Commentary: Is Mitch McConnell Secretly Backing Paul & Cruz?

There may be a conspiracy in the U.S. Senate.  Republicans Rand Paul and Ted Cruz are both taking on their fellow Republican and Majority Leader.  Cruz Friday called Mitch McConnell a “liar”.  Scalawag can’t be far away.  Later in the day Paul announced he would use Senate rules to bypass McConnell in an effort to defund Planned Parenthood.  McConnell has said he has no interest in cutting taxpayer funding of the abortion mill.

Now, stay with me.  McConnell was re-elected last year.  He has a safe seat until January of 2021, by which time he’s likely to retire.  Meanwhile, several of his junior partners seek their party’s nomination for President.  Cruz, Paul and Marco Rubio instantly come to mind.  All three are trailing badly Donald Trump.  Establishment Republicans along the lines of McConnell are horrified by the prospect of a Trump nomination.  Attacking Trump head-on is a failure at the moment.  Trump is viewed by many as a hero for kicking down pillars of the establishment.  McConnell owes Paul.  Both are from Kentucky.  The Majority Leader didn’t support Paul when he first sought a Senate seat but last year Paul helped drag McConnell through a contentious primary.  I’m not sure if Cruz has any chips he can cash in with the older Leader but he has a good relationship with Trump, struck a blow for the insurgency yesterday morning and by later in the day Paul suddenly announced he was also jumping ship.

Is this being done with McConnell’s tacit approval?  The goal being nibbling away at Trump’s lead and base of support!  What do you believe?