It's Friday, May 20 and Day 97 since Justice Antonin Scalia died and Mitch McConnell laid down his Supreme Court blockade: No meetings, no hearings, no votes on his replacement. It's also Day 65 since President Obama named Merrick Garland to be Scalia's replacement. What's the Senate doing today instead of considering the Supreme Court nominee?
Of course they're taking a day off. It's Friday. It's another day that Senate Republicans can spending doing things like this: "McConnell touts 'Senate squad' in Wes Anderson-style video." No. Really.
In the clip, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell struts around the U.S. Capitol, greeting his "squad" as the video lists the senators and their specific legislative accomplishments.
You can watch it below the fold. This is part of McConnell's ongoing challenge to the math of his leadership. He continues to insist that his Senate is incredibly productive. That's despite the fact this the Republican Congress is on track to make this year "historically unproductive." His Senate has already set one record: "An analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service found that, under McConnell (R-Ky.), the current Senate has confirmed the fewest civilian presidential nominees of any Congress in the past 30 years."
That includes the Supreme Court blockade, of course. Now we understand what's going on. McConnell's definition of productivity is wandering around the halls of the Capitol saying "hi" to his buddies.
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