Mitch McConnell fiddles while the country burns

[Rogue Valley]

Mitch McConnell fiddles while the country burns

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R/KY)

April 21, 2018

WHEN THE HISTORY of the Trump era is written, the list of those who enabled and normalized his authoritarian, anti-democratic, and corrupt presidency will be significant. But a special place needs to be reserved for one member of Congress in particular — Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell. This week, McConnell was asked about a bill being debated in the Senate Judiciary Committee that would protect special counsel Robert Mueller from being fired. Considering that Trump has not only mused about the possibility of firing Mueller, but has allegedly tried to do it twice, such legislation is clearly urgently needed. McConnell doesn’t see it that way. The Kentucky senator scoffed at the possibility that Trump would do precisely what the president said he’s considering doing. “That’s not necessary,” said McConnell. “I don’t think the president is going to do that. And just as a practical matter, even if we passed it, why would he sign it?” One would hope that McConnell is familiar with the Senate’s constitutionally-mandated ability to override presidential vetoes, but perhaps he was absent that day from social studies class.

Make no mistake: McConnell is giving a green light for Trump to fire the special counsel. Or in more nakedly political terms, McConnell doesn’t want to do anything that will upset the president and his supporters or force his Republican members to make a politically charged vote that could boomerang against them in November. It’s easy to view Trump as the source of America’s current political crisis, but in many ways, he is merely a symptom of the larger disease of partisanship and tribalism that people like McConnell have injected into the nation’s political bloodstream. For eight years during the Obama presidency, he engaged in a scorched-earth policy of legislative obstructionism that made worse the country’s economic downturn — all in pursuit of short-term political success. When he prevented the Senate from even considering the nomination of a Supreme Court justice in Obama’s last year as president, he shredded a long-standing political norm, further politicized the federal judiciary, and, in effect, stole a Supreme Court seat for the GOP. And in the face of foreign interference in America’s democratic institutions and abuses of power unlike anything seen since Watergate, McConnell has kept his eyes focused on one singular prize — the next election and the Republican Party’s political fortunes. Maybe in the end, McConnell saves a Senate seat or two for the Republican Party. Maybe he gets to keep his job as Senate majority leader. And maybe he can keep playing his fiddle while the country around him burns.

Turtle McConnell doesn't give a Kentucky crap about America or the majority of Americans. He orchestrated secret GOP Senate meetings that yielded the "Better Care Reconciliation Act", legislation that would have resulted in 24 million Americans losing their healthcare insurance. Turtle next rammed tax legislation through the Senate, taking care of ultra-wealthy GOP donors and making sure the tax cuts for corporations were permanent features, while only temporary for most other Americans. The resultant huge deficits are not his problem. He'll be a well paid lobbyist by then, further scamming the American public. There are only two things Turtle McConnell cares about right now ... his power trip and maintaining the GOP Senate majority. Country and ethics aren't anywhere to be found on his turtle-radar.

 

[yankintx]

You only need to look at the man to see how emasculated he is due to Trump. Before him there was the other orange Republican Bohner. Were does the GOP find these spineless douche bags.

 

[Rexedgar]

You only need to look at the man to see how emasculated he is due to Trump. Before him there was the other orange Republican Bohner. Were does the GOP find these spineless douche bags.

This is why Social Security is not such a big deal after all. I don’t have to tolerate this **** much longer.

 

[Mr Person]

You only need to look at the man to see how emasculated he is due to Trump. Before him there was the other orange Republican Bohner. Were does the GOP find these spineless douche bags.

If one does not have any morals or principles, it's easy to thrive in a political environment where *getting* the left at any cost is the overriding concern.

 

[Fletch]

Mitch McConnell fiddles while the country burns

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R/KY)



Turtle McConnell doesn't give a Kentucky crap about America or the majority of Americans. He orchestrated secret GOP Senate meetings that yielded the "Better Care Reconciliation Act", legislation that would have resulted in 24 million Americans losing their healthcare insurance. Turtle next rammed tax legislation through the Senate, taking care of ultra-wealthy GOP donors and making sure the tax cuts for corporations were permanent features, while only temporary for most other Americans. The resultant huge deficits are not his problem. He'll be a well paid lobbyist by then, further scamming the American public. There are only two things Turtle McConnell cares about right now ... his power trip and maintaining the GOP Senate majority. Country and ethics aren't anywhere to be found on his turtle-radar.

Thats a remarkably dumb piece. A couple of points 1) Any legislation to prevent the firing of Mueller could not become law unless it was signed by...the president. And the president, in case you were wondering, is Trump. Plus, Trump isn't going to fire Mueller anyway so the proposed legislation is just left wing nonsense--much like the article. 2) If you are concerned about the temporary nature of the personal tax cuts, perhaps the dems will join GOP efforts to make them permanent. 3) Liberals don't care about deficits 4) and of course, only republicans are concerned about who controls the House and the Senate. Democrats haven't spent a moment even pondering that issue. They are too wrapped up in doing what is good and pure and right to think of something so vile as political power and control of the state apparatus.

 

[Rogue Valley]

Thats a remarkably dumb piece.

That's a remarkably dumb observation.

 

[Fletch]

If one does not have any morals or principles, it's easy to thrive in a political environment where *getting* the left at any cost is the overriding concern.

Interesting that it would escape your notice that for the left, *getting* Trump at any cost is their overriding concern. An oversight I am sure for someone as objective as yourself.

 

[Fletch]

That's a remarkably dumb observation.

I explained why. You on the other hand, did not. Care to give it a shot?

 

[Rogue Valley]

Interesting that it would escape your notice that for the left, *getting* Trump at any cost is their overriding concern. An oversight I am sure for someone as objective as yourself.

Similar to how it somehow magically escaped your notice that the *right* beat on Obama for 8 years and never cared an iota about objectivity.

November can't come soon enough bud.

 

[NeverTrump]

Mitch McConnell fiddles while the country burns

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R/KY)



Turtle McConnell doesn't give a Kentucky crap about America or the majority of Americans. He orchestrated secret GOP Senate meetings that yielded the "Better Care Reconciliation Act", legislation that would have resulted in 24 million Americans losing their healthcare insurance. Turtle next rammed tax legislation through the Senate, taking care of ultra-wealthy GOP donors and making sure the tax cuts for corporations were permanent features, while only temporary for most other Americans. The resultant huge deficits are not his problem. He'll be a well paid lobbyist by then, further scamming the American public. There are only two things Turtle McConnell cares about right now ... his power trip and maintaining the GOP Senate majority. Country and ethics aren't anywhere to be found on his turtle-radar.

What a tease, I really thought this was going to be a story about McConnell playing the fiddle in chambers, which let's be honest. Wouldn't be all that weird these days.

 

[Mr Person]

Interesting that it would escape your notice that for the left, *getting* Trump at any cost is their overriding concern. An oversight I am sure for someone as objective as yourself.

Did you really fail to understand my point or are you just doing the false-equivilance-so-as-to-imply-hypocrisy routine?



Starting in about 2007, when Obama was ascending, *getting* liberals seemed to become the primary pre-occupation of a bunch of people on the right. The bunch grew bigger over time. Trump dialed it to 11, and rode into office on it.

There are some people on the left who foolishly declare that he definitely colluded with Russia, but that's only a few. For the rest of us, we do not despise him because he claims to be a conservative. We despise him because his policies, morals - in fact just about any category of character - is despicable.

Meanwhile, over in threads like the following, we've got people opposing a suggestion they agree with simply because it's coming from a Democrat:

https://www.debatepolitics.com/general-political-discussion/315913-4-20-marijuana-bill.html

Given your comment, I'll doubt you'll cede any fault, but you're still wrong. I'd have happily voted for Huntsman over Obama, but the right didn't give me a Huntsman.

First, they offered McCain. I'd have tolerated that. But then it was a McCain who veered far more to the right than he ever had, plus Sarah ****ing Palin. Simply put: HELL NO. What came up next time? It wasn't the reasonable governor of MA we enjoyed a while back. It was a "severely conservative" Romney. That matters, because someone who pretends to be severely conservative better demand severely conservative legislation, else he won't get another nomination.

And then Trump. ****ing Trump.




I can't stop you from pretending that "the left" hates Trump just because he says he's on the right, but I can at least make clear that that is a false pretense.

There are indeed people on the right who do not want to *get* the left at all costs. I get along with them. I wasn't talking about them. There's a whole lot more of the other kind at this particular moment.

 

[Rogue Valley]

I explained why. You on the other hand, did not. Care to give it a shot?

You explained nothing. Just the usual tripe were all used to from you.

 

[Renae]

Mitch McConnell fiddles while the country burns

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R/KY)



Turtle McConnell doesn't give a Kentucky crap about America or the majority of Americans. He orchestrated secret GOP Senate meetings that yielded the "Better Care Reconciliation Act", legislation that would have resulted in 24 million Americans losing their healthcare insurance. Turtle next rammed tax legislation through the Senate, taking care of ultra-wealthy GOP donors and making sure the tax cuts for corporations were permanent features, while only temporary for most other Americans. The resultant huge deficits are not his problem. He'll be a well paid lobbyist by then, further scamming the American public. There are only two things Turtle McConnell cares about right now ... his power trip and maintaining the GOP Senate majority. Country and ethics aren't anywhere to be found on his turtle-radar.

Blathering left wing hack writes left wing blather in a left wing rag.

 

[Fletch]

Similar to how it somehow magically escaped your notice that the *right* beat on Obama for 8 years and never cared an iota about objectivity.

I never denied that

November can't come soon enough bud.

Wait. so you mean to say that you are just as craven in your lust for political power as McConnell is? Say it aint so

 

[Fletch]

You explained nothing. Just the usual tripe were all used to from you.

As opposed to the article you linked that was nothing but left wing political tripe. I pointed out what I disagreed with in the article but you cant point out a single thing you disagree with in my response.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

Similar to how it somehow magically escaped your notice that the *right* beat on Obama for 8 years and never cared an iota about objectivity.

November can't come soon enough bud.

Yup, see all you assholes in November!

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

I'd have happily voted for Huntsman over Obama, but the right didn't give me a Huntsman.

First, they offered McCain. I'd have tolerated that. But then it was a McCain who veered far more to the right than he ever had, plus Sarah ****ing Palin. Simply put: HELL NO. What came up next time? It wasn't the reasonable governor of MA we enjoyed a while back. It was a "severely conservative" Romney. That matters, because someone who pretends to be severely conservative better demand severely conservative legislation, else he won't get another nomination.

And then Trump. ****ing Trump.

I no longer can remember who the guest was who said this but it was in response to:
"Looking back, if you could have Bush, Reagan, or even Nixon over Trump, would you be okay with that?"

ANSWER: Bush? I'd take Pennywise the Clown!!!!

 

[Fletch]

Did you really fail to understand my point or are you just doing the false-equivilance-so-as-to-imply-hypocrisy routine?



Starting in about 2007, when Obama was ascending, *getting* liberals seemed to become the primary pre-occupation of a bunch of people on the right. The bunch grew bigger over time. Trump dialed it to 11, and rode into office on it.

What evidence do you have for this? Name these shadowy 'bunch' on the right for me please.

There are some people on the left who foolishly declare that he definitely colluded with Russia, but that's only a few.

Whaaaaat? Only a few on the left think that?? You've got to be kidding me. I have only found a few who don't believe it. [quote[ For the rest of us, we do not despise him because he claims to be a conservative. We despise him because his policies, morals - in fact just about any category of character - is despicable. [/quote]Ok, I can understand that to a certain degree.

I can't stop you from pretending that "the left" hates Trump just because he says he's on the right, but I can at least make clear that that is a false pretense.

There are indeed people on the right who do not want to *get* the left at all costs. I get along with them. I wasn't talking about them. There's a whole lot more of the other kind at this particular moment.

I think there is a large segment of the left that hates anyone on the right simply for being on the right. Even before Trump came along, the loveable left labelled anyone on the right as a racist a bigot and someone who hates the poor, wants to push grandma off a cliff, dreams of a world with dirty air and dirty water and wants to see people die in the streets. Trump simply magnified the rage and hatred that already existed in the hearts and minds of the left. People on the right opposed Obama and tried what they could to stop his agenda. With Trump it is personal for the left. There is an all out assault on the man and the left will stop at nothing to *get* him. But if you want to pretend it doesn't exist, so be it.

 

[jghiretire]

What a tease, I really thought this was going to be a story about McConnell playing the fiddle in chambers, which let's be honest. Wouldn't be all that weird these days.

So damn true................:lamo

 

[Common Sense 1]

See McConnell won't go along with the resist nonsense so it the usual modus operandi demonize
at any cost.

Last election (2014) he received 806,787 votes or 56. 2% He does not care a whit about what the left thinks he should do! eace

 

[independentusa]

Thats a remarkably dumb piece. A couple of points 1) Any legislation to prevent the firing of Mueller could not become law unless it was signed by...the president. And the president, in case you were wondering, is Trump. Plus, Trump isn't going to fire Mueller anyway so the proposed legislation is just left wing nonsense--much like the article. 2) If you are concerned about the temporary nature of the personal tax cuts, perhaps the dems will join GOP efforts to make them permanent. 3) Liberals don't care about deficits 4) and of course, only republicans are concerned about who controls the House and the Senate. Democrats haven't spent a moment even pondering that issue. They are too wrapped up in doing what is good and pure and right to think of something so vile as political power and control of the state apparatus.

First, if McCannell had any b*lls, he would lead the GOP to over ride any veto of Trump's to stop a law to protect Mueller and Rosenstein. He won't and you can believe me when I say that if Trump fires them both McConnel won't do a thing. And about deficits, the only presidents since Reagan took office that have lowered the annual deficits have been the Dems,