Having thrown away what little leverage the Republican Party has in this one-party government, GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) compounded his felony by rolling over once again in the face of Democratic efforts to raise the debt limit with no conditions attached.

Democrats, of course, can raise the limit anytime they want because they would not need a filibuster proof majority for a budget bill under the Byrd Rule. But they want to share the blame for doing so with Republicans, so they won’t raise the debt limit alone.

And, obliging as ever, McConnell caved in and agreed to let them do it covered by a fig leaf of bipartisanship. He previously bailed the Democrats out over the summer and vowed not to do so again, but he can’t help himself and he rolled over again.

The Republicans could have exacted any number of commitments in return for their votes. They should have asked for an additional cut of $1 trillion in the Build Back America package. They could have insisted that the package have no language on immigration. For all their wails of outrage at the unilateral, arrogant Democratic refusal to consult them, McConnell led his troops in a total surrender — again.

Why don’t he and Manchin both switch parties and put their respective party establishments out of their agony?

Dick Morris