‘Only red line … is power’: McConnell beats Scott after ‘marathon’ meetings for future of Senate GOP leadership

U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), in a tough battle against Florida Senator Rick Scott for the future of the Senate GOP leadership, just won the vote for Senate Republican Leader. McConnell, who has led the caucus as Senate Majority Leader and Minority Leader for the past 15 years, insisted he had the votes to retain his role.

"Today, Senate Republicans voted to retain Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as minority leader, turning back a challenge from Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) after the party failed to pick up seats in the chamber in the midterm elections," The Washington Post has just reported. "Some senators sought unsuccesfully to delay the vote to give them more time to assess the GOP’s dismal performance. McConnell has led Senate Republicans since 2007. Scott helmed the campaign committee tasked with electing more Republicans."

Wednesday was day two of what reporters have been calling "tense" "marathon" Senate GOP meetings, each running three hours long.

"After a tense, three-hour meeting yesterday about their way forward, Senate Republicans are in another marathon meeting, which just hit the three-hour mark," CNN's Manu Raju reported. "They’re about to vote on McConnell vs. Scott to lead the conference and many senators have been speaking."

And while it was a battle of the institutionalists – McConnell and his supporters – against outright extremists – Scott and his supporters – it's also clear the only goal is power, as MSNBC's Emmy-award winning anchor Chris Hayes notes.

"Remember when" Axios reporter Jonathan Swan "asked McConnell about his moral red lines and he seemed, deeply to his core, utterly confused by the question?" Hayes asked on Wednesday. "The only red line he and all of them have is power - winning and losing. That explains what we're seeing now."

On Tuesday Hayes observed, "Now it’s total open warfare between McConnell world and Scott world."

Scott's extremist agenda that would effectively kill Social Security, Medicare, raise taxes on low income workers, and require every federal law to be passed again every five years or eliminated, was panned by McConnell and the left.

This is a breaking news and developing story. Details may change.