What's That Smell, Mitch?

The bodies of the politically dead are starting to pile up here in Kentucky:

- the most powerful republican woman in the state
- the sitting lieutenant governor
- a former governor and sitting state senator
- two millionaire businessmen
- a former lieutenant governor
- a former Miss America
- the chair of the state Democratic party (no, no, children: this is a good thing)
- the sitting Attorney General

And oh, yeah:

The current Minority Leader of the U.S. Senate.

Yes, indeedy, the big loser in yesterday’s GOP gubernatorial primary was none other than Mitch McConnell.

And that’s because incumbent Gov. Ernie Fletcher beat Mitch’s hand-picked challenger, former Rep. Anne Northup, by more than 13 points.

SNAP!

Technically, Mitch did not publicly endorse Annie, but he didn’t have to. Mitch’s senile junior colleague, Senator Jim Bunning, endorsed her. Everybody knows Annie would never have challenged an incumbent republican – and one whom Mitch personally anointed four years ago - without Mitch’s explicit approval.

And Mitch has been signaling his extreme disapproval of Ernie for more than a year by refusing to defend Ernie against charges of corruption, refusing to smack down Ernie’s growing number of critics, refusing to punish republicans who abandoned Ernie, refusing to endorse Ernie’s candidacy, refusing to discourage challengers like Northup, refusing, refusing, refusing.

That Ernie beat Mitch – er, Annie – by a two-digit margin is irrefutable proof that Mitch’s star is on the wane.

Forty-two months ago, Mitch was the GOP god who put an end to 32 years of Democratic ownership of the governor’s mansion.

Today, he faces a 2008 re-election campaign with the Kentucky Republican Machine he built himself in smithereens at his feet.

For the Democrats, this is no time to show mercy. Kick him when he’s down, right now, and keep kicking, right through November ’08.

Show Harry Reid how real Democrats treat republicans.

Tomorrow: Big winners who didn't make the front page, dirt on some of the losers, and proof that consorting with republicans lowers your IQ.