Facing an opportunity of a lifetime to become a world leader, Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, blew it all in one nasty partisan blast, while helping to make his nation a diplomatic laughingstock one more time.
The impending Majority Leader, in the aftermath of President Obama's landmark pact on emissions control with China, faulted the President for failing to move toward the middle.
The Kentucky politician bashed the agreement for requiring the Chinese to do nothing at while his state and others wrestle with carbon regulations.
He could have expressed the need for a thoughtful review of the deal between the Republican leadership and the White House. McConnell, however, could not resist the egocentric need to satisfy the commitment of the Republican leadership.
His words clearly enunciated a desire to knock the sitting President rather than provide fresh ideas and leadership to the nation.
The rant may sabotage an important step both to improve the air-- even McConnell breathes-- and the urgent need to advance the relationship with China, a nation moving rapidly economically, militarily and in other ways.
McConnell might have taken a lesson from the masterful concession speech of the late Thomas Dewey following his surprise defeat by Harry Truman or even that of Mitt Romney when he went down to defeat by Obama.
While both men referred to policies with which they had disagreed, the tone of both was a commitment to the good of the nation.
Significantly, it was McConnell and his colleagues who rightly chastised then-Senator Obama who had inappropriately traveled to meet with the commanders of American forces in Iraq to outline what he would do if elected president.
Rapidly and right on target, the Republican leadership told Mr. Obama: “We only have one president at a time.”
The question that the newly empowered Republican majority must confront: do they care more about political assault on a sitting president or finding ways to renew the standing of the US in the world?
Sadly, the next Majority Leader has failed utterly to present himself as much more than a partisan performer…and that is not only unfortunate but potentially perilous as well.
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Joseph J. Honick is president of GMA International in Bainbridge Island, Wash.
Jeffrey Nesbit, who served as communications director for former vice president Dan Quayle, is named assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Kate Bedingfield, White House communications director, will exit at the end of the month. Ben LaBolt, a longtime Biden adviser, will take the CD post.
Cathy Cochran, senior VP in Teneo’s Washington office, has rejoined the US Dept of Agriculture as director in its communications office.
Mexico is working with the DC-based Global Action on Gun Violence to push for “impactful gun violence prevention strategies” in the US.
Douglas Farrar, who was VP-communications and strategy at the Carnegie Center for International Peace, has joined the Federal Trade Commission as PA director.
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