Offering asides, recommended links, blogworthy quotations, and more, In Brief is the Northwest Progressive Institute's microblog of world, national, and local politics.
Defeat Mitch. Defend Democracy. That’s Amy McGrath’s mission in 2020. She used to fly fighter jets for the U.S. Marines; now, she’s running against top Republican Mitch McConnell for the U.S. Senate in Kentucky.
Luke Brinker reports that McConnell’s campaign is sending mail pieces to Kentucky voters (presumably, Democratic voters) that they could be voting based on “fraudulent information”.
Mr. McConnell, in turn, never accepted a similar invitation dating back to early September to appear before the C-J editorial board, thus shielding himself from scrutiny as well as any potential for attack ads based on his responses. Kentuckians should take measure of that: Thirty years in the Senate, and no comment.
McConnell has sabotaged jobs and transportation bills, even as Kentucky’s unemployment exceeds the nation’s and an Interstate 75 bridge crumbles over the Ohio River. He blocked tax credits for companies that move jobs back to this country while preserving breaks for those that move jobs overseas. He opposed extending unemployment benefits, while bemoaning the “jobless” recovery. He brags about resolving crises that he helped create.The Senate may never recover from the bitter paralysis McConnell has inflicted through record filibusters that allow his minority to rule by obstruction.
By not standing firmly for their own policies, Democrats send a message to voters that the unending Republican criticism of the president is legitimate. There is much that is going right in this country, and there is still time for Democrats to say so.
Daily Kos’ David Nir recaps Alison Lundergan Grimes’ hugely successful event with Senator Elizabeth Warren in Kentucky, which drew an overflow crowd. Grimes is challenging Mitch McConnell, the Senate’s top Republican. Warren had previously promised to travel to the Bluegrass State to campaign for Grimes, after McConnell and his caucus filibustered Warren’s bill to reform student loan debt.
You know what in a sane environment people do when they have problems? They fix the problems. In the end, that’s really what Alison’s saying: ‘Send me to Washington, I’ll do something that makes sense, and I’ll fix it.’ The other choice is to just pout — and make as many problems as you can, stop anything good from happening — and if you can’t stop it, at least bad-mouth it.
In Brief is authored by the staff, board, and contributors of the Northwest Progressive Institute, a netroots powered strategy center working to raise America's quality of life through innovative research and imaginative advocacy.
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