McConnell Filibusters Himself

You have to wonder what kind of political insanity rules our world these days when Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell makes history for filibustering himself.  I’m look for a word that’s a cross between immolation, masturbation, and the ultimate act of being an ass but I can’t come up with one.  How can you self-abuse and fuck an entire country at the same time?

A move to embarrass Democrats backfired on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Thursday as the Kentucky Republican proposed a vote on raising the nation’s debt ceiling — then filibustered it when the Democrats tried to take him up on the offer.

On Thursday morning McConnell had made a motion for the vote on legislation that would let the president extend the country’s borrowing limit on his own. Congress would then have the option to disapprove such hikes, in a fashion similar to one that McConnell first suggested during last year’s standoff over the debt ceiling.

The minority leader apparently did not think Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) would take him up on his offer, which would have allowed McConnell to portray President Barack Obama’s desire for such authority as something even Democrats opposed.

Reid objected at first, but told McConnell he thought it might be a good idea. After Senate staff reviewed the proposal, Reid came back to the floor and proposed a straight up-or-down vote on the idea.

McConnell was forced to say no.

“What we’re talking about here is a perpetual debt ceiling grant, in effect, to the president, ” McConnell said. “Matters of this level of controversy always require 60 votes.”

Sixty votes are required to end a filibuster during debate on a bill and hold a vote.

Democrats immediately seized on McConnell’s reversal, noting it was the sort of obstruction that they think warrants changes to the rules on filibusters.

“What we have here is a case of the Republicans here in the Senate once again not taking yes for an answer,” Reid said. “This morning the Republican leader asked consent to have a vote on his proposal. Just now I told everyone we’re willing to have that vote, an up-or-down vote, and now the Republican leader objects to his own idea, so I guess we have a filibuser of his own bill.”

Democrats piled on.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters that McConnell thought he’d thrown Democrats for a loop. “It was a little too clever by half,” Schumer said, adding that it “would have been a great moment.”

It’s truly an amazing feat and it was all captured on CSPAN.  Mitch McConnell has a much higher estimation of his political and strategy skills than he appears to be able to deliver on the floor of the senate.

It’s really difficult to understand the mind set of Republican politicians today.  It appears that country is the last thing on their priority list.