Is The “Moderate” Senate GOP Trying To Put The Brakes On the Trump Crazy Train?

There’s something happening here. What it is ain’t exactly clear   Buffalo Springfield   For What It’s worth

Sorry. I know I just wrote about that tune last night, but the damn song is so catchy, and the phrase is actually topical to tonight’s subject matter.

And here’s why it’s topical. In the last couple of weeks, there is something strange afoot in the US congress, especially in the US Senate, and the reason seems to be about as muddy as a pig wallow. I’ll explain.

For the last few weeks, the Pelosi led US House has been hard at work on the Electoral College Reform Act. Since the Democrats can pass it alone, it’s chock-a-block full of progressive reforms. For instance, it codifies into law that the Vice President has no authority to overturn election results and send slates of electors back to the states. It also changes the minimum threshold for challenging the state electoral slate from 1 Senator and 1 Congressman to 1/3 of each chamber. It also bars individual states from changing their legislative electoral rules from the period of election day to January 6th. Quite the package, but DOA in the Senate, right?

Maybe not, ’cause here’s the frigging in the rigging. In the last 2 weeks or so, Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar has spoken to a couple of moderate GOP Senators, and started work on their own Electoral College Reformation Act. And goddamn if they haven’t made some serious progress. It’s weaker than the House version, but it contains the critical provision, removing the VP from being able to upend the results himself. And or herself. The most important thing is that as we speak, the thing has 11 GOP votes, enough for cloture.

But because these bills have no effect on either the budget or the deficit, they don’t qualify for Reconciliation, allowing the Democrats to avoid a filibuster and pass it with 50 votes. So Klobuchar is coordinating with senior House progressives to determine what the Democratic House will settle for that won’t cost any of the 11 precious GOP votes in the Senate.

Except it may not matter. Earlier today on MSNBC, both Democratic House member Jim Himes, as well as Democrat Eric Swalwell both said in separate interviews that while it was nice that Klobuchar was negotiating on their behalf, the House would pass whatever bill the Senate sent, as long as the VP language was in there. The critical thing was to get the bill to Biden before the midterms as a warning to GOP controlled states that the Electoral College gravy train was over.

But here’s where it gets as muddy as a 6 yo making mud pies with a food processor. Why would McConnell and moderate GOP Senators help to pull the Democrats out of the fire? The smart move would be to filibuster the Klobuchar backed Senate bill, and then filibuster the House bill if Schumer brought it to the floor. Run out the clock to the midterms, and if the GOP regains the House, then run out the clock until the GOP takes over the House majority in January. Problem solved. Why give the Democrats a cheap victory right before the midterms?

My feeble political mind has been wrestling with this for days now, and I’ve finally come up with a solution, and it isn’t a good one from the GOP’s point of view. Internal polling is showing the GOP in deep shit all over. Here’s why.

Simple fact. There aren’t 11 vulnerable Republicans in the Senate running this year. Why is McConnell letting 11 GOP Senators cross over to side with the Democrats so close to the midterms? One simple reason. McConnell has already given up on flipping the Senate in November, so he’s letting his Senators save their asses in states where the insurrection is particularly unpopular. But why not just filibuster, wait for the GOP to retake the House, and run out the clock?

This is the only reason that makes sane, grounded political sense. No matter what 538.com, The Cook Report, and Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball are saying, McConnell is seeing internal GOP polling that shows the GOP’s chances of retaking the House in slipping through their fingers. If that’s true, then there is no clock to run out. The Democrats will simply come back in January and pass it on their own, with stronger provisions. Better to take the bird in the hand.

Remember, McConnell hates Trump, he sees him as the downfall of the party. If the GOP is doomed to the minority anyway, why not start uprooting the decadent tree at the roots, and getting rid of the MAGAt’s power at the state level? Let the Democrats help McConnell to start to reclaim the party by isolating and minimizing his minions power to make trouble? For me, it’s the only solution that makes sense.