Targeting politicians at their homes may feel like yet another escalation by the outrage mob, but this isn't the first time they've resorted to that particular tactic. During Wisconsin's period of left-wing agitation, Gov. Scott Walker and his allies found themselves besieged at their private residences over the political crime of legitimately passing needed (and empirically successful) budget reforms. The Trump administration is now installed in Washington, which has fueled violent riots and ugly confrontations over pro-Trump speakers, and ridiculous incidents like the Betsy DeVos blockade we covered on Friday. The latest object of Team Resistance's ire is Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, whose house in Kentucky was picketed by protesters over the weekend:
Right now, there are about 200 protestors outside of Mitch McConnell's house in Louisville. Reading Coretta Scott King's letter. pic.twitter.com/sepuhDcohh
— Philip Lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) February 11, 2017
It seems likely that this little gathering will have exactly zero effect on anything, but one can understand why the Left is so incensed with McConnell. He held his ground on enforcing the Biden/Schumer Standard throughout most of 2016, declining to consider President Obama's Supreme Court nominee to replace Justice Scalia. That tactic paid enormous dividends, with Neil Gorsuch representing an early and lasting conservative legacy for President Trump. McConnell also invoked Rule 19 in the Senate to literally shut down Elizabeth Warren's personal criticism of now-Attorney General Jeff Sessions. I wasn't a great fan of the move, but the conservative base enjoyed seeing the GOP play hardball against a self-righteous and shrill liberal heroine -- and if this report is to be believed, he deliberately elevated Warren to help make her a major public face (and an angry, extreme one at that) of the Democratic Party. McConnell is also using the Reid Rule to push through every Trump cabinet pick, further enraging The Resistance. As they say, if you can't beat 'em -- thanks to your own side's previous power grabs -- endlessly protest 'em. But it's also worth noting that McConnell isn't the only Senator to witness a crowd of disgruntled leftists gathering outside his window lately:
They're turning the screws on Democratic leadership, demanding nothing short of total opposition. It's relatively easy for a Schumer Democrat obstruct 24/7 by voting "no" on all things Trump. But Schumer is enough of a tactician to realize that this approach isn't likely to play well for a number of vulnerable members of his caucus who are up for re-election next year in Trump-won states. How do Democrats appease their base, which is loudly insisting on political blood, while not toxifying some of their own members? Their 2018 Senate map is challenging:See photos from Tuesday night's protest outside Chuck Schumer’s Brooklyn home https://t.co/dNyPMh2zcM
— New York Magazine (@NYMag) February 1, 2017
As Senate Democrats ponder strategy, this is the gauntlet they're facing in 2018. *Nine* incumbents from Trump-won states: pic.twitter.com/v2m9sIeaPP
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) November 11, 2016
We're going to be quoting this statistic a lot between now and next fall, but five of those nine Senators represent states that Trump carried by 19 percentage points or more: Missouri, West Virginia, North Dakota, Montana and Indiana. Enjoy that tightrope walk, Chuck. I'll leave you with this data:
How Every Senator Facing Re-Election Next Year Has Voted on President Trump’s Cabinethttps://t.co/awknNHxGs8 pic.twitter.com/DeJ7AEaX6E
— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) February 12, 2017
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