For Mitch McConnell, Tuesday was about as bad as it could get. 
 
 A vulnerable incumbent senator, Luther Strange of Alabama, lost handily to Roy Moore, who used the Senate leader as his campaign punching bag. McConnell pulled the plug — again — on repealing Obamacare. One of his close allies, Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), announced his retirement. 
 
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 And President Donald Trump is back on McConnell’s case, dubbing him “weak” at a private dinner with conservative activists on Monday evening. 
 
 McConnell’s job is in no immediate danger, and he hopes to pivot quickly to tax reform. Yet months of woes are now taking their toll on the GOP leader’s agenda, and his caucus. 
 
 “It’s been a hard summer for all of us,” admitted Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the No. 3 GOP senator. 
 
 Asked Tuesday whether he was having a “tough day,” McConnell ignored the question. And that was before Corker announced his retirement and Moore won. 
 
 “We haven’t given up on changing the American health care system,” McConnell said. “We’re not going to be able to do that this week, but it still lies ahead of us, and we haven’t given up on that.” 
 
 McConnell’s long-shot bid to save Strange, who had Trump’s backing as well, failed spectacularly as the former Alabama attorney general was trounced by Moore in the deep red state. And that soon could be a daily problem for McConnell. Moore, twice ousted as a judge on the Alabama Supreme Court for defying federal edicts, has openly said he wants to dump McConnell as the top Senate Republican. 
 
 “Judge Roy Moore in the U.S. Senate means the END of Mitch McConnell’s reign as Majority Leader,” Moore vowed in one fundraising pitch. Moore now faces Democrat Doug Jones in the Dec. 12 general election. 
 
 Moore’s win came just hours after McConnell, faced with unwavering opposition from a trio of his GOP colleagues, was forced to ditch the latest GOP proposal to repeal and replace Obamacare. McConnell’s choices were grim: Hold another failed vote, or concede another defeat. 
 
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 McConnell chose to call it quits and perhaps try again next year. Yet it was another embarrassing setback in McConnell’s failed months-long effort to overturn the 2010 Affordable Care Act, and it came at an even heavier price this time — more problems for McConnell from the occupant of the Oval Office. 
 
 Trump spent much of August publicly bashing McConnell but stopped after the two held a private meeting several weeks ago. But now the president is bad-mouthing the Senate leader again. 
 
 During a dinner with conservative activists on Monday night at the White House, Trump laid into McConnell, according to two attendees. Trump told the activists that McConnell was “weak” because he couldn’t pass the GOP health care plan, and the president complained at length about how Republicans had failed him on the issue, while asking the activists what they should do next. 
 
 Trump added that he was disappointed in McConnell for not changing the Senate filibuster rule so that only 51 votes are needed to pass legislation, also dubbing McConnell’s resistance to the idea as “weak.” That criticism does not ring true to Senate Republicans, given that Democrats have barely been able to use the filibuster due to McConnell mostly holding party-line votes. 
 
 A McConnell spokesman declined to comment. 
 
 A person briefed on the meeting noted Trump took aim at far more than McConnell during the meeting, distancing himself from Strange and whacking Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) as well. Trump called McCain “disgraceful” on health care and mocked his thumbs-down gesture on the Senate floor against a GOP proposal in July, complete with a facial expression, attendees said. 
 
 After the race was called Tuesday, McConnell vowed to support Moore in the general election despite the candidate’s opposition to him personally. 
 
 “He ran a spirited campaign centered around a dissatisfaction with the progress made in Washington. I share that frustration,” McConnell said of Moore in a statement. “Senate Republicans will be as committed to keeping Alabama’s Senate seat in Republican hands with Roy Moore as we were with Luther Strange.” 
 
 McConnell’s support in the Republican Conference remains solid despite what Trump, Moore and former Trump aide Steve Bannon say about him. Bannon has launched a crusade against the Senate leader and Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Ohio) since leaving the White House. 
 
 “It’s not even a close question there,” Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn said of McConnell’s position. “It’s not easy being majority leader, which is why many people choose not to run for it.” 
 
 The way to put an end to anti-McConnell challengers, Cornyn said, is “you win. Really, it’s about that simple.” 
 
 After ushering through the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, McConnell has found himself in a box. Trump will receive the lion’s share of credit for legislative victories that McConnell or Ryan engineer, but the president has made clear he’ll blame the GOP leaders when bills falter. 
 
 Trump might turn to Democrats again in search of victories — as he did earlier this month to put off a fight over the budget and debt ceiling — which would again test McConnell and Ryan’s loyalty to the president. 
 
 Some Republicans said that at least in the case of Obamacare, McConnell was not to blame for the failure of the proposal pushed by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.). 
 
 “The whole health care thing right now was sort of inspired by Graham and Cassidy, and the president, who kept it alive. I don’t think Mitch has much ownership other than to try to see if there’s a path forward,” Thune said. 
 
 Thune added that Strange’s situation in Alabama was a “unique set of circumstances. I think everybody in a lot of these places, particularly primary voters, want to send a message to Washington.” 
 
 Strange was appointed to the seat by former Republican Gov. Robert Bentley, who later resigned in a sex scandal. Strange’s appointment didn’t sit well with Alabama voters. The Senate Leadership Fund, a pro-McConnell super PAC, dumped $9 million into the race in a bid to derail Moore, but he proved far too strong. And Trump’s endorsement of Strange proved to be too little, too late. 
 
 “What happens today in Alabama with Luther Strange has nothing to do with Mitch McConnell. It has everything to do with Alabama,” Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said before the results were tallied. 
 
 Personal loyalty to McConnell remains high among his colleagues. They remember him as a two-term chairman of the NRSC. He led the fight against former President Barack Obama for eight years. And he got Gorsuch onto the Supreme Court, which is Trump’s only real win in Congress so far. 
 
 When it comes to who to blame for a difficult year with just a 52-seat majority, McConnell’s colleagues refuse to point to the majority leader as the source of the problem. They criticize each other, not McConnell. 
 
 “You can only fight with the troops that you’ve got,” Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) said of McConnell’s predicament. ||||| Allies of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declared open warfare on Wednesday against Stephen K. Bannon, the former White House chief strategist and leader of an insurrection aimed at defeating mainstream Republican candidates in next year's midterm elections. 
 
 More than a year ahead of the 2018 congressional contests, a ­super PAC aligned with McConnell (R-Ky.) revealed plans to attack Bannon personally as it works to protect GOP incumbents facing uphill primary fights. The effort reflects the growing concern of Republican lawmakers over the rise of anti-establishment forces and comes amid escalating frustration over President Trump's conduct, which has prompted a handful of lawmakers to publicly criticize the president. 
 
 Yet the retaliatory crusade does not aim to target Trump, whose popularity remains high among Republican voters. Instead, the McConnell-allied Senate Leadership Fund (SLF) will highlight Bannon's hard-line populism and attempt to link him to white nationalism to discredit him and the candidates he will support. It will also boost candidates with traditional GOP profiles and excoriate those tied to Bannon, with plans to spend millions and launch a heavy social media presence in some states. 
 
 The turbulence presents a danger to Republicans' narrow 52-seat majority in the Senate, with seasoned GOP lawmakers deciding against seeking reelection amid the political storm — and with many GOP voters cheering the rancor that Bannon has stoked from his perch at his website, Breitbart. 
 
 [Daily 202: Flake and Corker feel liberated. That should terrify Trump.] 
 
 Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), in an emotional plea Tuesday, said that he would not run in 2018, after Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) had done the same in late September. Both men, no longer accountable to Republican primary voters, have taken on higher-profile roles as critics of the president, with Corker calling for a "day care" to step in and control him and Flake calling Trump's behavior "unacceptable." 
 
 Some Republican lawmakers have privately fretted that simply speaking out against Trump's incendiary statements or the ­Bannon-aligned candidates that are rousing anger in their states will not be enough — and could backfire — as they try to survive the surge of grievance-driven politics that has gripped the GOP's base. 
 
 "It's tough," Flake told CNN on Wednesday. "I'm competitive. I like to fight these battles. But I also knew that I couldn't run the kind of race that I would be proud of and win in a Republican primary at this time. The politics in that way have changed." 
 
 In the wake of Flake's announcement, the SLF called Arizona state Sen. Kelli Ward, Bannon's pick to replace Flake, a "conspiracy theorist" and promised to ensure her defeat. 
 
 In recent weeks, Bannon has held court as dozens of candidates have streamed through his Capitol Hill townhouse, including Ward last week, urging them to pledge to vote against McConnell for majority leader. Mississippi state Sen. Chris McDaniel (R) is close to making a decision on a bid against Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and has won Bannon's blessing, according to a person close to him. 
 
 Hedge fund executive Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah — Bannon's wealthy allies — have pledged millions to the cause, said people briefed on their plans. 
 
 Bannon's critics argue that he is causing unnecessary internal divisions that could make it harder to pass tax legislation — and to win general elections next fall. They also point to Sen. Luther Strange's defeat in last month's Republican primary in a special Senate election in Alabama as an example of a dynamic they worry could repeat itself across the next year if left unchecked. The SLF spent more than $10 million to help Strange. 
 
 Strange was endorsed by Trump and McConnell but lost to a former state judge, Roy Moore, who had won the backing of Bannon and his orbit of allies. Moore is now in a tight race with Democratic nominee Doug Jones. 
 
 "This is a guy who is more interested in seeing his name in the headlines than he is in any kind of accomplishment for the president," said Josh Holmes, a former chief of staff to McConnell who has been increasingly outspoken in his opposition to Bannon. "It comes at great cost to the president's term, the Republican Party and any hope they can have at working as a team." 
 
 On Wednesday, the SLF's Twitter account mocked Danny Tarkanian — a frequent conservative candidate in Nevada who is challenging Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) — for suggesting that Heller join him in pledging to oppose McConnell as majority leader. 
 
 The tweets also turned the spotlight on Bannon. 
 
 The SLF tweeted a 2016 headline from the New York Daily News — "Anti-Semitic Trump campaign CEO Stephen Bannon not a big fan of 'whiny brat' Jews, ex-wife says" — with space for Tarkanian's signature. 
 
 "Here's another pledge for @DannyTarkanian to sign," the PAC tweeted. 
 
 The Daily News reported last year that in a 2007 court statement, Bannon's former wife Mary Louise Piccard said he didn't want their twin daughters attending a school because too many Jews attended. "The biggest problem he had with Archer [School for Girls in Los Angeles] is the number of Jews that attend," Piccard said in her statement, the newspaper reported. 
 
 Bannon's spokeswoman Alexandra Preate told The Washington Post last year that Bannon has denied saying that and proudly sent the girls to Archer. And after seeing the SLF tweet to Tarkanian on Wednesday, a Bannon confidant said, he responded to the group's social media blitz with laughter — as he has to other recent attacks on his character. 
 
 That attack was one of a number of swipes at Bannon that have popped up as the former White House adviser has emerged as a player on the national political scene. Holmes and others have called him a "white supremacist." 
 
 Holmes defended his use of the term to describe Bannon in a recent interview. "If you look at his associations, the people who are ecstatic about his efforts, the long history of conduct that he has been a part of, I will let others come to their conclusions," he said. "But this is not a guy that just burst on the scene. Let's not act like everybody doesn't know exactly who Steve Bannon is." 
 
 Bannon has said repeatedly that his nationalist, populist vision includes a place for all races, sexual orientations and genders to succeed. 
 
 "Do we need any further evidence than Mitch McConnell and his cronies reducing themselves to using left-wing talking points to attack Steve? It's pathetic to watch," said Andy Surabian, a senior adviser to the Great America Alliance super PAC and Bannon's former deputy at the White House. The pro-Trump PAC is engaged in a slew of races, sending around a bus to rally activists, and counts longtime operative Edward Rollins as its strategist. "Every poll shows Mitch McConnell is an albatross on the Republican candidates," Surabian said. "If McConnell truly cared about our Republican majority in the Senate more than he cares about his own power, then he would step down as Senate majority leader today." 
 
 Bannon's circle says the contents of his divorce proceedings, along with claims of racism, are unlikely to do new damage to his reputation, since he has been targeted in the past along those same lines by Democrats, and even in a "Saturday Night Live" caricature as an angel of death. Advisers also note that the attacks elevate Bannon's profile, which could help carry his anti-establishment message. 
 
 In an email, SLF President Steven Law said he expects Bannon to become a liability for any insurgent candidates he supports in 2018. 
 
 "But his real impact would be felt in general elections, where Bannon's well-documented, toxic views and alt-right paper trail could become a liability for candidates who are perceived as closely tied to him," Law said. 
 
 According to public polling, neither McConnell nor Bannon is in good standing with voters. In an April poll conducted by Quinnipiac University, one of few to ask voters about Bannon, just 11 percent said they viewed him positively and 45 percent said they viewed him negatively. The numbers were better among Republicans, with a nine-point favorability margin. 
 
 Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), one of the incumbents mentioned as a possible target for Bannon in 2018, dismissed the effort to get Senate Republicans to sign pledges vowing to oppose McConnell. 
 
 "No, I haven't signed pledges. I didn't sign Grover Norquist's pledge," Barrasso said on Wednesday, referring to the anti-tax advocate's famous pledge. "I'm not a guy that signs pledges, and I'm going to vote for whoever I believe is in the best interests of the people of Wyoming." 
 
 The reasons for Flake's decision may be tied less to the national environment surrounding the feud between McConnell and Bannon and more about raw home-state politics. Reams of public and private polling in recent months have found Flake to be an unpopular incumbent, especially among the Republican voters he would need to win over in a primary fight next year. 
 
 McConnell's polling among Republicans has tumbled since the start of the year — a fact that Bannon has used to his advantage. On Tuesday, Bannon's Breitbart website reported that a Harvard-Harris poll found 56 percent of Republicans in favor of dumping McConnell as leader. That same day, at a media roundtable organized by the conservative Heritage Foundation, a reporter for Breitbart asked members of the House Freedom Caucus to respond to the poll number. 
 
 "It was that high?" scoffed Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), wondering jokingly about why it wasn't even higher. 
 
 As the two sides spar, Senate Republicans are trying to demonstrate that the party's agenda is moving forward despite the infighting — and that relations with the White House are smooth. On Wednesday, a day after Flake made his charged speech, Ivanka Trump appeared with Republican senators to pitch a child tax credit that she has lobbied to include in the upcoming tax legislation. 
 
 Still, GOP donors who are friendly with McConnell welcomed the effort to thwart Bannon's attempts to shape the 2018 contests and rattle McConnell as Senate Republicans are trying to work with Trump. 
 
 "Absolutely. Why not?" said Al Hoffman, a major Republican donor and McConnell ally. "You've got to get rid of the Bannon banner." 
 
 Ed O'Keefe and Paul Kane in Washington and Sean Sullivan in Alabama contributed to this report. 
 
 Read more at PowerPost ||||| President Trump and the GOP establishment took a hit in Alabama on Tuesday as former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore defeated incumbent Sen. Luther Strange Luther Johnson StrangeRoy Moore Facebook page shares provocative memes on NFL anthem protests Poll: Moore has lead, Dems see opportunity in Ala. Senate race GOP establishment doubts Bannon’s primary powers MORE (R-Ala.) to become the Republican nominee for December’s Senate general election in the Yellowhammer State. 
 
 Moore won a comfortable victory in the primary runoff despite Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellGun proposal picks up GOP support Children’s health-care bill faces new obstacles Dems see Trump as potential ally on gun reform MORE (R-Ky.) backing Strange. 
 
 What were the main takeaways? 
 
 Trump backed the wrong man 
 
 Trump’s support for Strange always seemed incongruous. 
 
 Strange was seen as a creature of the establishment, both because he had the support of McConnell and because he had been appointed to the seat in the first place by Alabama's scandal-plagued former governor, Robert Bentley (R). 
 
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 Strange, who does not have a surfeit of charisma, took the seat that was vacated when Sen.became Trump’s attorney general. 
 
 Trump’s decision to back Strange in advance of the first stage of the GOP primary in early August was a controversial one, even among his allies. 
 
 Stephen Bannon, who was still Trump’s chief strategist at the time, was opposed to the move. Maverick GOP strategist and longtime Trump friend Roger Stone told The Hill on Monday that he believed Trump had been “conned” by liberal-leaning members of his own administration into backing Strange. 
 
 Trump himself seemed to have serious misgivings. At a rally for Strange in Huntsville last Friday, Trump even acknowledged that he may be making “a mistake.” The president also emphasized that he would campaign “like hell” for Moore if he became the nominee. 
 
 In the end, Trump was not able to pull his favored candidate across the winning line, even in a deeply conservative state that he won by almost 30 points over Democrat Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonChris Murphy’s profile rises with gun tragedies DNC, RNC step up cyber protections Gun proposal picks up GOP support MORE last November. 
 
 The Moore win is not a lasting political wound for the president. But it is a black eye that he would much prefer to have avoided. Shortly after Strange's loss Tuesday night, Trump — or someone with access to his Twitter account — began deleting tweets Trump had sent praising "Big Luther" ahead of the runoff. 
 
 A serious defeat for McConnell 
 
 Beyond Strange himself, the biggest loser on Tuesday night was McConnell. The Senate majority leader stood four-square behind Strange. A super PAC associated with McConnell spent millions of dollars to try to sink Moore. 
 
 To many grassroots conservatives, however, McConnell’s support is more of a millstone than an asset. Back in July, only 30 percent of Republican voters approved of his job performance, according to a poll from the Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling firm. 
 
 His standing has likely been weakened even further with the Senate GOP’s failure to pass legislation gutting the Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare. 
 
 The McConnell-aligned super PAC, the Senate Leadership Fund, released a statement on Tuesday night announcing that it would back Moore in the general election. 
 
 But the firebrand conservative will owe nothing to McConnell and could cause him trouble in times to come. 
 
 Bragging rights for Bannon and Breitbart 
 
 Moore’s victory was as big a victory for Bannon and the news site he directs as it was a loss for McConnell and the establishment. 
 
 Bannon, fighting on the opposite side of Trump, had been clear in proclaiming Moore as the anti-establishment conservative taking on the entrenched powers in Washington. 
 
 At a rally for Moore on Sunday, Bannon described McConnell and his allies as “corrupt and incompetent.” 
 
 Introducing a victorious Moore on Tuesday night, Bannon heralded a “revolution” spearheaded by populists who “do not have to raise money from the elites, the crony capitalists, from the fat cats in Washington, D.C., New York City and Silicon Valley.” 
 
 Breitbart was just as celebratory. “Blowout in 'Bama,” its main headline proclaimed atop a homepage crammed full of headlines insisting, among other things, that the GOP establishment had been “brought to [its] knees.” 
 
 Bannon’s enemies within the GOP, of whom there are plenty, will roll their eyes at what they see as self-aggrandizement. But this was clearly a huge win for the pugnacious strategist and his acolytes. 
 
 Could more GOP senators eye the exit? 
 
 There was already big political news Tuesday even before the polls closed in Alabama: Incumbent GOP Sen. Bob Corker Robert (Bob) Phillips CorkerDeficit hawks voice worry over direction of tax plan The Hill Interview: Budget Chair Black sticks around for now Overnight Finance: White House requests B for disaster relief | Ex-Equifax chief grilled over stock sales | House panel approves B for border wall | Tax plan puts swing-state Republicans in tough spot MORE of Tennessee announced that he would retire when his current term ends next year. 
 
 Corker crossed swords with Trump last month when he criticized the president for a lack of “stability” and “competence” amid the uproar over Trump's response to racially charged violence in Charlottesville, Va. 
 
 To some seasoned Washington hands, it looked as if Corker was timing the announcement of his exit in order to avoid accusations that he was running scared of a primary challenge in his own state. 
 
 The Alabama result will only increase the scrutiny on other GOP incumbents, including Sens. Jeff Flake Jeffrey (Jeff) Lane FlakeAuthorizing military force is necessary, but insufficient Republicans jockey for position on immigration McCain, Flake warn against 'politically-motivated penalties' for Canadian defense firm MORE (Ariz.), Dean Heller Dean Arthur HellerNevada senators urge airlines to enact new policies after Las Vegas shooting Dems plan to make gun control an issue in Nevada GOP establishment doubts Bannon’s primary powers MORE (Nev.) and Roger Wicker Roger Frederick WickerGOP establishment doubts Bannon’s primary powers Whatever you think the Alabama special election means, you’re probably wrong Breitbart charts path for 2018 midterm races MORE (Miss.). They all face threats — albeit of varying levels of credibility — from would-be primary challengers who could attract support from Bannon and allied groups. 
 
 Moore could give GOP heartburn 
 
 Alabama conservatives rallied to Moore’s banner, but he is a deeply controversial figure renowned for his incendiary statements. 
 
 Among his past pronouncements, he has argued that “homosexual conduct should be illegal,” has falsely suggested that former President Obama was not born in the United States and has asserted incorrectly that parts of Indiana and Illinois are under Islamic "Sharia law." 
 
 Moore was suspended from his state’s Supreme Court twice: Once for defying a court order to remove a statue of Christianity’s Ten Commandments from the state’s judicial building and, more recently, for instructing the state’s judges, in defiance of the U.S. Supreme Court, to refuse to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. 
 
 He will be a magnet for media attention, especially if he wins in December. There are plenty of his would-be colleagues in the Senate GOP who will not relish the idea of being forced to answer for some of his positions.
– As has been widely noted, Mitch McConnell had a truly awful Tuesday. The Senate majority leader had to surrender on ObamaCare repeal, ally Bob Corker announced he was retiring, and, perhaps worst of all, the Senate candidate that McConnell strongly backed in Alabama got trounced by one backed by the Steve Bannon contingent. Just how bad is it for McConnell? Here's a look at coverage: Mocked by Trump: The president has taken to doing physical impressions of a slump-shouldered McConnell, reports Axios. Trump also reportedly called out McConnell as "weak" at a dinner with conservative activists, reports Politico. On the wane: McConnell has gone from "brilliant tactician" to looking vulnerable after the defeats this week, reports the New York Times. If the GOP fails to get tax reform passed this year, his post as majority leader could be in jeopardy—especially with populist insurgents backed by Bannon looking to win more seats. No immediate danger: Both Politico and the Times say McConnell retains rock-solid support in the Republican Conference and thus is not in any immediate peril. Much of that support is based on his formidable fundraising skills on behalf of Senate Republicans. Beware the midterms: In a piece subtitled, "Is the Senate Leader Losing His Grip on the GOP?," Abigail Tracy at Vanity Fair notes that midterm elections in general are often unkind to the party in power: "With the GOP in the midst of an ideological schism, McConnell’s faction could be headed for a reckoning." Indeed, Tuesday's triple whammy "just shows how weak the Republican establishment is right now," writes Harry Enten at FiveThirtyEight. Boehner's fate? McConnell is willing to take all the criticism coming from conservatives over the ObamaCare fail, especially if it protects rank-and-file Republicans, per an analysis at the Washington Post. "But one thing that could hamper McConnell’s long-term standing would be if he became a real albatross to his own incumbents in primary elections ahead," writes Paul Kane. Fear of that played a role in John Boehner's resignation as House speaker two years ago. False narrative: Many in the media are portraying the Alabama results as a loss for Trump, but winner Roy Moore is decidedly Trumpian, writes Erick Erickson at the Resurgent. No, this was all about McConnell—in fact, Moore made running against him "the theme of his campaign."