GOP finger-pointing in every direction as party absorbs election losses

If it’s Sunday, it’s clip for much Republican Party finger-pointing implicit their midterm debacle.

Some of the GOP’s cardinal figures took to the quality shows to support their ain performances and blasted others for their nonaccomplishment to flip power of the Senate contempt humanities governmental advantages. Some cited excessively overmuch absorption connected past grievances, an implicit jab astatine erstwhile President Donald Trump and GOP campaigner quality. Others including Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who led the GOP run arm, suggested it was the responsibility of Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for pinning GOP hopes connected President Joe Biden’s unpopularity, alternatively than putting guardant an affirmative agenda.

The astir contiguous applicable statement for Senate Republicans is whether to determination guardant with oregon postpone enactment elections scheduled for Wednesday morning. Despite nationalist calls from immoderate members for a delay, Senate GOP leaders indicated Friday they planned to inactive proceed, and to person a post-election treatment Tuesday astatine their play caucus lunch.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), who delivered the nominating code 2 years agone for McConnell (R-Ky.) and supports his bid for leader, said connected CBS News’ “Face the Nation” that helium saw nary crushed to postpone the enactment elections.

“The large wrestling champion Ric Flair utilized to accidental ‘to beryllium the man, you person to bushed the man,’ and truthful acold nary 1 has had the nervus to measurement guardant and situation Sen. McConnell,” Cotton said. “It’s amended that we determination guardant with these elections truthful we tin absorption again connected the Georgia runoff.”

With Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) winning reelection, Democrats are headed into the Dec. 6 Georgia runoff with the bulk successful hand. Yet immoderate Republicans cited the uncertain result of the Georgia Senate contention arsenic a crushed to hold until December to ballot connected the GOP enactment team.

Scott had considered challenging McConnell for GOP person but yet decided against it aft the party’s mediocre predetermination performance. On Sunday, helium reiterated that the enactment should postpone the enactment elections.

“People person called maine to spot if I’ll run,” Scott said connected Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.” “Here’s my focus: We’ve inactive got to triumph Georgia, I’m not going to instrumentality thing disconnected the array but my occupation close present is to bash everything I tin to assistance Herschel win.”

Scott’s propulsion to hold enactment elections is the latest circular of his monthslong feud with McConnell. In the spring, Scott released an 11-point connection that McConnell and different Senate Republicans warned would service arsenic fodder for Democratic run ads. Both Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer cited the program successful nationalist speeches, suggesting it could pb to taxation hikes.

Over the summer, Scott said helium and McConnell had a “strategic disagreement” aft the GOP person suggested that “candidate prime has a batch to bash with the outcome” of Senate elections — a connection that was interpreted arsenic a sound connected immoderate of the Trump-aligned candidates who emerged from primaries.

Scott defended his efforts Sunday connected Fox News and took different changeable astatine McConnell, portion besides criticizing Republicans for “teaming up with the Democrats.”

“When I enactment retired my plan, helium said we’re conscionable going to speech astir however atrocious the Democrats are,” helium said. “Leadership said no, we’re not going to person a plan.”

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), who conscionable won reelection, reiterated Sunday that the enactment elections should beryllium postponed truthful that “anyone who wants to tally tin speech to colleagues successful bid to marque an informed determination to run.” He besides said he’s not ruling retired his ain bid to pb the Republican Policy Committee.

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), the No. 5 GOP leader, said this past outpouring she plans to tally for that slot, which volition beryllium vacated by retiring Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.).