The Atlantic

The Paradox of Mitch McConnell's Repeal-Only Vote

The Senate majority leader is punishing and rewarding senators all at once—in ways that diminish everybody in his caucus other than himself.
Source: Aaron Bernstein / Reuters

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is not usually one for doomed gestures or abstract ideals.

So why on earth is he scheduling a sure-loser vote on Obamacare "repeal today; replacement later?” Yes, President Trump has requested it—but McConnell has long since learned how to manage Trump’s fleeting mental vagaries. If this vote is held, it’s because McConnell wants it, fully aware that it will

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