It’s been almost a week since Mitch McConnell lost his prized gig as Senate Majority Leader, a position he held since 2015. During his tenure, he developed a reputation as the “Grim Reaper” (his description), blocking untold pieces of progressive legislation, including the second stimulus package that still, over a month since its passing, hasn’t reached millions of Americans. So when Senate Democrats, including new Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, tried to do something McConnell felt went against Senate rules, he let them have it — at least over Twitter.
Today, I made clear that if Democrats ever attack the key Senate rules, it would drain the consent and comity out of the institution. A scorched-earth Senate would hardly be able to function. It wouldn’t be a progressive’s dream. It would be a nightmare.
I guarantee it.
— Leader McConnell (@LeaderMcConnell) January 26, 2021
According to CNN, McConnell has spent the last week trying to save the filibuster, the controversial procedure that has evolved in the last handful of years into a way to stall legislation. Removing it has been one of the top priorities for certain Democratic Senators, and McConnell, despite no longer having any real power, has been adamant about keeping it. But when it looked as though Democrats lacked the votes to expel it, McConnell declared victory.
“Today, I made clear that if Democrats ever attack the key Senate rules, it would drain the consent and comity out of the institution,” he tweeted. :”A scorched-earth Senate would hardly be able to function. It wouldn’t be a progressive’s dream. It would be a nightmare. I guarantee it.”
First off, again, McConnell and his party no longer have control over the Senate. (That doesn’t mean the famously pleasant Schumer won’t ever cow to his threats, mind you.) For another, McConnell is perhaps the last one to speak about destroying Senate “comity.” And people were quick to remind him of his past deeds, among them blocking Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland for over a year, railroading Amy Coney Barrett into the late Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s SCOTUS seat mere weeks before an election, etc. etc. etc.
Merrick Garland, Noel Gorsuch, alleged attempted rapist Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett.
The Earth has already been scorched, asshole, by you.
— Elie Mystal (@ElieNYC) January 26, 2021
Truly maddening to hear Mitch McConnell warn of “nightmare” if Dems abolish filibuster when he already killed it to put 3 Trump justices on Supreme Court & confirmed Amy Coney Barrett 8 days before election when 65 million had voted after blocking Merrick Garland for 237 days
— Ari Berman (@AriBerman) January 26, 2021
https://twitter.com/JamesFallows/status/1354204336704937986
Merrick Garland says to fuck yourself in the ass with a Texas postholer. Or he would if he had me as an interpreter. https://t.co/NIr59m9C1F
— David Simon (@AoDespair) January 27, 2021
You might have thought of that when you vowed to make Obama a one-term president, denied Merrick Garland his SCOTUS seat, seated Justice "I-like-beer" and Justice Coat Hanger, and when you refused to recognize President-Elect Biden.
Elections have consequences, remember?
— Annie Gabston-Howell- (@AnnieGabstonH) January 26, 2021
“Attack the key Senate rules” like making up a nonexistent principle to block Merrick Garland 237 before the election & then throwing out that rule to confirm Amy Coney Barrett 8 days before election when 65 million had already voted https://t.co/MP1JaECSMQ
— Ari Berman (@AriBerman) January 27, 2021
Merrick Garland had no comment https://t.co/ZLPIxaxy0i
— Greg Dworkin (@DemFromCT) January 26, 2021
Maybe the guy who refused a hearing for Merrick Garland and then rammed through ACB in 8 days shouldn’t lecture anyone else on the sanctity of Senate norms.
— Rep. Steven Woodrow (@WoodrowForCO) January 22, 2021
I have said it before and will say it again: No one has blown up more Senate norms, destroyed comity more while giving a middle finger to fairness and honesty than Mitch McConnell. No one is even close.
— Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) January 27, 2021
Others reminded everyone that McConnell does not have the power he claims to wield.
https://twitter.com/Susan_Hennessey/status/1354218416727592964
McConnell warning the Dems to avoid scorched earth tactics is somewhere beyond the height of the peak of the zenith of the apogee of chutzpah. It is, to date, his chutzpatheosis. https://t.co/3NW59CAgVE
— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) January 27, 2021
Anyway, Schumer and company, don’t be afraid of a little turtle.
(Via CNN)