Did you know Democrats are doomed in the Senate because the Republicans have been so productive? That's news to plenty of people who pay a lot of attention to what the Senate does—and does not do—on a regular basis, but it's Politico's latest analysis of Republican rule.
In their bid to retake the Senate, Democrats long planned to paint Republicans as irresponsible stewards of government who threatened shutdowns at every turn.
Those plans have largely been dashed—by a relatively productive Senate. And that's left the minority grasping for a compelling case to make to voters for ousting the GOP majority.
Republicans have made high-stakes budget deals and scored wins on transportation and taxes, and the gridlock Democrats predicted under Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's watch has not materialized. So now Democrats can’t decide whether Republicans are obstructive, their legislative partners or a party aiming to do nothing at all.
Astute observers, and people with memories that stretch back more than four months, might recall that McConnell had almost nothing to do with most of those accomplishments. They were achieved by John Boehner falling on his sword last fall and negotiating deals with Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi that could pass the House with Democratic votes. McConnell was mostly on the sidelines, benefitting from the fact that his most fanatical members were busy campaigning for president and that they decided shutting down the government in December wouldn't be a good launch for early primaries.
Meanwhile, McConnell is left doing the bidding of the guy who's made a political career out of bashing . . . Mitch McConnell. You can't make this shit up. With Ted Cruz campaigning in New Hampshire, he wasn't available on the Senate floor Monday to continue blocking State Department nominees. So McConnell did it for him. Ah, good old Senate Republican productivity.