It’s not our turf and it’s not even the season but we have good reason for endorsing the “Ditch Mitch” campaign.
No, not state Senate President Mitch Carmichael, R-Jackson, who may yet merit such a campaign in 2020.
For now, we only refer to U.S. Senate President Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who has stifled a functioning Congress for too long.
Though many have not forgotten his decision to not even allow hearings for President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, he recently outdid that.
Prior to the onset of Congress’ August recess, he blocked votes on a string of election security measures the day after former special counsel Robert Mueller warned of potential peril in next year’s voting.
That same basic message has continued to be repeated by intelligence chiefs in the Trump administration itself.
We are not going to stoop to personal attacks on McConnell in the Trump-fired age of name-calling and extreme incivility. Though that hasn’t stopped some from such attacks on McConnell, who is a little bothered by them judging by his responses. However, he should be bothered by those who have had enough of his “governance,” which has made him a national problem.
Why wouldn’t he allow election security legislation to come up for a vote? McConnell said, “Because I get to decide what we vote on.”
Yes, the leaders of both chambers of Congress and our Legislature are invested with such power. But we like to think they don’t wield that power on such paramount matters as this or in a slavish nod to the president or governor.
While Congress and the president provided $380 million to states to fix their biggest problems after 2016, virtually all states now lack funds to make other changes to fend off potential foreign threats.
Such as requiring “durable, voter-verified paper ballots” in federal elections — 11 states don’t. And requiring candidates for federal office to report contributions by foreign nationals to the FBI.
We are aware of the efforts by West Virginia’s secretary of state to secure our elections and we commend his office for its efforts, including hiring a cyber-security expert and updating the state’s voter registration system.
By joining the “Ditch Mitch” campaign, we are de facto endorsing the Democrats’ candidate in Kentucky’s May 2020 primary. We’re OK with that, perhaps more so because two of the Democrats’ front-running primary candidates are former Marine lieutenant colonels.
But this is bigger than any state or candidate. America’s election system faces serious threats.
For the good of the nation, we vote to send Mitch back to his old Kentucky home.
