A couple of quick thoughts that your article triggered in me David: The first is more simple and one most of your readers should understand. It comes down to one word and one word only: Accountability. As you ticked off Mitch's accomplishments and his failures, the question becomes easy; will Mitch be held accountable for his actions? I guess we will find out come November (or later given what we know is coming should trump lose). We'll see. He had the keys to kill the nonsense and he elected to pass on it.
The second is more complicated. In 2002 just before retiring in 2003, i was riding in a car with Senator Paul Wellstone (D-MN). He asked me. "Bill, should i run for a third term?" Nope, absolutely not was my reply. He asked why and i said quickly you told your constituents, two and done. He was taken aback that i would be that blunt, but if a politician's word means nothing, what has he got? As an aside he died in a plane crash several months later and i always wondered had he not run again, if that would have happened?
All of which was dredged up by your synopses on Mitch. He is the living breathing microcosm of all things wrong with politics today. He, like so many others from both parties, refuse to go away. Its embarrassing to see our two aged candidates, both who should be looking forward to a well deserved retirement (my effort to be kind to Mr. trump), and yet here we are barring one or both falling over dead of old age.
How did we get here? Easy, way too many people in politics stay way too long. I was wrong; i hated the idea of term limits (back when Paul was running). Now, i wish they had been established so we could have kicked those to the curb who refused to go gracefully into the night. And then we wonder why there are no bright shining/rising stars in our future?
Mitch has stayed too long, but he was good at what he did which was mostly compromise. He is hated by so many partisans that I think he must have done some good. Check out today's Mike Luckovich cartoon. I'm sure he will get similar treatment from the right. My only real beef with McConnell is that he cost Republicans several congressional seats by derailing candidates that could have won.
Harry Reid certainly opened a can of worms with his filibuster maneuvers. Some on the left are wanting to carve out more filibuster exemptions for their pet legislation. Those on the right have no reason to at the moment because they are in the minority. I'm sure some would if there were 55 Republican senators. You would think some politicians would learn, but we see the same idiocy in pushing impeachments that do not stand a chance of removing an official from office.
A couple of quick thoughts that your article triggered in me David: The first is more simple and one most of your readers should understand. It comes down to one word and one word only: Accountability. As you ticked off Mitch's accomplishments and his failures, the question becomes easy; will Mitch be held accountable for his actions? I guess we will find out come November (or later given what we know is coming should trump lose). We'll see. He had the keys to kill the nonsense and he elected to pass on it.
The second is more complicated. In 2002 just before retiring in 2003, i was riding in a car with Senator Paul Wellstone (D-MN). He asked me. "Bill, should i run for a third term?" Nope, absolutely not was my reply. He asked why and i said quickly you told your constituents, two and done. He was taken aback that i would be that blunt, but if a politician's word means nothing, what has he got? As an aside he died in a plane crash several months later and i always wondered had he not run again, if that would have happened?
All of which was dredged up by your synopses on Mitch. He is the living breathing microcosm of all things wrong with politics today. He, like so many others from both parties, refuse to go away. Its embarrassing to see our two aged candidates, both who should be looking forward to a well deserved retirement (my effort to be kind to Mr. trump), and yet here we are barring one or both falling over dead of old age.
How did we get here? Easy, way too many people in politics stay way too long. I was wrong; i hated the idea of term limits (back when Paul was running). Now, i wish they had been established so we could have kicked those to the curb who refused to go gracefully into the night. And then we wonder why there are no bright shining/rising stars in our future?
Politicians do hang on too long and many become corrupt because they enjoy the position more than they are dedicated to service.
Mitch has stayed too long, but he was good at what he did which was mostly compromise. He is hated by so many partisans that I think he must have done some good. Check out today's Mike Luckovich cartoon. I'm sure he will get similar treatment from the right. My only real beef with McConnell is that he cost Republicans several congressional seats by derailing candidates that could have won.
Harry Reid certainly opened a can of worms with his filibuster maneuvers. Some on the left are wanting to carve out more filibuster exemptions for their pet legislation. Those on the right have no reason to at the moment because they are in the minority. I'm sure some would if there were 55 Republican senators. You would think some politicians would learn, but we see the same idiocy in pushing impeachments that do not stand a chance of removing an official from office.