The Power of 41

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ITCH MCCONNELL, the Kentucky Republican who leads his party in the Sen- ate, has a number on his mind. It’s not 51, the number of Repub- lican senators he would need to become the Senate majority leader. It’s 41. If he can count on 41 senators to vote with him on filibusters, he has a say in the country’s government. If he doesn’t, Senate Repub- licans are largely irrelevant.

About the Author

Ramesh Ponnuru

Ramesh Ponnuru is the editor of National Review, a columnist for the Washington Post, and a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

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ITCH MCCONNELL, the Kentucky Republican who leads his party in the Sen- ate, has a number on his mind. It’s not 51, the number of Repub- lican senators he would need to become the Senate majority leader. It’s 41. If he can count on 41 senators to vote with him on filibusters, he has a say in the country’s government. If he doesn’t, Senate Repub- licans are largely irrelevant.