The Gang Lamar Forgot

I Get to Drop One Issue, Right? Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander has written an op-ed addressing those on his right who think it’s time for him to go. Reid Wilson of WaPo and Chuck Todd of NBC call it “remarkable,”  and maybe it is. Alexander boasts that he “stood up to President Obama at the White House health-care summit” and “helped block” Obama’s labor board nominees. He’s fought for lower student interest rates, against “common core,” and for the “Freedom to Fish.” He wants to “reduce runaway entitlement spending by a trillion dollars.”

Impressive. But why do I have a vague sense of unease, as if there were some major issue Alexander isn’t addressing … you know, there was a big fuss about it a couple of months ago …Something that’s motivating his primary opponents …maybe even the first issue they raise. … A controversial major bill he recently voted for, perhaps–one of only, say, 14 Republicans to do so? …

If Alexander doesn’t even dare mention this mystery issue–in what is clearly supposed to be a candid, meet-’em-head-on statement–what does that say about the issue?

That he’s scared of it.

{snip}