Free Republic

A total 11 Senate Republicans—including Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)—crossed the aisle to vote to advance Senate Democrats' border spending bill. Two vulnerable Democrats up for reelection, Sens. Kay Hagan (D-NC) and Mary Landrieu (D-LA), joined 31 Republicans in voting no. 50 Democrats voted yes. The 11 Republicans who voted with almost all the Democrats are: Rubio and Sens. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Bob Corker (R-TN), John Cornyn (R-TX), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Dean Heller (R-NV), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).

The Senate on Wednesday narrowly advanced an emergency funding measure to respond to the influx of unaccompanied migrant children crossing the southern border that has triggered a humanitarian crisis. -snip- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who is opposed to the Senate Democratic measure, initially voted in favor to advance the bill. But once it looked like the legislation might collapse, he switched his vote to “no.” A McConnell aide said when the outcome of the procedural vote looked murky, “many of our members wanted to be on record in opposition to a bill that didn’t even include the minor...

At a time when polls show public opinion turning against the Democrats, some Republicans seem to be turning against each other. Even with the prospect of being able to win control of the Senate in this fall’s elections, some Republicans are busy manufacturing ammunition for their own circular firing squad. A Republican faction’s demonization of their own Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, is a classic example. If you listen to some of those who consider themselves the only true conservatives, you would never guess that Senator McConnell received a lifetime 90 percent ranking by the American Conservative Union — and...