Ernst irritated by Cotton’s attempt to leapfrog her in leadership, as politically charged GOP races for top spots begin

CNN ^ | 3/5/24 | Ted Barrett

[cotton1706]

Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa is miffed that Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas did not call her or other Republican leaders to notify them of his intentions to run for the third ranking position in GOP leadership, a post she might want to move up to in the scramble for open roles after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced he would give up the top job in November.

To move to the number three job, Cotton would have to leapfrog Ernst and GOP Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia who currently hold the number four and five positions respectively.

“I just wish he would have called me before making that announcement. I know he didn’t give many of us a heads up. So that would have been common courtesy,” Ernst said Tuesday.

The intra-party tensions on display are part of the maneuvering in the politically charged and sensitive leadership races as colleagues who are friends but also competitors seek more power and influence.

Cotton, a conservative security hawk who is not a member of leadership, announced on the Hugh Hewitt program Tuesday that he would seek to become the chair of the Republican Conference.

Ernst is currently chair of the Republican Policy Committee and Capito is vice chair of the Republican Conference.

[chickenlips]

It’s way past time for term limits. These grifters shouldn’t be in their long enough establish a pecking order or any significant seniority. Let the Senate party leader be picked from 2nd term senators in a cage match using baseball bats and tire irons.