Yes. McConnell say that
McConnell will condemn Trump right up until he becomes the nominee for 2024. Then he’ll praise Trump as the best thing since Jesus. Better!
I suspect there is a lot of Kompromat floating around the Republican party these days…
Aye; I’m sure a lot of us have been thinking that for 4 or 5 years now. Mark my words: this won’t end well.
There’s another thread on the board concerning who will be written about more - Obama or Trump. Today has convinced me that not only will it be Trump, but it will be in books & articles concerning the Decline and Fall of the American Empire (and make no mistake, we were in all but name, an empire). Rush, Hannity, Mitch, Ted, Nunes, Jordan, etc, etc, etc will get honorable mention, but Trump will be Exhibit A.
Apparently, however, Senator Susan Collins was sufficiently concerned this time around.
If rumors are to be believed, physical threats to them and their families. Because that’s what fascist thugs do.
I’ll be jiggered wherelse to post this, so here it plonks.
Adam Kinzinger on Maher put in what I thought was a forthright showing, ripping into his party about how it peddles in fear and extreme tribalism. His recounting how a relative regards him as “now in the devil’s army” for standing up to Trump was interesting.
Maher reminded him of the daunting prospect of a 40-point swing required to bring the GOP back into being a substantially sane entity again, to which Kinzinger acknowledged, and felt that he’s willing to give it a good go, anyway, grim primaries be-damned. The fact that he was perfectly ok with losing his job is something I naively hoped would be coming from more Republicans. 
Maybe the most, um…tolerable?…Republican I’ve heard so far? Still shitty he supported Trump these last four years, and drew the line only at Jan.6, but let’s hope anyway that he and others (like the impeachment-supporting GOP’ers) can coalese and get the GOP back in the right at least a better direction again (heh, before they get primaried outta there in, oh, about 20 months from now?)
(Pardon the rah-rah applaudings, which is maybe my biggest beef with his show) (and his weakening material, incliuding “New Rules”, which was maybe my favourite part of the show - would always have a good enail blast before the segment)
(at 2:!4, when smiling, close-lipped - like, Roger Federer, or what ?!?!?!?) (no, not the capture above)
Nope.
I am perfectly OK with the Republican party coming to an end over this debacle. If they were foolish enough to elevate a wannabe fascist dictator willing to violently overthrow the government because he lost an election then the party as a whole does not deserve to exist.
I’m hoping they fragment into multiple splinter factions allowing the Democrats and more progressive people to be elected and run the government properly.
(Can I say that the Soupy Sales reference is even more dating than Phyllis Diller?)
Guys and gals, that McConnell speech yesterday… he didn’t have to give it. It did him, Trump, and the Republicans no favors. He said Trump was guilty, gave a flimsy excuse as to why he couldn’t vote, and then said the criminal courts were the best venue for this, (words any politically ambitious DA and AG surely heard).
He didn’t have to do it. He could’ve given verbal Kool Aid pablum for Da Base. He could have said nothing. But he didn’t.
Why?
For the benefit of the deluded Dems. The public will take no notice whatever of his statement. This serves as a continuation of his gaslighting of the opposition into accepting his pretense that he might be receptive to dealmaking and governance, so he can threaten them with obstruction if they don’t have to his demands, and they’ll fool themselves into thinking that means he won’t obstruct anyway.
I don’t buy that. McConnell doesn’t have to do that and we all know he isn’t interested in ‘playing to deluded dems’: he’s been pretty open as to the machinations he was using and why: there’s no need to offer placating words to Dems now.
He could have easily said nothing, or just pablum about ‘moving on’, but he didn’t. And he needs Trump voters in 2026.
It may be that he has concluded this is his last term and is out of fucks to give re: Trump once this vote was over. It may be he wants to save his reputation for the history books re: this matter. He may be signaling to others about Trump’s vulnerabilities. But he’s definitely not trying to console Dems or even gaslight us. There’s no need for Mitch McConnell to take on that role.
This is why he did it:
With his words and deeds, Mitch McConnell has shown how to retain power when you no longer hold it.
He’s showing that even as minority leader, he’s still The Man. The MF
Actually, you know what, on reconsideration, you’re right. He has a different target for his message.
All along, he’s been trying to split the difference between the “traditional” business- and wealth-oriented Republicans who have been his bread and butter, and the more rebellious Trump-era Republicans he needs not to alienate. He’s wanted to have things both ways, expressing superficial distaste for the Trump Way, while not obstructing anything he’s asked for (insofar as Trump ever expressed any coherent actionable policies) and enabling Trump to continue operating.
This feels like more of the same — protecting Trump with his action (voting to acquit) while reaching out to the money and power behind the GOP with his words (you can continue to trust me to act in your interests, while I’m blowing smoke at the jackwagons).
Mitch McConnell is trying to have his cake and eat it too. They acquit Trump to placate the Trumpists, they claim he was really at fault, but that the senate trial is unconstitutional, to give some saner R voters a fig leaf.
They’re going to object to a 14th amendment claim of “incitement to insurrection” with the same logic, saying a criminal court has to decide it was insurrection. However that pans out it will be a win for them in the short term. More girst for the “The Dems are vindictive communists playing politics while the national debt grows”-mill.
They’re going to sit back and let any criminal proceedings go ahead, maybe with some sniping about the vindictive Dems and politicized AGs from the more rabid dogs like Cruz and Hawley. And then when Trump’s SC say that his words and actions are protected by the first amendment and that the remedy for punishing a rabid president is impeachment they’ll swing back to Trump was the greatest president ever and his rightful successor is Hawley.
The only way this doesn’t end in fascist America is if a sufficient number of R reps and voters leave, and stay out.
That’s why I’m hoping this splits the Republican party into at least two parties.
Trump is egotistical enough to think he could form his own party and win with it, and there are a lot of non-Trump Republicans still so maybe it could happen.
On the other hand, I might wind up a 70 year old refugee in some other country before this is done playing out.
He wants to have it both ways and is speaking out of both sides of his turtle mouth at once.
One of the most craven men ever.
I’m not a politician, and have trouble thinking like one. But if I’m Mitch there are a couple of top priorities.
- Don’t let the Republican party split in two.
- Don’t let the crazy, conspircy-driven, Trumpists take control.
To those ends he will work behind the scenes to hobble Donnie. There’s no way he wants DT back in power, but he wants the Dems to do the dirty work, rather than personally facing the wrath of the nutballs.
I’m thinking (hoping) that Mitch will subtly assist any state-based charges against DT. At the very least, he will not denounce them.
Posting this opinion piece just for the photo.
Looks like Don has been a true patriot after all.
Despite not being able to name any crimes committed, just because he don’t like her.
Republicans are evil.
Seriously, Satanists are more trustworthy people.
The League of Legitimate Businessmen are more trustworthy.