The GOP Senate’s Diversity Movement — Such As It Is

As Democrats and a large swath of the country went to bed on November 7th realizing that women and minorities were finally breaking through as a voting and a representative force, all focus of attention was on the wave rolling from left to center. That’s what makes this photo so wonderful. Lost in the rout of its Senate hopefuls, a lineup notable for far right conservatives and angry white men, was the composition of the Republican’s unnervingly modest incoming class. Take out the re-elected Jeff Flake of AZ far left and what you have is Mitch McConnell, the Repubs Senate Minority Leader proudly beaming with the latest members — a woman and a Latino — to join the GOP ranks. I can’t decide if the photo is just ironic and all too meager, or it’s actually a portrait of warning and incentive, as if God’s calling the party on the carpet for a kick-in-the-pants.

(photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images caption: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) (2nd R), poses with Republican senators-elect Jeff Flake (R-AZ) (L), Deb Fischer (R-NE) (2nd L), and Ted Cruz (R-TX) (R) at the U.S. Capitol on November 13, 2012 in Washington, DC. The Senators elect are at the Capitol to check in and attend orientation meetings before starting their term in January.)