Mitch McConnell Won't Speak To Harry Reid

Roll Call reports that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell isn't speaking to Majority Leader Harry Reid:

[D]espite a previously solid working and personal relationship with his Democratic counterpart, McConnell chose to ignore both the election night call and a subsequent follow-up call from Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), whose party had dumped more than $6 million into Kentucky in an ultimately futile push to knock off the Republican leader.

In fact, according to Democrats and Republicans familiar with the situation, while McConnell and Obama spoke on the Thursday following the election, it took McConnell some nine days to ultimately respond to Reid's overtures.

Republicans warned that Reid should be prepared for a full-court press during his own 2010 re-election bid, and that the sudden deterioration in relations, no matter how short-lived, is a direct result of what they view as an overly aggressive Democratic effort to unseat McConnell.

"The Majority Leader made a tactical error that could potentially cost him his job when he signed off on $6 million of attack ads the last few weeks in Kentucky. McConnell never takes political attacks personally, but he is someone who has never hesitated to repay his opposition for their courtesy," a senior Republican official said, adding that identifying a high-quality opponent to challenge Reid will be a priority for the party in the coming months.

As Steve Benen notes, McConnell seems to be unusually sensitive.

So, let me get this straight. The relationship between the two parties' Senate leaders is in "tatters" because the Republican leader thinks the Democratic leader supported an effort to win a competitive Senate race. The Big Bad Harry Reid was mean in trying to help his party gain another seat.

What, did McConnell think his leadership role left him immune? Funny, I don't remember him encouraging Republicans to scale back their efforts to take down Tom Daschle in 2004.

Comments

[Ares1]

Mitch McConnell is the perfect example of the disconnection between the GOP and the American people, he like all those in the hard right like Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich and the others are useless and sore losers.

[medusa08]

He's gonna take his marbles and GO HOME.

[Twopennygal]

It's more of the same from the repugs: They can do all the underhanded, sneaky, dirty tactics they want, and then they manufacture accusations of the self-same tactics they are gulty of against the Democrats. Not that the Democarats are perfectly clean, but I'm getting really tired of the black repug pots calling the gray Democratic kettles black.

[barackobama4prez]

awww...harry hurt mitch's feelings. BIG WHOOP!

[Grada3784]

Oh, my. And when the Republican scuzzballs did the same to Daschle, that was all right, of course.

IOKOYAR!! We must never forget that these clowns think that.

[Jesster]

Petty pouting from a thin-skinned petty man who has no problem dishing it out. He reeks of rank hypocrisy.

His predecessor, Bill Frist, set the precedent for this and I'm just sorry that Mitch managed to survive a relatively "too little too late" effort to unseat this creatin was unsuccessful.

Of all the "vulnerable" Republicans in the 2008 election - the two I most wanted ousted were McConnell and the god-awful Saxby Chambliss - who literally makes my skull prickle. It was somewhat satisfying to see Liddy "Sugar-Lips" Dole shown the door, and of course the demise of Ted Stevens was LONG overdue (although it looked like the good folks in Alaska were willing to look the other way given his history of bringing home the fattiest bacon...

I just hope we see similar happy endings in Georgia and Minnesota. I would like to eliminate the three things that Mitch McConnell is good at : BSing, blustering and filibustering...

[guitrman]

scuzball

[Artos]

McConnell is just another example of Republican nastiness. In their world it's perfectly correct for them to take down their adversaries in whatever underhanded, duplicitous manner that they deem fit, but their opponent should always have the good graces to lie down and die for them. They are poor losers and even more rotten and arrogant winners. As an Independent I would cherish this opportunity to rub their faces in their own manure, but since the Democrats prefer to "mend fences" I doubt that that will happen. Sad. I always believed that what comes around should go around myself. Or as someone once said "Revenge is a dish best served Cold.".

[sepiasiren]

What next, will McConnell sing the nanny-nanny-boo boo song?

[sjones66]

Palin, the leader of his own party, has called those tough campaign ads and quotes "asking questions the American people deserve to know".

Somehow Obama is going to work with people who called him a terrorist and caused his LIFE to be threatened, as well as his families' lives.

But this Republican can't find it within himself to grow up enough to SPEAK to Reid? And the GOP wonders why they are a dying party? How pathetic. Whining babies.

[kassandranobody]

I don't think he did win! I think we should re-count his election

not surprised that these cons are poor losers? They were poor winners also

maybe they should get out of politics , if they can't handle the heat of a fair election

he knows better
SHAME ON HIM

[Woodmist]

Grow up, Mitch ya WATB. Sheesh, as if he's never run an big money campaign to defeat anyone.

[HDR]

Pissing off a cutthroat Repub like O'Connell enough to have him snub you? Priceless.

[Decipherer]

Um, perhaps the author and the person quoted would like to know that the GOP "took down" Tom Daschle in 2002, not 2004. John Thune was the guy who the Republican party put up to do the deed, and was re-elected this year, unfortunately.

[ManwithaParachute]

Everytime I see McConnell, I think "inbred southern white closeted gay man".
Now I have to add pouting to the mix.

[YellerDawg]

That pretty much sums it up.