The American Spectator

I’ve already made clear, along with many other conservatives, that the McConnell plan, without ANY actual spending cuts, is about as idiotic as idiotic can be. Now comes word, from a source I trust, that McConnell is going “all in” on this, twisting arms and calling donors to ask THEM to twist arms to force Republicans to accept his cave-in. If, for some reason, my source is wrong, I apologize in advance — but I see no reason to doubt this story, because that is how Senate leaders operate.

If it is true, McConnell’s behavior is shameful. It is long past time for congressional GOP leaders to stop their decades-long habit of only pulling out the big guns when it comes time to tame conservatives, to make conservatives buckle, to demand that conservatives cave in. This is the sort of thing that Newt Gingrich (may he please crawl under a rock), used to do when he was Speaker — as amply detailed in Tom Coburn’s book, Breach of Trust. 

Save the strong-arm tactics for the left.

Sure, I also disagree with tieing the Balanced Budget Amendment to this fight, for tactical reasons. But that doesn’t mean conservatives should cave on the whole idea of forcing budget cuts, which is what the McConnell plan would amount to. And it sure as heck doesn’t give McConnell leave to act like a bully-boy and try to force a bad deal, or any deal, down our throats.

I have yet to see any evidence at all that GOP leaders, in either House, actually gamed out these debt-limit negotiations. I have long contended that GOP congressional leaders give evidence of all the strategic wisdom of Napoleon invading Russia and the tactical sense of Custer at Little Big Horn. I fear that this is what is happening again. If McConnell is combining anti-conservative strong-arm tactics with these strategic and tactical deficiencies, he should never be forgiven. I think conservatives were winning the argument with Obama until McConnell floated his plan. Now the overall situation is dicey. Thanks, Mitch.