Senate Republicans Are Defying Majority Leader McConnell

 In the past, Mitch McConnell has ruled with an iron hand as the Senate Majority Leader. But he seems to be losing his grip, and no longer controls the Republican senators. At least 12 of them are saying they will vote to overturn the Electoral College results in January 6th -- even though McConnell asked them not to do so.

Here how Politico puts it:

An all-out GOP civil war in the Senate. Three days after Mitch McConnell told his colleagues that the vote to certify the presidential election results on Jan. 6 would be “the most consequential I have ever cast,” a dozen Republican senators have now publicly endorsed objecting to the Electoral College tallies that will make Joe Biden’s victory official.

In short, there’s a growing rebellion inside the GOP conference instigated by President Donald Trump, who promises more GOP senators will join the effort and also called for mass protests in D.C. on Wednesday. (Yes, the Proud Boys and right-wing militias will be there, and, yes, there is cause for concern about the prospect of violence.)

We can’t say this emphatically enough: This does not happen to Mitch McConnell. For four years, the Senate leader has managed to maintain order in his ranks as Trump unleashes daily mayhem on the GOP from the White House. That’s all gone to hell.