Mitch McConnell needs to go - period. Mitch McConnell needs to give the families of the miners killed last week, the huge donations he got from Massey Energy.

MITCH MCCONNELL'S LIE IS OFF TO A ROUGH START...

Meanwhile, Steve Benen's Thursday is off to a great start! He didn't say "fabricating" or "stretching the truth." He said it plain and simple. "Mitch McConnell is lying."

That's the truth. And that's a change I can believe in.

I think this time it might be different. McConnell is repeating a Luntz that might come back to bite him in the butt. Darn near everybody in America, except those with offices on a street in New York want the reform legislation. That Frank Luntz is the source of the Luntz is well known. Even Capitol Hill reporters have read the memo. The Democrats are hitting back hard.

The bill is going to pass. Too many Republicans have to vote for it, or face tough reelection campaigns. McConnell is going to learn the limits of telling a notorious Luntz in an election year.

By the way, "lie" is so last night. Let's call this what it is--a "LUNTZ." Totally field tested and totally made up.

Given that most Americans are clueless about what is actually contained in any legislation, or what the process of legislating is all about, and the well-oiled echo chamber of the right-wing propaganda, we can expect the stenographic media to treat the truth and the lies equally, which creates just enough doubt among the ignorant to cloud yet another important issue.

The truth rarely prevails, and the lies never die.

American Democracy: But as we know, the lie doesn't have to make sense; it doesn't have to withstand scrutiny; it doesn't even have to be persuasive. It just has to be repeated, endorsed by conservative media, embraced by right-wing activists whose ignorance is easily exploited, and folded into the "debate" for the American mainstream.

The democracy of lies...

Many many Republicans have lost their homes, their pensions or are otherwise distressed by dishonest banking practices.

I just don't think lawmakers of either side will risk appearing too close to the banks. I'm sure the GOP would love this issue to go away until after the midterms, which is why Dems have to force their hand.

This is great - the fact checking has begun in earnest, it is the only way to go, I hope we all keep up the good work.

No consequences. No free press. Positive results. No morals. Lies are second nature in these circumstances.

What we have here is more pathological dishonesty from the Republicans. What is troubling is that they do it with such ease and the media provides the echo chamber without much challenge.

I actually felt dirty watching John Boehner and Mitch McConnell making comments after the meeting with President Obama yesterday. It is really disappointing to have an opposition party with no moral compass. The lying and distortions are endless.

The only gleamer of hope was the following comment from Senator Corker. Truer words were never spoken:

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) compared McConnell's pitch to "death panel" rhetoric.

The banking industry owns us.

They also are somewhat wanting to finance the GOP so that

folks get off their backs.

I suggest getting Elliot Spitzer back in the mix, he was outted just B4 the Bear Sterns thing.

Meanwhile, we are told, Republicans are expected to take control of both the House and the Senate in November.

Can impeachment be far behind? Sigh. . .

Fuc#ing NPR called in an 'expert' yesterday to tell us who was 'right' on this issue... the expert gave mcconnell's view and then explained what the bill did....but never really said mcconnell was lieing... and also said the creation of the fund could be a 'moral hazard' so huge bank managers might have less incentive to keep adequate restraint on bad management... so to quote Obi Wan Kenobi lieing to Luke about his dad...what mcconnel said was correct from 'a certain point of view.' ... i was revolted.

As putative parents here of the civic process our understandable pride in baby steps can be looked at kindly .
"Oh look !" , "The adorable orange one and the chinless one stubbed their itty bitty tongues"
"Ahhhh"

So---instead of referring to McConnell as the Senate Minority Leader, we should start calling him the "Senate Minority Liar-in-Chief."

Yes?

You can call these folks anything handy , always , always remembering that like infants and orangutans they have little patience for changes in their cages .

I can't support this cowardly attack on a great and patriotic American, Mitch McConnell, using only facts and reason to bolster your arguments. Tradition and, in all likelihood, the Constitution require that we accept the word of a senior Republican any time he's decrying the actions of the pinkosocialistnazi pantywaists in the Democrat party.

Am I at the right blog?

I don't think a passing familiarity is required to see through McConnel's nonsense. Time will tell, but I think there's a self inflicted wound here. McConnel's objection has nothing to do with policy or philosophy. I'm not even sure it has to do with protecting his bankster buddies. It's a simple knee jerk partisan objection to anything proposed by the WH or congressional Dems.

"We're against it, whatever it is" may play well with the teabagger fringe, but I dont think it's a sound midterm strategy for the minority party. Frustration with the status quo will make people open to considering different ideas. The problem for McConnell and the repubs is that they have none. "We're against it, whatever it is" is not policy. It's a temper tantrum.

I'm not sure I'm not overthinking here, but regardless of Hon. Sen. McConnell's motivations, his rhetoric may make the watered down Senate effort seem more like actual reform than it is, and we might consider how tactically to counter this nonsense without implying that the current bill is somehow better than it should be.

Other repubs are saying this.

Senate Republican expects deal on US financial reform

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1521265520100415

Even the media seemed unwilling to play along with McConnell's willful ignorance

Reminds of the Monty Python Dinsdale sketch. "Even the Police began to sit up and take notice."

I can't support this cowardly attack on a great and patriotic American, Mitch McConnell, using only facts and reason to bolster your arguments.
Posted by: Cap'n Chucky

Would you feel better if I told you that Mr. McConnell was the logical conclusion of a sexual tryst between Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity?

First, I want to fan chrenson's praise of Steve Benen in using the word "lying". Second, to KurtRex's comment about NPR: I have noticed what IMO is way too much he said/she said on NPR, and downright right-wing slant from some contributors (sound almost like Fox). I have written NPR and my local stations and told them I intend to withhold my usual contributions until they deal with these issues.

McConnell has heard from the Community Banks in Kentucky, but apparently hasn't heard from the Independent Community Bankers of America. They seem to some key points of what is currently being proposed.

http://www.icba.org/news/newsreleasedetail.cfm?ItemNumber=69802&sn.ItemNumber=1733

"MCCONNELL: Well, I'm telling you about the community bankers in Kentucky."

Oh look! Over there! A shiny penny! Nothing to see here. Move along.

@ S. Waybright: eeeeeeeewwwwww!!!

At first I thought that financial reform should have been at the top of the Presidents list. I now believe this is the perfect time. If the republicans keep to their usual tactics, this thing should drag out to November, at least. Therefore all the comments and lies and whatever bile spews out of their mouths trying to defend their financial buddies should still be FRESH IN THE MINDS OF THE VOTING PUBLIC. Actions speak louder than words right??? Now we just have to hope that the tea partiers are not as blind as they are deaf.

Really?

Is Mitch McConnell telling me the Republicans have teamed up with the big banks to put a stop to any more big bank bailouts?

--Josh Marshall

maybe the "Grandma and Death Panels" type stories have turned the Republican talking points into a series of Chicken Littles...."oh my God the sky is falling...!"

After awhile even the lazy conventional press wakes up and recognizes those lies for what they really are.

After all, aren't we still waiting for the Armageddon?

Maybe the White House and DNC should push back on the media by simply telling the David Gregories of the world...."hey how stupid are you, haven't you heard this shit before"?

Is there a point at which the Replicants become The Chicken Little that Cried Wolf?

YES, KurtRex! Star Wars references in political discussions! I love it!

I would just like to say how much I appreciate this blog. Been a multiple-times-a-day read for me dating back to the days of the Carpetbagger. I want to express my sincere gratitude to Steve. Keep it up! But the thing that really puts this blog over the top is the posters. You guys make me think and laugh. In a world that seems at times to have gone crazy this place is a refuge. Thanks to all!

Steve Benen wrote: "Mitch McConnell is lying. He knows he's lying, as does anyone with even a passing familiarity with the issue."

Thank you for those clear, simple, direct, unequivocal and non-euphemistic statements.

But as we know, the lie doesn't have to make sense; it doesn't have to withstand scrutiny; it doesn't even have to be persuasive. It just has to be repeated, endorsed by conservative media, embraced by right-wing activists whose ignorance is easily exploited, and folded into the "debate" for the American mainstream.

Very well put and a succinct description that could almost serve as a tag to every single post about these peopl.

The Dems really just need to call the bill "The No More Bailouts Bill".

People! Let's show a little sympathy for a state where Bunning is the smarter senator.

"YES, KurtRex! Star Wars references in political discussions! I love it!" - giggs

O, but Cap'n Chucky's reference to "Replicants" (from Bladerunner) trumps Star Wars. C'mon Cap, why don't you just come right out and call them Skinjobs?

Love it. Great job of putting this work together.