Mitch McConnell Enshrined In The G.O.P. Hall Of Shame

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As 2012 wound to a close, the lame duck Congress was faced with coming up with a solution to the self-inflicted financial crisis known as the “fiscal cliff.“ Self-inflicted because it was created by the same gutless politicians during the debt ceiling negotiations in 2011 who were now wringing their hands in search of a solution.

One of the gutless politicians involved in those 2011 negotiations was Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell—a position McConnell must really enjoy since Republicans have remained the minority party since he was elected party leader in 2007.

Unfortunately for American taxpayers, his gutlessness continued when he abandoned his No New Taxes promise after negotiating with Vice President Biden for a tax deal that resulted in tax increases for nearly every American without significant spending cuts, giving the Spender-in-Chief $41 in new revenue for every $1 spent (that is not a typo).

Some of the lowlights of his plan:

Tax rates will go up on marginal income, capital gains, dividends, and even certain estates when a person passes away. But it also delays the sequester for at least two months, breaking the promise made by Congress in 2011 to cut government spending. And, among other things, it includes an unpaid for extension of unemployment benefits.

The Biden-McConnell deal—or the BM as it is now known for the similarities it has with a certain bodily function—is just another example of the “I am the law” approach so common of Washington insiders (my apologies to Judge Dredd). Much like the Patient Protection and Affordability Act (Obamacare) and the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank), this bill:

  • Was conducted behind closed doors (to avoid transparency).
  • Required a vote without sufficient time for the Senate to read it (three minutes to review 154 pages).
  • Gives more to the government while taking from the taxpayer (see above $41 to $1 ratio mentioned above).

While there was little doubt that McConnell is qualified for enshrinement, he reinforced our decision recently when he declined the opportunity to disavow Karl Rove’s new Super PAC—which is designed to defeat T.E.A. Party candidates, though Rove denies it—and extend an open hand to the party’s rising conservative voices that he claims to agree with.

Though some of the House Republicans ended up siding with Democrates in support of the BM deal—more proof that many Republicans in Washington are too much like Democrats—there’s enough resentment in the conservative ranks of the party to be bad news for McConnell. We need look no further than the recent hiring of Sen. Rand Paul’s campaign manager to run the McConnell reelection campaign.

For his failure to stand up to his promise to protect taxpayers during the Fiscal Cliff debate, we enshrine our latest inductee in to the Gutless On Principle Hall of Shame . . . Senator Mitch McConnell.

 

Disclaimer: The Republican party does not necessarily agree with our choice for the G.O.P. Hall of Shame award, but they should. My opinions are my own, and I’ve got lots of them. All opinions expressed are 100% “right” and any similarity to actual opinions, living or dead, is purely coincidental.