No Longer Wearing The Pants In The Family

Seems my state's Senior National Embarrassment Of A Senator, Mitch McConnell, is finding out he's no longer in charge of Senate Republicans or even really in the leadership anymore.

Almost immediately after the midterms, a contingent of Senate Republicans, led by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), set out to prohibit GOP members from using earmarks in the next Congress. Leading the other side was none other than Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).


Publicly, McConnell was insisting (accurately, by the way) that eliminating earmarks would be a meaningless gesture that wouldn't actually save any money. He called the very debate "exasperating." Privately, McConnell was "maneuvering behind the scenes" to defeat DeMint's gambit.

This afternoon, McConnell, apparently unable to persuade the caucus he ostensibly leads, threw in the towel.

The earmarks thing is pointless theater.  But it's pointless theater that Mitch McConnell lost within two weeks of the elections.  And it's pretty clear that he's no longer calling the shots.  If the Senate Republicans can buck McConnell on this, he's got no control over anyone over there.

My question is of course how the Republicans are going to get around this.  They'll find a way, and pretending that earmarks are more than chump change in the grand scheme of things is funny.  Republicans will still find a way to earmarks done, they'll just call it something else.