So, this caught my eye at AL.com, Katie Britt: Mitch McConnell is ‘one of Alabama’s greatest native sons’, mostly because I was unaware that McConnell was born in Alabama. In fact, for those trivia buffs in the audience, he was born in Athens and lived in the state for about eight years before moving to Georgia.
But, that’s not what inspired a post.
Rather, it was this:
“His legacy is unparalleled in the Senate’s history and will long outlast his tenure as Leader,” Britt said.
And it got me thinking about his legacy. Objectively speaking, his lengthy tenure in the Senate (since 1985) alongside just over two decades in various leadership roles in the chamber makes him a figure of some historical significance as a general matter.
However, I would note two very specific legacies.
First, it will be impossible to write about the history of the Supreme Court without mentioning McConnell, as he orchestrated the process to deny Barack Obama the chance to appoint a replacement for Antonin Scalia, while also being key to the appointment of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s replacement. All told the current right-wing orientation of the Court is substantially a result of McConnell’s influence over the process.
This Court has already had profound effects on public policy in the United States, as the Dobbs decision on abortion clearly underscores. The current slow roll of Trump’s immunity claims is also a consequential example of this Court’s influence. Indeed, tomes will be written about what this Court has already done, and about what it will do for decades to come.
This leads me to the second legacy of McConnell, which is also a gift that keeps on giving: his cowardice in the face of Trump’s behavior on January 6, 2021. McConnell’s choice not to back the conviction of Trump in the Senate during Trump’s second impeachment trial was, in my view, an utter failure of leadership and vision. It was a short-term calculation that could have profound long-term negative consequences for the country.
I would remind us all that McConnell knew that the 2020 election was not stolen and, moreover, knew that the January 6th attacks on the US Capitol were provoked by Trump. He publically and privately said so at the time.
For a trip down memory lane:
- McConnell’s speech on January 6th.
- Via the PBS Newshour: McConnell says Jan. 6 Capitol attack was ‘provoked’ by Trump and others in power.
- Via CNN: An incredibly damning quote from Mitch McConnell on January 6.
Yet, when he had the chance to take a moral and principled stance, which would have barred Trump from holding federal office and would have freed the Republican Party (and the American public) from a clear authoritarian-wannabe, he demurred. He was too worried about losing the Georgia run-offs (which he lost anyway) and whatever other short-to-medium-range fallout there would be to stand up and be bold.
And here we are with a non-zero chance that Trump will return to the presidency with vengeance on his mind and a clear desire to abuse power once in office.
But if Mitch McConnell had been willing to be a real leader, he could almost certainly have provided enough cover for enough House Republicans to vote to convict, remove Trump from office, and bar him from future federal office.
Instead, he gambled (and lost) on two Senate seats in Georgia, and has set us up from Trump: The Sequel.
That’s one helluva a legacy, Mitch.
