Louisville Courier-Journal: With Mitch McConnell's power facing perhaps its biggest test, he needs a deal
Thanks to Jeff Wiggins for sending us this.
By AL CROSS
The last two times Kentuckians have reelected Mitch McConnell to the U.S. Senate, his best logical argument has been his growing power: As minority leader in 2008, and would-be majority leader in 2014, why should a state with many needs give up such influence? Voters say it again and again.
For most of his current campaign, McConnell has made a similar pitch, overtly in ads and subtly in “earned media” visits to places helped by his power as leader of Senate Republicans. But now his power is facing perhaps its biggest test, at a critical time for him and the nation.
Governance in Washington, for which McConnell has much responsibility, has broken down. Kentucky has been especially hard-hit economically by the coronavirus pandemic, but has been unable to deliver another badly needed relief bill. He’s removed himself from talks between the Trump administration and congressional Democrats because so many of his members, including Kentucky’s Rand Paul, don’t want to add to the national debt.