McConnell’s complicated plan, which would essentially allow Obama to raise the debt ceiling with only 1/3 of Congress’ approval, is drawing the ire of conservative activists and tea party Republicans in the House. Freshmen GOP congressmen are universally panning the plan, which Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio promised would not make it past the House on Fox News Sunday. Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah bluntly tweeted that it was a “stupid idea“.

But perhaps the harshest label given to the plan came this morning from conservative blogger and CNN contributor Erick Erickson, who labeled the McConnell plan the “Pontius Pilate Act.” In fact, he says the plan might lead to the tea party splintering off into a third party, devastating the GOP politically:

Notwithstanding my opinion, I believe the GOP, should it adopt Mitch McConnell’s Pontius Pilate Act, will be sowing the seeds of its own destruction.

In short, a vote for McConnell’s Pontius Pilate Act will cause a serious third party problem for the GOP.

*****

In Washington, McConnell is being greeted as a hero. In the heartland, he is viewed as one of those Washington politicians who have gotten too comfortable to make tough decisions. Tea Party activists see the McConnell Pontius Pilate Act as an example of everything wrong with Washington.

*****

If the House and Senate GOP pushes McConnell’s plan, many of the activists who helped the GOP in 2010 will be helping a third party in 2012. It’ll hurt the GOP’s Presidential candidate. It’ll hurt the Senate candidates. It’ll hurt the House candidates. It will hurt the Republican Party and embolden the Democrats.

And Mitch knows firsthand what a rebellious wing of his party can look like back home in Kentucky. If the McConnell plan winds up being adopted, it’s fair to say that his relations with the party base back home will be greatly strained, and his 2014 re-election might look as scary for him as it did for his protege Trey Grayson last year. Sure, his plan might avert a national default, economic catastrophe, and score him political points against Obama in the short term. But to much of the base right now, the only thing that matters is absolutely no comprise on any issue. Ever.

But McConnell does have one thing to be grateful for. Despite all of the tea party criticism being heaped upon him, one of their leaders has remained quite silent and refrained from piling on. In fact, one that might surprise you. Yes, Mr. Debt himself, Rand Paul, is not throwing out “Pontius Pilate” and “capitulator” and “stupid.” In fact, this is about as much as he’s had to say about the McConnell plan:

Our plan is to cut, cap and balance. We are working to get the House and Senate to move on this.

Remarkably restrained, no? It almost makes one wonder what kind of gentlemen’s agreements have already been forged in this budding frenemyship.

From the Mayor’s Office:

It was the first formal meeting between Fischer and Paul and it follows a meeting earlier this week between Fischer and state Senate President David Williams.

In the coming weeks, Fischer also plans to meet with Senator Mitch McDonnell, Kentucky House leader Greg Stumbo and the entire Louisville legislative delegation to forge positive relationships between city government, state government and the federal government. Fischer and Congressman John Yarmuth already have been working closely on Louisville’s needs.

“I am honored to be starting fresh relationships with all elected officials who represent Louisville,” Fischer said. “When we work together, our city benefits.”

Other than bi-partisan public relations, no specific issues are being discussed at these meetings and it’s more of a “get-to-know you” introduction we’re told.

Last summer, however, Fischer criticized his mayoral opponent, Republican Hal Heiner, for attending a Tea Party rally with Paul and asked if he supported the Bowling Green opthamologist in an attempt to paint Heiner as outside the mainstream. But it appears the mayor has suspended whatever political misgivings he had about the tea party messiah, now that the elections are over.

From WFPL:

In a Senate floor speech Monday, McConnell, the Senate Republican Leader, said he’s not apologizing for supporting earmarks, but sees that Americans have come to view the abuse of the practice as a symbol of waste and out-of-control government spending.

“The only way we will be able to turn the corner and save our future is if elected leaders like me make the difficult decisions that voters are clearly asking us to make,” he said.

GOP leaders in the House have already called for a ban on earmarks, which is also one of the planks in the Tea Party platform.

It’s a remarkable concession, given that last year McConnell brought in $113 million to Kentucky through earmarks. For years, the senior senator has been a staunch supporter of funding local projects by inserting them into legislation, but in the post-Randslide commonwealth things change, if only slightly and on the surface.

UPDATE:

On Tuesday, McConnell was re-elected as minority leader of the Senate Republicans for the next session of Congress.

Specifically, the “turd” in this equation represents a dead health care reform bill. The shithouse rats — Mssrs. McConnell and Limbaugh, if you’re following –  each recommend a different means by which to assassinate this bill: Mitch favors a more procedural approach, and will attempt to crush health care reform under the weight of growing public scrutiny by dragging out the amendments process and forcing everybody to come look at the bill’s dastardly socialist passages, whereas Rush favors stamping his shoe upon the table and screaming haphazardly researched nonsense, Khrushchev-style.

Either way, it’s funny (in a sad way, for the country):

Aides to McConnell called Limbaugh’s show to explain their tactics, but the conservative pundit did not seem to buy it.

“They are up there adding amendments. There’s no question they’re adding amendments to it. McConnell’s office did call here and say that they are opposing this, so I don’t know if adding amendments is a strategery [sic] to bollix it up and slow it down. But I — I disagree. They just need to say no; there’s nothing wrong with saying no to this!” Limbaugh said Tuesday.

Limbaugh took another shot at Senate Republicans on his show Wednesday.

“The Senate Republican leadership strategy here was flawed because it allowed the Democrats to take the offensive, buy time to work out a deal,” Limbaugh said. “I know a disaster when I see it. And I know that it’s gotta be stopped, and whatever parliamentary steps are available to people … should have been taken.” [The Hill]

Now that the blubbering cacodemon has officially deployed his conservative armies against the relatively moderate Senate minority leader, a question lingers: Which shithouse rat will win this fight? Upon whom would you bet money to tear asunder their opponent’s already-terrible reputation? And will the Tea Baggers and RNC Chairman Michael Steele combine, a la Voltron, to referee? No matter which way you slice it, though, it’s still a turd they’re fighting over — and the smell of it on their breath will linger well into 2010 no matter who winds up running the Party That Jesus Lincoln Nixon Reagan Bush Limbaugh/McConnell Built.

Here’s a clip of Yarmuth referenced in my story:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl3c_-H0drQ[/youtube]

As well, a recent Yarmuth appearance on Fox Business Channel defending the public option can be found here.

“We had over 1,500 signatures in support of Obama’s economic recovery plan,” says Jim Webb, an organizer for MoveOn here in Louisville. “We hope that the plan will address the need for green jobs, the housing foreclosures and the health care crisis as opposed to bailouts for Wall Street and tax breaks for the rich.”

Webb says even though the delivery of the petition to McConnell’s secretary lacked drama, it sends a message to the Senate minority leader who has questioned the Obama package. Webb told LEO Weekly that the group will request a face-to-face meeting with McConnell during the congressional recess.

“I’m sure [Sen. McConnell] will try to be an obstructionist but I think the character of his constituency will be changing as people face more hard times,” Webb says. “I can see it, reading the comments in the petition. People are hurting.”

McConnell beings his 25th year in the U.S. Senate, which makes him the longest serving Senator in Kentucky history. He defeated Democratic challenger Bruce Lundsford in November. LEO Weekly called Sen. McConnell’s office in Washington, but his spokesperson was unavailable for comment.

$2.28: The price for a gallon of gas at my pit stop. Tanking the American economy is one way to lower gas prices.

Grand(iose) jury: A Marshall County grand jury will decide — probably late next week — whether criminal charges are warranted in Recorder-gate, the faux controversy sparked when a GOP operative stashed an audio recorder on Bruce Lunsford’s podium during a McConnell-Lunsford debate and then didn’t get it back for 30 minutes. Lunsford says he’ll tell the grand jury he was illegally bugged — a felony in KY. 

Top 25: Celebrating Halloween early, the Boston Phoenix posted the 25 Scariest Conservatives in the country. Agh!

Where’s Biden?: With a lead in the national polls and perhaps to also protect the Democratic VP candidate from himself, Time Magazine writes that the Obama campaign is trying its best keep the Delware Senator on a tight leash.

University of Effigies: All sorts of bad press has visited the University of Kentucky after an effigy of Barack Obama hanging from a tree was found on campus. So much that UK officials will host a forum to discuss the matter. It isn’t the only lynched B-Rock effigy in the region. Many are yelling “double standard” because of the volume of outrage over the Obama effigy is higher compared to the noosed Sarah Palin manequin. They’re right. The context of actual lynchings in this country’s history is the reason the combination of a noose, tree and black people is worrisome. Just as cartoons of a man’s hand punching Palin raise the ugly specter of domestic violence.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_1tQ2_Hr_s[/youtube][youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC8QSGvRDLE[/youtube][youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K4KOhlZR9s[/youtube]

Debates are so 2006

Studly: How much of a stud is Metro Councilman Kelly Downard? This much: He scared off two thieves who were robbing a constituent’s house while Downard was dropping off a yard sign. He didn’t realize he was doing it. Mayor + Council Dems beware: Dude doesn’t even know how tough he is. 

Daily distraction: The Paducah Sun has reported that a grand jury in Marshall County will decide this week whether charges are warranted against Bruce Lunsford for supposedly stealing a recorder from a National Republican Senatorial Committee staffer who had bugged Lunsford’s podium prior to a debate in Gilbertsville. Interestingly, this story pins the decision whether to pursue the case on the McConnell campaign, even though the campaign has denied involvement and deferred questions about the incident to the NRSC. Anyone else ready for this buffoonery to end? McConnell should be ashamed. Can you be ashamed if you have no shame? (By the way, here’s some coverage of the rest of what happened after that debate.)

Blue Indiana: SurveyUSA reports that Obama is now up 49 percent to 45 percent in Indiana with eight days until Election Day. It would be the first time the Hoosier state went blue since Lyndon Johnson in 1964. 

Unreliable narrator: If you care about what might happen to America if John McCain is president, check out the NY Times Sunday Magazine piece on all the different metanarratives the Arizona septuagenerian’s campaign has tried and abandoned over the past year. If you haven’t already seen these — and observed each as its own disaster — you’re asleep at the wheel. Good story.