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Aw. turtles can’t be gay, can they? That aside, Mitch McConnell has been the least assertive Senate Majority Leader in US history. He’ll not be pushed around by these newcomers who are determined to change the “business as usual” way that has ruled the Republican faction in the Senate since the days of FDR, which is to preemptively surrender to the Democrats, whether they be in the minority (which has often been the case over the last 80-some years) or those rare times they achieved a majority.

But he gets FREELY moved around by whatever bloc of Democrats that are active in both drafting and controlling the flow of business through the Senate, which includes both legislation and confirmation processes. The slow-walk of the vast number of unfilled Trump appointments has been one of the more frustrating aspects of this timid leadership, allowing liberal Democrats to put a “hold” on judicial nominations with whom they disagreed, because they were not “inclusive” enough. The same with confirmations of various posts within the Cabinet and Administrative appointments under the direct authority of the President.

Purely by accident, and only because the precedent had been set in lowering the bar on the number of votes needed to seat a Supreme Court justice, was the filibuster rule waived for seating Justice Neil Gorsuch, which is still definitely in the “Win” column for the Trump Administration.

And while BOTH Trump and Pence appeared in support of Luther Strange, neither is at all dissatisfied with the choice made in the Alabama election of Roy Moore to be the Republican Senate candidate. But it was a dash of cold water in the face to Mitch McConnell.

Mitch, stop the slow-walk of the string of judicial and Administrative nominations by the Trump Administration, and eliminate the filibuster rule in the Senate altogether, as it is protected NOWHERE in the Constitution. It probably made sense when the Senate actually represented the interests of the states that appointed their two Senators each to the post, but election of Senators by popular vote kind of voided that tradition, and thrown the selection of Senators into the open campaigns for popular support. Before, all they needed was the support of the state legislature and the governor of each respective state. No popularity was considered in the least.

Mitch, you can lead, you can follow, or you can just get the H*ll out of the way. Whichever, do the right thing.