Mitch McConnell Is Pulling His Favorite Move After Mass Shootings

[In It to Win It]

Daily Beast via Yahoo News

The mass murder of 19 children and two of their teachers in Texas last week prompted Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to say he’s hopeful Senators can find “a bipartisan solution” to the problem. But if that sort of response sounds familiar—and not particularly inspiring—that’s because he’s said it before, only to close the door later.

McConnell told CNN that he “encouraged” Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) to engage with Democrats Sens. Chris Murphy (CT) and Sen. Krysten Sinema (AZ) about potential areas of agreement on new gun laws.

"I am hopeful that we could come up with a bipartisan solution," he said.

While it is notable that McConnell signaled his willingness to talk about changes to laws that regulate gun ownership in the United States, in McConnell’s case, it’s only a small step above immediately dismissing action on guns.

Time and again, McConnell’s “hope” for a bipartisan solution has simply prolonged the inevitable: inaction.

In June 2016, after a man with a gun murdered 49 people at the Pulse Night Club in Orlando, McConnell told reporters “nobody wants terrorists to have firearms."

"We're open to serious suggestions from the experts as to what we might be able to do to be helpful," he said.

But when a bill that would have given the Department of Justice the ability to “deny the transfer of firearms or the issuance of firearms and explosives licenses to known or suspected dangerous terrorists” was put for a vote, it failed along party lines with the exception of one vote. McConnell was one of the 53 Republican senators who voted no.

[Wounded Bear]

1. repub bipartisanship means be reasonable, do it my way...

[Captain Zero]

2. and their way is real weak tea.

nt

[Wounded Bear]

3. Usually, their way is no way at all...

[MurrayDelph]

5. ...and when their way falls

they'll blame us.

[MiniMe]

4. 53 Republican Senators?? I believe that should be 50 Republican Senators and 3 Democratic Senators

The Senate is split 50/50

[Mister Ed]

7. At the time of the Pulse massacre, though, the GOP had a Senate majority. n/t

[MiniMe]

16. OK, my bad

[Baked Potato]

6. Why doesn't Moscow Mitch and his Ghouls write it up,

and see what happens.

[IcyPeas]

8. They are just waiting it out until the news cycle moves along. We can't let it!

[Blue Owl]

9. Will the real grim reaper please hurry up

And whisk Mitch away to the fiery underworld…

[stillspkg]

10. Krysten Sinema??

So he didn’t talk to any real Democrats. (Another one of his tricks to make it look like he cares)
No one would ever say outright that she is not a progressive Democrat and he knows it.

[agingdem]

14. Joe Manchin is once again trotting out

his 2013 Sandy Hook “bipartisan” gun safety bill…a bill that went nowhere…not a surprise considering his rabid support of the filibuster…however, his bullshit grand empty gesture gave Manchin the appearance of doing something.....and now Mitch is reaching out to that twit Sinema…like she gives a damn about something other than sucking up corporate dollars…if Mitch (and Manchin) were at all sincere they would have a sit-down with Chris Murphy…but that might mean something other than optics might just happen and they certainly can’t have that!!!

[cstanleytech]

11. He has zero intention to actually do anything and is simply playing the bipartisan schtick

in order to mute any negative impact before the elections for his party that is for sale to the highest bidder.

[Cheezoholic]

12. Yup, big time n/t

[Kablooie]

13. Don't you see his ploy here?

He says he’s open to a bipartisan solution so, while emotions are inflamed, he deflects all opposition.
He pretends to negotiate until something else grabs the media’s attention and the shooting becomes history.
Then he says they couldnt come to an agreement, blames Democrats, negotiation is dropped and everything continues with nothing changed.

As long as Democrats play the games Republicans design nothing will ever change.
Democrats follow time honored rules while Republicans spend all their waking hours mulling how to break and exploit these old rules.
And the Republican system works most of the time.

[maxsolomon]

17. McConnell is a shrewd Senate tactician.

Never appear to be acting, never appear to be obstructing, but always do exactly that.

He's beat our ass for decades following this tack. The Courts are evidence.

[tanyev]

15. Why don't these elderly gazillionaires simply use their money for amazing retirement adventures?

They've got loads more money than they'll be able to spend while they're still healthy enough to enjoy it. I guess they get more pleasure out of making millions and millions of people miserable.