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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe most dangerous man in America right now isn't Trump.
The most dangerous man in America right now isn't Trump. It's McConnell
Apr 14, 2020 9:52am by Joan McCarter, Daily Kos Staff
https://m.dailykos.com/stories/1937123
"SNIP.....
If you've got an hour or so to spare, this deep dive into the life and times of Sen. Moscow Mitch McConnell from investigative reporter Jane Mayer is worth all of it. It took me an hour, anyway, because I had to keep surfacing for clean air. Because the portrait that emerges is of a power-hungry, principle-free sociopath without a single redeeming quality. Just what you always imagined of McConnell, and so much worse. To distill it all down is near-on impossible; the entire story is most definitely a must-read. But revisiting why he's called Moscow Mitch is probably the most instructive part of the story for the moment we're in now. It lays out the lengths to which he'll sacrifice anythingincluding the integrity of a presidential electionto grasp more personal power. It illustrates just how incredibly dangerous he is in a crisis, because if he'll sell out our democracy, he'll happily sacrifice hundreds of thousands of lives.
After all, he's as responsible as anyone for giving the White House to Trump. Mayer reports that "several members of McConnell's innermost circle" told her that "behind Trump's back McConnell has called the President 'nuts,' and made clear that he considers himself smarter than Trump, and that he 'can't stand him.'" But McConnell is more responsible than anyone for helping him achieve the White House and enabling him there. Remember what we've learned about the summer and fall of 2016, and who knew what when about Russia's interference in the election on Trump's behalf? Throughout the late summer of that year, "for 'four or five weeks,' a former White House national-security official" told Mayer, "McConnell deflected (then-CIA Director John) Brennan's requests to brief him. Susan Rice, Obama's former national security adviser, said, 'It's just crazy.' McConnell had told Brennan that 'he wouldn't be available until Labor Day.'"
When he finally did come back for that briefing, "McConnell expressed skepticism about the intelligence. He later warned officials 'not to get involved' in elections, telling them that 'they were touching something very dangerous,'" the former national security official told Mayer. "If Obama spoke out publicly about Russia, McConnell threatened, he would label it a partisan political move, knowing that Obama was determined to avoid that." As the intelligence community became increasingly alarmed at the brazen interference from Russia, President Obama made a direct appeal for a joint statement from the bipartisan leadership of the House and the Senate. Mayer writes that "Denis McDonough, Obama's former chief of staff, Ryan, Pelosi, and Reid agreed to work together, but 'McConnell said nothing,'" according to her source, the former intelligence official. "It took weeks to get the letter."
Mayer obtained a log of private correspondence between the staff of the leaders showing that McConnell edited the draft of the letter and rejected any other leaders proposals. "He was dead set against designating U.S. voting systems as 'critical infrastructure' or urging election officials to seek assistance from the Department of Homeland Security," Mayer concludes. He refused to allow Russia to be mentioned, just saying "malefactors" were attempting to "disrupt the administration of our elections," with no elaboration. Harry Reid told Mayer Reid: "The letter was nothing like what Obama wanted. It was very, very weak." Susan Rice, Obama's national security adviser, says: "I don't know for sure why he did it. [
] But my guess, particularly with the benefit of hindsight, is that he thought [identifying Russia] would be detrimental to Trumpso he delayed and deflected. It's disgraceful."
......SNIP"
emmaverybo
(8,144 posts)sop
(10,192 posts)cstanleytech
(26,293 posts)crickets
(25,981 posts)Bayard
(22,099 posts)certainot
(9,090 posts)and in that sense limbaugh not only continues to be the moral and intellectual leader of the GOP he is thet most important and thet most vulnerable
there is a reason trump wanted to do aa 2 hr talk radio show but deccided not to because it would interfere with limbaugh's show
what if he was anticipating limbaugh's death/cancer and they were panicking and planning ahead for ellection disasster without limbaugh leadership thinking of replacing him with someone of equal stupidity and capacity for slap-the-head denial or truth and reality
grantcart
(53,061 posts)FailureToCommunicate
(14,014 posts)dalton99a
(81,515 posts)Ford_Prefect
(7,901 posts)He needs to be clear, and own his fears of tipping the election, and to strip bare the deceit woven around McConnell and his role in elevating Trump with the full aid of Putin.
Those in the INTEL community who knew must come forward and present facts they hold. NOW.
stopwastingmymoney
(2,042 posts)That would be excellent
Hermit-The-Prog
(33,349 posts)gopiscrap
(23,761 posts)misanthrope
(7,417 posts)McConnell has been an obvious danger since Obama was inaugurated. Trump would be nothing without McConnell empowering and enabling him.
PufPuf23
(8,785 posts)Could be impeachment or 25th Amendment or something like what happened when Nixon resigned.
Doubt that Trump is ever called to account even if his removal from POTUS through election.
There are the steps to do the deed, but essentially all McConnell must do is cooperate with Democratic leadership and old school GOP that detest Trump.
IMO McConnell is 100% corrupt.
Hoping for the best. None of us get out of this alive, even McConnell and Trump.
Buckeye_Democrat
(14,855 posts)... who keep voting for him.
Far too many Americans have embraced right-wing propaganda over the years, to the point of cutting off their own noses to spite a liberal face.
Unity based on myths means more than truth, to them.