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So why did McConnell give the Finance seat to Burr ( who didn’t really want it) instead of to DeMint ( who really, really wanted it, and said so publicly)?

By: gawken (Diary)  |  May 11th, 2011 at 05:37 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

It was announced early this afternoon that the vacant seat on the Senate Finance committee would go to Sen Burr (NC) instead of to Sen DeMint, who publicly had stated his desire to serve on that committee. The decision is at the absolute discretion of McConnell, the GOP caucus leader, and DeMint has graciously accepted the leader’s choice.

Normally, seniority is a key factor in the choice, though it is not inviolate.  Burr was just senior to DeMint. Indeed, according to stories in Roll Call and The National Journal today, Burr did not really want the position, he was quite happy on the Energy committee.

So, what gives? What was behind McConnell’s decision? Was it a political “bitch-slap,” or payback for DeMint’s involvement in several Senate races in 2012 ( including Rand Paul’s win over McConnell’s handpicked favorite)?  Is he attempting to put down any nascent effort by DeMint to run for leader in 2012? Is McConnell that vindictive, that petty, that, well….STUPID?

Don’t know, can’t figure it out. Maybe others here can discern Mitch’s motives.

One thing, for sure…in the 2012 election cycle…don’t send the RSCC a penny. Instead, give to DeMint’s PAC, or directly to whichever candidates you feel best represent you and your values and concerns.

COMMENTS

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  • http://www.theprecinctproject.wordpress.com ColdWarrior

    Who are McConnell’s constituencies?

    One’s the Republicans in KY who keep electing him in the primary.

    The other are all the Republicans in the Senate who keep getting reelected in their respective primary elections. And then keep electing him as their fearless leader.

    And as long as the half of the precinct committeemen slots in the Party nationwide that are unfilled remain unfilled by conservatives, meaning all those squishy incumbent Republicans will cruise to a victory in their next primary election, don’t expect any change in either them or McConnell.

    Oh, and by the way, none of the incumbents, even DeMint, will tell you to become a precinct committeeman. Or explain to you that our Party is at have strength at the grass roots, precinct level.

    It’s the elections.

    It’s the primary elections.

    And the problem is “we the [conservative] people” who aren’t involved in party politics.

    End of broken record.

    Thank you.

    ColdWarrior

    • Common_Cents

      No way on the broken record, people need to be educated and it’ll take millions of repetitions over years. Great job on that CW.

      Why wouldn’t DeMint get behind the precinct project?

      I’m surprised that a few high level folks haven’t gotten behind it, esp Rush, Beck along with the politicians most aligned with the tea party movement.

      • earlgrey

        I quite agree on McConnell.

        I wasted a phone call to his office to complain. Only because it made me feel better.

        • Common_Cents

          Bumper stickers, buttons etc…

          • 20jan2013
          • Flagstaff

            Print ‘em up!

      • http://www.theprecinctproject.wordpress.com ColdWarrior

        Simple. It’s not in his (or any incumbent Republican’s) self-interest.

        Whatever the relative strength of the South Carolina Republican Party was on election day the year DeMint was elected in terms of the number and percentage of precinct committeemen slots being filled across the state, DeMint wants that to remain the same. Because, under those conditions, he won his primary election — for incumbent, the primary is the most important election.

        Assume (it’s a good assumption) that more than half of the Republican Party precinct committeeman slots in South Carolina are unfilled right now. And assume that Jim DeMint urges — nay, implores — every conservative Republicans he speaks to to become a PC. And they do. And all of the vacancies are filled by conservative Republicans. And then primary season rolls around. And some new conservative steps forward and says stuff like, “You know, Jim DeMint’s a nice man and a conservative, but he’s not been conserrvative enough. And he’s not been a fighter. He could have mounted a filibuster against Obamacare. He didn’t. He could have refused unanimous consent every step of the way on every bill the Dems brought forward, including, for example, Cash for Clunkers. He could have done far, far more. He could have been that “Mr. Smith goes to Washington” type of senator we need. But he wasn’t. I will be.”

        According to this article, the turnout in the GOP primary election that preceded the 2010 election was 11.5 per cent.

        In other words, if conservatives flocked into the precinct committeeman slots across the state, and Jim DeMint did not live up to his promises, he might be toast in a primary just like Bob Bennett in Utah was.

        http://www.redstate.com/coldwarrior/2010/05/08/2101-of-3500-of-75000-denied-bob-bennett/

        Jim DeMint won’t implore conservatives to become precinct committeemen. In his book, “Saving America,” he does not mention this at all.

        http://www.redstate.com/coldwarrior/2010/04/19/the-conservative-grievance-industy-almost-gets-it-right/

        So I mention it.

        It’s really up to each one of us to get off the sidelines of politics, to get out of the bleachers, and get into the ball game. And that ball game is played at our respective local Party committee meetings. But that is just too darn hard or too darn “unsexy” or too darn proletarian for most who, otherwise, but for some convenient excuse, could be doing it. Basic American civics, and the route to participation in party politics, are not state secrets. But the Party does a good job of hiding it all. Each one of us has to make the effort to elbow one’s way, if necessary, into the real ball game of politics. The primary election is the most important election, because it’s the one every incumbent has to first win.

        And all those conservatives in Utah who figured this out back in 2009 and 2010 united and acted and then denied poor Bobby Bennett a chance to even appear on the ballot for “his” and his daddy’s Senate seat.

        We can do this everywhere if we act.

        Thank you.

        ColdWarrior

  • Diogenes314

    1) According to both Politco and the Hill, Burr changed his mind about wanting the position. Any evidence to the contrary?

    2) I

    • zornorph

      I mean, yes of course it was a political bitch-slap but after DeMint has spent the last couple of years giving out his own bitch slaps, it would follow that he would get one back. As stated, he didn’t whine like a little girl about it, so good on him. I have no problem with the way he’s playing the game, but if you play hardball, sometimes you are gong to get bruised with the ball – that’s all!

  • carolina

    With the pressure of the deficits and the debt, I’m speculating that McConnell wants more moderate people on the Finance committee – in order to be able to reach compromises in the committee. DeMint has clear strong positions that might not work as well within the committee structure.
    Compromise on the cuts will be required if anything is going to get done before 2012.
    Burr recently offered legislation to combine DOE and EPA. I think that is a reasonable step towards reduction of Govt overhead. Naturally the dems are totally opposed. I laugh at the dems and BO trying to make cuts. Reducing the size and cost of govt is just so hard for dems to contemplate. hee hee hee

  • carolina

    With the pressure of the deficits and the debt, I’m speculating that McConnell wants more moderate people on the Finance committee – in order to be able to reach compromises in the committee. DeMint has clear strong positions that might not work as well within the committee structure.
    Compromise on the cuts will be required if anything is going to get done before 2012.
    Burr recently offered legislation to combine DOE and EPA. I think that is a reasonable step towards reduction of Govt overhead. Naturally the dems are totally opposed. I laugh at the dems and BO trying to make cuts. Reducing the size and cost of govt is just so hard for dems to contemplate. hee hee hee

  • Mike Ferguson

    In short, yes, yes he is all of those things. Plus yes to your previous 2 questions. Though depending on how we do in the next election cycle he may still not be able to pull off being leader again, one can only hope.

  • Ausonius

    Or venal, or any other dismal character quality.

    For the McConnell’s it is all about preserving the status quo to protect their nests: why should they rock they boat, when being a patsy has brought them a good life of privilege and wealth?

    They will of course occasionally act like the Loyal Opposition, and then roll over and play dead when told to, so that they can preserve the status quo of entrenched Federal obesity.

    And why does he keep getting elected? Inertia in the electorate as well, not to mention a share in the morbid obesity of Federal spending.

    Change takes energy, challenging the Dems takes energy and courage: I see little to none in the Republican leadership. One day Boehner or McConnell will sound halfway decent, the next day we are appalled that they have again caved to the Dems.

  • rightwingmom52
  • Common_Cents

    They are openly challenging Americans. They are picking the cozy DC country club over the will of America.

    Mitch is saying DC is more important to him. He dares the little people to take him on. Elections? Those pesky things every few years where he can get religion at the last minute and be saved, once again.

    It’s up to us to take back the power, one precinct, one gutless DC elite at a time.

  • Ausonius

    can actually be to the politician’s advantage, IF the electorate is not paying attention, and if he is delivering our tax money to the groups supporting him. So while a decision may in fact be a stupid one for America in the long term, it can seem smart in the short term for the politician.

    For too long the electorate has NOT paid attention: I think and I hope the word TRILLIONS has awakened them!