Loser . . . humiliated by his own party.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is having a tough time.   He carried his mean-spirited obstructionist campaign to thwart anything President Obama tried to do too far -- including refusing to allow consideration of nominees to run the agencies of government.

Steven Cordray is the best example.   He had been waiting 700 days since he was nominated to be Director of the new Consumer Financial Protection Agency, a watchdog to see that banks, credit card companies, etc. do not take undue advantage of consumers.   It wasn't that McConnell and his cronies objected to Cordray -- they would object to any nominee because they don't want the agency to function.

They also have refused to even consider Obama's appointments to the National Labor Relations Board.  He finally made two recess appointments, but they have refused to take up the other three that must be nominated in order for the agency to function.   They don't like the NLRB, so the just refuse to staff it.

McConnell has an approval rating even in his own state of Kentucky that's under water, and  a Democratic challenger for 2014 who is slightly outpolling him at this early date -- both very bad signs for an incumbant.    And now even his Senate Republicans have slapped him down.

Led by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), they went around their leader and negotiated a deal with the Democrats to avoid a fight over the filibuster on nominations.   This is a major blow to the leadership of Mitch McConnell.

At the last minute, McConnell went to Majority Leader Harry Reid with an offer, trying to save face.   But Reid just said no -- because even then McConnell wanted in exchange a promise that Reid would never again try to play the nuclear card of eliminating the filibuster.   So Reid, knowing he had the upper hand, just kept saying no.

McConnell should resign his leadership position.   He has led the party into a swamp that is both a legislative disaster and a public relations debacle.   Even worse, he has obstructed the people's business of governing -- for pure political power.

Ralph