Mitch McConnell Embraces the Anti-Rush Limbaugh Playbook

[Rapunzel]

http://www.redstate.com/2013/11/04/mitch-mcconnell-embraces-the-anti-rush-limbaugh-playbook/

Mitch McConnell Embraces the Anti-Rush Limbaugh Playbook

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  November 4th, 2013 at 03:30 AM 


For the last year, the left has engaged in an organized campaign to drive Rush Limbaugh off the air. Knowing they cannot go after Rush Limbaugh directly, the left has launched repeated boycotts against any advertisers who dare advertise while Rush Limbaugh is on. Consequently, some advertisers decided to stop advertising at all on political talk radio, depriving the genre as a whole of resources.

And it still hasn’t hurt Rush Limbaugh.

Mitch McConnell has decided to embrace the same strategy in his war against the Senate Conservatives Fund. He can’t attack the Jim DeMint created Senate Conservatives Fund outright, so instead he will launch an all out war against anyone who does business with the Senate Conservatives Fund.

This story, from the New York Times, is intriguing. McConnell has demanded, via the National Republican Senatorial Committee, that anyone who wants GOP support stop hiring Jamestown Associates. The organization is used by a number of Republican elected leaders and candidates. In fact, Senator Ted Cruz uses Jamestown Associates. So does Governor Chris Christie. For that matter, Senators Marco Rubio, Roy Blunt, Mark Kirk, Dan Coats, and Pat Toomey have all benefited from Jamestown Associates. Outside groups hired Jamestown Associates to make independent expenditures on behalf of those Senators. [edit: JA did not directly work for those Senators, but handled independent expenditures on their behalf]

But McConnell is perfectly happy destroying a private company his Senate Republican colleagues use because Jamestown Associates also helps the Senate Conservatives Fund. And the Senate Conservatives Fund just endorsed Matt Bevin against Mitch McConnell.

McConnell would rather rule in Hell than serve in Heaven. He’d rather be minority leader, than have a Republican Senate majority without him. Updated: From the comments by Darin H: “Apparently McConnell would rather serve in Hell than even bother with Heaven.”

It’s all the sadder still in that McConnell worked against Ted Cruz’s effort to defund Obamacare. 280,000 Kentuckians are losing their insurance. But McConnell would rather drive a private enterprise out of business than fight for those Kentuckians losing their health insurance. If only McConnell had put as much energy into stopping Obamacare as he has stopping a business that does work with the Senate Conservatives Fund.

Outside observers have listed the Kentucky Senate race as a toss up. It does not lean McConnell’s way. This is very important to note. This is very important to understand. The polling in the race is terrible for McConnell. Charitably it breaks even against an empty suit of a Democrat. McConnell has already spent over $6 million. He is the weakest Republican incumbent up for re-election in 2014. Were it another Senator, McConnell would be pressuring him to retire.

McConnell has never been the grand strategist some claim he is. He is a bully who tries to get his way through intimidation. The New York Daily News notes McConnell aide Josh Holmes alluding to the movie “A Bronx Tale” with this quote:

   

“S.C.F. has been wandering around the country destroying the Republican Party like a drunk who tears up every bar they walk into,” Holmes said. “The difference this cycle is that they strolled into Mitch McConnell’s bar and he doesn’t throw you out, he locks the door.”

Mitch McConnell is the thug in the bar who controls through intimidation. He badgers, bullies, threatens, and cajoles others into giving him his way. Because of his position, most yield to his intimidation. And when others do not yield, he goes after their associates.

But there is a new paradigm of empowered grassroots activists at work. They are not intimidated. They will not be silenced. They do not fear McConnell. They hate him and want him out of office. McConnell has always relied on an alliance of staffers who’ve moved to K Street to get rich. He gives them access, they make lots of money, then they return money to his campaign coffers. It is a loyalty that extends to a lobbyist class now attacking the Senate Conservatives Fund because their gravy train may be ending. But it is a loyalty that does not exist at the grassroots level within the conservative movement or even Kentucky.

The only tactic McConnell can respond with is driving private businesses into the ground if they dare help those opposed to him — no matter who else they help. Senate Republicans and challengers in the races to be decided next year need to understand the bottom line here — Mitch McConnell is making it the NRSC’s job preservation of Mitch McConnell, damn the rest of the candidates. Don’t believe me? Where are the other groups the NRSC is blackballing? Right now, the only ones being blackballed are the ones who are on the opposite side of Mitch McConnell in Kentucky.

I’m giving another $100.00 to the Senate Conservatives Fund. If Mitch McConnell wants to bleed the NRSC dry to save him at everyone else’s expense, I’m happy to make that happen. Or, he can just retire.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

Just a bunch of nonsense.  McConnell wants to win GOP seats.  The SCF wants to eliminate Republicans they don't like.  It's gotten so bad with conservatives abusing the language they sound like liberals to me.

[Rapunzel]

Just a bunch of nonsense.  McConnell wants to win GOP seats.  The SCF wants to eliminate Republicans they don't like.  It's gotten so bad with conservatives abusing the language they sound like liberals to me.

Tell us all the good and admirable thing Mitch McConnell has accomplished while in the senate.  He has been in the senate since 1984.    Why -- EXACTLY -- should anyone serve in the senate or congress for 30 years? 

What exactly has he done to stop the growth in our national deficit while in the senate?  Out debt in 1984 was:  1,572,266,000,000.00.  Today it is 17 Trillion and growing.  He talks one way in DC and another in KY.  He's in the union and Chamber of Commerce pockets (his wife is a Chamber of Commerce lobbyist).  He loves those earmarks...

Bottom line you may like permanent politicians, I loathe them no matter what party they are calling themselves...

[Formerly Once-Ler]

http://www.salon.com/2013/10/18/yes_conservatives_please_oust_mitch_mcconnell/


The campaign to take down Mitch McConnell is insane, from a conservative perspective. McConnell is the single most effective legislator Republicans have, and he’s used his power to advance the interests of the conservative movement. The Senate GOP is much, much more pragmatic than the House GOP, and it contains genuine squishes, if not quite RINOs (there are not many RINOs left in the world), and these squishes have more power than any given House squish. Susan Collins’ plan to end the shutdown didn’t go anywhere, but it was a more serious threat to GOP unity on the fight than anything Peter King did. McConnell has spent every day since Barack Obama’s first inaugural keeping those squishes in line. Thanks largely to him, the most “moderate” Republicans in the Senate have stood with the rest of party in opposition to nearly all of Barack Obama’s agenda.

McConnell has negotiated with the administration and with Democrats only when he could be guaranteed a policy win, and when Republicans were doomed to lose a battle he’s stopped GOP senators from jumping ship for the purposes of appearing bipartisan. Senate Republicans all voted against the stimulus, negotiated with Democrats to make Obamacare more conservative and then voted against it en masse, preserved the majority of the Bush tax cuts, including a “permanent” estate tax level that “will not hit most of the affluent anymore,” and managed to make $4.5 billion in food stamp cuts palatable to Democrats. (They had an assist on that last one from House Republicans, admittedly.)

Meanwhile, and much more importantly for conservatives, he totally normalized a state of constant obstruction of Obama’s administration. Routine appointments are now routinely blocked, for no reason. Thanks to McConnell, Obama’s judiciary nominees have a worse confirmation record than Bush’s or Clinton’s as the federal judiciary vacancy rate has grown to historic highs. That’s a huge deal! Obama is likely going to have a smaller impact on the courts than any two-term president in the modern era, thanks to Mitch McConnell. McConnell almost killed the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and did stop Elizabeth Warren from leading it. He helped prevent the National Labor Relations Board from doing much of anything to support labor for a few years. He ensured that Obama ended his first term with 68 agency vacancies. And he did all of this without, say, causing a major constitutional crisis or even much outrage in the press outside of a few tut-tutting editorials and a bunch of angry blog posts. After all this, he begins 2013 by cutting a “deal” with Harry Reid that preserved the filibuster while also allowing Republicans to say they compromised with Democrats on their obstruction. The only major part of Obama’s domestic agenda that McConnell has allowed to advance since the 2010 GOP House takeover was immigration reform, and that’s a net positive for the Republican Party.

[Rapunzel]

Salon    really............ Salon......... and they want the GOP to do well ..... not!

You didn't answer the questions..... obfuscating won't cut it.

[truth_seeker]

Salon    really............ Salon......... and they want the GOP to do well ..... not!

You didn't answer the questions..... obfuscating won't cut it.

When you can't refute the message, be sure to go after the messenger.

[Rapunzel]

When you can't refute the message, be sure to go after the messenger.

Once-ler is capable of speaking for himself, but if you want to jump in then perhaps you will answer the questions he skated around:

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Tell us all the good and admirable thing Mitch McConnell has accomplished while in the senate. 

He has been in the senate since 1984.    Why -- EXACTLY -- should anyone serve in the senate or congress for 30 years?

What exactly has he done to stop the growth in our national deficit while in the senate? 

Out debt in 1984 was:  1,572,266,000,000.00.  Today it is 17 Trillion and growing.  He talks one way in DC and another in KY.  He's in the union and Chamber of Commerce pockets (his wife is a Chamber of Commerce lobbyist).  He loves those earmarks...

Bottom line you two may like permanent politicians, I loathe them no matter what party they are calling themselves...

[Cincinnatus]

Be clearer. Who is she going after? Salon or Once_Ler?

When you can't refute the message, be sure to go after the messenger

Neither is really very much of a friend of Conservatives. Using Salon as a source of advise for Republicans is akin to asking Reid or Pelosi what is in our best interest. Her questioning of Salon as a source is perfectly legitimate.

As to this: You didn't answer the questions, she's referring to her challenge to McConnell defender Once_Ler to Tell us all the good and admirable thing Mitch McConnell has accomplished while in the senate, again a good and legitimate request and one he carefully avoided.

Perhaps YOU would like to provide the answer Once_Ler for some reason chose not to.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

Once-ler is capable of speaking for himself, but if you want to jump in then perhaps you will answer the questions he skated around:

The quote I gave is sufficient for anyone knowledgeable or open to learning.

Your capable of researching stuff yourself, but you don't if it doesn't fit your world view.  Your capable of reading a biased source like Salon and deciding if the argument "McConnell has spent every day since Barack Obama’s first inaugural keeping those squishes in line" makes sense, but you don't.   If you don't like the source too bad. I'm not going to cull all the highlights of McConnell's career and providing you the links so you can ignore it.  You're welcome to question your beliefs and do the research, or wallow in ignorance. 

[Rapunzel]

The quote I gave is sufficient for anyone knowledgeable or open to learning.

Your capable of researching stuff yourself, but you don't if it doesn't fit your world view.  Your capable of reading a biased source like Salon and deciding if the argument "McConnell has spent every day since Barack Obama’s first inaugural keeping those squishes in line" makes sense, but you don't.   If you don't like the source too bad. I'm not going to cull all the highlights of McConnell's career and providing you the links so you can ignore it.  You're welcome to question your beliefs and do the research, or wallow in ignorance.

You are the one who came in her touting how great Mitch McConnell is... so answer my questions.   Why should he be returned to the senate after 30 years for another six years.  What EXACTLY has he accomplished.

and BTW no one has a lifetime entitlement to serve in congress or the senate. and Salon is about as left-wing as you can get, if they want McConnell this is all the more reason to get rid of him,.

[EC]

.... and Salon is about as left-wing as you can get, if they want McConnell this is all the more reason to get rid of him,.

 

I write for Salon, sometimes. They have an advantage a lot of other sites don't have. They pay on time, in full, within 25 minutes of recieving the piece. Run bonuses for heavy traffic articles. Sure, you don't get a byline, but it's a living wage.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

You are the one who came in her touting how great Mitch McConnell is...

Remember what I said about conservatives butchering the English language?  I didn't think so or else you wouldn't start with more spin.

Here is what I said"Just a bunch of nonsense.  McConnell wants to win GOP seats.  The SCF wants to eliminate Republicans they don't like.  It's gotten so bad with conservatives abusing the language they sound like liberals to me."

How does your response "came in her(e) touting how great Mitch McConnell is..." come from my sentence "McConnell wants to win GOP seats."
Do you know what the words "touting" and "great" mean?

Can you see how I feel like you keep saying "Iconceivable!" It's like you write your replies before you get my response, and if it doesn't fit your world view you make it something else and respond.

so answer my questions.   Why should he be returned to the senate after 30 years for another six years.  What EXACTLY has he accomplished.

You want to know why I love Mitch McConnell?  Because he stopped a suicidal moron and his moonies and their utterly stupid non-plan to shutdown the government for less than nothing.  But I agree with most of the Salon article.  McConnell has kept RINOs on board.  I like the continuation of the Bush tax cuts, the permanent estate tax cut, and his defense of it..."There's no evidence whatsoever that the Bush tax cuts actually diminished revenue."

but, like I said, look it up yourself if you don't believe Salon's spin, or whatever you don't believe is true...McConnell didn't pass tax cuts, or vote for them, or fight for them, or whatever salon bias you think somehow negate facts.

[Rapunzel]

No one deserves to stay in the senate or congress for 30 years and use it to further pad their bank account.  And, though I dislike that term, I do not care for RINO's.  McConnell is one.  What is clear (to me) is the GOP is coming for a big split.  BTW if McConnell had his way Rand Paul would not be in the senate, McConnell has his own hand-picked "lacky" like McCain has in Jeff Flake.

BTW McConnell is about as popular as a tick in KY these days.

Tout:  attempt to sell (something), typically by pestering people in an aggressive or bold manner.

and yes.  You came her touting your support of McConnell and every other old fart in the senate.  And have yet to say why they should have a life-time seat. BTW I don't think SCOTUS should be lifetime, either.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

No one deserves to stay in the senate or congress for 30 years and use it to further pad their bank account.  And, though I dislike that term, I do not care for RINO's.  McConnell is one.  What is clear (to me) is the GOP is coming for a big split.  BTW if McConnell had his way Rand Paul would not be in the senate, McConnell has his own hand-picked "lacky" like McCain has in Jeff Flake.

BTW McConnell is about as popular as a tick in KY these days.

Tout:  attempt to sell (something), typically by pestering people in an aggressive or bold manner.

and yes.  You came her touting your support of McConnell and every other old fart in the senate.  And have yet to say why they should have a life-time seat. BTW I don't think SCOTUS should be lifetime, either.

I never said anyone should have a lifetime seat and I tried to help you understand once again.  Good night Rapunzel.

[aligncare]

"The SCF wants to eliminate Republicans they don't like."

Unfortunately, you put a period where a comma should be.

The SCF wants to eliminate Republicans they don't like, who have sold out to the establishment for their own enrichment and who are acting against the best interest of their grass roots constituents, "we, the people."

And, Rapunzel is right. Trusting Salon to defend "the GOP" against conservative criticism is as vapid as trusting Obama when he says he's worked harder than anyone has to negotiate in good faith with republicans.

[Rapunzel]

I never said anyone should have a lifetime seat and I tried to help you understand once again.  Good night Rapunzel.

You are supporting him running again after 30 years in the senate.  So if 30 years isn't time to retire then what is long enough (in your estimation)?  36 years?  42 years?  48 years?  or when they carry them out in a pine box. 

[MBB1984]

Mitch McConnell is a cruel joke.  A large part of the problem with the GOP is that he is identified as one of its leaders.   He is inarticulate and unattractive.  He has no charisma and is a squishy moderate.  The sooner McConnell goes, the better.

[Rapunzel]

Mitch McConnell is a cruel joke.  A large part of the problem with the GOP is that he is identified as one of its leaders.   He is inarticulate and unattractive.  He has no charisma and is a squishy moderate.  The sooner McConnell goes, the better.