Senate Republicans unanimously reelect McConnell as leader

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was reelected to his position on Tuesday by the acclamation of Republican senators.

GOP senators and senators-elect unanimously picked McConnell as their leader for the next two years, avoiding the kind of messy leadership battle some observers had worried might erupt between the longtime Republican leader and lawmakers associated with the Tea Party movement.

McConnell was nominated by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Sen.-elect Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), according to a spokesman for McConnell.

It is particularly significant that McConnell was nominated by Rubio, one of the new conservative senators who'd been propelled to the Senate by the support of conservatives like Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.).

All eyes had been on DeMint to see whether he would lead the new Tea Party senators to challenge McConnell. DeMint said he had no intention of doing so, and, ultimately, did not.

"It was the third time that Republicans have unanimously chosen Sen. McConnell to serve as their leader and the fifth straight party election he has won by acclamation," said the spokesman.

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