Mitch McConnell is 'floundering' after sucking up to Trump and is now 'out of touch' with his own party: conservative columnist

In a scorching column for the Washington Post, "Never Trumper" conservative Jennifer Rubin all but declared herself as "Never Mitch," by pointing out Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is now "floundering" after tying himself to Donald Trump and disregarding members of his own party.

Under a headline boldly stating the Kentucky senators is no more a "stable genius" than the president is, Rubin wrote, "There is a tendency in the mainstream media to attribute nearly unlimited political prowess to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Certainly, his hard-line gamesmanship has worked to fill the courts (and two slots on the Supreme Court) with conservative judges. Beyond that? He failed to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and he routinely gets boxed about the ears by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), as she did again in achieving — with a strong assist from Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer — many (but not all) of Democrats’ aims in the coronavirus relief package passed last week. McConnell’s hard line collapsed, and then he really made a mess of things," before adding, "In rejecting the plea of governors and mayors for additional funding to make up for huge expenditures and revenue shortfalls stemming from the coronavirus, McConnell made himself a target."

Noting McConnell was taken to the woodshed this week by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo this past week after suggesting states file for bankruptcy instead of seeking federal support due to the coronavirus pandemic, Rubin said that didn't sit well with members of his own party who have to face their home-state constituents.

"Predictably, McConnell’s intention to stiff state and local workers (who are at risk of getting laid off) and essential services did not go down well with his own members," she wrote. "CNN reports: 'A number of Senate Republicans are publicly and privately expressing an openness toward a new round of funding to cash-strapped state and local governments, even as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell floated the possibility of states declaring bankruptcy rather than receive more federal aid.' These include rock-ribbed Republicans such as Sens. Mike Braun (Ind.) and Bill Cassidy (La.), further proof that deficit hawks never object to spending on things they like."

"McConnell has tied himself to Trump’s mast, but on this one the president may not even agree with him. Trump apparently is open to helping the states. (Cuomo’s visit to the White House last week apparently paid off.) In any event, McConnell can read the polls — Trump is sinking, his Senate majority is at risk and he has a well-financed challenger in Amy McGrath," Rubin explained. "Given all that it’s an odd strategy to declare you have no interest in bringing home relief to, as Pelosi describes them, 'health care workers and public hospitals and the rest, police and fire, emergency services folks, first responders, our teachers, our teachers, our teachers, transit workers who enable people, the essential workers to get to work.'"

"Perhaps McConnell has been in Washington too long and has gotten badly out of touch — even with Republicans," the conservative columnist dryly concluded.

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