Mitch McConnell, whose feelings are now hurt
It’s fair to say that Republicans are much better at going on offense against Democrats than vice-versa. Therefore, it’s quite refreshing to see Democrats turning the tables on Republicans for once. This time, it’s Republican U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell who has fallen prey to Democratic tarring and feathering efforts. By most accounts, these efforts are working, and McConnell’s feelings are hurt.
The Democratic efforts to frame McConnell as unpatriotic, and even a tool of a foreign power, stem from McConnell’s refusal to act on bills introduced in the Senate to protect the U.S. election system from further Russian interference. Recall that Russia’s interference in the 2016 elections is undisputed by the U.S. intelligence community, as well as by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle with access to the relevant information. Just a few days ago, Special Counsel Robert Mueller, specifically tasked with investigating such Russian wrongdoing, confirmed again that Russia interfered in our 2016 elections and “they’re doing it as we sit here.” As a result, lawmakers have introduced bills to protect our elections and voting system against the type of cyber warfare and hacking that Russia committed against America. But McConnell keeps blocking the bills.
Due to McConnell’s unpatriotic posture, Democratic groups, as well as members of the media, have taken action against him. First, the Mad Dog Political Action Committee put up billboards in McConnell’s home state of Kentucky, containing such slogans as “Putin’s Mitch.” The billboards, not coincidentally, are painted in red and yellow colors that match the old Soviet Union flag. Second, memes on Twitter such as #MoscowMitch and #MoscowMitchMcTreason have taken off in popularity. Third, McConnell has a strong Democratic challenger, Amy McGrath, a former Marine fighter pilot who was recruited by Democratic U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, in the 2020 elections. McGrath has been very tough on McConnell thus far. Fourth, Washington Post op-ed columnist Dana Milbank wrote a column last Friday in which he accused McConnell of “doing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bidding” and called McConnell “a Russian asset.” Likewise, MSNBC TV host Joe Scarborough, a former Republican and still a conservative, also called McConnell “Moscow Mitch” and “un-American,” stating that McConnell “is aiding and abetting Putin’s ongoing attempts to subvert U.S. democracy.” These attacks on McConnell’s patriotism are exactly the type that we called for in May.
Obviously, these Democratic efforts have gotten to McConnell, because he took the extraordinary step Monday of taking to the Senate floor to complain about Milbank’s “smear,” and of being “accused of what amounts to treason by multiple media outlets within a couple of hours.” McConnell even called his critics “the outrage industrial complex,” as well as “hyperventilating hacks who haven’t actually followed this issue.”
McConnell also became extremely defensive, saying that his objection to the election security bills “doesn’t make Republicans traitors or un-American.” That was not a good look. Repeating the charges of one’s opponents in this manner likely strengthens those charges.
To the Democrats, we can say, nice work!
Photo by DonkeyHotey, used under Creative Commons license. https://is.gd/ZDCjFb
