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Article snippet: WASHINGTON — Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, is not a man who leaves things to chance. But this week, in both policy and politics, Mr. McConnell gambled — and lost big. The defeat of Senator Luther Strange, the Alabama Republican who was defending the Senate seat he was appointed to, coupled with the implosion of the party’s last-ditch attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act, marked twin setbacks for Mr. McConnell, who is struggling to govern with an already slim majority. Now, a majority leader celebrated for years as a brilliant tactician looks vulnerable — to dissent within his Senate conference and to insurgents from President Trump’s populist wing of the party, who are looking to storm the Senate in 2018. And if Republicans fail to fulfill their next promise — overhauling the tax code — the consequences will be dire. “We have to deliver on tax reform,” said Senator John Thune, Republican of South Dakota, who is a member of the party’s leadership. “I don’t think failure is an option.” The Alabama race, and the unsuccessful repeal effort, have exposed how deeply dissatisfied conservatives are with Mr. McConnell, a taciturn Kentuckian who has been in the Senate since 1985 and has led his conference for the past decade. Even Mr. McConnell’s allies concede that the failure to dismantle former President Barack Obama’s health care law helped fuel the outcome in Alabama. “There is this acute, continued frustration amongst the Republican base at the... Link to the full article to read more