Mitch McConnell spent 41 years building the most powerful Republican machine in the Senate..he blocked nominees.. killed legislation.. outlasted six presidents.. and bent the entire GOP caucus to his will for four decades.. (Andy Barr won)

X.com ^ | 5/19/2026 | 🇺🇸 Thomas A. Whitaker @WhitakerTA

[ransomnote]

🇺🇸 Thomas A. Whitaker
@WhitakerTA_
·
15h
🚨 Do you understand what quietly happened in Kentucky tonight..

Mitch McConnell spent 41 years building the most powerful Republican machine in the Senate..

he blocked nominees.. killed legislation.. outlasted six presidents.. and bent the entire GOP caucus to his will for four decades..

and the moment he stepped back..

Trump walked in on May 1st.. endorsed Andy Barr.. offered the only real rival an ambassadorship.. and the rival dropped out the same week..

> Cameron — the man who was supposed to carry McConnell's network forward — entered with a polling lead.. raised money.. had the name recognition.. had the Christian conservative base..

> Barr had none of that early.. until Trump made one phone call and one diplomatic offer..

> Cameron finished at 30%.. Barr won with 60%..

> the seat McConnell held since 1984 flipped to a Trump loyalist in a single primary night..

> the first open Kentucky Senate seat in 42 years.. decided by an endorsement and an ambassadorship..

every single establishment figure watching this tonight told their donors "the McConnell network is durable".. every single one assumed the old machine had enough infrastructure to survive his retirement..

it didn't survive a single election cycle..

not a scandal.. not a Democrat.. not a generational shift..

one endorsement.. one ambassadorship offer.. and 41 years of political infrastructure collapsed in an evening..

the quiet part nobody is saying out loud.. Trump didn't just win a primary tonight.. he erased the last internal friction point inside the Senate Republican caucus without a single floor vote..

it's only getting quieter from here..

I'll keep you updated. Turn on notifications. 🚨

[1Old Pro]

I wonder why no one has given that a try.

They won't give up the power and the $$$

[AZJeep]

Mitch is still there.
He’s retiring, but he have still time until January.
that would be 42 years.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

“Harry Truman - was grandfathered in. Truman could have run for a third term had he desired.”

I did not know that. Thanks. Good point.

I think so much legislation and rules need to be phased in over a period of time rather than abrupt changes.

George Washington could have been King but declined. His voluntary two-term exit was so influential that it became an unwritten rule followed by every president until DEMOCRAT progressive FDR broke it by winning four elections (1932–1944). That is precisely why the 22nd Amendment was passed afterward.

[arthurus]

Trump didn't just win a primary tonight.. he erased the last internal friction point inside the Senate Republican caucus No. Thune still has a chokehold on vote cheating elimination.

[Bullish]

I’m quietly but enthusiastically flipping McConell the bird.

[Vision]

While no fan of McConnell you all could show some respect for the guy. Without his backbone Obama would have had another SCOTUS justice.

[Alberta's Child]

I think the problem with Congressional term limits is that it’s not clear exactly what problem they would solve. It wouldn’t fix the problem of institutionalized corruption, for example; it would just compress it into a shorter time frame among a rotating serious of corrupt clowns.

[Retgearjammer]

Better than sour cream topping.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Though he rolled with the punches of being disadvantaged in the traditional modes of paid campaigning, Cameron welded together a coalition of conservative factions to get votes from faith communities and the “Liberty” wing of the GOP that aligns with Rep. Thomas Massie and Sen. Rand Paul.

Source quote at: https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article315727410.html#storylink=cpy

So Cameron led the KY-linked politicians of the Massie and Paul factions on his side into defeat on Tuesday.

[fastrock]

Ditch Mitch forced Senator Jim Bunning out of his re-election bid by telling Bunning that he would not get a dime from the Senator Election fund.

[Sacajaweau]

He also loaded the courts with Republicans...He was loyal...just not perfect.

[Bookshelf]

The Trump results,ended the possibility of the formation of a third party (led by Trump himself).

[donozark]

#15. Thanks for posting. Very informative. A blast from the past in some cases. About the only positive thing McConnell did in all his time in DC was to keep Merrick Garland off SCOTUS.

[T.B. Yoits]

Term Limits would force the power brokers to find more sociopaths instead of relying on fewer to go the distance, blackmail more people if they even could, and remove the carrot of "if you want to keep this job, you'll do as I say" when both know the person is term limited.

Having a foreign government blackmail a politician and then own them for decades has to stop. And they don't even need to blackmail all of them. They only need a few key ones such as those who decide committee appointments.

Removing career politicians would hopefully bring in individuals who would do a tour or two and move on.

The U.S. military does it for officers; rotating assignments every two years or so.

[delchiante]

While no fan of McConnell you all could show some respect for the guy. Without his backbone Obama would have had another SCOTUS justice.
......

With his backbone, Obama got to spy on Trump, run two hoax impeachments, enjoyed the Wuhan Coup flu stolen election that installed his VP/auto pen, and saw the targeted lawfare of Trump.

It took backbones like McConnell for Seditious Conspirators to thrive..

[TTFX]

I think the problem with Congressional term limits is that it’s not clear exactly what problem they would solve. It wouldn’t fix the problem of institutionalized corruption, for example; it would just compress it into a shorter time frame among a rotating serious of corrupt clowns.

- - - - - - -

I think Congress will have fewer people who are lifetime politicians.

[TTFX]

I think with term limits, the average age of Senators would go down, and there will be fewer of them dying in the Senate after being there with their mental faculties deteriorated.

[joshua c]

the only thing that reduces govt corruption

is reduction of govt power

[Jay Thomas]

So does an engaged/active electorate.

[Salvey]

feet first?