Comment):

    Jamie Lockett (View Comment):

    Robert McReynolds (View Comment):

    livingthehighlife (View Comment):
    I’m not sure exactly what the problem is. It was a primary, and Roy Moore is a nutjob.

    Put a few Roy Moores’ in the Senate instead of McCain, Flake and Ms. Graham and nothing has been gained except to push other moderate Republicans into the open and loving arms of the Democrats.

    And the 17th Amendment should be repealed. That single amendment allows the federal government to run roughshod over state budgets, and hold states hostage unless they conform to the whims and desires of the federal government.

    Oh do explain why Roy Moore is a nutjob. This ought to be good.

    As a judge he subverted the rule of law and was removed from office. Just last week he refers to Native Americans and Asians as “reds and yellows”.

    Should we start there?

    Oh give me a break Jamie. In context that comment was expressing the sentiment of a Sunday School song. In fact it is word for word. So I guess that Sunday School song is also racist. You need to do some investigation beyond what NR tells you.

    Second, I think he was in his right to basically nullify the absurd notion that the federal government can equate the presence of a statue to the establishment of a religion by a state and that the federal government can direct states to redefine marriage, particularly when marriage is explicitly a state issue since they are the ones that issue the licenses. Those stances are not indicative of “nutjob.” Particularly since your beloved National Review was also against Obergerfel and lamented the removal of the Ten Commandments back in the early 2000s. Mind you, this very abomination, the Ten Commandments, can be seen at the Supreme Court of the United States.

    Yes it’s racist – that it comes from a Sunday school song doesn’t change that. Care to explain to my Chinese wife why calling her yellow isn’t racist?

    What other laws do you feel it is okay for activist judges to nullify? This is the logic of the left – at some point the rule of law has to be respected.

    • #14
  15. livingthehighlife Inactive
    livingthehighlife
    @livingthehighlife

    Robert McReynolds (View Comment):

    livingthehighlife (View Comment):

    Jamie Lockett (View Comment):

    Robert McReynolds (View Comment):

    livingthehighlife (View Comment):
    I’m not sure exactly what the problem is. It was a primary, and Roy Moore is a nutjob.

    Put a few Roy Moores’ in the Senate instead of McCain, Flake and Ms. Graham and nothing has been gained except to push other moderate Republicans into the open and loving arms of the Democrats.

    And the 17th Amendment should be repealed. That single amendment allows the federal government to run roughshod over state budgets, and hold states hostage unless they conform to the whims and desires of the federal government.

    Oh do explain why Roy Moore is a nutjob. This ought to be good.

    As a judge he subverted the rule of law and was removed from office. Just last week he refers to Native Americans and Asians as “reds and yellows”.

    Should we start there?

    He said there were communities in the US under Sharia law, but didn’t know where they were and said they were Christian, or maybe Muslim.

    I would like a link to this please. I want to see the actual comment. On the face of it, I would say that is rather off the wall, but I would like to see for myself.

    https://twitter.com/lachlan/status/912683364536193024

    • #15
  16. WI Con Member
    WI Con
    @WICon

    Jamie Lockett (View Comment):
    On which policies is Jeff Flake not sufficiently conservative?

    Immigration enforcement & border control and the repeal of Obamacare.

    • #16
  17. Robert McReynolds Member
    Robert McReynolds
    @

    Okay I found them. From Politifact:

    Moore responded, “There are communities under Sharia law right now in our country. Up in Illinois. Christian communities; I don’t know if they may be Muslim communities. But Sharia law is a little different from American law. It is founded on religious concepts.”

    Stein pressed Moore to name the communities under Sharia law. He responded, “Well, there’s Sharia law, as I understand it, in Illinois, Indiana — up there. I don’t know.”

    Later in the interview, Stein tried again, asking Moore to be specific and name which communities he was referring to. Moore said, “I was informed that there were. But if they’re not, it doesn’t matter. Sharia law incorporates Muslim law into the law. That’s not what we do. We do not punish people according to the Christian precepts of our faith — so there’s a difference.”

    There are two parts to this. One, yes he comes off as a fool with regard to his comments about Sharia being prevalent in “Illinois, Indiana–up there.” I will grant you that. Two, he does make mention that Sharia law and American law cannot coexist. He also states that we do not allow Christian precepts to determine legal judgements. He is making a distinction between how we apply the law in the West–the US specifically–and how many in the Muslim world administer the law where Sharia is predominant–again, not in the US, but within the Muslim world. So while misinformed about communities being under Sharia law, far short of “nutjob” in my opinion.

    • #17
  18. Jamie Lockett Member
    Jamie Lockett
    @JamieLockett

    Victor Tango Kilo (View Comment):

    Just last week he refers to Native Americans and Asians as “reds and yellows”.

    Didn’t the minister at Obama’s Inauguration do the exact same thing?

    we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get back, when brown can stick around — (laughter) — when yellow will be mellow — (laughter) — when the red man can get ahead, man

    I don’t really look to the Obama administration when benchmarking race relations.

    • #18
  19. livingthehighlife Inactive
    livingthehighlife
    @livingthehighlife

    Robert McReynolds (View Comment):
    far short of “nutjob” in my opinion.

    That’s fair.  We can disagree on the matter.

    Enjoy your day, Robert.

     

    • #19
  20. Robert McReynolds Member
    Robert McReynolds
    @

    Jamie Lockett (View Comment):

    Robert McReynolds (View Comment):

    Jamie Lockett (View Comment):

    Robert McReynolds (View Comment):

    livingthehighlife (View Comment):
    I’m not sure exactly what the problem is. It was a primary, and Roy Moore is a nutjob.

    Put a few Roy Moores’ in the Senate instead of McCain, Flake and Ms. Graham and nothing has been gained except to push other moderate Republicans into the open and loving arms of the Democrats.

    And the 17th Amendment should be repealed. That single amendment allows the federal government to run roughshod over state budgets, and hold states hostage unless they conform to the whims and desires of the federal government.

    Oh do explain why Roy Moore is a nutjob. This ought to be good.

    As a judge he subverted the rule of law and was removed from office. Just last week he refers to Native Americans and Asians as “reds and yellows”.

    Should we start there?

    Oh give me a break Jamie. In context that comment was expressing the sentiment of a Sunday School song. In fact it is word for word. So I guess that Sunday School song is also racist. You need to do some investigation beyond what NR tells you.

    Second, I think he was in his right to basically nullify the absurd notion that the federal government can equate the presence of a statue to the establishment of a religion by a state and that the federal government can direct states to redefine marriage, particularly when marriage is explicitly a state issue since they are the ones that issue the licenses. Those stances are not indicative of “nutjob.” Particularly since your beloved National Review was also against Obergerfel and lamented the removal of the Ten Commandments back in the early 2000s. Mind you, this very abomination, the Ten Commandments, can be seen at the Supreme Court of the United States.

    Yes it’s racist – that it comes from a Sunday school song doesn’t change that. Care to explain to my Chinese wife why calling her yellow isn’t racist?

    What other laws do you feel it is okay for activist judges to nullify? This is the logic of the left – at some point the rule of law has to be respected.

    Well, you have made it personal, so any attempt to discuss this any further is going to be a waste of my time.

    There is a litany of laws which I wish the States would tell the general government to go pound sand. I might start with applauding such divergent examples as Colorado and Oregon legalizing marijuana in their borders and Wyoming nullifying Obama’s executive orders attempting to curtail gun rights in their state.

    • #20
  21. Robert McReynolds Member
    Robert McReynolds
    @

    livingthehighlife (View Comment):

    Robert McReynolds (View Comment):
    far short of “nutjob” in my opinion.

    That’s fair. We can disagree on the matter.

    Enjoy your day, Robert.

    Same to you. It is hump day after all.

    • #21
  22. Jamie Lockett Member
    Jamie Lockett
    @JamieLockett

    WI Con (View Comment):

    Jamie Lockett (View Comment):
    On which policies is Jeff Flake not sufficiently conservative?

    Immigration enforcement & border control and the repeal of Obamacare.

    Didn’t he vote for both of the recent repeal efforts?

    • #22
  23. Jamie Lockett Member
    Jamie Lockett
    @JamieLockett

    Robert McReynolds (View Comment):

    Jamie Lockett (View Comment):

    Robert McReynolds (View Comment):

    Jamie Lockett (View Comment):

    Robert McReynolds (View Comment):

    livingthehighlife (View Comment):
    I’m not sure exactly what the problem is. It was a primary, and Roy Moore is a nutjob.

    Put a few Roy Moores’ in the Senate instead of McCain, Flake and Ms. Graham and nothing has been gained except to push other moderate Republicans into the open and loving arms of the Democrats.

    And the 17th Amendment should be repealed. That single amendment allows the federal government to run roughshod over state budgets, and hold states hostage unless they conform to the whims and desires of the federal government.

    Oh do explain why Roy Moore is a nutjob. This ought to be good.

    As a judge he subverted the rule of law and was removed from office. Just last week he refers to Native Americans and Asians as “reds and yellows”.

    Should we start there?

    Oh give me a break Jamie. In context that comment was expressing the sentiment of a Sunday School song. In fact it is word for word. So I guess that Sunday School song is also racist. You need to do some investigation beyond what NR tells you.

    Second, I think he was in his right to basically nullify the absurd notion that the federal government can equate the presence of a statue to the establishment of a religion by a state and that the federal government can direct states to redefine marriage, particularly when marriage is explicitly a state issue since they are the ones that issue the licenses. Those stances are not indicative of “nutjob.” Particularly since your beloved National Review was also against Obergerfel and lamented the removal of the Ten Commandments back in the early 2000s. Mind you, this very abomination, the Ten Commandments, can be seen at the Supreme Court of the United States.

    Yes it’s racist – that it comes from a Sunday school song doesn’t change that. Care to explain to my Chinese wife why calling her yellow isn’t racist?

    What other laws do you feel it is okay for activist judges to nullify? This is the logic of the left – at some point the rule of law has to be respected.

    Well, you have made it personal, so any attempt to discuss this any further is going to be a waste of my time.

    There is a litany of laws which I wish the States would tell the general government to go pound sand. I might start with applauding such divergent examples as Colorado and Oregon legalizing marijuana in their borders and Wyoming nullifying Obama’s executive orders attempting to curtail gun rights in their state.

    If you have logical arguments about why calling an asian person “yellow” isn’t racist I’d love to hear them.

    Do you believe it is the roll of judges to nullify laws you don’t like? I have no problem with Oregon or Colorado or California passing laws democratically that conflict with federal law, but the role of a judge is to adjudicate the law as it exists now, not change it to what he wishes it was.

    • #23
  24. WI Con Member
    WI Con
    @WICon

    Jamie Lockett (View Comment):

    WI Con (View Comment):

    Jamie Lockett (View Comment):
    On which policies is Jeff Flake not sufficiently conservative?

    Immigration enforcement & border control and the repeal of Obamacare.

    Didn’t he vote for both of the recent repeal efforts?

    “Policies”-Not votes. Yes he did, and he had to be bribed with Medicaid funding like many of the other weak sisters in the caucus. Comment on iillegal immigration stands.

     

    • #24
  25. Victor Tango Kilo Member
    Victor Tango Kilo
    @VtheK

    I have no problem with Oregon or Colorado or California passing laws democratically that conflict with federal law

    Oregon once had a law that made it illegal for black people to live there. Just sayin’

    • #25
  26. Jamie Lockett Member
    Jamie Lockett
    @JamieLockett

    Victor Tango Kilo (View Comment):

    I have no problem with Oregon or Colorado or California passing laws democratically that conflict with federal law

    Oregon once had a law that made it illegal for black people to live there. Just sayin’

    It’s a good thing we have a Constitution with a supremacy clause.

    • #26
  27. harrisventures Inactive
    harrisventures
    @harrisventures

    Mitch McConnell’s epic losing streak

    https://www.axios.com/mitch-mcconnells-epic-losing-streak-2490110349.html

     

    • #27
  28. Valiuth Member
    Valiuth
    @Valiuth

    JoelB (View Comment):
    Can you imagine what a disaster a 60+ Republican majority in the Senate would be? The Republicans might be expected to (gasp) do something.

    And yet they would still be unable to do anything. Because you first have to know what you want to do. #Dogwhocaughtthecar.

    • #28
  29. Mendel Inactive
    Mendel
    @Mendel

    Victor Tango Kilo: Mitch McConnell and his crony, big donor buddies are estimated to have spent $10 Million in Alabama (I have also heard $30M) because they preferred one Republican candidate over another Republican candidate. They lost their bet, and squandered millions of dollars that would have been helpful in next year’s senate races.

    I wouldn’t shed too many tears over the opportunity costs of that money.

    The people who donated those millions to the Senate re-election fund are almost certainly rich and well-connected enough that they have a say in whom that money goes to. And I doubt they’d ever let their money go to any Roy Moore/Ted Cruz/Sharron Angle/[insert your favorite anti-Establishment Senate primary challenger here]-style candidate anyway.

    This money came out of the Jeff Flake re-election fund.

    And in any case, both the 2016 presidential election and this primary clearly show that having tons of money won’t help unpopular Establishment candidates get elected. So in the end, who cares if some rich guys want to turn their money into background noise?

    • #29
  30. Victor Tango Kilo Member
    Victor Tango Kilo
    @VtheK

    The notion that acknowledging religion = endorsing religion = establishing a state religion is an example of literally weapons grade leftist stupidity that too many people have bought into. No one ever changed their religion because they saw a Nativity Scene in a public park. And if it makes you “feel uncomfortable” if a high school football team prays before a game, that should be your neurotic problem.

    There’s sort of a theme here. I don’t and didn’t like Trump, and I don’t like Moore. But sometimes, it takes an imperfect vessel to accomplish something that needs to get done.

    • #30
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