Summary
Mitch McConnell likes to say that 'Being Senate Majority Leader is like being the groundskeeper at a cemetery-everybody is under you, but nobody's listening.' It's a job that rewards his own blend of character traits, which include humility, tenacity, patience, and a focus on long-term results over short-term headlines. Senator McConnell is in the news virtually every day, but he says almost nothing to the press and has, in his words, 'an almost athletic determination to keep my own mouth shut.' His carefully cultivated silence has increased his political power tremendously since he arrived in the Senate in 1985.
Now Senator McConnell finally opens up about his life and career, giving readers an intimate look at his personal motivations and political ambitions, as well as offering a peek behind the curtain of how the Washington political machine really operates at the highest levels. Among his many insights, Senator McConnell shares his private thoughts on-
His secret formula for deciding how to vote on appointments and major bills.
What happened at the dawn of the Obama Administration to poison its relations with Congress. What he really thinks of his Senate archrival, Harry Reid. What President Obama could have and should have learned from Vice President Biden. The falseness behind Hillary Clinton's much-vaunted moderation. What happened during the fights over Obamacare and the government shutdowns. How he deals with impatient colleagues such as Ted Cruz and the Tea Party Republicans in the House. Though the public and most politicians are increasingly impatient for change, Senator McConnell remains committed to a patient approach, having learned over his long career that lasting change can only be won by playing the long game.
His book will be an absorbing, revelatory read for political junkies, for anyone who wants to know the real story of what goes on in Congress, and for those who still believe-or need convincing-that the system of government the Founders left us is perfectly suited to addressing the problems of the day.
MITCH McCONNELL is the longest-serving US Senate Republican leader and longest-serving senator from Kentucky. He has represented the Commonwealth in the upper chamber since January 1985 and has been Senate majority leader since January 2015. Prior to that, he was leader of the Senate Republican minority for nearly a decade. Senator McConnell has been described by Frank Luntz as having "had a bigger impact on the United States Senate than any senator in my lifetime" and by one journalist as being "arguably the most influential Senate majority leader since Lyndon Johnson." Twice he has been selected by Time magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People. He has three daughters and is married to Elaine Chao, the secretary of transportation.
