Today In Moscow Mitch

Among the roughly 400 bills passed by the Democratic House of Representatives that Putin enabler Sen. Moscow Mitch McConnell is refusing to bring up in the Senate are several election security bills.  Did we say "several"?  Ten (!) election security bills passed by the House have been derailed by Moscow Mitch, the most recent being three bills blocked this past Tuesday.  Moscow Mitch has had several of his weasel minions doing the dirty work.  Last year, it was Idaho Republican Sen. Mike "Crap" Crapo who blocked the bipartisan DETER bill, because he said its enactment would harm Putin puppet Donald "Impeached Forever" Trump and his fellow Republicans.  This Tuesday it was beauty consultant- turned- Sen. Marsha "Four Thousand Holes In" Blackburn who did Putin's and Moscow Mitch's dirty work:

Senate Republicans blocked an effort by Democrats to unanimously pass three election security-related bills Tuesday, marking the latest attempt to clear legislation ahead of the November elections.

Democrats tried to get consent to pass two bills that require campaigns to alert the FBI and Federal Election Commission (FEC) about foreign offers of assistance, as well as legislation to provide more election funding and ban voting machines from being connected to the internet.

But Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) opposed each of the requests. Under the Senate's rules, any one senator can ask for unanimous consent to pass a bill, but any one senator can object and block their requests.

Sadly, Blackburn won't be up for re- election in deep red Tennessee until 2024, and Crapo in even deeper red Idaho not until 2022.  But, as you know, Moscow Mitch is running for re- election this year and is most likely going to face former Marine Corps pilot Amy McGrath.  Defeating this unpatriotic, bottle- necking bastard would improve the quality and decency of American government a thousand- fold. Come on, Kentuckians!

BONUS:  Wonkette has more on Moscow Mitch's talent at frustrating democracy.

Monday Reading

As always, please go to the links for the full articles/ op eds.

Even members of his own team of bumbling charlatans can't bring themselves to back up pathological liar Donald "Cadet Bone Spurs" Trump's claim that one two three four U.S. Embassies were under imminent threat of attack by Qassem Soleimani:

Senior administration officials declined Sunday to confirm President Trump’s assertion that four U.S. embassies had been targeted for attack by Iran, while saying that Trump’s “interpretation” of the threat was consistent with overall intelligence that justified the killing of a senior Iranian general.

“I didn’t see one with regard to four embassies,” Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper said of intelligence reports. “What I’m saying is I share the president’s view that probably — my expectation was they were going to go after our embassies,” Esper told CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

"Probably." Take that to the bank!  (Esper also said Cadet Bone Spurs "believed" there were four embassies under threat.  That and closing your eyes, clicking your ruby slippers together and saying "There's no place like home" will make it all come true!)

"Oddly," that information was never part of the intelligence briefing for Congress:

“I didn’t hear anything about that,” Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who has been sharply critical of the explanation, said of the threat to embassies.

“Several of my colleagues have said the same,” Lee said on CNN on Sunday. “So, that was news to me, and it certainly is not something that I recall being raised in the classified briefing.”

Now, NBC News is reporting there was nothing "imminent" about the Soleimani threat:

President Donald Trump authorized the killing of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani seven months ago if Iran's increased aggression resulted in the death of an American, according to five current and former senior administration officials.

The presidential directive in June came with the condition that Trump would have final signoff on any specific operation to kill Soleimani, officials said.  [snip]

The timing, however, could undermine the Trump administration's stated justification for ordering the U.S. drone strike that killed Soleimani in Baghdad on Jan. 3. Officials have said Soleimani, the leader of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' elite Quds Force, was planning imminent attacks on Americans and had to be stopped.

As Aaron Blake sums it up:

... Asked to produce actual intelligence justifying the claims of an “imminent” attack by Soleimani, Trump has instead provided his own guesses. He has repeatedly suggested this was based on actual intelligence, even though Esper now says it’s not. And in the process of explaining Trump’s comment, Pompeo suggested the attacks on multiple embassies were in the intelligence shared with Congress. Esper now says not only that the multiple embassies aren’t in the intelligence, but that even the information that Soleimani was prepared to strike one of them wasn’t shared with the broader Congress.

Our own summation:  when you're defending a pathological liar's ever- shifting lies, you lie and, in the process, you become part of the sickness.  Something about "everything he touches dies."

It's no wonder the public isn't buying Cadet Bone Spurs' ever- shifting excuse for Soleimani's demise:

In a week dominated by increased tension with Iran and speculation over when impeachment articles would be delivered to the U.S. Senate, a majority of Americans said they disapprove of President Trump's handling of the situation with Iran and feel less safe, according to a new ABC News/Ipsos poll. [snip]

Overall attitudes about Trump and the consequences of his actions against Iran largely were driven by Independents, a critical target for both parties in electoral politics. The poll showed a majority of Independents, 57%, and all U.S. adults, 56%, disapproving of Trump's handling of the situation with Iran, with 43% of both Independents and U.S. adults approving.  [snip]

In the aftermath of the U.S. strike, only 28% of Independents, and 25% of Americans, said they felt more safe, while just over half, 51% of Independents and 52% of U.S. adults, said they felt less safe. 

Barry Friedman and Dahlia Lithwick write about how Republicans in our court system are bending over backwards to aid Trump in his impeachment obstruction and in delaying Republican lawsuits to kill the Affordable Care Act until after the 2020 election:

What’s stunning is the degree to which the courts are complicit in all this. The courts have aided and abetted the Trump legal team and Mitch McConnell by refusing to behave as if time is a factor in any of these proceedings. That’s evident in the decision to docket a pair of financial records cases no earlier than March and the meandering pace of the gamesmanship around a case seeking to end the Affordable Care Act through judicial fiat. But the real coup de grâce was the failure of the Supreme Court and lower federal courts to resolve congressional subpoenas around the impeachment process with alacrity when it was altogether plain what was needed. Had the courts signaled a willingness to act at a pace befitting the needs of the moment, Schiff might have made a different choice. Sometimes the appearance of studied deliberation serves nihilism and chaos, even as it pretends at neutrality and institutionalism.

More than anyone else, bone- deep- evil Moscow Mitch McConnell is responsible for packing the courts with Trump- friendly jurists (not to mention fixing the Supreme Court with Gorsuch and Kavanaugh).

We close again with the strong recommendation that you visit Infidel 753's blog, not only for his current link round- up, but also for his thought- provoking posts.  Go!

Tweets Of The Day -- Moscow Mitch Edition

In which #MoscowMitch admits violating his oath of office and being a tampered juror has benefits. Trump bequeathed  $1B in return for his fealty.

Mitch brags of it as a win in a state with an 18% poverty rate.

It's going to take an overwhelming turnout to remove him.@KyDems pic.twitter.com/N2WR0tIS7M

— Steve Marmel (@Marmel) December 26, 2019

Kids under 6, nearly 30% poverty rate.
All under 17, more than 20% poverty rate.
This is #MoscowMitch flexing his Senate muscle.
Debunk his "I'm helping Kentucky" lie. He's helping his rich friends.https://t.co/2mbirboDUU pic.twitter.com/xOBhRXgIC1

— Steve Marmel (@Marmel) December 26, 2019

Mitch McConnell refuses to bring a vote for the minimum wage. He says workers should be happy with what they have at $7.25 an hour.

— Sveta for Democracy 🇺🇦🇺🇸 (@SlavicLady88) December 26, 2019

A Kangaroo Court Means No Exoneration

Brazen Sen. Mitch "Moscow Mitch" McConnell doesn't bother to hide that, when the House- passed impeachment articles come to the Republican Senate, there'll be a kangaroo court waiting with a predetermined outcome coordinated with the defendant:

Mitch McConnell: Everything I do during this, I’m coordinating with White House Counsel. There will be no difference between the President’s position and our position as to how to handle this pic.twitter.com/baFaTKWvUl

— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) December 13, 2019

Mitch McConnell's stunning and outrageous admission that he is in the tank already for Trump on the trial rules, is a flat violation of the oath he will take as a juror. If a jury foreman in a murder trial was found to have worked closely with the defense he would be prosecuted.

— Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) December 13, 2019

It will read: “I solemnly swear ... that in all things appertaining to the trial of the impeachment of Donald J. Trump, now pending, I will do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws: So help me God.” https://t.co/jnH7It51SM

— Benjamin Wittes (@benjaminwittes) December 13, 2019

If/when the Senate votes against removing the President, everyone must understand that when you fix a jury & it votes for you, you haven't been exonerated. https://t.co/mmQHmPtnkw

— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) December 13, 2019

In the House impeachment inquiry process, malicious moron Donald "Impeachable Me" Trump and his Republican bootlickers were offered ample opportunity to provide exonerating documents and witnesses, but declined because there were no exonerating documents and witnesses. The House process was deliberate and fair, unlike what Moscow Mitch and his fellow toadies are prepared to present to the American people:  the essence of a kangaroo court.  Fittingly, perhaps, the verdict will be just as illegitimate as Trump's presidency has been.

Today In Moscow Mitch

The evil human/ turtle hybrid Robert Reich calls "the most dangerous politician" in his lifetime, Sen. Mitch "Moscow Mitch" McConnell is proud of the damage he's done, especially to the judiciary:

Hannity: "I was shocked that former President Obama left so many [judicial] vacancies and didn't try to fill those positions."

Mitch McConnell: "I'll tell you why. I was in charge of what we did the last two years of the Obama administration. [Creepy evil laugh]" pic.twitter.com/revbToN8aZ

— Jason Campbell (@JasonSCampbell) December 13, 2019

Pride goes before the fall, comrade.

Help support Moscow Mitch's most likely opponent in 2020, Amy McGrath.  Let's get rid of this cancerous tumor on the American body politic once and for all.

Today In Moscow Mitch -- Veterans Day Edition

As we remember the service and sacrifice of our veterans and their families, there's this:

A total of 56 House bills have passed that have addressed veterans either as a focus or peripherally. But of the 25 Pelosi discusses, none have passed in the Senate, aka Moscow Mitch McConnell's graveyard. Those include:

• H.R. 95: Homeless Veteran Families Act, passed on October 15, with a 28% chance of being enacted;
• H.R. 2045: To establish in the Department the Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration, passed on May 21, with a 2% chance of being enacted;
• H.R. 1812, to furnish Vet Center readjustment counseling and related mental health services to certain individuals, passed on May 21, with a 2% chance of being enacted;
• H.R. 2333: Support for Suicide Prevention Coordinators Act, passed on May 21, with a 2% chance of being enacted;
• H.R. 2372: Veterans’ Care Quality Transparency Act, passed on May 21, with a 2% chance of being enacted.

All so Moscow Mitch McConnell can proclaim to his credulous followers that it's the Dems who are a do- nothing party.

Let's end this party- before- country treasonous turtle's career next year.  We know a Democrat can win against an unpopular Republican in Kentucky (Moscow Mitch has a 36% approval rating;  soon- to- be- former Republican Governor Matt Bevin was at 34% before his defeat this week).   Please support veteran and honorable Democrat Amy McGrath.

Tweet Of The Day/ Today In Moscow Mitch

(click on embedded chart to enlarge)

Just a quick reminder about all the bills Mitch McConnell is still blocking. pic.twitter.com/I3kpw2jSoB

— David Cicilline (@davidcicilline) October 5, 2019

BONUS:  Meanwhile, Mrs. Moscow Mitch (a.k.a., Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao) is making sure hubby's home state is getting more than it's fair share of her attention when it comes to handing out Federal funds --

In her first 14 months as Transportation secretary, Elaine Chao met with officials from Kentucky, which her husband Mitch McConnell represents in the Senate, vastly more often than those from any other state.

In all, 25 percent of Chao’s scheduled meetings with local officials of any state from January 2017 to March 2018 were with Kentuckians, who make up only about 1.3 percent of the U.S. population. The next closest were Indiana and Georgia, with 6 percent of meetings each, according to Chao’s calendar records, the only ones that have been made public.

At least five of Chao’s 18 meetings with local Kentuckians were requested in emails from McConnell staffers, who alerted Chao’s staffers which of the officials were “friends” or “loyal supporters,” according to records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

You can help Drain the Swamp by donating (and voting) for Moscow Mitch's most likely opponent, Amy McGrath, in November 2020.  You could end up getting the extra satisfaction of ending Mrs. Moscow Mitch's grift, too.

Today In Moscow Mitch

Moscow Mitch, standing up for his country fellow Russian asset:

Moscow Mitch McConnell has emerged from his shell to clarify his intentions on Donald Trump's impeachment, and boy did he pick a doozy of a day to do it. In a campaign video released on Facebook (where all the liars go with their political ads) McConnell attacks Democrats and promises more obstruction, this time to protect Trump.

"Nancy Pelosi is in the clutches of a left-wing mob," McConnell says into the camera. "They've finally convinced her to impeach the president. All of you know your Constitution. The way that impeachment stops is a Senate majority, with me as majority leader." The only way to make it happen, of course, is to send him money. "But I need your help," he adds. "Please contribute before the deadline."

Yes, please contribute... to his main Democratic challenger, Amy McGrath.  Defeating this craven traitor would be almost as sweet as removing his fellow Russian asset.

Today In Moscow Mitch

As one would expect, Sen. "Moscow Mitch" McConnell is setting up for a quick fix on the likely impeachment of fellow Russian asset Donald "Rump" Trump:

“Under the Senate rules, we’re required to take it up if the House does go down that path, and we’ll follow the Senate rules,” McConnell said. “It’s a Senate rule related to impeachment that would take 67 votes to change.” [snip]

“The Senate impeachment rules are very clear,” McConnell said.

He said, however, that, “how long you’re on it is a whole different matter.”

A day? An hour? A minute?  We'll see how long a Republican cover- up in the Senate takes.

Turns out Moscow Mitch is focused on more important things, saying with all the smarmy cynicism he could muster:

“What I want to do is spend our time accomplishing things for the American people."

Like blocking gun control legislation, taking away health care from millions, giving more tax cuts to the rich, keeping our elections vulnerable to Russian interference...  yeah, we know.  Fuck you -- with a balalaika.

Today In Moscow Mitch

On the same day the House Oversight and Reform Committee is set to open an investigation of his wife's possible ethics violations, cosmically foul Sen. "Moscow Mitch" McConnell is the subject of a devastating profile in Rolling Stone: "Mitch McConnell:  The Man Who Sold Out America."  The profile traces his too- long political career as one of the most destructive persons ever to occupy a position of power in American government (and touches on the aforementioned shady lady's use of Moscow Mitch to advance her family's interests).  This is just a small taste;  please take the time to read the whole profile -- if you have the stomach:

For so many years, McConnell has seemed maddeningly invincible. But now, just a few years after achieving his lifelong goal of becoming Senate majority leader, it appears that every political sin the man has committed on his relentless march to power is coming back to haunt him at once. He has welcomed infamy, and now it has arrived on its own terms, bringing with it a previously unthinkable possibility: Could 40 years’ worth of devil’s bargains finally be catching up with Mitch McConnell?

For all the damage he’s inflicted on American democracy, for all the political corpses he’s left in his wake, Mitch McConnell has never betrayed an ounce of shame. To the contrary, like the president he now so faithfully serves, McConnell has always exuded a sense of pride in the lengths to which he’s gone to achieve his ambitions and infuriate his enemies.  [snip]

It was already becoming clear that, in the political world of Mitch McConnell, convictions and campaign pledges were fungible things, easily tossed aside. Throughout his career, as the Republican Party veered right, and then further right, McConnell moved with it. “It’s always been about power, the political game, and it’s never been about the core values that drive political life,” John Yarmuth, Kentucky’s lone Democratic congressman, told Alec MacGillis, author of the 2014 McConnell biography The Cynic. “There has never been anything that interested him other than winning elections.”

Moscow Mitch is the perfect paladin for the Republican Party -- ruthless, amoral, destructive, cynical, and interested in power for power's sake, not for promoting the general welfare of the American people.  Even though his approval is around 18 percent in Kentucky, we'll need a big blue wave to carry him out of office, and Amy McGrath is best- positioned to build that wave in 2020.  The fight is just beginning;  let's carry it through to the end.

BONUS:  It's winnable.  Don't believe otherwise -- 

Just saw a new poll of #KYSen from @AARP:
Mitch McConnell: 47%
Me: 46%

Unlike McConnell, I’ll always stand up for everyday Kentuckians, not dirty special interests. Contribute now to help me defeat Mitch and defend democracy ⬇️ https://t.co/xCAO4yeJwM

— Amy McGrath (@AmyMcGrathKY) September 16, 2019

Today In Moscow Mitch

From MoscowMitch.com, a new video that nails ol' turtle face (and by association his corrupt spouse Elaine Chao):



In doing Moscow's bidding by blocking legislation that would provide resources for election security against Russian attacks in 2020, Kentucky's despicable Sen. "Moscow Mitch" McConnell is also feeding the ego of Kremlin asset and compromised con man Donald "The Chosen One" Trump who refuses to admit that Russia put him in office and is working on his behalf in the 2020 elections.

Amy McGrath is the Dem opposing Moscow Mitch in 2020, and deserves our complete support.

Today In Moscow Mitch

The conniving bastard found another monkey wrench to throw into our elections:

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) — intended to be a group of no more than three Democrats and no more than three Republicans overseeing the federal campaign finance system — has been operating with just a bare quorum of four for the past 18 months. With the resignation of Vice Chairman Matthew Petersen, at the end of the week, the commission will be virtually paralyzed.

The reason for this: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and his Republican-controlled U.S. Senate.

The FEC is a peculiar agency. It was created in 1974 to enforce finance laws for House, Senate, presidential, and vice presidential campaigns. Unlike most agencies, neither party is allowed to hold a working majority of seats at any time...

What does this mean?  Put succinctly,

The FEC can no longer:
Conduct meetings ❌
Issue fines ❌
Make rules ❌
Conduct audits ❌
Vote on the outcome of investigations ❌ https://t.co/ZVYyGLvZs7

— Joe Yerardi (@JoeYerardi) August 26, 2019

The F.E.C. isn't much of a campaign cop, but what limited powers it has to monitor campaigns and campaign spending are now going to be gone.  If you want to steal an election, that's certainly a place to start.

Moscow Mitch/ Massacre Mitch needs to go, along with Putin's other "Chosen One" puppet.  We like Amy McGrath as a strong candidate to run against him.  

Monday Reading

As always, please go to the links for the full articles/ op eds.

Just when you think buying Greenland is bumbling bird brain Donald "The Chosen One" Trump's most ludicrous idea, this comes along:

President Trump has suggested multiple times to senior Homeland Security and national security officials that they explore using nuclear bombs to stop hurricanes from hitting the United States, according to sources who have heard the president's private remarks and been briefed on a National Security Council memorandum that recorded those comments.

Behind the scenes: During one hurricane briefing at the White House, Trump said, "I got it. I got it. Why don't we nuke them?" according to one source who was there. "They start forming off the coast of Africa, as they're moving across the Atlantic, we drop a bomb inside the eye of the hurricane and it disrupts it. Why can't we do that?" the source added, paraphrasing the president's remarks.

• Asked how the briefer reacted, the source recalled he said something to the effect of, "Sir, we'll look into that."
• Trump replied by asking incredulously how many hurricanes the U.S. could handle and reiterating his suggestion that the government intervene before they make landfall. 
• The briefer "was knocked back on his heels," the source in the room added. "You could hear a gnat fart in that meeting. People were astonished. After the meeting ended, we thought, 'What the f---? What do we do with this?'"  (our emphasis)
  

What do you do with this?  You invoke the 25th Amendment and get Uncle Sundowner away from the nuclear football!  (The article helpfully provides a link to NOAA's web page, where a fact sheet debunks this genius plan.)

Speaking of taking credit for genius ideas like buying Greenland,

Now I'm waiting for Tom Cotton to explain that, actually, nuking hurricanes is a terrific idea that everyone should be for, and in fact he was the one who suggested it to the President.

— John Scalzi (@scalzi) August 26, 2019

Rick Wilson wrote this before the report of the "nuke the hurricanes" plan buzzing out of the Very Stable Genius' "brain" became public:

It’s almost as if we need a recalibration of the insanity of the Trump era, a new set of definitions about what comprises normal presidential behavior.

Because what’s happening now left normal five towns back, stopped for smokes and brown liquor, and tossed the GPS out the window. This week wasn’t normal, and no amount of whistling past the graveyard will make it any different.

Donald Trump’s affect, speech patterns and overall delivery this week have been alternately horrifying and hilarious. A combination of waking hallucinations, verbal tics, lies surpassing even his usual fabulist standard, aphasias and lunatic blurtings, each public utterance was a moment where the eye of his aides either popped or rolled, depending on their level of cynicism.  [snip]

His sweaty, heavy-breathing press sprays on the White House lawn left reporters in a state of stunned silence, the spittle-flecked rantings of a man determined to machine-gun out a hundred ideas in the time a rational person would discuss two.

We started off with Jewish disloyalty — which, of course, functional agnostic Donald Trump knows only because he “wants them counting his money” — and jumped to the grand plan to conquer Greenland and seize America North from the hands of the perfidious Danes.

Wilson's a hoot and his take on the Very Stable Genius is biting and incisive.

Meanwhile, the humiliation of America continues at the hands of Putin's Puppet:

President Donald Trump says it’s “certainly possible” he’ll invite Vladimir Putin as a guest to next year’s Group of Seven summit in the U.S., setting up a flashpoint with fellow nations who ejected the Russian leader over annexation of Crimea.

Trump spoke in Biarritz, France, on Sunday as the day’s session of the G-7 was set to get underway. He has previously called to fully readmit Putin into what was once the G-8, while the bloc’s fellow nations have balked at readmitting Russia, which was kicked out of the group over its hostilities in Ukraine.

The U.S. will host next year’s G-7. Trump said ahead of a breakfast meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson that it’s possible he’d invite Putin as a guest but doesn’t yet know.

“It’s certainly possible, we’ll see,” Trump said, after earlier noting that he and other G-7 leaders had discussed the matter Saturday evening. "We had a very good discussion on Russia and President Putin, and a lively discussion, but, really, a good one," Trump said.

He's so eager, desperate, to please the man with the kompromat.

Moscow Mitch/ Massacre Mitch placed a simultaneously desperate and disingenuous op/ ed in The New York Effing Times a few days back, warning Democrats not to abolish the filibuster should they win the Senate in 2020.  We say, just another reason to abolish the filibuster!  Here's Li Zhou recalling recent history:

There’s a strong degree of irony to McConnell’s arguments: Even as he’s pushing for Democrats to keep the filibuster in the name of preserving Senate rules and tradition, he’s personally done significant damage to congressional norms.

As McConnell notes, Democrats were the first to change the filibuster rules on judicial nominees. What he doesn’t say, however, is that the reason Reid felt compelled to do so because McConnell had mounted an overwhelming obstruction of non-controversial judicial nominees. And that’s far from the only time McConnell has levied his power as majority leader to reject Senate norms.

When President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland was up for confirmation, McConnell didn’t even hold a hearing. Earlier this year, McConnell pushed through another rules change on judicial nominees, enabling lawmakers to confirm judges even faster. This congressional term, he has become known for blocking consideration of countless House bills, including on the topic of election security, declaring himself the “grim reaper” of Democratic legislation on Capitol Hill.

As usual, we close with our recommendation to head over to Infidel 753's link round-up (where we found the article above on Moscow Mitch/ Massacre Mitch and the filibuster).  Every week, he puts forth a great digest of items big and small where you'll invariably find something of interest.

Today In Moscow Mitch -- The Musical!

Share!



(h/t to blogging bud Infidel 753)

Today In Moscow Mitch

Election and gun safety legislation saboteur #MoscowMitch (a.k.a., #MassacreMitch) is giving a boost to the Kentucky economy, and it's not the Russian aluminum plant he sold America out for:

Syd Weedon first met Mitch McConnell at a 1978 prayer luncheon in Louisville, Kentucky, when the now–Senate majority leader was serving in his first elected office. Over the years, the retired Presbyterian minister and lifelong Democrat would regularly run into McConnell at the local Kroger store. “I’ve stared at him, eye to eye, over the oranges before,” Weedon told Intelligencer.

But until this year, Weedon had never opened his wallet in an attempt to defeat McConnell. Like those of thousands of Americans, his first donation to the Kentucky Democratic Party (KDP) was spurred by a phenomenally successful new line of merchandise built around the one nickname the self-professed “Grim Reaper” doesn’t embrace: Moscow Mitch.

Wednesday marks two weeks since the KDP began selling its line of Moscow Mitch merch, headlined by a red T-shirt with the slogan “Just say nyet to Moscow Mitch.” In that time, the party, which is also selling beer koozies, shot glasses, and Cossack-style hats, has brought in $500,000 on 13,526 unique sales. Each of those is a donation to the KDP, and more than 90 percent have come from people like Weedon who have never before given to the state party.  (our emphasis)

Of course, you don't have to be a Kentuckian to buy the merch and help the Kentucky Democratic Party (see link in paragraph above).  Or to contribute to his main rival, Amy McGrath.

(Reminder: Mitch McConnell detests being referred to as Moscow Mitch, so whenever his name comes up -- or even when it doesn't -- it would be rude to refer to him as Moscow Mitch. Very rude to call him Moscow Mitch, and he would certainly agree that Moscow Mitch is a rude thing to call him.)

Today In Moscow Mitch

We have a powerful new marketing multiplier for the Moscow Mitch brand:

Speaking at a Democratic event in Springfield, [House Speaker] Pelosi (D-Calif.) recounted a series of bills passed by the House, including measures raising the minimum wage, reforming elections and expanding health care.

“We sent our legislation to the Senate,” Pelosi said. “Moscow Mitch says that he is the ‘grim reaper.’ Imagine describing yourself as the ‘grim reaper,’ that he’s going to bury all this legislation.”

Moscow Mitch hates being called Moscow Mitch.  So whenever you get a chance, don't call Moscow Mitch Moscow Mitch!

(Image:  #MoscowMitch)

Today In Moscow Mitch/ Massacre Mitch

Stephen Colbert had a nice little toon featuring Putin's and the NRA's favorite turtle:



#MassacreMitch!

Tweets Of The Day / Today In Moscow Mitch

(A.k.a, #MassacreMitch)

Pictured: seven young white men in “Team Mitch” T-shirts, gathered round a distressed looking cardboard @AOC, groping and kissing her. The caption, “break me off a piece of that.”

Future federal judges of America. pic.twitter.com/t877J7Pcye

— feminist next door (@emrazz) August 5, 2019

They're definitely Brett Kavanaugh caliber.

AOC responds:

Hey @senatemajldr - these young men look like they work for you.

Just wanted to clarify: are you paying for young men to practice groping & choking members of Congress w/ your payroll, or is this just the standard culture of #TeamMitch?

Thanks. https://t.co/ysRJuwonUx

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 6, 2019

(Spoiler alert: It's the standard culture of the entire rotted- out Republican Party.)

BONUS:  But, of course, we know who the real victims are here.

Tweets Of The Day / Today In Moscow Mitch (UPDATED)

The Russian asset who refuses to have a House- passed gun control bill come up for a vote in the Senate has a new hashtag name:

Overheard: He’s not just #MoscowMitch. He’s #MassacreMitch.

Allow Senate votes on gun control now.

— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) August 4, 2019

Six of the times @SenateMajLdr Mitch McConnell offered prayers to the victims of mass shootings. pic.twitter.com/sUpX9KTWNV

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) August 4, 2019

I think and pray that Mitch McConnell one day might be held in the same regard historically as Benedict Arnold, Aaron Burr, Jefferson Davis and Joe McCarthy. https://t.co/bcUJEkLmUw

— David Simon (@AoDespair) August 5, 2019

When your legacy is #MassacreMitch and #MoscowMitch and you think you're winning. pic.twitter.com/dZNL6JU1wI

— Bubbagirl💙🌊 (@bubbagump324) August 5, 2019

#MoscowMitch fractures his shoulder pulling his head out of the NRA’s ass.https://t.co/L6zbeet3o7

— Billy Baldwin (@BillyBaldwin) August 5, 2019

I’m playing the world’s smallest violin in honor of #MoscowMitch. And I’m also sending these... pic.twitter.com/GcqCGjsk7W

— wazzuer (@wazzuer) August 5, 2019

UPDATE:  Here's the kind of vicious shit the campaign of Moscow Mitch/ Massacre Mitch is putting out, and Amy McGrath's response --

Hours after the El Paso shooting, Mitch McConnell proudly tweeted this photo. I find it so troubling that our politics have become so nasty and personal that the Senate Majority Leader thinks it's appropriate to use imagery of the death of a political opponent (me) as messaging. pic.twitter.com/2x5kO5jwPi

— Amy McGrath (@AmyMcGrathKY) August 5, 2019

Today In Moscow Mitch

Yesterday, Putin's other asset in Washington, malevolent Moscow Mitch McConnell, was at the traditional St. Jerome's Catholic Church picnic in Fancy Farm, KY.  While lobbing some stale zingers about "communists," the New Green Deal and Medicare for All, the lame traitor was serenaded with chants of "Moscow Mitch":

Listen as a crowd of Kentuckians drowns out @senatemajldr with chants of “Moscow Mitch” today at Fancy Farm. Cc @KyDems pic.twitter.com/Ds5jSJOl5c

— Krystal Ball (@krystalball) August 4, 2019

In his first public appearance of the August recess, Mitch McConnell was greeted by loud chants of #MoscowMitch that drowned out his speech. It infuriated him. Buying Say Nyet to #MoscowMitch merch would make him even more mad: https://t.co/4H4YvzArbK pic.twitter.com/F9vX3Rv6LB

— Kentucky Democrats (@KyDems) August 3, 2019

The Democratic candidate for Treasurer, Michael Bowman, had some pretty choice zingers that likely pierced Moscow Mitch's turtle shell:

It was a little dangerous getting on the stage today because I nearly tripped over the leash that the Russians put on Mitch McConnell.

and, after Moscow Mitch turtled off, 

I see that the senator is no longer here.  I’m sure the Russians needed him more than we did. Probably to teach him new tricks. I wouldn’t know what, he already knows how to roll over.

Moscow Mitch's likely opponent, Amy McGrath, opted not to attend the picnic.  Moscow Mitch probably wishes he hadn't, too.

BONUS:  The schadenfreude is overwhelming us.  "Thoughts and prayers!"