Moscow Mitch

The owner of one of the online news sites who subscribes to my cartoons emailed asking if I was going to draw a cartoon about Mitch McConnell. He mentioned that “MoscowMitch” was trending on Twitter and that the Senate Majority Leader was upset over this, which meant the editor was going to run every single anti-McConnell cartoon and the least flattering photos he can find of McConnell from now on.

I was aware of the #MoscowMitch thing trending and that McConnell was unhappy over it, but I thought piling on would be too much like trolling. Then, I saw how upset Mitch was. I changed my mind. Adding to anything that might even slightly upset McConnell’s mellow has to be a good cause.

McConnell, like most politicians who aren’t Donald Trump, are usually impervious to criticism, nicknames, and satire. Ted Cruz actually enjoys being the most disliked slug that has ever oozed its way into the United States Senate, and even seems to be aware he has a very punchable face. But this time, McConnell’s feelings have been hurt, and not because he doesn’t have a punchable face like Ted. Trust me, Mitch. You do.

He’s upset at being accused of being a Russian asset. Why are people accusing him of being a spawn of Putin? Because, right after the former special counsel Robert Mueller testified that Russians were still hacking us, even “as we sit here,” McConnell single-handledly blocked stronger election security measures.

McConnell even blocked a bill that would have made it a requirement for campaigns to report to the FBI if a foreign government was trying to give them assistance. McConnell felt the bills were “partisan” and would give Democrats an advantage at the polls. He’s right in that a fair and free election would give Democrats an advantage because most Republican ideas are greedy, evil, racist, stupid, and only seem to benefit billionaires and assholes. The majority of Americans vote against Republicans like they did in 2016 and 2018. Most Americans will vote against Republicans again in 2020.

McConnell was upset because not only is #MoscowMitch trending, but so is #MoscowMitchMcTraitor. This is a guy who, after an ad referred to him as “Cocaine Mitch,” started answering his phone with that title.

McConnell even took to the Senate floor to defend himself, seemingly unaware that if you feed trolls, that like cats, they don’t go away. Mitch called his critics “hyperventilating hacks,” and compared his treatment to “modern-day McCarthyism.” McConnell said, “Over the last several days I was called unpatriotic, un-American, and essentially treasonous by a couple of left-wing pundits on the basis of bald-faced lies. I was accused of aiding and abetting the very man I singled out as an adversary and opposed for nearly 20 years, Vladimir Putin.”

Yet, McConnell is blocking efforts to protect our elections from attacks by Russia because he wants to aid and abet Vladimir Putin. McConnell, like Trump, is welcoming the Russians help in 2020. It’s not like McConnell has ethics. He freaking stole a Supreme Court seat.

In 2016, Obama asked McConnell to speak out against Russia’s attack on our election so that defending the integrity of our democratic process would be bipartisan. Obama wanted Democratic and Republican leaders to stand shoulder-to-shoulder. McConnell refused because he didn’t want to discourage Putin or Americans from realizing that all the erroneous information they were being fed to help Donald Trump was created by Russian trolls. McConnell refused to defend America, just like he’s refusing to defend it now. Just like Donald Trump has refused to defend the nation he swore an oath to protect.

Trump came to McConnell’s defense while referring to himself, again, in the third person saying, “Mitch McConnell is a man that knows less about Russia and Russian interference than even Donald Trump. And I know nothing.” I’m sure we can all agree that Donald Trump “knows nothing.”

Mitch McConnel is upset people are calling him a Russia asset. If you don’t want to be accused of being a Russian asset then maybe stop acting like Vladimir Putin has a hand up your ass.

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