McConnell can't hide his disdain for democracy

[marmar]

(Newsweek) Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) ridiculed a House proposal to make Election Day a federal holiday on Wednesday, announcing his opposition to the bill that would make voting easier for Americans.

“This is the Democrat plan to restore democracy? A brand-new week of paid vacation for every federal employee who would like to hover around while you cast your ballot?” McConnell said on the Senate floor. “Just what America needs, another paid holiday and a bunch of government workers being paid to go out and work for I assume... our colleagues on the other side, on their campaigns.”

McConnell also condemned the bill as a “Democratic political protection act,” “a power grab” and argued it would result in a “Washington-based taxpayer-subsidized clearinghouse for political campaign funding.”

Widely considered a signature issue for Democrats, the package includes provisions that would allow federal employees a holiday on Election Day while also encouraging private companies to give their staffers a day off in order to vote. ..........(more)

https://www.newsweek.com/mitch-mcconnell-ridicules-house-bill-election-day-federal-holiday-1312034

[Guilded Lilly]

1. McConnell is anti-Democracy, period. He is in it for his own power rush.

[gratuitous]

2. How many misstatements are in McConnell's whiny statement?

The House proposal is to make Election Day a holiday. McConnell calls that day "A brand-new week of paid vacation." Apparently Sen. McConnell thinks federal employees operate on the same calendar his Senate does: It takes the Senate a week to conduct a day's worth of business.

The House proposal is to have federal employees at polling places to help facilitate elections and assist voters, not "hover around." I don't think even legislation has the power to make people fly. McConnell assumes the federal employees will be working for "our colleagues on the other side." Since the assistance will be rendered to American voters, I guess McConnell's colleagues consist of not Americans and not voters.

As for a "taxpayer-subsidized clearinghouse for political campaign funding," it sounds like McConnell has gotten this bill confused with the Supreme Court's decisions in Buckley and Citizens United.

[modrepub]

3. Election Day Used to Be A Holiday In PA For State Workers

Probably other states too. There is no early voting in PA and you have to have a good reason for getting a absentee ballot also. More hurdles, fewer voters = more luck for Repubs.