Now that Individual 1 has confessed on Twitter that Russia helped get him elected by typing out the words "I had nothing to do with Russia helping me to get elected," maybe it's time to get serious about making sure Russia doesn't do it again in 2020.
In fact, Robert Mueller made it clear that Russia's interference in 2016 is absolutely indisputable and its attacks on the U.S. "I will close by reiterating the central allegation of our indictments—that there were multiple, systematic efforts to interfere in our election," he said Wednesday. "That allegation deserves the attention of every American."
It deserves a response from Congress—elections officials at every level and the nation's intelligence community are demanding it. Even Senate Republicans are demanding it. Sen. Lindsey Graham, Trump's bff in the Senate, has used his Judiciary Committee to unanimously approve two elections security bills to the floor. But one key figure is standing in the way.
Mitch McConnell.
By the admission of his own Rules Committee Chairman, Sen. Roy Blunt, McConnell will not allow those bills—or any other—to come to the floor. The Missouri Republican said that McConnell had stopped his committee from advancing one bill, the Secure Elections Act, on the very day last August that it was supposed to be marked up and sent to the floor. These are all bipartisan bills—the ones from Judiciary passed out unanimously, but Blunt says "I think the majority leader just is of the view that this debate reaches no conclusion."
It's not a debate. Russia meddled in the election. We know it hacked into voter databases in Florida counties. There's no debate. Our election systems are vulnerable to hostile foreign interference and McConnell is actively inviting that.
Let that sink in. The Majority Leader of the United States Senate is telling a foreign adversary that it's fine with him if it wants to hack our elections, if it wants to install its assets at the highest levels of our government. What's more, he's being rewarded for it with a $200 million investment in his home state from one of Putin's best buddies.
