If you take aim at Cocaine Mitch, you'd best not miss

McConnell has said he is “not in any way offended by having an opponent or having a few votes in opposition.”

But some Republicans believe this is merely his public-facing posture: During last week’s internal GOP meetings, lawmakers discussed the likelihood that McConnell would retaliate against both Scott and those who supported him, a person who was in the room told The Daily Signal.

Already, Scott and Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina have endured the wrath of McConnell’s former chief of staff.

The Daily Signal’s source, who asked not to be named, suggested others would face a similar fate, wondering how long it will take the Senate minority leader to begin plotting revenge against those who opposed him. McConnell’s allies have a known pattern of pitching hit pieces or making critical comments of those in the GOP conference who get in his way or annoy him, the person said.