McConnell Stays in Back Seat as McCarthy Drives

“Mitch McConnell has been Senate GOP leader for 16 years, with multiple bipartisan deals under his belt. Kevin McCarthy has led House Republicans for four years—and been speaker for just four months—with little history of reaching agreements with Democrats,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“But headed into the hard-fought talks over the debt ceiling, they made a critical decision that would shape how Republicans would negotiate with the White House: McCarthy would be in charge.”