Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is trying to walk back his threatened plan to force President Obama to completely bow to the Republican agenda or risk a shutdown. McConnell has repeatedly said—both
publicly and to a
secret gathering hosted by the Koch brothers—that if the GOP takes over the Senate in November's elections, they will pass bills restricting administration policies, leading to a government shutdown if the president vetoes. Apparently McConnell has now remembered that government shutdowns are unpopular, so he took to CNN to
scoff at the idea that he would do what he repeatedly said he plans to do:
"Of course not. Remember me? I am the guy that gets us out of shutdowns," McConnell told CNN in an exclusive interview Wednesday.
"It's a failed policy," he said of shutdowns.
It certainly is a failed policy. And this is a failed attempt to convince us the Republican plan doesn't involve forcing another shutdown and trying to blame it on the president.
But don't you love the swagger of "Remember me? I am the guy that gets us out of shutdowns"? Was he waving a gun while he said it? Putting his hands on his hips and staring down Ted Cruz? However macho McConnell tries to sound about it, though, there's no doubt that his party is the party of shutdowns, and that signs—including ones from his own mouth—point to more Republican shutdown shenanigans.