Republicans are backtracking from the letter signed by 47 GOP Senators and drafted by freshman Tom Cotton. Republican aides is hysterically telling The Daily Beast was all a joke.
Republican aides were taken aback by the response to what what they thought was a lighthearted attempt to signal to Iran and the public that Congress should have a role in the ongoing nuclear discussions. Two GOP aides separately described their letter as a “cheeky” reminder of the congressional branch’s prerogatives.
"You've offended the Obama administration and you may have offended some of the Democrats who would have come over with the Republicans depending on what happens with this deal, to have a stronger say in the Senate,” Kelly said.
The real question is why is the Republican caucus continuing to allow freshmen senators to drive the agenda. Republican Senate members can't stand Ted Cruz but they let him shutdown the government. Republican asllowed Cotton to not only write an open letter to Iran - the majority of the membership signed it. The Republican Senators are now being accused of treason. The frontpage of The New York Daily News was brutal.
This is what happens when Mitch McConnell doesn't tell the freshmen Senators to sit down and shut the fuck up.
A few hysterical pieces of analysis from the Bloomberg election night coverage.
I love the brilliant analysis that whoever gets the better turnout will win. You think?
John Sununu on Bloomberg calls Mitch McConnell a policy wonk. I'm surprised Sununu's nose didn't grow longer than Pinocchio.
Mark Halperin is really turning on the charisma right now. Chuck Todd watch out.
WTF?!? Mitch McConnell Once Supported Campaign Finance Reform
Rep. Ted Deutch posted this image on his Facebook page. Deutch (or one of his staffers) wrote this.
Its #TBT. In honor of the hearings on amending the Constitution that took place this week, let's throwback to 1987, when Senator Mitch McConnell introduced his own amendment to #getmoneyout of our elections.
I wonder what the Mitch McConnell of 1987 would think about the Mitch McConnel of 2014.
"In Part I, I made the argument that any woman who is married to a good man and who wants a happy marriage ought to consent to at least some form of sexual relations as much as possible. (Men need to understand that intercourse should not necessarily be the goal of every sexual encounter.)"
Dennis Prager, conservative radio host.
Prager's sexist op-ed from Townhall.com is getting attention because he is hosting a fundraiser for Sen. Mitch McConnell. The McConnell campaign brushes off questions about the Prager op-ed.
"Sen. McConnell has a long and distinguished record of defending and empowering Kentucky women and he's proud to run on that record. No one stands stronger for [Kentucky] women than Sen. McConnell," McConnell spokeswoman Allison Moore said in a statement according to The Hill in response to questions about Prager.
McConnell's connection to Prager isn't helping Republicans distance themselves from accusations that they are declaring war on women. McConnell also hurts himself by repeatedly filibustering and voting against the Violence Against Women Act. These are Republicans who voted against the final passage of the VAWA.
Senators who voted against the bill included Republicans John Barrasso (Wyo.), Roy Blunt (Mo.), John Boozman (Ark.), Tom Coburn (Okla.), John Cornyn (Texas), Ted Cruz (Texas), Mike Enzi (Wyo.), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Chuck Grassley (Iowa), Orrin Hatch (Utah), James Inhofe (Okla.), Mike Johanns (Neb.), Ron Johnson (Wisc.), Mike Lee (Utah), Mitch McConnell (Ky.), Rand Paul (Ky.), Jim Risch (Idaho), Pat Roberts (Kansas), Marco Rubio (Fla.), Jeff Sessions (Ala.), John Thune (S.D.) and Tim Scott (S.C.).
The McConnell campaign have rather bizarre ideas about how their candidate has a "long and distinguished record" of empowering the women of Kentucky.
According to Bob Woodward, fellow Republicans in the Senate can't stand him.
Fellow Senate Republicans avoid Cruz at a policy lunch every week, Woodward said. "Witnesses have told me he goes in there and he sits alone," Woodward added. "People will only sit next to him when there are no other available seats. ... He's isolated."
Woodward says that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell doesn't think highly of Cruz.
"McConnell ... thinks that Cruz is literally the most selfish senator he's ever seen in his years there," Woodward told CBS' Bob Schieffer.
Cruz is the man the tea party is talking about being President. Exactly how would Cruz get legislation passed?
Pandering to the tea party and not standing up to Ted Cruz has not paid off for House Speaker John Boehner. A new CNN poll shows Boehner's unfavorable rating hitting 55 percent. Members of Congress usually don't poll well under the best circumstances. However, this is painful for Boehner.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi saw their unfavorable ratings go down. Reid had an unfavorable rating of 45 percent in September. This month Reid unfavorable rating went down to 40 percent. Pelosi's unfavorable rating went from 51 percent in September to 47 percent in October.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell weathered the government shutdown better than Boehner. McConnell's unfavorable rating went from 39 percent to 42 percent. McConnell is up for re-election in 2014. He is probably grateful he didn't have as high a public profile in the shutdown as Boehner.
The CNN poll shows the Republican Party with an unfavorable rating of 64 percent. The tea party has an unfavorable rating of 56 percent. Ted Cruz and the tea party is sinking the Republican brand. What is problematic for the Republican establishment is Sen. Ted Cruz promising another government shutdown.
“I would do anything, and I will continue to do anything I can, to stop the train wreck that is Obamacare,” Cruz said when asked by ABC News’ Jon Karl whether he would rule out another shutdown. “The test that matters Jon, is are we doing anything for all the people that are getting hurt from Obamacare?”
Mitch McConnell Was For VAMA Before He Was Against It
Republicans voting against the Violence Against Women Act was politically stupid. Now Republicans have to run away from their vote on the campaign trail. Case in point is Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell. The Senator from Kentucky sent out a press release attempting to mislead his constituents on his vote.
"Mitch was the co-sponsor of the original Violence Against Women Act -- and continues to advocate for stronger polices to protect women. I am proud to call him my senator," the document quotes a voter as saying.
McConnell was a co-sponsor of a previous version of VAMA. McConnell voted against VAMA when it was reauthorized in 2013. McConnell was 1 of 22 senators to vote against reauthorizing VAMA. McConnell now doesn't have the courage to stand behind his vote. Pathetic.
"Between you and me, I'm sorta holdin' my nose for two years, cause what we're doin' here is gonna be a big benefit to Rand in 2016, so that's the long vision."
Jesse Benton, Mitch McConnell's campaign manager, in a phone conversation admitting his lack of enthusiam for his client.
Conservatives Bashing Mitch McConnell on Immigration
The Senate Conservative Fund is attacking Sen. Mitch McConnell on the immigration reform legislation being drafted by the Gang of 8.
We're going to launch a new radio and TV ad campaign on Monday to flood Senator McConnell's office with more calls so he cannot ignore us.
We're not asking him to vote against the bill. A simple "No" vote is not enough from a leader. We're asking Senator McConnell to use his position as the Republican Leader to defeat it.
The Gallup poll has been unreliable in recent years. Nevertheless, Republicans should be concerned when they see a poll that says 87 percent of Americans support a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants. Other polls have shown Americans favoring a pathway to citizenship for immigrants. Recent elections have shown the GOP losing the Hispanic vote.
I'm interested in why does the Republican Party think bashing Hispanics is good politics. Is the Republican Party stuck on the Nixon Southern Strategy Playbook or are their members really th at xenophobic. If McConnell kills immigration reform then the GOP and Marco Rubio's presidential ambitions are screwed. That is fine by me but I don't believe the Republican Party is trying to lose on purpose. That is why their opposition to immigration reform makes no political sense.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says that if Majority Leader Leader Harry Reid goes nuclear on presidential nominations.
“There not a doubt in my mind that if the majority breaks the rules of the Senate to change the rules of the Senate with regard to nominations, the next majority will do it for everything,” McConnell said on the floor.
McConnell already requires that all legislation, amendments and nomination pass the 60 vote threshold. McConnell is threatening to do what he already does for all votes. McConnell hysterically filibustered his own.
Democratic Whip Dick Durbin made this comment on McConnell filibustering his own legislation.
“This may be a moment in Senate history when a senator … filibustered his own proposal,” he said. “I don’t think this has ever happened before.”
McConnell's threat should not be taken seriously. McConnell will punish the Democrats, if Republicans win back the Senate. The nuclear option will not sway McConell from blocking Democratic legislation.
I couldn't make this up if I tried. Someone had the bright idea to sell Mitch McConnell thongs on Cafe Press. Exactly who is the market for these thongs? I am also wondering why these female thongs look like used jock straps.
"As I lead the fight against his dangerous debt scheme, Barack Obama has placed a huge target squarely on my back. As I fight for you, I need your generous support to fight off his attacks."
Sen. Mitch McConnell, in a fundraising email.
I find it a amusing that a man who vowed to make President Obama a one-term president is complaining about being a political target.
The one thing you can say about Tea Party Nation founder Judson Phillips is his nastiness spares no one. Phillips attacks Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell referring to him as a "eunuch." Phillips goes on to say that the people from McConnell's home state of Kentucky "is the butt of many jokes from surrounding states about inbreeding." Phillips takes exception to McConnell's proposal that would not require spending cuts. McConnell's plan would allow President Barack Obama to raise the debt ceiling three times in the next year and a half.
McConnell’s idea is simple. He fears the GOP will be blamed if there is no agreement on the debt ceiling and the GOP will pay a political price.
What is the word I am looking for here?
Oh yes, COWARD!
The one mistake that both Obama and Phillips made was expecting McConnell to be a leader. McConnell's proposal isn't fully fleshed out yet. Some news reports are that McConnell's plan would give Obama the authority to raise the debt ceiling. This is unconstitutional. The Constitution clearly states: The House of Representatives has the power of the purse. House bills then have to be approved by the Senate. Under the 14th amendment, the President must pay all debts. Congress must vote on whether or not the debt ceiling is raised.
McConnell will never please tea party activists like Phillips. The latter actually wants the United States to default.
This is one issue where there is a natural alliance. We in this movement, many of whom are Republicans, do not want the debt ceiling raised, and do not want to see Obama win or the GOP blamed for this. Why isn’t the GOP calling for our help? For one thing, we can message a whole lot better than they can. We can get the word out. We can motivate people, something the GOP cannot do.
The debt will go up because the Treasury Department would have to pay greater interest on loans after the federal government defaults. Phillips is either too ignorant to understand this or is an anarchist.
Captain Change has been revealed to actually be Triangulation Man. This super hero has no real powers. The fact he had a hard time passing any legislation with super majorities proves this. Triangulation Man does have an annoying need to attempt to please all. The result is Triangulation Man pisses off both Democrats and Republicans.
“His people aren’t giving us a very wise set of choices,” she said. “They’re cotton-balling rather than hard-balling. He keeps waiting for Congress to save him. He ought to save himself.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was unsurprisingly critical of the White House budget proposal.
“It’s a patronizing plan that says to the American people that their concerns are not his concerns,” said McConnell. “It’s a plan that says the president’s vision of a future of trains and windmills is more important than a balanced checkbook. It’s a plan that asks our children to pay for an imaginary vision of the future that may or may not come about."
"The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president."
McConnell will never have anything nice to say about Obama. President George H.W. Bush alienated the Republican base in 1992. The question is will progressive activists be able to forget their misgivens and organize in 2012.
"We had been disappointed with a number of legislative outcomes with the past Congress, and so we look forward to better outcomes with this Congress," said Peter Garuccio, a spokesman for the American Bankers Association in Washington.
In April of this year, Mitch McConnell and John Cornyn came to Wall Street and asked for more campaign contributions to the Republican Party. Bank of America spokesman Garuccio it would be huge if Republicans can repeal Durbin Amendment. The amendment barred credit card fees to retalers.
CANTOR: The House has the power of the appropriations process and the leverage that comes with that essentially puts us in a position to deny the administration funding for promulgating the regulations that carry through the missions of these two bills…And that’s what the American people are expecting. They want us to focus on job creation first they results.
BARTIROMO: So that’s what you’re going to do? You’re going to deny funding then? That’s one of your tools in the toolbox, deny funding?
CANTOR: Well, it is a check that this public is looking for on this runaway agenda of this administration. They don’t want to see any more spending, especially if it promotes policies that kill jobs. That’s what you’ve got, both with the Obamacare bill and the Dodd-Frank bill.
Cantor claims the Dodd-Frank bill is a job killer. How many jobs did Wall Street created when mortgage-backed securities, credit default swaps and subprime loans all blew up?
Not a single job was created the year of the Wall Street meltdown. Cantor and other Republicans (and to a lesser extent Democrats) ignore the Wall Street flash crash on May 6th of this year. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission released a joint report to the Senate. The report illustrates how unstable the market still is.
Between 2:40 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., approximately 2 billion shares traded with a total volume exceeding $56 billion. Over 98% of all shares were executed at prices within 10% of their 2:40 p.m. value. However, as liquidity completely evaporated in a number of individual securities and ETFs,11 participants instructed to sell (or buy) at the market found no immediately available buy interest (or sell interest) resulting in trades being executed at irrational prices as low as one penny or as high as $100,000. These trades occurred as a result of so-called stub quotes, which are quotes generated by market makers (or the exchanges on their behalf) at levels far away from the current market in order to fulfill continuous two-sided quoting obligations even when a market maker has withdrawn from active trading.
Republicans argue for no regulation. That is a fiscal policy only an anarchist could get behind.
This is the entire Republican agenda and why they are obstructing everything Obama is trying to do. McConnell didn't say the "single most important thing" the GOP wanted to do was create jobs, reduce the deficit or even the standard lower taxes. Beating Obama in 2012 is their focus. The problems of the nation are secondary.
This is what happens when Mitch McConnell doesn't tell the freshmen Senators to sit down and shut the fuck up.
