'I’ll be the majority leader': Mitch McConnell puts Rick Scott and his kooky agenda in their place

United States Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) dumped cold water on Florida Republican Senator Rick Scott’s “11 Point Plan to Rescue America” during a news conference on Tuesday, telling reporters that Scott’s right-wing wish list is low-hanging fruit for Democratic attack ads ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Scott, the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, released his proposal last week to offer voters a reason to vote for the GOP this fall. As a whole, the party has no coordinated or discernible policy priorities except to batter President Joe Biden.

But at the heart of what Scott put forth is a provision that most conservatives (and liberals) would likely reject – raising taxes on poor and working-class Americans.

Moments after Scott exited the press briefing, McConnell shredded Scott’s hopes of shaping his party’s platform.

“Let me tell you what will not be a part of our agenda: We will not have as part of our agenda a bill that raises taxes on half the American people and sunsets Social Security and Medicare after five years. That will not be part of the Republican Senate majority agenda,” McConnell said.

“If we’re fortunate enough to have the majority next year, I’ll be the majority leader,” he continued. “I’ll decide, in consultation with my members, what to put on the floor.”

Politico noted on Tuesday that “the exchange between McConnell and his top campaign hand highlights a growing divide in the party as the GOP fights to take the House and Senate, despite their bright electoral prospects. While McConnell prefers to keep the heat on Democrats and make the election a referendum on President Joe Biden, some in the party — not just Scott — believe Republicans need a more affirmative agenda.”

And McConnell is not the only high-ranking Republican that has rejected Scott’s plan.

“This is not an approach embraced by the entire Republican conference,” said Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas). “We’re going to keep our focus on inflation, crime, the border and Afghanistan. And some of these other things are things to think about … after the election is over.”

But even in the face of opposition from within his own caucus, Scott has defended his manifesto.

On Monday, before the drama publicly unfolded with McConnell, the Senator told Politico that he is “not ever going to talk about private conversations, but I believe it’s important to tell people what we’re going to do.”

Scott’s spokesperson Chris Hartline later added that “Republicans, and really all Americans outside of Washington, are demanding that we have a plan to turn our country around. Sen. Scott is not afraid to start this conversation and will continue talking about his plan to rescue America.”