SINGING ALONG WITH MITCH

It's difficult to capture the true unvarnished dastardliness of Kentucky's senior senator, but cartoonist Joel Pett, of the Lexington Herald-Leader, takes a stab at it with his Sharpie. See the video, 2 min.


STOP, LOOK, LISTEN!
Singing Along With Mitch
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced, ahead of the Senate impeachment trial, that he was working in “total coordination” with the White House. McConnell has long kept Republican senators in line, defending the most outrageous actions of the Trump administration. Although he has been chosen by Kentucky voters (six times, most recently with 52% of the vote) he has an outsize impact on the whole country. Is he a political genius, or just somebody willing to play outside the rules? Who Is Mitch McConnell? (podcast, 39 min). Well, for starters, McConnell:

• Is married to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao (whose investigation for ethics violations seems to have been sidetracked by the impeachment process).
• Collaborated with Roger Ailes to develop groundbreaking negative campaign messaging.
• After criticizing his opponent for paid speeches, gave his first paid speech to a tobacco industry group shortly after his election.
• Opposes gun control.
• Urged states not to comply with the EPA Clean Power Plan.
• Favors voting restrictions, since only serious voters deserve to participate.
• Supports “voter participation” in the form of campaign donations, wants to make it easier to pump money into elections.
• Brags about stonewalling legislation, turning the Senate into “a judicial appointments factory.”
• Is up for reelection in 2020.

—Kathy Sherretts

Newsweek: Rep. Charles Booker, Kentucky's Youngest Black Lawmaker, Explores Run Against Mitch McConnell by Jeffery Martin
"Since we sent Mitch McConnell to Washington," says Booker, "he's become one of the richest politicians in America—but Kentucky has been left behind. The more power Mitch McConnell has gained in D.C., the more we've lost here at home."

It’s Criminal:
The Guardian: The hidden scandal of US criminal justice? Rural incarceration has boomed by Jasmine Heiss and Jack Norton
Jail incarceration in rural counties has risen a staggering 27% since 2013, while urban incarceration has declined 18%.

Pull Back the Vote:
AP: Judge: 234K Wisconsin voter registrations should be tossed by Scott Bauer
Liberals fear the voters who could be purged are more likely to be Democrats. Republicans argue allowing them to remain on the rolls increases the risk of voter fraud.

We'll Always Have Paris:
The Atlantic: Dozens of States Want to Keep America’s Broken Climate Promise by Robinson Meyer
24 states and Puerto Rico now pledge to uphold the Paris goals, although the Trump administration has blocked or repealed most of US climate policy at the national level.

Ready to do more?
 
• Learn about the Green New Deal.
• Read the Indivisible Guide 2.0. 
• Check out the weekly action plan from Progressive Action, Global Exchange (PAGE) which mobilizes progressives living overseas. 
• Sign up for the Americans of Conscience Checklist, a weekly action list that also provides encouragement and good news. 
• Learn about climate solutions and actions at ClimateRecovery.org, a group organized by community activists and members of American Resistance Sevilla.