This is such a beautiful username-post combo.
I’m guessing “In Talks” translates to “checking the envelope to see how much cash is stuffed in it.”
Nitpick: Howell Heflin: Howell Heflin - Wikipedia
Yeah. He “loves the institution” because it’s the institution that allowed him to have his way.
And in talks with Elaine to see if that’s as much as it takes for her to continue to grin and bear it.
Parting shot. 
“It is abundantly clear that former President Trump has earned the requisite support of Republican voters to be our nominee for President of the United States,” McConnell said in a statement to The Washington Post. “It should come as no surprise that as nominee, he will have my support. During his presidency, we worked together to accomplish great things for the American people including tax reform that supercharged our economy and a generational change of our federal judiciary — most importantly, the Supreme Court. I look forward to the opportunity of switching from playing defense against the terrible policies the Biden administration has pursued to a sustained offense geared towards making a real difference in improving the lives of the American people.”
My bold.
THAT part is certainly true. As for the rest: 
We see Mitch standing up for his principles, or whatever principles he has for a given day. Start an insurrection, talk smack about your wife- no problem! Just keep those radical right wing judges coming.
Republicans had the chance in Jan. of 2021 to jettison trump and the maga crew. They didn’t. They are maga now, not republicans.
I ain’t cleaning that up.
Mitch:
“It should come as no surprise that as nominee, he will have my support.
I’m certainly not surprised. Is anyone?
Alas, no. His last best service to his country might have been to refuse to endorse Trump, or to simply remain silent. But that’s not the Mitch we know and loathe.
How much do you think they paid him? As an unforced error, the stuffed fat envelope that Euphonious Polemic suggested is the best explanation for it.
It’s also quite possible that Vlad (or others) have compromising information on ol’ Mitch. His endorsement could have come from either the carrot or the stick, or possibly both.
Corruption isn’t necessary to explain his actions. He sincerely believes that conservative judges are best for the country, and he doesn’t really care too much about what it takes to get there. He’ll trample over every norm of civic discourse, over every institution of democracy, over every shred of respect for our institutions, if it gets him the conservative judicial branch he wants.
Motherfucker is terrible, but he’s really, really good at playing the political game, and he’s done more to harm our country for a generation than damn near anyone else.
So this is a fun conspiracy theory: Mitch’s sister-in-law dies after her Tesla ends up in a pond on a private ranch. And then Mitch decides to step down and endorse Trump.
I’m sure Elon Musk’s recent support for Trump is purely coincidental…
“We’ll harm your extended family if you don’t do [whatever]” has a long history in organized crime and klepto-crony authoritarian politics for a reason. It works.
I would argue that he perfected the art invented by Newt Gingrich.
Gingrich, Murdoch, McConnell and Trump
The four horsemen of the apocalypse.
You’d think parchment would be kind of scratchy when he wipes his ass with it.
Gotta work Reagan in there somehow. Remora Reagan?
Yet another in the Clinton body count…
I laughed.