Dan, I think I agree with much of what you’re saying, except for two things. The first is simply factual: McConnell wasn’t “speaking to NATIONAL REVIEW.” He was speaking from the floor of the U.S. Senate. That is not the place for the Republican leader in the senate to be micro-targeting his pitch. Second: trying to dodge blame for taxes going up by blaming the “operation of law” probably doesn’t win him any points with the NATIONAL REVIEW crowd anyway. Maybe I’m wrong, but if he sent a piece of direct mail to the honorable, wise and reasonable readers of NATIONAL REVIEW with that language he wouldn’t get a lot of donations. You’re probably right about the need for the GOP to tailor its message to specific constituencies while holding firm to its principles. But the key is to tailor the message well (and I should say that I’m generally a fan of McConnell’s).