{"id":510512,"date":"2022-11-16T02:45:35","date_gmt":"2022-11-15T23:45:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/gop-acrimony-spills-over-at-heated-senate-lunch\/"},"modified":"2022-11-16T02:45:35","modified_gmt":"2022-11-15T23:45:35","slug":"gop-acrimony-spills-over-at-heated-senate-lunch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/gop-acrimony-spills-over-at-heated-senate-lunch\/","title":{"rendered":"#GOP acrimony spills over at heated Senate lunch"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2555ca5eb45\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2555ca5eb45\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/gop-acrimony-spills-over-at-heated-senate-lunch\/#GOP_acrimony_spills_over_at_heated_Senate_lunch\" >GOP acrimony spills over at heated Senate lunch<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"GOP_acrimony_spills_over_at_heated_Senate_lunch\"><\/span>GOP acrimony spills over at heated Senate lunch<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/11\/mcconnellmitch_111522gn6_w.jpg?w=900\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Senate Republicans let their fury and frustration out at one another during a lengthy closed-door meeting that revealed the bitter feelings left over from a crushingly dis<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ointing midterm election.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>An at-times nasty and personal discussion took place at the Senate GOP lunch, where Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who have been at odds for months, traded recriminations over who was to blame for the GOP\u2019s failure to win back the Senate.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr1_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>The biggest fireworks came after McConnell stood up at one point in the meeting and observed that while he heard a lot of criticism of his leadership style, no one had yet announced any plan to challenge him for the job of Republican leader.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Scott, the chairman of the Senate campaign arm, then interjected to say that he planned to challenge McConnell at Wednesday morning\u2019s leadership election, catching many of his GOP colleagues by surprise, according to a Republican source familiar with the conversation in the room.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>McConnell quickly cut Scott off, telling him to wait his turn to speak. Then things really got heated.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>McConnell accused Scott of mismanaging his job at the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) and of mischaracterizing the record of the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC affiliated with McConnell that poured tens of millions of dollars in a slew of key races, according to the source familiar with the confrontational exchange.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Scott then heatedly criticized McConnell for not putting out an agenda before the election and keeping his own leadership team in the dark.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve never seen Scott so fired up. It was a very impassioned, very direct confrontation with McConnell that McConnell did not expect,\u201d said another person who witnessed the tense back-and-forth between senators. \u201cIt started off tense and it got very acrimonious.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr2_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Scott\u2019s comment didn\u2019t sit well with Senate Republican Whip John Thune (S.D.), however, who pushed back hard, according to sources familiar with the conversation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It got personal as Thune, who defended McConnell, made it clear he didn\u2019t appreciate Scott second-guessing whether the rest of the GOP leadership team is fully looped-in on strategy.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Scott, who predicted last month that Republicans would control between 52 and 55 Senate seats next year, was criticized by McConnell\u2019s allies for his fundraising record as NRSC chair.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr3_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said the Senate Republican campaign arm wasted money, its digital effort wasted money, the committee didn\u2019t spend enough on independent expenditures and praised McConnell for raising huge amounts of money for Senate GOP incumbents and challengers, according to a person familiar with the conversation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Collins also pointed out that while Scott is now supporting calls to delay the Senate Republican leadership election, he was happy to be elected chair of the NRSC im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>tely after the 2020 election, when the rest of the current GOP leadership team was also elected.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>At the time \u2014 in November of 2020 \u2014 future control of the Senate was in question as then-Sens. David Perdue (R-Ga.) and Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) were facing runoff elections in Georgia the following January. Both senators wound up losing reelection.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr4_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who supports delaying the Senate leadership election until next month, said after the meeting \u201cwe had as vigorous, substantive debate on the question of leadership as I\u2019ve ever seen in the Senate.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s the first time really we\u2019ve had that debate so I\u2019m glad of that. I hope it continues and I believe it should continue for the next month,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Cruz did not say whether he would vote for McConnell or Scott as leader.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) said he and several other senators criticized McConnell for playing too much defense against Democrats and not doing more to lay out an agenda for how Republicans would govern if in power. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve been convinced all along that if we want to do better in the elections, from the presidential [to] especially the swing-state Senate races, we\u2019ve got to have a plan for the American public and if we don\u2019t we can expect more of the same,\u201d Braun told reporters after the meeting, referring to the Senate leadership\u2019s decision not to lay out a comprehensive governing agenda before Election Day.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Other senators defended McConnell and blamed the disappointing election on Scott\u2019s management of the NRSC or former President Trump\u2019s influence on races.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Joni Ernst (Iowa), who is running for Senate Republican Policy Committee chair, the position being vacated by retiring Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) said she thought McConnell did a good job, according to a person in the room. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>When Ernst stood up to make her case for why she deserves a promotion in the leadership, she explained to colleagues that she has thought about the move for months. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo that is not a knee-jerk reaction for me or a vendetta against someone else \u2014 [I] have put a lot of time, thought and energy into [this] and I appreciate the opportunity to serve as your vice chair,\u201d she said, referring to her current job as vice chairwoman of the Senate GOP conference. \u201cI\u2019m ready to move into a new position.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr5_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Some senators interpreted Ernst\u2019s comment that her bid for a higher leadership position was not a \u201cvendetta against someone else\u201d as a subtle jab at Scott\u2019s motivations for challenging McConnell.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A person familiar with Ernst\u2019s thinking, however, said the choice of the word \u201cvendetta\u201d was not aimed at Scott.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Scott laid out his case to become next Senate GOP leader in a three-page \u201cDear Colleague\u201d letter circulated Tuesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI believe it\u2019s time for the Senate Republican Conference to be far more bold and resolute that we have been in the past. We must start saying what we are for, not just what we are against,\u201d he wrote.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr6_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>He promised that if elected leader he would \u201cnever surprise you with legislation and ask that you vote on something you haven\u2019t had an opportunity to review.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>He also pledged \u201cto always work to be transparent with each of you and to bring the conference together\u201d and to \u201clead the conference in developing a positive, aspirational agenda that outlines our legislative goals and what Senate Republicans stand for.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI humbly ask for your vote as your next Republican Leader,\u201d he concluded.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Scott had contemplated announcing his leadership bid last week but decided not to after Republicans failed to capture the Senate majority on Election Day.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr7_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>But Scott gained more momentum over the past week after a group of Senate Republican conservatives including Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Cruz called for the leadership elections to be postponed until after the Georgia Senate runoff on Dec. 6.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Scott made no mention of his plans to challenge McConnell when he attended the Monday afternoon leadership meeting, which is held on weekly basis when Congress is in session in McConnell\u2019s office.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Blunt, a member of the GOP leadership team, predicted the motion to postpone the leadership election would fail and McConnell would be reelected as Senate GOP leader.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><em>Al Weaver contributed to this report. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>This story was updated at 6:54 p.m.<\/em>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/senate\/3737223-gop-acrimony-spills-over-at-heated-senate-lunch\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>GOP acrimony spills over at heated Senate lunch Senate Republicans let their fury and frustration out at one another during a lengthy closed-door meeting that revealed the bitter feelings left over from a crushingly disappointing midterm election.\u00a0 An at-times nasty and personal discussion took place at the Senate GOP lunch, where Senate Minority Leader Mitch&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":510513,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/11\/mcconnellmitch_111522gn6_w.jpg?w=1280","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[134346,134418,70375,4941,134420,133498,135614,41445,134354,134539,134419,126546,135615,70289,37699],"class_list":["post-510512","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-2022-midterms","tag-congress-blog","tag-cybersecurity","tag-donald-trump","tag-equilibrium-sustainability","tag-in-the-know","tag-john-thune","tag-mitch-mcconnell","tag-nexstar-media-wire-news","tag-overnight-healthcare","tag-overnight-technology","tag-rick-scott","tag-roy-blunt","tag-senate","tag-ted-cruz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/510512","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=510512"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/510512\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/510513"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=510512"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=510512"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=510512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}