Is Mitch McConnell Playing Chess or Just Getting Played With Debt Limit Deal?

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s last-minute debt limit deal with Democrats has left many conservatives wondering whether the master of upper chamber maneuvers has lost his political touch — or if the surprising concession is merely a cunning strategy to win in the long run.

While he’s publicly taking heat from his own party for seemingly gifting Democrats a win on the contentious debt limit without getting any big-ticket items in return, political strategists say McConnell got more out of this deal than it appears.