Throwing The Bar On The Ground

Forget lowering it.

CROWLEY: When you look ahead, do you see anything other than losing seats in the Senate?

MCCONNELL; Well, the numbers are daunting. There are 23 Republicans up, and only 12 Democrats. That's because we had a very good year six years ago. So the numbers are against us. But I'm very optimistic, Candy, that we're going to stay roughly where we are. We're not going to back in the majority in the Senate next year, I think the numbers make that impossible. But I'm optimistic we can stay roughly where we are. And of course in the Senate, the only legislative body in the world where the majority is not enough, the minority is not irrelevant, provided it's a robust minority, and I'm convinced we can stay pretty close to where we are.

(Notice the blanket statement about the majority not being enough, just sprinkling that in so nobody questions the historic obstruction tactics.)

In 2006 Democrats had to defend 18 out of 33 seats and needed to pick up 6 out of those 15 in order to secure the majority. They did it. In 2008 Republicans need 2, AT MOST, out of 12, and maybe 1 if it'd swing the Senate to 50-50 with a Republican President. And the Majority Leader is saying in late June that the majority is "impossible."

He's right, but it's significant that Republicans are so pathetic at this point that winning one measly Senate seat is out of reach.