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Mitch McConnell is the master of the Senate
Clinton Herald ^ | 1/23/20 3 hrs ago | Rich Lowry

Posted on 01/23/2020 5:33:46 PM PST by conservative98

Every hostile nickname that Mitch McConnell gets is further confirmation of his effectiveness.

The latest is “Midnight Mitch,” a reaction to his resolution setting out the road map for the Senate impeachment trial. The measure stipulated that House impeachment managers could make their case over two days of 12-hour sessions, possibly pushing the presentations into the wee hours. Hence, the latest alliterative moniker for McConnell, also known to his enemies as “Moscow Mitch.”

McConnell relented slightly on the resolution, giving the managers – and the president’s team – three days, instead of two, for opening arguments. But he still got his way on the broader question of how to run the trial – unsurprisingly, because McConnell is a master at what he does.

When all is said and done, he’ll be remembered as one of the most effective Senate majority leaders in the modern era. A portion of an early Democratic presidential debate was devoted to asking candidates how they’d get around McConnell as president – and none of them had a good answer. He now looms as a hate figure for the left at the same time he’s won the grudging admiration of conservatives who once scorned him as too establishmentarian.

(Excerpt) Read more at clintonherald.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Kentucky
KEYWORDS: cocainemitch; congress; leadermcconnell; mcconnell; midnightmitch; mitchmcconnell; trump
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To: Starboard

It will take 3 days so the money part will end during the week on Monday and everyone is home watching TV on Sunday night.


41 posted on 01/24/2020 4:13:57 AM PST by conservative98
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To: Starboard
During the weak, many people simply can't watch the impeachment proceedings as they actually happen, so they'd have to rely on the evening news to show the relevant clips. What are the odds that CNN, ABC, etc., would actually show good clips from an effective GOP presentation?

Saturday is the day most people don't have to work, and so have an opportunity to watch live that they didn't have during the weak. It's actually a better chance to get your entire presentation to more people, especially in winter.

In any case, good clips will get circulated via Youtube, etc., so the message will still get out.

42 posted on 01/24/2020 5:11:31 AM PST by Bruce Campbells Chin
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To: conservative98

Mitch is the bomb on pushing judges through.


43 posted on 01/24/2020 5:29:56 AM PST by Hyman Roth
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To: Starboard
worse, it is effectively legitimizing this destructive travesty.
. . . and my “Pelosi Rule” would delegitimize it.

44 posted on 01/24/2020 6:18:20 AM PST by conservatism_IS_compassion (Socialism is cynicism directed towards society and - correspondingly - naivete towards government.)
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To: Ol' Dan Tucker

Nobody’s watching now because everyone knows it’s a sham.

**********

If Mitch had managed to schedule things such that the Dems had their opening presentations on a Saturday we would all be celebrating his master stroke. Instead its the other way around. Another Republican screw up and example of weakness.

Make no mistake, the media and Dems are very happy about this. They’ll gladly take the win and whatever advantage it affords them. Remember, gaining a yard can sometimes be a crucial point in a fotball game.


45 posted on 01/24/2020 6:25:19 AM PST by Starboard
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To: conservative98

There’s no way to realtionalize this tactical blunder as being beneficial. Like I said elsewhere, had Mitch flipped the3 scheduling around on the Dems we would be celebrating this as a win and a master stroke of political genius.

Instead we gave critical ground away. That’s now how you win games.


46 posted on 01/24/2020 6:30:37 AM PST by Starboard
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To: Bruce Campbells Chin

What are the odds that CNN, ABC, etc., would actually show good clips from an effective GOP presentation?

************

They will never give Trump a fair shake. But there are outher outlets (e.g., Fox, OAN, Rush, various other conservative radio peronalities, conservative blogs, etc) that would be blasting out the clips and sound bites. We’re going to be deprived on much of that.

No matter how you spin it, this was a monumental blunder so typical of Republican ineptitude and weakness.


47 posted on 01/24/2020 6:35:46 AM PST by Starboard
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To: Starboard

I disagree. I’d much rather have it on Saturday when I can watch, then on Mon-Fri when I can’t. And I’m not the only one.


48 posted on 01/24/2020 6:46:00 AM PST by Bruce Campbells Chin
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To: Jonah Hex

Holy Flying Turtles Batman, he’s on a rampage!


49 posted on 01/24/2020 6:47:17 AM PST by Bruce Campbells Chin
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To: lodi90
Senate votes are notoriously difficult to whip, and always have been because of the egos of individual Senators. He had the ObamaCare votes lined up until McCain betrayed the rest of the GOP.

In terms of judicial confirmations, you say what he's doing is just a "basic function of a majority leader", but it is a lot more than that. He's ramming judges through at a record pace, and he's able to do that because he had the guts to do three things no prior Majority Leader in either party did:

1) He ended the filibustering of Supreme Court nominees. Without that, we don't get Kavanaugh.

2) He ended the very long-standing practice of "blue-slipping" which gave Senators a veto power over nominations in their state. Blue slipping in the reason the 9th Circuit has been so out of step with the rest of the country. McConnell's decision to overturn that practice has had a hugely positive effect on confirmations, and on the 9th circuit in particular.

3) Shorten the amount of debate permitted for confirmations. That again enables him to ram through picks at the highest rate in recent history.

50 posted on 01/24/2020 7:01:49 AM PST by Bruce Campbells Chin
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To: Bruce Campbells Chin

Senate votes are notoriously difficult to whip, and always have been because of the egos of individual Senators. He had the ObamaCare votes lined up until McCain betrayed the rest of the GOP.


Harry Reid had no issues whipping votes for Obama. Why is that? Although, I suppose it does help when 10 Republicans are voting to confirm dirtbags like Brennan.


51 posted on 01/24/2020 7:32:40 AM PST by lodi90
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To: Bruce Campbells Chin

Most of the country has plans for every weekend that include shopping, various sporting events, eating out with friends and family, watching movies, etc. We’re inclined to enjoy the weekend break and glad to tune out the noisy news for a couple of days.

I don’’t know anyone who is a 24X7 political news junkie. Weekends for most are precious and refreshing breaks from our routines, concerns and labor.

But maybe that’s just me.


52 posted on 01/24/2020 7:42:13 AM PST by Starboard
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To: Starboard

McConnell has done nothing. Allowed House Democrats to repeatedly soil his chamber and punted on witnesses. After refusing to investigate this coupist op for 3 months.

I can understand giving Collins and Gardner some room to posture. But Alexander (retiring), Romney (safe seat) and the rest being given free range to assault a GOP POTUS is utterly outrageous. A real Majority Leader would have had their family jewels crushed by now for not supporting a GOP POTUS under Stalinist assault. I can only conclude, therefore, that McConnell agrees with their position and wants POTUS to lose in 2020. There can be no other explanation for McConnell’s kid glove treatment of red state Never Trumpers, etc.


53 posted on 01/24/2020 7:49:22 AM PST by lodi90
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To: Starboard

Mitch schedule Trump’s defense on a saturday because he wants as few people as possible paying attention to Senate proceedings. He thinks that’s the best way to get Collins and Gardner reelected. He couldn’t care less about POTUS.


54 posted on 01/24/2020 7:53:36 AM PST by lodi90
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To: lodi90

McConnell has done nothing. Allowed House Democrats to repeatedly soil his chamber and punted on witnesses.

**************

Exactly right. He is basically legitimizing this travesty, and even worse, doing nothing while Americans are steadily losing confidence in this dysfunctional and corrupt government.


55 posted on 01/24/2020 7:56:33 AM PST by Starboard
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To: Starboard

McConnell doesn’t consider Trump a GOP POTUS. The Congressional record shows he has literally no interest in supporting Trump against the obama era crimes and now executive branch coupists. Instead, he aided and abetted the coup the past 3 years in an attempt hamstring POTUS and steal the beltway agenda from the White House.


56 posted on 01/24/2020 8:02:38 AM PST by lodi90
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