Political Wire

  • Front Page
  • Members
    • Subscribe
    • Sign In
  • Trending
  • Resources
    • Politics Extra
    • Political Job Hunt
    • Political Dictionary
    • Electoral Vote Map
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us
Become a member to get many great benefits -- exclusive analysis, trending news, a private podcast, no ads and more!


McConnell Says Booker May Face Ethics Investigation

September 7, 2018 at 11:33 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said in an interview that Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) could face scrutiny from the Senate Ethics Committee for violating a rule that prohibits the release of confidential material, the Washington Post reports.

“During Thursday’s hearing on the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, Booker said he was knowingly violating a Senate rule by releasing an email revealing the nominee’s views on racial profiling.”

“It turns out that document had already been cleared for public release. But later Thursday afternoon, Booker released what he said were 28 documents marked ‘committee confidential’ in a defiant bid to make the confirmation process more transparent.”

Filed Under: Senate Tagged With: Cory Booker, Mitch McConnell

Pelosi vs. McConnell Could Dominate In 2019

September 6, 2018 at 8:00 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The 116th Congress could see the start of a two-year slugfest between two partisan heavyweights — Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell,” Politico reports.

“More gridlock, government shutdowns, and the potential impeachment of President.”

“Yet a Pelosi-McConnell-run Congress might also yield deals benefiting both parties — and Trump, who could claim credit for any bipartisan packages as he mounts an expected reelection bid in 2020. Both Pelosi and McConnell may push for a deal on infrastructure spending, for example, an agreement that would affect every state and congressional district. Trump would also gain politically from any such package. Trump could result from the faceoff.”

Filed Under: House of Representatives, Senate Tagged With: Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi

McConnell Will Form ‘Gang’ to Decide How to Honor McCain

August 28, 2018 at 11:00 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said that he is forming a bipartisan committee tasked with determining how the Senate will honor late Sen. John McCain (R-AZ),  The Hill reports.

Said McConnell: “I’d like to put together an official group that can elaborate and bring together ideas from current members, former colleagues and friends. It will be bipartisan as only benefits John’s legacy, and come to think of it, I would probably call it not a committee but a gang.”

Filed Under: Senate Tagged With: John McCain, Mitch McConnell


You're reading the free version of Political Wire

Upgrade to a paid membership to unlock full access. The process is quick and easy. You can even use Apple Pay.

  • ✔ Become a member to get many great benefits -- exclusive analysis, a trending news page, a private podcast, no advertising and more!
  • ✔ If you're already a member, log in for the full experience.



McConnell Pursued from Restaurant by Angry Crowd

July 9, 2018 at 7:29 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“A group of Democratic Socialists and other angry protesters pursued Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) through a restaurant parking lot on Saturday, berating him with a mixture of immigration rhetoric and personal insults — and at one point an apparent threat to visit his home,” the Washington Post reports.

“The Louisville encounter was the second time in two weeks that McConnell’s private life has been disrupted by a spontaneous protest — and it was the latest in a weeks-long series of confrontations between powerful Republicans and those eager to shame them on camera, wherever they are found.”

Filed Under: Senate Tagged With: Mitch McConnell

McConnell Says Congress Can’t Do Much About Shootings

July 3, 2018 at 3:45 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) told the Lexington Herald-Leader that he doesn’t think the federal government can do much to respond to school shootings.

Said McConnell: “I don’t think at the federal level there’s much that we can do other than appropriate funds. You would think, given how much it takes to get on an American plane or given how much it takes to get into courthouses, that this might be something that we could achieve, but I don’t think we could do that from Washington, I think it’s basically a local decision.”

He added: “It’s a darn shame that’s where we are, but this epidemic is something that’s got all of our attention. And I know it’s got the attention of every school superintendent in the country.”

Filed Under: Gun Control Tagged With: Mitch McConnell

McConnell Lays Groundwork for Another Court Pick

June 29, 2018 at 8:26 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

This piece is only available to Political Wire members.

In a speech on the Senate floor, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) pushed back on Democratic claims that he was violating his own rule about confirming a Supreme Court Justice in an election year:

Join now to continue reading.

Members get exclusive analysis, bonus features and no advertising. Learn more.

If you’re already a member, sign in to your account.

Filed Under: Members, Senate Tagged With: Mitch McConnell

Mitch McConnell Doesn’t Care If You Don’t Like Him

June 27, 2018 at 4:48 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Matthew Yglesias: “He’s not interested in being thought of as a high-minded guy or in being well-regarded by high-minded people. He wants to be thought of as an effective party politician, and he is an effective politician…”

“There’s a perfect alignment between the reputation he wants, the reputation he has, and the reputation he deserves in a way that’s unequalled among American politicians and that allows him to conduct himself with an even greater degree of shamelessness than Donald Trump himself since unlike the all-id Trump, McConnell isn’t out of control he’s just willing to be utterly ruthless in pursuit of his political objectives…”

“It would be wrong to see this as a zero-cost strategy. Most people who get into electoral politics do it, on some level, because they want to be liked and admired, and McConnell does not… He’s unloved in his time, even by his own side, but he’s without question the most effective and influential political figure of our time.”

Filed Under: Senate Tagged With: Mitch McConnell

McConnell Rubs It In

June 26, 2018 at 12:38 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), within minutes of the Supreme Court upholding President Trump’s travel ban, tweeted a photo of him shaking hands with Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, who provided the fifth vote upholding the ban.

Gorsuch became a justice only after McConnell made an unprecedented power grab in early 2016 and refused to fill the absence on the bench with President Obama’s appointment of Merrick Garland.

Filed Under: Senate Tagged With: Mitch McConnell

McConnell Already Plotting Out His Own Re-Election

June 15, 2018 at 6:47 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“On Monday morning, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell huddled with a few top aides at the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s Capitol Hill headquarters — but the 2018 midterms weren’t on the agenda,” Politico reports.

“Instead, they pored over plans for McConnell’s own far-off 2020 reelection campaign.”

“The early discussions, which were detailed by more than a half-dozen of McConnell’s closest advisers and allies, reflects the leader’s long-held penchant for intensive — some would say obsessive — preparedness and planning.”

Filed Under: 2020 Campaign Tagged With: KY-Sen, Mitch McConnell

McConnell Cancels Most of August Recess

June 5, 2018 at 1:31 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) “told lawmakers that the Senate will recess for one week instead of four to work on nominations and legislation,” the Washington Post reports.

“The additional workweeks in August mean that endangered Democratic senators on the ballot this year will face a dilemma: Attend to Senate business during time they could otherwise use to campaign back home or remain in their states and face criticism that they are shirking their responsibilities in government.”

Filed Under: 2018 Campaign, Senate Tagged With: Mitch McConnell

McConnell Set to Pass Dole as Longest Serving GOP Leader

May 31, 2018 at 7:24 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Politico: “On June 12, McConnell will surpass the 11-plus-year run of former Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas to become the longest-serving Republican Senate leader ever.”

“It’s a remarkable feat given the turmoil in the Republican Party since Trump’s takeover: The House GOP will soon be on its third party leader in little more than three years, while the lower rungs of Senate leadership are about to experience significant turnover. McConnell is on his third president as Republican leader.”

Filed Under: Senate Tagged With: Mitch McConnell

McConnell Says He Still Supports Mueller Investigation

May 25, 2018 at 8:58 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) told NPR that he continues to support the Mueller Russia investigation — and that nothing in Thursday’s hotly anticipated secret briefing on the Russia probe to congressional leaders changed his mind.

Said McConnell: “The two investigations going on that I think will give us the answers to the questions that you raise — the [inspector general] investigation in the Justice Department and the Mueller investigation. I support both of them, and I don’t really have anything to add to this subject based upon the Gang of Eight briefing that we had today, which was classified.”

Filed Under: Senate Tagged With: Mitch McConnell

McConnell Warns That Senate Is In Play

May 17, 2018 at 2:11 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) told the Washington Post that control of the Senate is “absolutely” in play in the midterm elections, identifying the nine battleground states he believes will decide the outcome in November.

Said McConnell: “I always think it’s better to be candid and not try to spin people into thinking this isn’t going to be a challenging election. I think the safest place to be is just to say that this is going to be a very challenging election, and I don’t think we know in May … whether it’s Category 3, 4 or 5.”

The nine battlegrounds: Arizona, Nevada, Tennessee, Montana, North Dakota, Missouri, Indiana, West Virginia and Florida.

Filed Under: 2018 Campaign Tagged With: Mitch McConnell

Blankenship Still Running Ads

May 14, 2018 at 1:46 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Don Blankenship (R), who was defeated in last week’s Republican U.S. Senate primary in West Virginia, isn’t done with Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

Filed Under: 2018 Campaign Tagged With: Mitch McConnell, WV-Sen

Senate Will Confirm Judges Through New Year’s

May 3, 2018 at 11:53 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) “is prepared to work up until New Year’s Day to keep confirming judicial nominations,” Roll Call reports.

Said McConnell: “I can tell you that if we have to stay until December 31, we’re going to do the judges that come out of committee. They’ll be voted on this year.”

Filed Under: Senate Tagged With: Mitch McConnell

Blankenship Slams ‘Cocaine Mitch’

April 30, 2018 at 7:36 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

West Virginia Senate hopeful Don Blankenship is intensifying his offensive against Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, calling him “Cocaine Mitch” in a new TV ad released just over a week until the Republican primary.

“Blankenship… offers no context for the jab. But he may be referring to a 2014 report in the liberal Nation magazine that drugs were once found aboard a shipping vessel owned by the family of McConnell’s wife, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.”

Filed Under: 2018 Campaign Tagged With: Mitch McConnell, WV-Sen

Trump Isn’t the Only One Breaking Norms

April 20, 2018 at 11:06 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

This piece is only available to Political Wire members.

President Trump is rightly criticized for his shattering of political norms since entering politics nearly three years ago. From attacking our institutions to undermining faith in voting, he’s hurting our democracy.

Join now to continue reading.

Members get exclusive analysis, bonus features and no advertising. Learn more.

If you’re already a member, sign in to your account.

Filed Under: Members, Senate Tagged With: Mitch McConnell

McConnell Works to Reshape Courts In Case Senate Flips

April 20, 2018 at 7:17 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Mitch McConnell is making a last dash to stock the judiciary with conservatives this year as a hedge against the chance that Republicans lose the Senate in November,” Politico reports.

“The GOP may have only a few more months of unified control of Washington to repeal Obamacare or enact President Donald Trump’s infrastructure plan. But the Senate majority leader is taking a longer view — and confirming as many conservative judges as possible to lifetime appointments.”

Filed Under: Judiciary, Senate Tagged With: Mitch McConnell

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • …
  • 14
  • Next Page »

Get Smarter About Politics

Members get exclusive analysis, a trending news page, the Trial Balloon podcast, bonus newsletters and no advertising. Learn more.

Your Account

Sign in

Latest for Members

  • Why Last Night’s ‘Win’ Has Republicans in Full Panic Mode
  • Elise Stefanik Calls Mike Johnson a Liar
  • Republicans Are Staring at a Very Bad Midterm Cycle
  • Trump Leaves Hegseth on the Brink
  • An Early Test of a Midterm Wave

Word of the Day

Government Relations: “Government relations” refers to the specialized practice of influencing public policy and decision-making processes within legislative bodies, executive agencies, and other governmental institutions.

Read the full definition

About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

Praise for Political Wire

“There are a lot of blogs and news sites claiming to understand politics, but only a few actually do. Political Wire is one of them.”

— Chuck Todd, host of “Meet the Press”

“Concise. Relevant. To the point. Political Wire is the first site I check when I’m looking for the latest political nugget. That pretty much says it all.”

— Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the Rothenberg Political Report

“Political Wire is one of only four or five sites that I check every day and sometimes several times a day, for the latest political news and developments.”

— Charlie Cook, editor of the Cook Political Report

“The big news, delicious tidbits, pearls of wisdom — nicely packaged, constantly updated… What political junkie could ask for more?”

— Larry Sabato, Center for Politics, University of Virginia

“Political Wire is a great, great site.”

— Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”

“Taegan Goddard has a knack for digging out political gems that too often get passed over by the mainstream press, and for delivering the latest electoral developments in a sharp, no frills style that makes his Political Wire an addictive blog habit you don’t want to kick.”

— Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post

“Political Wire is one of the absolute must-read sites in the blogosphere.”

— Glenn Reynolds, founder of Instapundit

“I rely on Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire for straight, fair political news, he gets right to the point. It’s an eagerly anticipated part of my news reading.”

— Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist.

Copyright © 2025 · Goddard Media LLC | Privacy Policy | Corrections Policy

Political Wire ® is a registered trademark of Goddard Media LLC