A Two-Faced Leader

I heard this today while I was listening to The Rachel Maddow Show podcast. You probably didn’t. My ears really perked up when Rachel interviewed James Carroll from The Courier-Journal in Louisville, KY. Senator Mitch McConnell is from Kentucky. And, as Mr. Carroll pointed out, Senator Mitch McConnell’s wife was the Secretary of Labor -- Elaine Chao. But back to the main story.

Bush memoir says Mitch McConnell wanted troop cut to aid GOP candidates in 2006

”In September 2006, with the midterm elections looming, then-Senate Republican Whip Mitch McConnell went privately to President George W. Bush to plead for a troop reduction in Iraq to help the GOP's political prospects.”

Mind you, this was while Senator McConnell was trying to tag Democrats with the “cut and run” label -- in public. Maybe you would like to watch the video. Skip forward to the 8 minute mark if you’re in a hurry.

“Cut and run”. “Flip flop”. “Drill Baby Drill”. How many of these nasty little slogans are going to come back and bite the Republicans do you think? Can you imagine what Fox News would do to Nancy Pelosi if the tables were turned? Speaking of which, guess what Fox News has to say about all this? That’s right, nothing. I looked. Earmarks, welcoming the freshman Senators and more earmarks. (It appears Senator McConnell has “flip flopped” or “cut and run” on the subject of earmarks. I didn’t bother reading it.)

Let me return to the most-cited phrase from my fellow controllers that vote Republican; “There are more important things than just our jobs.” Indeed there are. And, once again, it’s a noble thought -- one that I applaud. I hope the conduct of our wars wasn’t one of those “things” on your list. If so, your why-I-vote-Republican list just got a little shorter.

Don Brown
November 16, 2010