Mitch McConnell is not invincible

[babylonsister]

Mitch McConnell is not invincible
By Meredith McGehee, opinion contributor — 04/29/19 04:00 PM EDT


Washington mythology would like us to believe that when it comes to political reform in Congress, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is and always will be unbeatable. According to the legend, when he declares something is dead, that is the end of it. Some senators have admitted they will not even consider legislation to secure our elections because of his opposition. But this ongoing narrative is nothing more than a fantasy.

McConnell is not invincible. A review of ethics and campaign reforms of the past two decades makes clear that he can be beat on political reform. To be sure, McConnell has mastered using every tactic available to delay hearings, deny votes, or drain support from proposals, but he has also lost several high profile fights on these issues. When both Republicans and Democrats agree that it is good politics and good policy to fix the broken political system, they overcome leadership and roadblocks in their way.

For instance, after nearly half a decade of wrangling, bipartisan pressure overwhelmed objections from McConnell to the first sweeping reform of lobbying laws in 50 years. In 1995, Congress was set to vote on the Lobbying Disclosure Act. The curtains were pulled back on many influence peddling scandals and no bid military contracts. Republicans had campaigned on cleaning up Congress, and a majority of voters believed lobbyists controlled power in Washington. A bipartisan group of more than a dozen senators joined together to update gift rules in the legislative branch. At the time, Senator Russell Feingold said in his first two years in Congress, he had received and returned 800 gifts to his office. The bipartisan group soon overcame objections from McConnell.

Then in 2002, Congress passed the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act that was championed by Senators John McCain and Feingold. Before the vote, McConnell famously declared, “I have often said, with a smile on my face, that this issue for average Americans ranks right up there with static cling as an issue of concern to them.” The measure banned soft money, clamped down on sham issue ads by defining electioneering communications, and was the last major political reform legislation that was passed by Congress. The legislation was passed by a Republican House and Senate, and was signed into law by a Republican president.

more...

https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/441157-mitch-mcconnell-is-not-invincible

[louis-t]

1. He's got a 16% approval rating.

How can he keep winning?

[maxsolomon]

3. He's a sitting Senator in a Southern State.

He can use endless cash to make the alternative seem worse than the status quo.

In 2014, he cruised after the Dems snatched defeat from the jaws of victory:

https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_elections_in_Kentucky,_2014

[Shell_Seas]

2. He seems to think he is. Is that ego?

[MyOwnPeace]

4. If we had........

a person with a soul, a conscience, and honor as the Majority Leader of the US Senate, we would now be talking about what to do with "President Pence."

McTurtle has none of those qualifying attributes.

[world wide wally]

5. I wonder if people all around this country realize that when they vote for any Republican

for the Senate, they are actually voting for McConnell because he calls ALL the shots and they just march in lockstep. It's a shame they think so little of voting.

[bluestarone]

6. THIS for sure!