Looks like Mitch McConnell is about to cave
There’s a reason why some cartoonishly corrupt political villains manage to survive for a long time and others don’t: the smart ones know when they occasionally have to strategically cave in order to avoid being taken down entirely. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell just reminded us what side of the fence he lives on.
This week McConnell blocked legislation that would have helped secure U.S. elections against Russian interference. This came even as Politico exposed McConnell’s lobbying ties to the aluminum mill being built by a Russian oligarch in Kentucky. Along the way McConnell gained the unflattering nickname “Moscow Mitch.” He ended up taking the Senate floor and defending himself in a clearly rattled manner.
The thing is, for all his numerous blatant acts of evil, McConnell only tends to go through with that evil when he thinks he can pull it off and still survive. Now that McConnell is in danger of getting swallowed up by his Russia scandal, even as he’s facing a strong Democratic opponent in 2020 in Amy McGrath, he appears to be ready to cave on the Russia matter.
MSNBC reported during its 5:00pm hour today that Mitch McConnell is considering allowing the election security bill to be voted on in the Senate after all. It might pass by enough of a majority that Donald Trump won’t be able to kill it with a veto. This is a reminder that with the right amount of activism and media coverage, villains like McConnell can be pressured to cave on important matters, if only to try to save themselves from being ousted from government entirely.
