Everybody hear the door shut in Donald Trump’s face?
In an extraordinary conference call this morning with fellow Senate Republicans, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said his Jan. 6 vote certifying Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election will be “the most consequential I have ever cast,” according to a source on a call and two other sources briefed on the private remarks.
The big picture: The conference call came in the wake of Sen. Josh Hawley defying McConnell’s wishes and publicly declaring that he’ll object to certifying the electoral votes in Pennsylvania and perhaps in other states as well.
- McConnell had previously urged senators not to force this vote, which he believed would put Republicans up for re-election in 2022 in a horrible position — forcing them to choose between defying the most popular politician in the party, Donald Trump, and undermining democracy.
- His remarks to his conference are likely to escalate President Trump’s anger with him for daring acknowledge Trump’s defeat.
Behind the scenes: McConnell said on the call that the Jan. 6 vote is “a vote of conscience,” these sources said.
- A source paraphrased McConnell as saying, “I’m finishing 36 years in the Senate and I’ve cast a lot of big votes.” including over war and impeachment.
- “And in my view, just my view,” McConnell said, “this is will be the most consequential I have ever cast.”
- “The context was McConnell saying we’re being asked to overturn the results after a guy didn’t get as many electoral votes and lost by 7 million popular votes,” the source said…..
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Between the lines: Many Republican senators are furious at Hawley for forcing them to take what Trump is setting up as the ultimate loyalty test on January 6th.
image…Slate.Com/Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images
I didn’t see the word “proud” anywhere.
The word he used was “consequential.”It is that ,mainly because of the actions of Trump and members of Mitchs party.
“Proud” and “consequential” are not necessarily synonymous.
Evidently Mitch started asking Hawley questions on this call and was met with silence since Hawley had skipped out on the call. Profiles in courage.
Hawley is raising money off this stunt. How many House Republicans will do the same?
Finally, I don’t see how Mitch has much to be proud of since he just screwed millions of Americans.
In his mind does ole’ Mitch think he’s atoning for his political sins by going against Trump in the last two weeks?
Baloney!
He is famous for saying, after he has used his power to commit a horrible legislative act, like refusing COVID relief, “people will forget in a week.”
Those are not the words of a man who knows how to atone.
Olivia Nuzzi
@Olivianuzzi
As I just reported on
@cnn
with
@JohnAvlon
, a Republican official tells me that part of why establishment types are so angry with Josh Hawley is because they think he knows better. As the official put it: “He’s not some moron like Louie Gohmert.”
Congratulations to Rep.Adam Kinzinger (R- Ill) ,a rare voice of sanity in today’s Republican Party for labeling Right Wing media whore Mark Levin the “Godfather of outrage for profit.”
Levin a former “neverTrumper “ who went has been all in for the gangster when he found out that’s where the bucks are among RightWing nutjobs, has been on Kinzingers case of late.
The crypto authoritarian Levin ,who along with a host of other Trump cultist media types ,has been either openly advocating or acquiescing in extralegal methods to keep the cash cow in power .
Add him the ever increasing list as Trump leaves the stage….
It seems to going in the other direction in the House. More Republicans are signing on with Hawley.
Yeah it’s looking like about two thirds of Republican House members are going to join the objection.
It will be tough for CG to find an acceptable Republican to vote for in 2024, 2028,2032 etc the way this is going.
Using the standard he is using today?Yes!
But there’s always “tomorrow!”
In the House they KNOW its a bull shit sandwich to pile on with Hawley…
And in the category “Dumbass of the Day:”Rep. Burgess Owens (Radical Right Wing Kook- Utah) says:
“There’s no question in my mind that I think he won.”
“No question?”
“Think?”
The only thing dumber than this goof?The “good people” who voted for him?”
But this is the guy we were told was the future of the Republican Party. One can only hope.
Mitt Romney has issued an outline of a “National vaccination plan “which is worth a look.
It appears reasonable and workable and Biden and his team should look at adopting something similiar.
I think Biden will certainly use parts of the Romney Plan…In fact, If he was smart he would add a few Republicans on the COVID 19 task force…maybe Romney will be added…
Wouldn’t be the first time (as Mitt fans CG and Kyle Rice would cheerfully tell you) that Obama/Biden/Harris has borrowed a health care idea from Gov./Sen. Romney.