Opening the Electoral College certification, outgoing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell struck a newfound tone of bipartisanship and constitutionalism. Moments later, rioters from his own party broke into the Capitol building.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., speaks as the Senate reconvenes following an attack on the Capitol by protesters Wednesday. The tone of bipartisanship with which McConnell opened the Electoral College certification is too little, too late. Senate Television via AP
Republicans find themselves voted out of power and unable to contain the most virulent elements of their own base – elements that they willingly stoked for years. Like us, McConnell is facing a new reality: America’s most ruthless man is now its most useless.
To call McConnell ruthless is no insult to him. He publicly relished his role as the “Grim Reaper,” who promptly killed all legislation passed by the Democratic House. He winked and grinned as he rushed through Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination after refusing to bring Merrick Garland’s nomination up for a vote. And he deftly controlled the Senate for years by granting Republicans like Susan Collins just enough wiggle room to occasionally appear “independent” – all while ensuring his agenda would pass, regardless.
Now, however, McConnell must reckon with his uselessness. He has no power anymore to control the Senate’s calendar or confer committee chairmanships. He has nothing to offer his caucus in exchange for his bidding. And he’s lost all influence over his party’s base – now fully steeped in conspiracy theories, white grievance and anti-democratic fealty to Donald Trump.
McConnell is also useless to the burgeoning process of rebuilding our country after Trump. For years, McConnell and his Republicans enabled and protected Trump’s every last move.
Save the sanctimonious speeches, and please show some remorse.
Charles Skold
Portland
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