Letters to the Editor: Mitch McConnell is a treasure. Mitch McConnell is a threat.
McConnell a treasure
Much has been said about Sen. Mitch McConnell and the Republican Senate revolving around the recent votes on impeachment. Though the House managers tried repeatedly, to blame the Senate for not calling witnesses and charging the majority leader with numerous slanderous allegations of failing to uphold its constitutional edicts, they failed to garner a sufficient number of votes to call witnesses.
What the House managers, specifically Reps. Adam Schiff and Jerry Nadler, didn’t contemplate when making these allegations is the organic and innate knowledge of McConnell. In their naivete about whom they were up against, or their own narcissistic beliefs that no one could out-smart them, Schiff and Nadler fell completely on their own swords.
McConnell, with his extensive knowledge and skill in leading the Senate, was non-threatening without denigrating his opponents, remained stoic, and counted votes. When he knew he had won, he called for a vote.
We are fortunate to have a majority leader who is a constitutional scholar and historian, and who will follow our Constitution, leading the Senate in a manner fitting and proper to the upper house. Thank you, senator, for your leadership.
Barbara A. Ellerbrook, Lexington
Mitch a threat
It is up to Kentucky voters to save the U.S. Senate from ongoing degradation by Sen. Mitch McConnell. In my opinion, there is convincing evidence that both President Donald Trump and McConnell are more committed to serving Russian interests than those of the American people. This is a threat to our democracy that should not be taken lightly, but should instead motivate us all to vote against McConnell in the May primary. If that does not work, then he must be defeated in November. In the 2019 election, Kentucky voters responded to a similar threat to our commonwealth and we removed a mean-spirited governor with questionable motives. I am confident Kentucky voters will do the same in the upcoming senatorial election.
McConnell is not a leader we can trust to do the right thing for our state or for America. Indeed, he is doing harm to the integrity of the Senate and to our democracy every minute of every day he remains in office.
Judy Myers, Lexington
McConnell loves only himself
I’ve been watching those new Mitch McConnell ads on television and they are jaw-dropping. The ads say that the senator cares about ordinary Kentuckians, their well-being, and their healthcare. Actually, none of those things are true. Mitch only cares about Mitch and maintaining his power in the U.S. Senate. He is not answerable to any “average” Kentuckian. His offices almost never answer phone calls from constituents. And they don’t even allow voice mail. And while some senators have town halls, Mitch would never conduct such an event. Some constituent might ask him a question he didn’t want to answer, like why, if he is such a great friend of coal, coal jobs in Kentucky have fallen from over 30,000 when he took office to fewer than 6,000 now. Where was Mitch? Questions like why did he vote against the Affordable Care Act over 60 times when he and his Republican cult had no replacement for the ACA? And those 400 bipartisan bills sitting on his desk. Why won’t he let the Senate vote on those?
James R. Porter, Danville
For shame ...
Shame on President Donald Trump for having the audacity to think he could lead this country. The only place he is leading us is straight to hell. How in the world did a bigot, womanizer, and hoodlum become the president (I am ashamed to associate that term with him) of what I thought was a great country. Shame on Sen. Mitch McConnell for standing by this joke of a leader. Obviously he’s only interested in keeping his power and money and not what is right for our state or country. The last time in history that a national leader was able to hoodwink an entire country was when you-know-who was in power. America best wake up, because we are being led by a man who wouldn’t know the truth if it hit him in the face and who holds the worlds’ deadliest dictators in higher esteem than he does the great leaders of our country (that does not include the turtle).
Sara Wellnitz, Lexington