At present, we are getting rolled in Washington.  Democrats have pushed an omnibus bill, a disastrous farm bill, endless debt ceiling increases, and amnesty for illegals.  Instead of an equal and opposing force in the opposite direction, Republicans have….. pushed an omnibus bill, a disastrous farm bill, endless debt ceiling increases, and amnesty for illegals.

There is a serious lack of leadership and vision within the Republican Party.  Naturally, as Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell is in a solid position to provide that leadership.  He is certainly proud of his position.  So where has he been on all of these important issues?

Lurking in shadows, as usual.

On most issues, McConnell quietly hopes yes and votes no because Matt Bevin has owned his voting record for the past year.  But when it came time to pass a terribly flawed farm bill, McConnell thought of a clever trick. He slipped in a popular hemp provision, thereby making it easier to pass the farm bill and grow government for years to come while concurrently hiding behind the logrolling to justify his vote.  Look at the gross dishonesty of McConnell’s press release on the bill:

McConnell Hemp Provision Passed by Senate; Measure Now Goes to President for Signature

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following comment regarding Senate passage of his hemp provision, which is included in the Farm Bill conference report:

“This is a huge victory for Kentucky agriculture and our economy. The measure I included in the Farm Bill conference report will give Commissioner James Comer the go ahead to cultivate hemp for pilot programs. I have heard from many Kentuckians who see this as a first step to establishing a market for industrial hemp in Kentucky. By exploring innovative ways to use hemp to benefit a variety of Kentucky industries, yet consistent with my long-standing support for Kentucky law enforcement’s aggressive efforts at marijuana interdiction, the pilot programs authorized by this legislation could help boost our state’s economy and lead to future jobs.”

Republicans got rolled in conference; the bill creates massive new subsidies and locks in Obama’s baseline for food stamp spending.  The $956 trillion cost is the best case scenario.  And yet he messages the bill as if it were a standalone hemp bill headed to Obama’s desk?!  Pay no attention to the trillion dollar price-tag.  I’m wondering if he’d vote for Cap and Trade or Dodd-Frank if he could slip in a provision for industrial hemp.

Now let’s move on to amnesty.

“I think we have sort of an irresolvable conflict here,” he told reporters. “The Senate insists on comprehensive [legislation]. The House says it won’t go to conference with the Senate on comprehensive and wants to look at [it] step by step.

“I don’t see how you get to an outcome this year with the two bodies in such a different place,” he said [The Hill]

McConnell is the sitting leader of the GOP and has nothing to say about the amnesty outrage.  He has nothing to say about his position on the issue and what he plans to do.  Instead he talks as if he is a Fox News contributor offering political punditry and analysis as an outsider to the legislative process.  Besides, this has nothing to do with comprehensive or step-by-step, this has to do with whether you are going to pass amnesty, and do so while Obama is president.

So where does McConnell stand on the issue personally?

With the Chamber of Commerce dumping in lots of cash to his race, I think we know the answer.

Given the fact that he encouraged Rubio to join the Gang of 8, praised the gang bill after it passed out of committee, and refused to block it on the Senate floor, I think we all know where he stands.  He already did the dirty work on the Senate side.  Now he can sit back and act like a TV commentator analyzing the divide in the House.

George Will was correct to predict that McConnell will lead and amnesty push if he becomes Majority Leader in 2015.

If McConnell wants to call the balls and strikes on the sidelines he can apply for a job as a pundit.  But if he wants to become Majority Leader it’s time he show some leadership and commit to not bringing any immigration bill to the floor as long as Obama is president, even if Republicans win back the Senate.

Then again, if we help elect Matt Bevin, we won’t need to risk the future of the Republic on an undocumented supporter of Democrat policies as GOP leader.

Parting question: what do you think McConnell would be saying if he didn’t have a primary challenge?