@frauenfelder (Mark Frauenfelder) posted a new topic, subject "Watch protestors interrupt  Senator McConnell speech with "Moscow Mitch" taunts". It read:

   Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/08/07/watch-protestors-interrupt-se.html  
      
    …

After which, @gracchus (gracchus) added

    I know some people think there are more accurate nicknames for this scumbag, but McConnell really hates this one so let's go with it.

So @Brainspore (Tim) replied

    frauenfelder:
    
    > Mitch McConnell did his best to remind folks that he's nothing like those strange lifeforms in “California and New York,”
    
    It never fails to amaze me that the same people who think “coastal elites” in Hollywood and New York are responsible for all the ills in this country voted for a billionaire TV star who lives in a Manhattan tower emblazoned with his name in huge gold letters.

After which, @Chaz (Chaz Lawler) added

    Zero in a Half Shell

To which @lava (lavardera) replied

    what are the chances of a democrat beating him?

So @Ceran_Swicegood (Ceran Swicegood) replied

    frauenfelder:
    
    > Russians want to help the GOP take over the USA,
    
    That's not quite true. I mean, Putin does not care about the ~~GOP~~ POT in particular. He doesn't care about the ~~GOP's~~ POT's domestic policies. He clearly preferred Trump over Clinton, because it suited his purposes. He cares more about damaging our democratic process and weakening our standing in the world. It just turns out that Mitch is okay with that, because it suits _his_ purposes.

To which @KathyPartdeux (Kathy) replied

    Gotta love it!

To which @knoxblox (knoxblox) replied

    May his potato salad be rancid.

@JonS (JonS) replied

    You're a monster

To which @knoxblox (knoxblox) replied

    We might get lucky…

After which, @anon61833566 added

    better than you think…  
    en.wikipedia.org
    
    ### Amy McGrath
    
    Amy M. McGrath is an American former Marine fighter pilot and political candidate. She was the first female Marine Corps pilot to fly the F/A-18 on a combat mission. McGrath served for 20 years in the Marine Corps during which time she flew 89 combat missions bombing al Qaeda and the Taliban. In 2016, she was inducted into the Aviation Museum of Kentucky's Hall of Fame and her military story is described in Band of Sisters: American Women at War in Iraq. McGrath was the Democratic nominee for...

After which, @snigs added

    The CC is worth reading. Translates “booooo” as applause and “Kentucky is leading the way” as “Chucky is bleeding away”.

To which @longtimelurker (Steve) replied

    Ceran_Swicegood:
    
    > He cares more about damaging our democratic process and weakening our standing in the world.
    
    I'm confused. Are you talking about Trump, Putin, or Mitch? Because all three are doing this. Not to mention the ( R) senator enablers…

Then @Pensketch (Collin) said

    How about: “Moscow Mitch is Putin's Bitch!”
    
    Keep the flow going.

To which @Akimbo_NOT replied

    Or just “Moscow's Bitch” to include to oligarchs and other Russian grifters who have reasons to take down the US.

@vonbobo (bobo) replied

    Only took two sentences before he brought up the black guy last in office.

To which @teknocholer (                                                             ) replied

    twitter.com
    
    ####  WeFightToTheEnd (Anansi2020) 
    
    This came from someone more talented than me: ♫HEY, HEY, MOSCOW MITCH/YOU EVIL GREEDY SONUVABITCH/HOW MUCH $$$ DID YOU GET TODAY/FROM THE EN-ARE-AY?!/HEY, HEY, MOSCOW MITCH/YOU EVIL GREEDY SONUVABITCH!♫ #MoscowMitch #NRAIsATerroristOrganization
    
    2:10 AM - 7 Aug 2019 1

Then @Papasan (Papasan) said

    Clear out'a f#cks for Moscow Mitch, friggen dirtbag.

Then @Garymon (Gary Montgomery) said

    knoxblox:
    
    > We might get lucky…

@cannibalpeas (cannibalpeas) replied

    I'd rate her at about a snowball's chance of actually flipping his seat, simply because of the “D” that will prefix her name, but she sure can keep him busy for the next year plus.

Then @anon61833566 said

    I think you should reconsider that opinion, but to each their own. Remain pessimistic if you so desire.
    
    **In the November 2018 general election, McGrath was defeated by Republican incumbent Andy Barr. Barr won 51% of the vote to McGrath's 47.8%**

@Jorn_C (Jörn C ) replied

    Honest Question: Can somebody explain to non-US folk like me, how one single person in a parliament can wield so much power to decide if bills are voted on or not? Or could he technically be overruled if enough GOP lawmakers decide not to obey him any longer?

Then @LDoBe (LDoBe) said

    If enough gop lawmakers went against McConnell, they'd no longer be funded and would have all the favors they're given rescinded.
    
    Additionally a lot of Rs have kompromat and I'm sure the party establishment would love to do things like out brimstone and hellfire guys as gay, or just drum out their token women and black people.

To which @Akimbo_NOT replied

    LDoBe:
    
    > a lot of Rs have kompromat
    
    I'm convinced that they have something good on Graham.

So @DukeTrout (Jay) replied

    Jorn_C:
    
    > Honest Question: Can somebody explain to non-US folk like me, how one single person in a parliament can wield so much power to decide if bills are voted on or not? Or could he technically be overruled if enough GOP lawmakers decide not to obey him any longer?
    
    In addition to @LDoBe's excellent summary of the political reasons, here's a quick summary of the mechanistic reasons:  
    As Majority Leader, Moscow Mitch can pick and choose what topics and bills get considered by the full Senate from committee. As such, he can single-handedly block any legislation from even being discussed, much less voted on. There are a few exceptions to that, but they are edge cases. Even if every other senator disagreed with him, first his caucus (Senate Republicans) would have to remove him as Majority Leader and replace him with someone else.

After which, @Slant added

    Bring your fucking Moscow Mitch to me! Hahahahaha!
    
    image.jpg887×931 270 KB

@Slant replied

    The audience seems to hate him too. Damn! Rough crowd. But a good crowd.

Then @bb4me said

    just imagine what the protests at the RNC and DNC conventions are going to be like over the next two years
    
    congress always votes themselves millions upon millions of taxpayer dollars for security for their own private conventions but it's probably not going to be be enough anymore and I bet this will be the first years where people get killed
    
    plus be on the lookout for the first use of sonic cannons against civilians since police now have all the military war toys, yay america?

Then @roomwithaview (roomwithaview) said

    bb4me:
    
    > just imagine what the protests at the RNC and DNC conventions are going to be like over the next two years
    > 
    > congress always votes themselves millions upon millions of taxpayer dollars for security for their own private conventions but it's probably not going to be be enough anymore and I bet this will be the first years where people get killed
    > 
    > plus be on the lookout for the first use of sonic cannons against civilians since police now have all the military war toys, yay america?
    
    There's plenty of wannabe instigators out there still, but both RNC and DNC bases are rapidly eroding. There may be less protesting and more ignoring, combined with a larger than usual voter turnout and a lot of “safe” seats getting new butts in them.

To which @snigs replied

    What they said but also, previously, historically, allegedly, the Senate was more genteel, and possibly more collaborative (with the two parties working together more) and less partisan. McConnell, both when he was the minority leader, and since he became majority leader, has been exceedingly partisan and obstructionist, resulting in excessive gridlock over that last decade that is largely unprecedented. Though we did have a civil war where opposite sides of the Senate tried to kill each other, so maybe it's not us at our absolute worst? But it's still seems pretty fucking bad, at the moment.

Then @Papasan (Papasan) said

    

After which, @cannibalpeas (cannibalpeas) added

    I mean, I'm all for it, but having lived in KY and knowing this is McConnell, I'll have to borrow some of your hope.

After which, @anon55609254 added

    The U.S. system relied on courtesy, conversation, cooperation, and compromise, a lot of which use unwritten rules of conduct. All five of these things have been completely swept away by republicans, who don't give two fucks for the United States or its people, except their rich patrons. Sen McTurdle is a master of the rules of the Senate—it's probably the only thing he's an expert on—and he's managed to exploit the rules by twisting them into knots to get his way.
    
    The founders of this country did the best they could at a time when the States was a rural, sparsely populated set of colonies. Now things are totally different and I don't know how we could possibly fix things. Up until mid-century 20th the five c's above were all that existed to fill the gap. With those destroyed by Moscow Mitch and his republican bitches, the country is pretty much doomed as a free society.

After which, @Mindysan33 (Ráitseach - Wanton woman. Chatterbox. Prattling Person.) added

    

After which, @someguy added

    Jorn_C:
    
    > how one single person in a parliament can wield so much power

So @anon61833566 replied

    I have plenty to spare you are welcome to it.
    
    I think if Politicians like McConnell can be beat, it's by rivals like McGrath.

After which, @hecep added

    It's a super-effective nickname that sticks like stink on shit. I think the Dems should use it 24/7 and as long as McConnell is in office.

To which @RandomDude replied

    This childish nickname crap works both ways thankfully.
    
    If Trump gets to give everyone a stupid nickname I think we should just start doing this with everyone in the Republican Party
    
    This is off to a good start. Unfuck him, his ancestors, and the diseased protozoa that gave birth to them. I wish someone would wreck a truck full of full porta johns into his lecture podium. He deserves nothing less.

Then @roomwithaview (roomwithaview) said

    RandomDude:
    
    > I wish someone would wreck a truck full of full porta johns into his lecture podium.
    
    That is curiously specific…

@Melizmatic replied

    Chaz:
    
    > Zero in a Half Shell
    
    Turtle, **Dour.**

Then @RandomDude said

    That's the thing about curses I learned from Supernatural- they tend to work better when oddly specific.
    
    Besides I like to imagine Mitch McConnell inside a locked Porta John Johnny Knoxville Style just getting tossed around in hot shit because that's about all he deserves

Then @roomwithaview (roomwithaview) said

    RandomDude:
    
    > That's the thing about curses I learned from Supernatural- they tend to work better when oddly specific.
    
    Thanks to BoingBoing, I learn something new every day!

@Melizmatic replied

    RandomDude:
    
    > Supernatural
    
    Obligs:

To which @roomwithaview (roomwithaview) replied

    Melizmatic:
    
    > Obligs
    
    Intense!   
      
    
    
    (Adds @Melizmatic to list of people to never piss off!)

Then @roomwithaview (roomwithaview) said

    Melizmatic:
    
    > Turtle, **Dour.**
    
    _The tortoise lays on its back, its belly baking in the hot sun, beating its legs trying to turn itself over, but it can't, not without your help. But you're not helping. Why is that?_

To which @Melizmatic replied

    roomwithaview:
    
    > Why is that?
    
    Because that turtle is a selfish greedy asshole who enabled the downfall of our society. Unfuck him.

So @uglypedro (Steve Conyers) replied

    He had to know it was a hostile crowd, before he walked up to the mic, so why do it? Why would _anyone_ embarrass themselves like that? I was surprised they didn't start throwing tomatoes and heads of lettuce…it was a farming community, right?

To which @MalevolentPixy replied

    And he can take Leningrad Lindsey with him. All the way to hell.

After which, @Jorn_C (Jörn C ) added

    Thanks to all responders for the insight into this. A few days ago I was surprised by this info on the judicial branch. I knew that Supreme Court judges are appointed for life, but I didn't realize that lower courts are also filled by the President and hold the same privilege. These powers in the wrong hands … as they are now … I wish you all the best…

So @LurksNoMore replied

    Ceran_Swicegood:
    
    > That's not quite true. I mean, Putin does not care about the ~~GOP~~ POT in particular. He doesn't care about the ~~GOP's~~ POT's domestic policies. He clearly preferred Trump over Clinton, because it suited his purposes. He cares more about damaging our democratic process and weakening our standing in the world. It just turns out that Mitch is okay with that, because it suits _his_ purposes.
    
    Yup. Putin clearly had a vested interest in not having Clinton as the president, since she would have likely taken a strong stance against Russia's bullying of their neighbors and shit-stirring both in Europe and the US. But he has no particular love of Trump or the GOP; all he and the rest of Russia's ruling clique want is a weakened, inwards-turning USA and a fractious West that can't or won't intervene as they try to extend and expand Russia's international power and tighten their control of the country.
    
    Jorn_C:
    
    > Honest Question: Can somebody explain to non-US folk like me, how one single person in a parliament can wield so much power to decide if bills are voted on or not? Or could he technically be overruled if enough GOP lawmakers decide not to obey him any longer?
    
    Like others have said, McConnell gets away with his outrageous behavior, because the rest of the GOP senators let him do so. If enough of them wanted to do it, they could absolutely rein him in, or remove him from his position as the majority leader.

So @ficuswhisperer replied

    McGrath is terrible - like really terrible, but if she can oust McConnell and more importantly help to flip the Senate then that's a good thing.

So @cannibalpeas (cannibalpeas) replied

    Agreed.
    
    …

Then @gracchus (gracchus) said

    uglypedro:
    
    > He had to know it was a hostile crowd, before he walked up to the mic, so why do it? Why would _anyone_ embarrass themselves like that?
    
    Arrogance and contempt for the “little people” (including the suckers stupid enough to vote for him). It's a different mindset than most of us would want to understand.

To which @Akimbo_NOT replied

    “Beijing Mitch” seems appropriate as well although not as easy on the tongue.
    
    mcconnell-and-chao-cartoon-1024x828.jpg1024×828 175 KB

So @anon61833566 replied

    I get your sentiment here but don't do that. Saying “person x is bad but I'll vote for them anyway” is exactly the sentiments that got Nostradumbass elected.
    
    Is McGrath perfect? Nope. Can she beat the person we all want out. YUP. That makes her awesome. And we should be championing her for that exact reason with nothing but positive accolades.
    
    Eye on the prize.

Then @Akimbo_NOT said

    EA927S9XkAAxsEM.jpg2048×1194 103 KB
    
    via Mike Hot Pence

After which, @ficuswhisperer added

    anon61833566:
    
    > Saying “person x is bad but I'll vote for them anyway” is exactly the sentiments that got Nostradumbass elected.
    
    No, it's not. It's saying “person x is bad so why bother” or “person x is bad so I'll go third party” that got him elected. If more people held their nose and voted for Hillary we'd be living in a very different world.
    
    There's no changing the fact that McGrath is an objectively terrible person, but given the lack of better options I still hope she wins.

After which, @anon61833566 added

    we can agree to disagree on this one. Because you are describing to me exactly the sentiments that made 2016 become 2016, and you do not see it the same way as I do.
    
    I also do not find Mcgrath terrible or horrible as you describe her…again our standards and expectations of political candidates are clearly very different.

@ficuswhisperer replied

    A vote is a vote - it didn't matter what the reason is. I'm not a fan of Manchin or Jones either but I'm glad they are there to boost the D count in the Senate. That doesn't mean we can't collectively do better.
    
    And as far as her not being so bad, three words: Trump supporting Democrat.

@frauenfelder (Mark Frauenfelder) replied

    This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.


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