I’ve Been Your Dance Partner, Senator McConnell

Dear Senator McConnell:

Dancing is something I know well, Senator McConnell. My body may have failed at being Betty but that doesn’t mean I have forgotten everything I knew about dancing. You see, dancing is almost as much a part of me as breathing, sleeping, eating, and being disgusted with you. I started dancing on my dad’s feet as a toddler and had my last dance with him on his death bed.  Although I’m not able to go out and dance several nights a week any more, I will not stop dancing in my mind until I take my last breath.

To be honest, I was shocked to hear you mention dancing because it sounded so human. (How sad is it that you have been my Senator for twenty-eight years and I’m surprised to hear you say something that I can relate to?) For a brief (very brief) second, I almost felt a connection to you because I had smiled a hundred times in recent days over a stolen, heart-warming dance moment at my daughter’s house. As she was cooking Christmas dinner, I saw her step away from the stove and, spoon in hand, dance a few spontaneous steps. What melted my heart was the loving grin on her husband’s face as he caught it with me. The brief (very brief) belief that I had a bit of a connection with you ended when I realized you know nothing of what dancing means to people like me and my son-in-law.

My article, Love at First Dance, won special recognition in a writing class I took a few years ago. I’ve always believed I could learn everything I need to know about a man in one dance, and wrote about falling in love on a first dance. I’ll know what a man thinks of himself and me by his confidence, eye contact, the way he holds me, how he leads, whether or not he talks while we dance, how he reacts if he steps on my toe  . . . So much is revealed in a simple dance.

Let’s use your analogy and pretend that you and I have been dancing these last four years. Here’s how it has been from my side.

You didn’t notice that I was fighting tears because my hip ached. My condition would not stand in the way of your goal, which was to knock one particular man off the dance floor. You jerked me out of my seat without looking me in the eye, speaking a word to me, or hearing a word I said to you. You didn’t lead and your timing was terrible. It was as though you couldn’t even hear the music and you didn’t know a single step or see any of the people you trampled. 

Senator McConnell, it was not a dance by any sane person’s definition. You swung me around the floor, using me as a weapon against your target. When the night was over, I was bruised from head to toe. The only satisfaction I got from that dance was seeing that the man you tried to knock off the floor was still there, waltzing gracefully. And his partner wore a smile. 

You should be more careful when choosing analogies.

Sandy

Senator McConnell Created Fiscal Cliff Because He Wanted To Be Somebody

Dear Senator McConnell:

As we near the cliff that you created, I am reminded that you aren’t the only one willing to insult the intelligence of THE American people. Others, who think it is in their best interest to cover your pathetic reputation, are suggesting ridiculous things like you might ‘save the day’ through negotiations. Not only is that ridiculous, it feeds into your sick need for attention. It’s like giving in to the two-year-old’s temper tantrum.

(Before you pump up your chest or don your super hero cape, please know that only the stupidest of your party are gullible enough to swallow that load.)

If I hide your car keys so I can force you to appreciate me when I find them for you, I’m a punk. If I steal your car so I can lend you mine and make you dependent on me, I’m a rat. If I steal your car and revoke your driver’s license so you can’t get anywhere, I’m you – a heartless person with no morals or ethics. I don’t like heartless people, or people who have no morals or ethics, or people who are so lazy or greedy that they will fall for ‘McConnell saves the day’ bushit. I don’t like people who play games with semantics. I will make it my job to reach as many people as I can with these truths about you:

• You have dedicated yourself to protecting the top 2% no matter how much you hurt the other 98% doing so. I try to understand how your principles could be so twisted and all I can figure is that your parents neglected your emotional needs during your formative years. My daughter was a 2 percenter, in a way that mattered. She received awards for being in the top 2% of the nation on standardized testing. I congratulated her, saved the awards in folders, and reminded her that she was fortunate to have been born with the ability to make those grades without working hard. My job as her mother was to teach her to study with and encourage friends who worked much harder than she did for average grades. I learned that from my parents when learning came easy for me. I wish your parents had spent some time on lessons like this, and that voters would pay more attention to principles.

• You created this cliff through obstructionism and obstinacy. When your hostage-taking antics failed before, your ‘save the day’ deal was this cliff. Now, you are playing both victim and super hero, hoping to fool everyone somehow. That doesn’t work, Senator McConnell. It makes you look like an old fool and embarrasses those of us who have to hear, “What’s wrong with Kentuckians that they keep voting for this fool?”  

• You put politics before people. Maybe you were half asleep during that lesson. It’s supposed to be that you put principles before personalities.

Many people think you are in this for the money. I tend to think the money is less important than ‘being somebody’ to you. In case you don’t know him, I introduce you to Travis Tritt. I think the two of you had a lot in common. Early in his career, he got a big head and wanted to trounce his competition. But, he was a decent enough person to stop short of selling his soul. You sold yours to ‘be somebody’ and still want to crush people who have had dedication, heart and soul, and played their guitars on the harder side of town. 

You are not a nice person, Senator McConnell.

Sandy

(Thank you, Mike, for letting me know about the typo.)

Senator McConnell's Dishonest Christmas Wish

Hello, Senator McConnell. I’m stuck here on the internet, apologizing to the world for the Kentuckians who voted you into office. I wanted to take just a minute to wish you and yours the same worried, stressful Christmas that all Kentuckians and Americans who have to worry about whether or not they will suffer the consequences of your poor leadership and obstruction when the holidays are over will have.

I hope you get to spend a little time with your loved ones and that they will be able to convince you what a total jerk you have been to try and hold this country hostage once again so that you can protect your donors despite how much others have to suffer. If you think your little reminder to help those who are less fortunate made you sound like a good guy, you are sadly mistaken. It reminded me, as I’m sure it will remind others, just how heartless you are and how much you expect the rest of us to take care of others because you are too selfish, cold-hearted, and ugly to do what you should do.

If you are able to see the warmth and kindness of Kentuckians helping neighbors first hand, you must be invisible because those of us who care about helping others sure never see you.

Was your little ‘borrowing’ of President Obama’s warm wishes about pouring egg nog and enjoying Christmas music some sort of Freudian slip? Do you really want to let us know that you want to be him as much as Romney did? Maybe, if you would try to emulate him in actions instead of words, you could realize that dream.

The only way your ‘no need to argue with relatives’ closing could have been stupider or more transparent would have been for you to say, “If you have Republican relatives, I suggest you just stay home alone because no one needs to suffer that on a holiday.”

Wishing you the same Christmas that the families and friends of those lost in the Sandy Hook massacre have, since your party is hell bent on making sure every crazy person in this country owns a weapon of mass destruction,

Sandy

McConnell Response to My Fiscal Cliff Letters

As usual, Senator McConnell, your dishonest form-letter response falls short of what I would hope to receive from an honest man. Since it came from you, it is exactly what I expected.

McC: Thank you for contacting me regarding the President’s proposed tax hike on small businesses. Hearing your views helps me to better represent Kentucky in the U.S. Senate.

Me: I never contacted you regarding the President’s “proposed tax hike on small businesses” because I don’t believe the President has “proposed a tax hike on small businesses” and, therefore, would never have written to you about something that I don’t think has happened. I will assume that this letter is in response to one of these letters: My2K  or Thelma and Louise, Not Just a McConnell Story.  This would all be so much easier if you really did care what your constituents have to say.

McC: After nearly four years of spending and debt, millions of Americans are still struggling amidst the slowest recovery in modern times, and the economy is flat on its back.

Me: That might be a record number of lies in one sentence. Congratulations, Senator McConnell, on breaking your own record.

McC: Despite this, the Obama Administration and its allies in Congress are advocating massive[,] job killing tax increases on the very working families and businesses struggling each day to protect their employees and create new jobs.

Me: Are you insane? You would have to be if you expect me (or anyone else) to buy that load of crap. By the way, I’m an Obama ally so you insult me when you (and yours) try to use the word ‘allies’ as though it means terrible people. Neither President Obama nor his allies are advocating massive job killing tax increases on the very working families and businesses struggling each day to protect their employees and create new jobs. Your transparent attempt at projection of your guilt onto the President is a huge failure. Your obvious debilitating envy of him is pathetic. 

Your party – the one you are supposed to be leading – has proven beyond any reasonable doubt that you care nothing about THE American workers. You created and own income inequality and hopelessness. I will assume that by ‘massive job killing tax increases on people that create new jobs’ you are, once again, shamefully implying that taxing the wealthiest individuals and dishonest corporations that call themselves small businesses will cause them not to create jobs. That is not honest and you know it. You also know that I know it so I resent and dislike you very much for insulting my intelligence. Again. You and I both know that your allies, like John Schnatter of Papa John’s Pizza, are the real threat to employees and it isn’t because they have been taxed; it is because they are greedy bastards with no ethics or conscience.

McC: With their most recent effort, the Senate majority pushed a symbolic tax hike that would not even fund the government for a week.

Me: If you thought it was symbolic and not enough, why didn’t you propose a higher tax hike that would have been enough?

McC: Considering your views on this topic, you may be interested to know that the U.S. Senate recently debated two very different approaches.

Me: Insulting my intelligence again? Unlike you, I actually read and keep up.

McC: I offered a bill, the Tax Hike Prevention Act of 2012, that would not only give every American the certainty that their income taxes will not go up at the end of the year, but also set into motion the process for meaningful tax reform within a year.

Me: Bushit! He’s gone. You can stop spreading his lies and failed policies for him.

McC: The Senate Majority Leader, however, cobbled together a different bill that would raise income taxes on one million small business owners, or up to 75 percent of small businesses, and raise death taxes on thousands of family farmers and small business owners.

Me: Hilarious! Seriously, I have to laugh at this feeble attempt at misrepresentation. Do you think people on the street stop by my mailbox to read this crap? Surely, you must know it's wasted on me.

McC: Two years ago, the President and the Senate majority agreed that the same tax hikes they are now fighting for would hurt the U.S. economy. At that time when blah blah blah . . .

Me: Again, as I have explained and as you knew before I explained it, this is not a tax hike. This is a call to allow the irresponsible Bush tax BREAK to expire, as was planned all along. President Obama and the Senate majority realize that middle class earners need this break due to the irresponsible actions of the Bush Administration and his “allies” and want to extend those tax breaks for them, but not for the people who do not need them. You, Senator McConnell, are the most dishonest person I’ve had the misfortune of having to endure in life. Your attempts to mislead are disgusting.

McC: Again, thank you for contacting me regarding this important matter. If you would like to receive periodic updates, please sign up for my eNewsletter and become a fan of my page on Facebook.

Me: You never respond when I use your Facebook page. Can I assume that means you don’t read it?

Sincerely disgusted,

Sandy

Senator McConnell is good for one thing - laughs.

Senator McConnell is good for one thing - laughs.

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You Aren’t Playing T-ball, Senator McConnell

Dear Senator McConnell:

This is one of those rare occasions when I get to thank you. I realized today that you make my case for me.

When it comes to winning and losing, I was a mean mother and I’m a mean grandmother. If the kid is big enough to sit in a chair and place tiles on the board, I will beat her at Scrabble. If I am asked to play basketball on a plastic rim at waist level, I’ll dunk the ball. And when I catch the little guy cheating at Mancala, I’ll call him on it. I’ll help and encourage kids but I won’t pretend there aren’t winners and losers in games, that I am supposed to lose because I am older or bigger, or that losing a game makes the person who lost a loser.

That said, I guess you can imagine how disgusted I was when I attended the first t-ball game where they didn’t keep score or declare a winning and losing team. How did they expect those kids to become good winners and losers? It was my opinion that kids who couldn’t handle scores and winning and losing, or who couldn’t enjoy giving it their best even if they didn’t win, were obviously not mature enough to be playing team sports.

I thought about the five year Scrabble tournament with my husband. We played a game every night and he beat me almost every game. Like a masochist, I saved the score cards in the box until the lid wouldn’t close any more. Instead of feeling like a loser or not wanting to play anymore, I was more determined and insisted we must play when he tried to get out of it. I was positive I would surely beat him eventually. I worried that these t-ball players would never be able to appreciate losing as much as I did, or winning as much as he did. But I was the grandmother by then so I didn’t say much about t-ball and my grandson’s parents didn’t say anything if I took him home and beat him at a game of rummy.

I know you are too old to have been raised in the ‘no winners or losers’ era so your refusal to admit that the Republicans lost the election in November makes me wonder how you were raised. How did you miss every lesson about honesty, self-esteem, and winning and losing? 

In this case, you aren't a loser because you lost the game but you are a loser for being such a sore, delusional loser. 

We did not send you to Washington to play a game of t-ball, Senator McConnell. Please grow up, admit you lost and the majority of THE American People want to return to Clinton-era tax rates for top earners while maintaining the lower rate for the middle class.

Sincerely,

Gramma Sandy

Translation For People Who Don’t Speak McConnell

“I have no particular observation other than that I commend the House Republican leadership for trying to move the process along and getting to a point where I hope we can have a real discussion,” McConnell told reporters after the weekly Republican lunch.

What he meant to say: “I’m scared shitless of a Tea Party challenger in 2014. Hopefully, my not taking a position will be an adequate suck up to both sides. 

McConnell Declines to Endorse Boehner Plan 

Thelma and Louise, Not Just a McConnell Story

Dear Senator McConnell:

Several times over the last few days, I’ve heard clips of your Thelma and Louise comments. It’s embarrassing enough to hear your ridiculous, mostly untrue statements the first time. I still suffer a bit of PTSD over the static cling comments about a decade ago. Living with media repeats is torture and, unlike you and your party, your sane constituents don’t like torture. There’s a slight possibility that sharing my own Thelma and Louise story with you might be therapeutic, so I'm willing to give it a shot.

Debra was a Face Book friend first. We met in a support group for people who were suffering the devastation of having to live with your sidekick, Rand Paul. Adding Rand Paul to Mitch McConnell was very much like adding the secondary diagnosis of chronic fatigue to my already existing rheumatoid arthritis. I needed support.

After Rand Paul hired goons to stomp heads and refused to accept responsibility for that disgraceful decision, Debra and I met in person when we drove to Lexington together to attend the head stomper’s trial. In case you haven’t had the experience, it is such a pleasure to finally meet someone you have only communicated with on paper or via the internet, and discover that the real person behind the written word is every bit as intelligent, generous, passionate, and warm as you expected. (Seriously, you should agree to meet Debra and me sometime. Seriously – as in not pretending that you are finally willing to meet with everyone by scheduling a Tea Party event outdoors on the Capital steps where we have to risk our reputations or lives in order to maybe get to ask you a question that you can ignore in person.)

One of the big bonuses with Debra was that in addition to intelligent, generous, passionate, and warm, she is also lots of fun. We jumped into her cute little red car and cruised down the highway, chatting and laughing as though we’d known each other forever. Along the way, we phoned two more allies we were to meet in Lexington. It was almost like a party.

Excitement mounted as we neared our destination. When I neglected my map duties to check the posters in the back seat, Debra made a wrong turn. We laughed as we ended up in a parking lot with a one-way lane to an exit that would lose us even more. She looked at me and said, “Well, Thelma, do we break the law or go off the cliff?”

I said I wanted to be Louise, and I was okay with breaking the one-way parking lot law. She agreed and turned the car around.

Okay. I know my Thelma and Louise story has nothing to do with economics. But it is fun and honest so I beat you on at least two points. Your Thelma and Louise story is a dishonest pretense at a discussion about economics and it is neither fun nor honest. 

Debra and I survived our wrong turn, made it to court, got a television interview, and got back home safely. I don’t think your trip over the cliff will end successfully. You see, Senator McConnell, at this point in the game, going over that cliff won’t hurt most of us at all.

But it will hurt you.

Hoping you put the pedal to the metal so we can be free of you,

Sandy

#My2K

Dear Senator McConnell:

I would like to thank you for the great laugh today. Usually, when I hear or read your words, I cuss and want to cry. But, your response to President Obama’s appeal to THE American People to let our representatives know what $2,000 means to us by phone, mail, Face Book message, or Tweet (#My2K) made me laugh. Out loud, for quite some time.

Do you not realize how foolish you look? After all this time that you have incorrectly and inappropriately presumed the right to speak for THE American People, you criticize President Obama for actually listening to us, campaigning for what we wanted, winning the election, and now letting us know he is still willing to listen? Are you crazy? There’s not much else to think when your statements are so absolutely baffling.

Please, stop the games. You lost. You lost big time. THE American People (at least the majority of us) have spoken. We want the Bush tax breaks for the wealthy to expire but those for the middle class to continue. Convince your party to do the left thing for once.

Pleasantly Surprised For Once,

Sandy

Latest McConnell News

Get Defeat McConnell bumper stickers here. Would be nice to see this everywhere, from now until we defeat him in 2014. 

Mitch McConnell plans to remain dishonest and obstinate, in his own words. 

 

Support a Resolution of Expulsion of Mitch McConnell from the Senate for his disloyalty to the United States.  Please share. 

 Fiscal-cliff negotiators are facing high hurdles

 

 

McConnell Struggles to Outline GOP Health Care Alternative

 

Next Up: Getting Rid of Mitch McConnell

I started this campaign the day after Mitch McConnell barely won his last race. Now that we have the 2012 election behind us, we can focus our attention on this important goal.

I was prepared to beg George Clooney to come home and run against Mitch in 2016. And then, I met someone else who I thought could easily beat Senator McConnell. This man is intelligent, one of the most dynamic speakers I’ve ever heard, and so charismatic that everyone who meets him falls instantly in love with him. But he didn’t think it was the right time for him. Now, there’s talk of Ashley Judd running and that puts a smile on my face.

There is also talk of the Republican Party trying to run McConnell out. His sudden cozying up to people who self-identify as Tea Party adds credibility to that rumor and makes me wonder if they will primary him.

No matter who runs against Mitch McConnell, they will be better for my state, this country, and the world than Mitch McConnell. We sane Kentuckians are going to need all the help we can get because the Republican Party will pump this race full of dirty money, and McConnell’s name recognition goes a long way with lazy voters who don’t bother or are unable to research and see the damage he has done. (Ashley might help in this regard.)

I created a Facebook Group dedicated to keeping people informed about McConnell’s actions (or inactions, as is mostly the case) between now and election 2016, and to motivate people who are interested in campaigning against him. If interested, you can join here.  Just remember, this is a totally biased group with a specific purpose. Anyone who supports Mitch McConnell, harasses those who are working to unseat him, or posts articles or links that are not related to the ugliness of Mitch McConnell will be removed and blocked.

Hope to see you there.

Margaret and Helen Have A Message For You, Too, Senator McConnell

You can read it here. 

 

 

Four More Years, Senator McConnell

Four more years for President Obama, that is. Two more for you.

I'm sure this day must be as sad for you as it is exciting for me. I can't imagine how it must feel to fail at the single thing you tried to accomplish the last four years. Okay. That's not exactly true; I can imagine how horrible that would feel and hope your reality is even worse than what I'm imagining.

Maybe you can come up with a few respectful goals for your final two years in the Senate. Your statement last night after President Obama won his second term left little room for hope that you might have a decent bone in your body but I'm a dreamer. I offer my thoughts on your statement below:

"The American people did two things: They gave President Obama a second chance to fix the problems that even he admits he failed to solve during his first four years in office, and they preserved Republican control of the House of Representatives," McConnell said in a statement. Did you forget again that your words would be heard and read by the entire world, not just the few Republicans who are willing to believe any lies you tell them? Here are the two things I gave President Obama when I voted for him yesterday: I gave President Obama the opportunity to complete the job that you did everything possible to obstruct, and I told him that I appreciate all he managed to accomplish despite your ugliness and want him to continue the same path, only with less patience for your childishness.

"The voters have not endorsed the failures or excesses of the president's first term, they have simply given him more time to finish the job they asked him to do together with a Congress that restored balance to Washington after two years of one-party control.Who do you think you are to try and speak for the people who re-elected President Obama? You have no idea what we think or endorse. This voter endorses President Obama's successes and regrets that my state saddled him with someone as lazy and disgusting as you to deal with. The only way we can truly restore balance to Congress is to unseat the unbalanced Republican obstructionists. And I am confident we will do that. 

"Now it's time for the president to propose solutions that actually have a chance of passing the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and a closely divided Senate, step up to the plate on the challenges of the moment, and deliver in a way that he did not in his first four years in office. If you had been paying attention, you would know that President Obama proposed workable solutions. The Republican-controlled House has little interest in anything except vaginas and that's absolutely unacceptable. For you to try to imply otherwise is about as dishonest as - well, Mitt Romney's existence. Seriously, Senator McConnell, it is time for you to stop embarrassing sane and decent Kentuckians with inflammatory, childish, cliched rhetoric like "step up to the plate". While you've been sitting on the bench with your thumb in your mouth, President Obama has been at the plate hitting home runs. Wake up and stop lying. 


"To the extent he wants to move to the political center, which is where the work gets done in a divided government, we'll be there to meet him half way." I think President Obama has this under control without your sorry, lazy, pretenses. Get out of the way. Lame ducks hurt when they hit hard.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2012/11/07/McConnell-stiff-arms-Obama-Senate-Dems/UPI-55861352214084/#ixzz2BYNCuAhe

What Real Leadership Looks Like

Dear Senator McConnell:

I've listened to this several times now and saved it in my YouTube favorites because I will enjoy hearing it again and again the same as I do my favorite songs. I try to imagine how it must feel to be you, and to know that you have done everything possible to hurt such a good man.

Regardless of what happens on Tuesday, Barack Obama will be remembered in history as the remarkable man who overcame such ridiculous negativity as, "America isn't ready for a black President," to get elected. And, he will be remembered as the brilliant, diplomatic, caring man who managed to save this country from a depression, to put us on the road to recovery from the destruction that you and your party put us in, and  won the trust and hearts of most Americans and the world - despite your chronic obstruction because you hate him more than you love your country.

And you will be remembered as a sorry ass who violated his oath of office, made fools of the ignorant people who listened to his lies, and disgraced Kentucky and America.

I would hate to be you.

 

Paul Krugman Nails You, Senator McConnell

Dear Senator McConnell:

Have you missed me? I apologize for focusing more on Mitt Romney, who appears to be even more dishonest and less human than you, these last few months. After Tuesday, I'll return my attention to ditching you. From what I hear, it is going to be even more fun than I had hoped.

Meanwhile, Paul Krugman nailed you and your cronies. Thought I'd share in case you missed it.

The Blackmail Caucus

 Sandy

McConnell Objects to the Truth About His Party But Not to Lies Told By His Party

"Aides to Mr. McConnell presented a bill of particulars to the research service that included objections to the use of the term “Bush tax cuts” and the report’s reference to “tax cuts for the rich,” which Republicans contended was politically freighted." 

In other words, Senator McConnell, you object to the truth when it is told about your party. But you have no problem with your candidate, Mitt Romney, lying daily to THE American People? And no problem with your party's super pacs spending millions of dollars on dishonest lies? And you're fine with your party dishonestly naming bills things like "Right to Work" when it is actually the opposite? 

Would you know the truth it if smacked you in the face? I'd love to see it try.

 

 

Top GOP Senator Mitch McConnell Defends Mourdock’s ‘Gift From God’ Statement

Dear Senator McConnell:

I'm sure you probably know by now that I'm not much of a prayer, especially when it comes to praying for others. I think for the most part it is presumptuous to believe that any god would honor my request over that of the person I'm asked to pray for.

I'm ready to make an exception for you, and your Republican friends who believe that pregnancy as a result of rape is a gift from your crazy god. Soon as I get through typing this note to you, I'm going to hit my knees and pray that your god will bless you with a horribly painful rape of you own, followed by a complicated pregnancy so you'll also be able to brag about the miracle.

I would also like to remind you that abortion is legal, on demand. We do not have to be raped or dying, or seek permission or blessings from you or anyone else in order to elect to have this LEGAL PROCEDURE. I'm disgusted by the way your party keeps trying to confuse and dilute this truth (as well as many others).

Here's a link to the article that set me off this time:

Top GOP Senator Mitch McConnell Defends Mourdock’s ‘Gift From God’ Statement: pSenate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is the latest senior Republican defending Indiana Republican Senate candidate Richard Mourdock’s statement that forced pregnancy from rape is a “gift from God.” McConnell released a statement charging that opponents “make hay out of every comment,” and that “sharing the view of millions of Americans that life begins at conception [...]/p

Sandy

It's My Party And I'll Lie If I Want To

Looking Good, Senator McConnell! 

Teabagger or carpetbagger? State Senate candidate Chris Thieneman a modern-day nomad

Dear Senators McConnell and Paul:

You've set such a lovely example for Republicans in Kentucky. Are you going to step up and denounce people like this guy, or leave everyone to believe there isn't an honest Republican in this state? 

Teabagger or carpetbagger? State Senate candidate Chris Thieneman a modern-day nomad

Dear Readers:

Please stay on media about this. 

"and now, every reporter who covers the Hill ought to be grilling Mitch McConnell about ordering his Senate colleagues to allow the economy to continue foundering, rather than “risk” improving it"

From this article: 

Business Insider Editor Says Mitch McConnell Enforcing GOP Obstruction ‘From Now Until The Election’

 

Senator McConnell Rewrites History and the First Amendment In This Letter

Way back on February 12, 2012, I sent this letter to Senator McConnell in response to his inane remarks about how the Obama Administration was trying to deny religious rights by not insisting that we all live by the archaic rules that the Catholic Church professes but their followers don't adhere to.

Dear Senator McConnell:

I’ve thought a great deal about your logic and think maybe we should adopt it across the board. Since you believe that religious freedom means forcing everyone to live by one person’s (or one group of people who share a brain) belief system, no matter how immoral or impractical said belief(s) might be, I provide the following list of things that I find immoral and want stopped immediately:

1. Tax exemptions for churches

2. Tax exemptions for charitable donations

3. Tax deductions for people who have more than two children

4. Sheltered trust funds for the children of parents who know they’ve raised greedy, worthless offspring and therefore think they need to hoard dirty money for future generations

5. Wars started for the sole purpose of lining Republican pockets which I believe would be all started by Republicans in my lifetime (I do support President Obama’s version of targeting terrorists and assisting those who are under attack by their governments but don’t expect you to admit there is a difference)

6. Corporate welfare

7. Citizen’s United

8. Organized religion, although I have no problem with it being legal for people over twenty-one to participate if they choose

9. Home schooling

10. All groups that use the word family or patriot as part of their title

11. Walmart and FOX News [sic]

12. Republicans

13. Hypocrites, which would include everyone who professes to be Christian while they judge others for being gay, not being Christian, being poor, not being greedy, using birth control, supporting the rights of others to choose their own religion or what to do with their bodies, supporting Planned Parenthood, being darker than snow, not looking or acting like reptiles, hating FACTS (yep, I used the four-letter F bomb on you)

14. Thunder Over Louisville (annual celebration of war with fighter planes and fireworks over the city that is now home to refugees from countries we have destroyed – remember Muhammad?) 

15. Media coverage of people (you, especially) who confuse their bible with the constitution and can't get either right

This concludes my short list. Will get back to you with more once you’ve managed to eradicate these violations of my first amendment rights. 

Terribly sincere,

Sandy

A few days ago, (today is September 24, 2012), I received this response from Senator McConnell, dated August 15, 2012.

My response:

Dear Senator McConnell:

I don't know why you thank me for contacting you about my concerns if you are only going to ignore them and rehash your talking points. Surely, you must know that your inane statements are what prompt me to write in the first place. Do you think doubling down on dishonesty is polite?

I would have appreciated an honest statement like, "Since I need to do something to make it look like I am earning the tax-payer money I receive for this job the government created for me, I will respond to that annoying letter you sent. Waiting six months and pretending you said something other than what I don't want to address is my way of telling you how little I care."

The second paragraph contains a redundancy in the first line. I understand it is probably impossible to find intelligent people willing to endure the humiliation of having to work in your office but I ask you to please try a little harder to find people who can remember what they typed two sentences before. Remember, you also represent the intelligent citizens of Kentucky who did not vote for you. Like it or not, it is your job to represent us and you are failing at that.

I would giggle at your rewrite of history if it weren't important, or you were writing fiction. I do thank you for admitting that you don't understand the First Amendment and will share this letter widely.

Don't worry. I will keep you informed of issues that are important to me. Honesty is the most important thing in life to me. I've told you that repeatedly and you continue to be dishonest. Therefore, spreading the word about you and doing all I can to see that you are removed from office as soon as possible is high on my list of priorities.

Sincerely,

Sandy

America is Waiting, Senator McConnell

We're waiting for you to stop lying, Senator McConnell, and start doing your job. 

Mitch McConnell Objects to Senate Democrats' Bid to Confirm 17 Judges : Roll Call News

There is no excuse for this. None. Mitch McConnell should be thrown out of office. He has done nothing but obstruct and hurt this country. 

Mitch McConnell Objects to Senate Democrats' Bid to Confirm 17 Judges : Roll Call News

Senate Republicans kill veterans jobs bill

Congratulations, Senator McConnell. You are consistent. 

Senate Republicans kill veterans jobs bill

Remembering Mitch McConnell on September 11

Mitch McConnell, and every Senate Republican, pledged to hold assistance to first responders hostage until they got their way on the Bush tax cuts. (December 9, 2010)

Flabbergasted Rand Paul Learns Public Employment Decreased Under Obama

Flabbergasted Rand Paul Learns Public Employment Decreased Under Obama: pOne of the least appreciated but easily-confirmed facts about the current state of the American economy is that the number of Americans employed by the government has gone down under President Obama. But apparently this is news to one the Republican Party’s most prominent tea party conservatives. During a roundtable discussion on ABC this morning [...]/p

Who are the idiots that voted for Rand Paul (or who didn't think it was important to vote for Jack Conway and save us from this idiocy?)

Sigh. 

Updated: Help Me Tell My Cousin That, Thanks to You, She Doesn't Support the Troops

Update: The fact that President Obama had to sign an executive order to get the mental health access our veterans need is proof that the Republican Party does not care about veterans.

Dear Senator McConnell,

My cousin joined a Facebook Group this morning called Let’s find 1 million people who actually SUPPORT our Veterans. (Isn’t it cool how Facebook enables us to watch what our friends and family do and it isn’t even considered stalking). I didn’t click on the group because I’m often disappointed to discover that people say they support troops and/or veterans when, in fact, the only support they show is lip service possibly with a little flag waving on the side. Instead of setting myself up to be disappointed, I decided I would actually do something in my cousin's honor.

I’ve protested wars. I’ve written to people who served when my protesting didn’t do much good. I’ve had Fort Knox soldiers over for meals, and I’ve written to politicians (I’m sure you must remember my letters) asking that they not send our young people to war unless absolutely necessary. In the past, I tracked down many homeless vets to give them food, pocket change, gloves, etc, and I wrote about them – even created a homeless group on Gather where we could collect stories and articles about them all in one place. I’m sad to say that I couldn’t afford to personally send the equipment they didn’t have the first few years of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars – but you can believe I would have sent it if I had had the money. I’ve even stared into the frightened or dead eyes of young men who came home changed forever, and tried my best to console them.

Since you represent me, and your votes in the Senate are ultimately the most I can offer troops and veterans, I decided to check out what I have really done--via you--for them. I’m not real pleased with what I found. I have the comfort of knowing that I voted for your opponents but, alas, that didn’t really do the troops much good.

You voted to send troops into Iraq under false pretenses and have yet –at least that I can find—to apologize for that. Please direct me to those apologies if I missed them because I sure would like to be wrong about this.

In 2004, you countered an amendment that Senator Ted Kennedy proposed asking that Bush submit reports to Congress on the strategy in Iraq. Opponents (mostly Democrats, of course) thought your amendment was not strong enough because it failed to require an estimate of troops needed in the future. I’m still confused by your position on this. For those who want to support the troops, will you ever explain why you didn’t think planning ahead was important?

In 2007, you seemed (at least to me) to only muddy the waters when you and Harry Reid tried to come to some sort of agreement regarding how to debate nonbinding resolutions regarding the surge. If I understand correctly, you pretended this had to be done quickly but then wanted each of the three resolutions to require sixty votes to pass. In the end, you and Reid couldn’t come to an agreement and Republicans blocked that bill (sounds familiar, huh?) and you played it off like it wasn’t important. It came up again, without much debate, and you guys filibustered, holding Harry Reid hostage to a promise that the Senate would continue to fund, without further debate, a war started on lies. Sigh. In all honesty, this feels more like supporting the people who wanted the war than it does like supporting the troops.

And then, in 2007, you pulled what looks like bullying tactics to me by threatening to block a Democratic effort to include a date for troop withdrawal in the Iraq spending bill and then said something akin to, “Oh, never mind, my buddy will veto anyway.” Again, sending those kids into a war based on lies and then refusing to fund them if the funding included a plan to get them out of a war they should never have been sent to in the first place does not seem like support to me.
Since I’m no expert, I checked to see how experts rated you. Here are the results:
2007-2008 In 2007-2008 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave Senator McConnell a grade of B.

2006 Senator McConnell supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 60 percent in 2006.

2006 In 2006 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave Senator McConnell a grade of D.

2006 Senator McConnell sponsored or co-sponsored 0 percent of the legislation favored by the The Retired Enlisted Association in 2006.

2005 Senator McConnell supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 33 percent in 2005.

2004 Senator McConnell supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 0 percent in 2004.

2004 Senator McConnell supported the interests of the The Retired Enlisted Association 0 percent in 2004.

2003-2004 Senator McConnell supported the interests of the Vietnam Veterans of America 50 percent in 2003-2004.

2003 Senator McConnell supported the interests of the The American Legion 100 percent in 2003.

2001 Senator McConnell supported the interests of the Vietnam Veterans of America 76 percent in 2001.

1999 Senator McConnell supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 33 percent in 1999.

1997-1998 Senator McConnell supported the interests of the Vietnam Veterans of America 0 percent in 1997-1998.

1989-1990 On the votes that the Vietnam Veterans of America considered to be the most important in 1989-1990 , Senator McConnell voted their preferred position 50 percent of the time.

I have one statement about this list, and one question. If this were my report card, I would have been grounded, and not very proud to claim it. My question – how’d you manage to get on the good side of The American Legion?

Did you really say, “Nobody is happy about losing lives, but remember, these are not draftees, these are full-time professional soldiers”? To whom were you referring? The kids who joined because they couldn’t afford college? The ones who volunteered because they were told they’d be next on the list anyway but would get a bonus if they went ahead and volunteered, only to be sent home days short of the time required to get that bonus and then sent back out weeks later? Surely, not the ones who joined before they knew they would have to serve under Commander in Thief Bush, who would send them into a senseless war? Please, tell me you meant the Blackwater guys.

Filibuster. I know it’s a sore topic these days but I have to bring it up. TWICE you filibustered Senator Webb’s amendments to restore proper troop rotation and rest between tours? Seriously? Nope. There is no way I can consider this supporting the troops.

My cousin has the biggest heart you’d ever hope to encounter and breaking it by telling her just exactly how she supports the troops through you is going to be one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Worse even, I think she might have voted for you.

Senator Mitch McConnell repeatedly refused to provide any responses to citizens on the issues through the 2008 Political Courage Test when asked to do so by national leaders of the political parties, prominent members of the media, Project Vote Smart President Richard Kimball, and Project Vote Smart staff. What is the political courage test?

Disappointed,

Me

McConnell Blocked

From Sick of the Slant - A Fair Look at the News of the Day page 

Paul Ryan and Todd Akin co-sponsored 8 anti-abortion bills in 112th Congress.

Dear Senator McConnell:

I'm glued to the television, awaiting your public request for Paul Ryan to resign. Until then, I know you've stooped to a new level of hypocrisy for asking that of Akin but not him. 

Paul Ryan and Todd Akin co-sponsored 8 anti-abortion bills in 112th Congress.

Not holding my breath,

Sandy

In Defense of Todd Akin

Dear Senator McConnell:

Don't you think it is beyond hypocritical for you and your party to be dogging Todd Akin? This man represents your party as well as anyone possibly could so you turn on him, just because he accidentally told the truth? That is not nice.

One thing you guys should learn, if you hope to save face at all, is that you can't run from one another when you have voted in unison and you speak from the same script. Sure, Akin used the word legitimate instead of forced, but reasonable people know and admit the meaning is the same. You have all voted and voiced the same opinion that he expressed.

At least you should try to give the appearance of consistency. If you are going to call for Akin to pull out of his race, you should call for Romney/Ryan to do the same.

In case you haven't kept up, or you've conveniently forgotten about your party's positions on rape, abortion, and all things female, I leave the following reminder:

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Sandy

Kentucky Senators to Make Rare Appearance in Public

Dear Senators McConnell and Paul:

Where do I even begin? You guys have outdone yourselves these last few weeks. If I weren’t so disgusted with the attempts to exhaust, disenfranchise, and suppress votes, and the pathological lying (sorry, Senator McConnell, you don’t even hold that record any more) I might have enjoyed watching the Republican Party self-destruct.

I do know where to start. Let’s get this out of the way so I don’t get stuck in personal stories and forget. Tomorrow is the big day on which you and my friends get to disappoint me all on the same day. That might be a first. As much as I have longed for the opportunity to meet the two of you--individually or separately--I will not pretend that you are finally offering your non-supporting constituents that opportunity. I strongly resent the fact that the first time you decide to grace those of us who aren’t pouring money into your campaigns with your presence, it is at a Tea Party Rally.

See, I believe words mean something. Most of us learned about rallies in school, when we met as a whole to “rally” our sports teams. It was a fun time because the opposing team was not present so we could pretend we were #1 even if we knew that wasn’t true. And, in the spirit of rallying the team, we could say terrible and even untrue things about the other team – all in fun. I believe that is the purpose of all rallies and this is why I carefully decide whether what I am organizing or attending is a rally or a protest.

There are a number of reasons why I will not attend this rally in Frankfort tomorrow. I have no desire to be in the company of people who consider themselves Tea Party members (for the record, I see no difference between the Tea Party and the rest of the Republican Party other than the funny hats) because they have repeatedly, across the country, proven themselves to be violent, ignorant, rude, and dishonest. What’s not to avoid, huh? I know both of you will say what you know they want to hear, and that will mostly be lies about President Obama. I would rather not pretend you are welcome to insult my intelligence that way.

More importantly, although I dislike the Tea Party the same as I disliked my school’s rival team, I believe it would be rude to crash their rally and interrupt the lies their coaches want to share (all in fun, because you and they will know that you are purposely lying just to get them fired up for the game). 

It’s sad that you consider politics a game, and sadder still that you believe you are justified in cheating. Saddest of all is that your party preys on the ignorant by pretending you are doing this in the name of Jesus or God or something good, when there is absolutely nothing good about it. It makes me wish I believed in hell because that is where you deserve to be for doing this.

I will not give you the pleasure of forcing me to put aside my principles and standards, or risk having my head stomped for the opportunity to see you in person. That is something that should occur regularly, without fear. And I most certainly won’t be present to make it appear to media that the Tea Party drew a larger crowd. Instead, I will share this letter with the public to make sure everyone knows the ugly position you put your constituents in.

I’ll be back later for the rest since this is about all that will fit in the box on your sites.

Hoping you accidentally tell some truths tomorrow,

Sandy