Mitch McConnell, the man who broke America

[elleng]

April 7, 2017

“No majority leader wants written on his tombstone that he presided over the end of the Senate,” the minority leader said.

He continued: “Breaking the rules to change the rules is un-American. I just hope the majority leader thinks about his legacy, the future of his party, and, most importantly, the future of our country before he acts.”

Are these the words of Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) as the Republican majority changed Senate rules this week to do away with filibusters of Supreme Court nominations?

Actually, they were uttered in 2013, by then-Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), when Democrats pushed through a similar filibuster change for lesser nominations.

That McConnell did a 180 on the topic — going from the institutional defender of the filibuster to the man who destroyed it — is unsurprising. He has frequently shifted his views to suit the needs of the moment. But in this case McConnell was correct in 2013, and what he just did this week was even more ruinous than what he accused the Democrats of doing then.

By rights, McConnell’s tombstone should say that he presided over the end of the Senate. And I’d add a second line: “He broke America.” No man has done more in recent years to undermine the functioning of U.S. government. His has been the epitome of unprincipled leadership, the triumph of tactics in service of short-term power.

After McConnell justified his filibuster-ending “nuclear option” by saying it would be beneficial for the Senate, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said this: “Whoever says that is a stupid idiot.”

McConnell is no idiot. He is a clever man who does what works for him in the moment, consequences be damned.

Back in 1994, McConnell lamented to the conservative Heritage Foundation that Republicans hadn’t used the filibuster enough: “I am a proud guardian of gridlock. I think gridlock is making a big comeback in the country.”

For the next quarter-century, he made sure of it.'>>>

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/mitch-mcconnell-the-man-who-broke-america/2017/04/07/8e12f1d8-1bbd-11e7-9887-1a5314b56a08_story.html?

[Iliyah]

1. The man who put his party and Russia before the

United States of America.

[maxsolomon]

2. Yet Kentucky sends him back again and again.

They should be ashamed.

[SoCalNative]

3. They should be invited

to leave the union

[maxsolomon]

4. Why? It works out great for them.

2.2 million/Senator.

It works out like crap for California. 19.5 million/Senator.

Additionally:

The top recipient of federal aid in FY 2014 was Mississippi, which relied on federal assistance for 40.9 percent of its revenue. Other states heavily reliant on federal assistance include Louisiana (40.1 percent), Tennessee (39.9 percent), Montana (39.1 percent), and Kentucky (38.5 percent). As we have previously noted, these states, and others that rely heavily on federal assistance, tend to have modest tax collections and a relatively large low-income population.

https://taxfoundation.org/states-rely-most-federal-aid/

[Maven]

12. Exactly.

The Senate is now a regressive institution that vastly overrepresents conservative white rural and suburban voters in red states. Why would they want to change?

[Hermit-The-Prog]

5. they should be assisted

First, jail traitor Mitch.
Second, unrig the election system.
Third, restore public education and protect it from theft by private, religious schools.

[Bayard]

19. Hey Hey Hey!!

We don't all vote for him here in KY. Problem is not enough people vote, and they're uninformed.

I call his and Ryan's offices pretty regularly. Sometime you get a live person at Ryan's, but you can't even leave a message on McConnell's. If you email, you may get some convoluted response months later.

[maxsolomon]

20. I have friends there, too. I'm Cincinnati raised. I know you're not all dumb hicks.

If not ashamed, are you at least embarrassed by your Governor and Congressional Delegation? You should be.

#notallkentucky

[Bayard]

22. As embarrassed about them,

As I am about tRump. I certainly didn't vote for him either!

Just have to hope Andy Beshear is voted in as governor this time.

[FakeNoose]

24. People's exhibit #1

[Moostache]

26. He reminds me of "beaker" of the Muppets...

[dalton99a]

33. +1

[BillyBobBrilliant]

6. One of the

Evil men that destroyed the American Dream. Turns out even his wife is a crook.

[Nitram]

7. I agree. McConnell had help from Trump, Paul Ryan, and others, but the Turtle did by far the most

damage to our institutions and our country. We should lock him in a very small cell with bars in front underneath Abraham Lincoln's statue in the Lincoln Memorial for tourists to taunt or gasp in horror at the sight of the "Man who Hated Democracy." His vocal chords will be removed to silence the voice that silenced the voices of so many Americans during his Reign of Terror.

[Scarsdale]

15. Nobody can say

that McConnell "led with his chin" since he does not have one.

[SunSeeker]

8. K & R

[bucolic_frolic]

9. It's almost like all the baggage and dirt is leaking out now

This election is a tipping point, we either win, or the game is over

[Gore1FL]

10. I would argue McConnell was wrong in 2013, too.

The reason the filibuster rule was changed for lower court appointments was because the GOP refused to govern. It wasn't removed to stop legitimate questions to be brought forth, it was removed because it was being abused.

[maxsolomon]

14. Indeed, McConnell forced the change through Obstruction of Judgeships.

Which was all planned when Obama was Inaugurated in 2009.

How soon we forget all the outrages the GOP forced on America after the 2010 midterms.

[Wellstone ruled]

11. McConnell took advantage of

our Dems not speaking out at his moves over a two year frame. Reid cut deals with Slimy to only be stabbed in the back without consequences. And with each f-ed up deal,Mitch just stepped up his game knowing full well Obama would not say boo.

End of story.

[CrispyQ]

21. The dems have not truly pushed back in decades.

McConnell saw that, tested it, found it to be true, & pushed it to extremes. Now here we are, with one last chance to save our government from complete takeover of people who will make it serve the few, not the many.

[Wellstone ruled]

25. Yup.

Aides speak after they join the unemployment line.

[C Moon]

13. That needs to be a new book.

[TwistOneUp]

16. McConnell is a traitor

You know what the penalty for treason is.

[Moostache]

27. I volunteer to help carry out sentence...on him and Trump. (n/t)

[bdamomma]

17. He's such

a white entitlement belongs to me guy. He has some dark moments in his career, which he is capitalizing on now. When he said, about President Obama being a one term President, sure that didn't work out, how he stopped Elizabeth Warren on the floor of the Senate to stop speaking, stopping the Merrick Garland vote.

We have your number Mitch, and we will not stop our quest to stop this nomination either to the Supreme Court because you are in the back pocket of tRump and the Russians.


I guess you forgot that you serve us not the other way around. You ass.

[Bettie]

18. So, if the Dems take the Senate, how long

will it be before he begins whining about the fillibuster and how it needs to be back in place?

I'm guessing three seconds after the turnover in Jan.

[47of74]

28. Hell, he'll probably be whining 1/2 a second before the turnover.

That fuckstick will probably be making noise about the fillibuster before the election even occurs.

I hate that fuck.

[Bettie]

29. He really is awful

but, that appears to be the new motto of the Republican party "Working day and night to become the worst possible versions of ourselves!".

[Ccarmona]

23. McTurtle is the Most Despicable Human Being on the Planet

He runs away from citizens when the question him, but he’s all bluster when he’s speaking from the Senate floor. He’s real tough when he’s behind his curtain. I would actually believe there’s a Hell if I knew he’d burn there for all eternity.

[maxsolomon]

35. He's a very effective Senator and leader.

I hate his reptilian guts, but look what he's managed to do, and much of it from the position of Minority Leader. Stymied Obama for 8 years, emptied the Federal Bench through obstruction, then filled it with hard-right Conservatives. He stopped a liberal SCOTUS nominee by simply refusing to do his job, and has installed 2 hard-right Justices in 2 years.

If you were a Republikkk, you'd cheer on every prevarication as strategic genius.

[world wide wally]

30. How can we NOT beat these people lead by this dipshit asshole?

[47of74]

31. That's insulting.

To dipshit assholes, comparing them to Mitch McFuckstick.

[maxsolomon]

36. He's in no way a dipshit.

He is an extremely effective parliamentarian, applying the rules to the nth degree. He's delivering.

He's not dumb, he's EVIL.

[Uncle Joe]

32. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread elleng.

[Voices Of Reason]

34. Does he have the Votes???

As of tonight, I still see Murkowski, flake, and that maine senator , still not voting yes. I would love to see what was in that Secret FBI Analisys Memo sent to the Senate today. I am real interested in that opinion.