Say what you want about Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, but he's a man who knows what he wants and who's not afraid to go get it. Specifically, he wants Wall Street fat-cat campaign contributions. But, he's not an idiot, so he's tapped a conservative heavy-hitter spindanista to help hide his grab for all that corporate money behind a cloak of populism.
McConnell's hearers should not be fooled, however, as shown in Brave New Film's new video.
Despite taking a bath in Wall Street dollars, McConnell still wants you to believe he's some kind of fiery, populist, anti-big-bank crusader just looking out for the little guy. He drafted Republican celebrity pollster Frank Luntz to help string together some transparent pandering while he rakes in the dough [h/t The Huffington Post]:
[McConnell] knocked the expansion of power at the Fed and Treasury, while sounding the alarm on Wall Street accountability. If the outline of his speech sounds familiar, it's because it is the exact argument pollster Frank Luntz urged Republicans to make earlier this year in a widely publicized memo. Compare the excerpts below...:
Luntz: "The single best way to kill any legislation is to link it to the Big Bank Bailout."
McConnell: "We cannot allow endless taxpayer-funded bailouts for big Wall Street banks. And that's why we must not pass the financial reform bill that's about to hit the floor."
Luntz: "Taxpayers should not be held responsible for the failure of big business any longer. If a business is going to fail, not matter how big, let it fail."
That's great, Mitch, but I have one small question for you and your listeners:
Q: Why would Wall Street fat cats help fund the re-election of an anti-big-bank crusader?
A: They wouldn't.
A newspaper in McConnell's own district and FOXBusiness (FOX, for crying out loud!) caught him with his hand in the cookie jar:
...Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell recently called on about 25 Wall Street executives, many of them hedge fund managers, to hear their complaints about proposals for regulating the financial industry.
With him was Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which raises campaign money for Republican candidates for Senate.
"The undercurrent of the gathering," FOX reports, "was undeniably political. ... McConnell and Cornyn made it clear they need Wall Street's help" to defeat the reforms by electing more Republicans in November.
This is why so many people hate so many politicians. Far too many say one thing to the public and another thing in private, smoke-and-whiskey-filled rooms to their cigar-smoking patrons. It's like they think no one can see what they're doing. You're not invisible, Mitch! We can see you!
GIve it a rest. We're not stupid.
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Everyone needs to vote and Vote Non-Incumbant, lets start something new as in our congress.
Remember VOTE NON- INCUMBANT
I know everyone is laughing when they read this but the only way this is going to change is if we the people take this into our own hands and do something. If your new Congressman is not working out,
VOTE NON-INCUMBANT!
I feel we should keep voting them out when they do not want to listen to people just like changing your underwear.
Voting is only one step being informed is more important.
Hope the Democrats know what they're in for...
corruption? Republicans on this site can't even bring themselves to say yes he is
lying. It would not mean they would be denouncing the Republican party but it
would show that they are not totally ignorant of what is happening.
Is there a Republican out there that can show me a Republican proposal for reform 2001-2008 and 2010, something, anything that is equal to or better than what is on the table now?
I would love to hear one Republican say he/she is happy to support a Democratic proposed
legislation without a but, or, if, goes too far, not far enough, etc, tagged on to their remarks.
Show me a Dem proposal that doesn't pander to their base -- more government, more government employees, more unions -- all basically the same.
Tea Baggers - if you want to be taken seriously you have to do much more that
rally, wave signs, complain about the Party's and what you hate about government
because until then you have nothing to contribute to this Country's future.
What are the Tea Baggers solutions to solve the wrongs of this government
that will not destroy the solvency of this Country?
Also what are the answers to economy, jobs, deficit, health care, social security,
unemployment Insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, defense, military, housing,
banks, wall street etc.
Don't refer me to a website, tell me in your own words.
I appreciate your excellent column. But I disagree that we are not stupid.
We most certainly are stupid. We've been voting into office people who have suborned this kind of
behavior ever since we elected Reagan. And the republican party, which has been advocating for more and more DE-regulation of corporations for decades, continues to have the support of a substantial number of us. Pretty darned stupid, don't you think?
WE aren't the stupid ones, but the ones who vote in significant numbers in the midterm elections...well, they aren't the sharpest pencils in the box. And McTurtle knows that (or Frank L. does).
That sums it up perfectly.
What a repulsive man.