If so much wasn’t on the line this piece of irony would be more delicious than the best meal and dessert you ever had. Finland and Sweden who have rather famously remained neutral are on the verge of formally requesting to become part of NATO. Since they meet all qualifications and are in effect “pre-approved” this would be a fast-track type of thing, especially given the current circumstances.
Make no mistake, these two countries even openly speculating (as they have in recent weeks) about joining NATO is a huge freaking deal and the tantrums Putin has most assuredly been throwing surely makes any of Trump’s seem amateurish in comparison. As others including our own main staff writers have pointed out in the last day or so Putin’s war in Ukraine has backfired spectacularly. Not only will he fail to take over, much less hold Ukraine and have yet another large country aligned wholeheartedly with the west on his border, he’s about to get another (with yet another right next to them) along twice as much of his border with NATO!
The votes in the legislatures of both Finland and Sweden have yet to be taken but it seems like it’s a forgone conclusion that they want the protection (Specifically Article 5 – an attack against one is an attack against all and therefore all will respond) of NATO and better yet they have significant capabilities to add to the alliance. NATO doesn’t give any indication of any delay in accepting both countries into the alliance. At this moment it appears Putin’s worst fears are being realized. Russia is most definitely NOT showing itself to be a world beating economic and military power, a “reborn USSR” on steroids but it’s worse than that. His dream of tearing apart NATO has failed. The alliance is not only stronger than ever but about to become more so. Except…
Bear in mind that NATO is an acronym. North Atlantic TREATY Organization. Like others, our own membership is due to a Treaty. And changes to that treaty require approval which in our case means two-thirds of the U.S. Senate voting to ratify the change in the Treaty – in this case accepting Finland and/or Sweden as new members. That means 17 GOP Senators would have to vote with the sensible, sane ones (our side) to ratify the addition of these two countries into NATO. In the last 24 hours as it’s become increasingly apparent that Finland and Sweden will formally petition for membership in NATO AND other NATO countries are poised to say “Hell yes and welcome aboard!” the only fly in the ointment is Republicans in the United States Senate! Keep in mind that from the get-go Trump (and we know exactly where he got the idea from) has wanted to disband NATO. Or at least get the United States out of it. Word was he was going to make doing just that a priority once he was sworn in again. If at first there was pushback from the GOP on Russia/Putin and his trashing of NATO by the end of his disastrous one term as President the appalling fact is that Trump had brought most of the GOP to heel on this issue. Both his “base” of MAGA goobers and elected/appointed officials.
So amid reports of two new countries basically “mooning” Putin and saying they think the best thing for them is to join NATO those same reports say but…Senate Republicans might torpedo the whole thing!
What the hell? That’s been my reaction the past 24 hours every time I hear a pundit point out that however things once might have been, right now no one knows if enough Republicans would vote yes on admitting these two countries into NATO! (Ok, those who know me know that “hell” isn’t the word I think but I hope this will be shared so I’m trying to make it G-Rated) Frankly, these days I think all bets are off. I’m sure more than enough GOP Senators would want to vote yes, but are afraid of Trump ruining them politically. Or Faux Nooz (aka Fox News) lineup of fascist tee vee hosts would do so, with Tucker “Well, Putin never did anything to me personally (and with the sanctions my family’s cheap-assed frozen dinners will corner the Russian food market) so why are we picking on him?” leading the way. Or Putin and his oligarch pals still loyal to him and almost certainly funneled illegal campaign money to conservative candidates via more than just the NRA (whether they knew it or not) are quietly doing the “if you screw me, I’m taking YOU down with me/us” card. Or some combination of all that and maybe stuff I haven’t thought of yet.
Which brings me to Yertle. Also known as Mitch McConnell. Also known as Moscow Mitch due to his successful efforts to get Oleg Deripaska (ODP) off the hook for sanctions several years ago and commit to a big aluminum production facility in eastern Kentucky. (Which I think wound up going off the rails) McConnell really, and I mean really hated that nickname. It’s still a sore spot with him. And this is where it gets interesting to me because it’s impossible not to wonder what dirt ODP has on McConnell that he can leverage in this moment? Of course, it’s possible ODP is trying to keep out of things and maybe be the one to pick up the pieces if Putin suddenly suffers a 9mm “brain hemorrhage” or “heart attack.” More likely I think he is just hoping that Putin falls (whether simply from power or over a very high cliff to his death) and he can hang on to enough of his ill gotten wealth to retire to a non-extradition country. Or buy his own island. But the point is that McConnell had maybe thought he was off the hook with all this Moscow Mitch stuff and whatever he did a few years back is safely buried away.
But now it’s all possibly going to get dug up. This is no mere being caught between a rock and a hard place. Oh no! This is the original Star Wars where they dive down the trash chute. And when the infamous words about at least things can’t get any worse are spoken a couple of ominous sounds give lie to that and a famous Harrison Ford moment – “It’s worse.”
Here’s McConnell’s problem. He desperately wants to be Majority Leader again and history indicates the odds being in his favor. Except Trump won’t shut up about his Big Lie and is forcing other Republicans to go on record backing him up. That had made things difficult overall but more specifically (and painfully for McConnell who has already suffered through the consequences of Trump causing him to not get candidates he wanted on the ballot to even run) wing-nuts taking over the narrative in GOP primaries for Senate seats. Some will maybe even win the nomination and in states where a good Democratic candidate would have a shot even against a pre-Trump Republican.
So in addition to what in other circumstances would be truly less than ideal candidates in too many races, he’s got a new problem – the Trump and Putin bromance! He already had the problem of too many in his Party having Russia/Putin ties. Including himself although in his case he actually tried to publicly paint a different picture which in Kentucky at least worked. Now he’s faced with a caucus who might KNOW they should ratify these new NATO members but are either compromised or even if not afraid to. McConnell could well find himself furiously whipping votes to ratify. And not just seventeen but a lot more so that its not close. Which it shouldn’t be. Because if ratification fails the GOP is going to take a huge hit. Even if it passes but barely so “Moscow Mitch and his GOP” is a phrase that will be parked deep in every voter’s mind.
And that assumes McConnell himself isn’t compromised. What if he’s getting marching orders NOT to vote for ratification? Or even to whip votes against it?
As I said I wish the stakes weren’t so high. Because in most circumstances I’d enjoy the spectacle of Yertle being squeezed in a vise like a giant, overripe grape as the crank is slowly turned, waiting for that moment where he “pops.”
In the meantime, keep an eye out for what Finland and Sweden do in the days ahead. Because they just might put Moscow Mitch, every GOP Senator and maybe the entire Republican Party in that vise and squeezing them like a grape until they pop.
In the infamous words of Don, Jr, “If it’s what you say, we would love it, especially in late summer.” The timing of this, along w/ all the rethug overreach over abortion, could finally be the death knell for the GQP.
Moscow Mitch has to know that not ratifying Sweden and Finland would be political suicide. National security has been one of their calling cards for decades. The only path they really have is to quickly ratify and hope the Putin lovers in their midst don’t raise a huge stink.
I’ve done a little more digging on this and while support in Finland is well over sixty percent and they expect to have their legislature vote sometime in May (and approval seems almost certain) in Sweden support is barely over fifty percent. However, these two tend to move in tandem, with joining the EU as an example of doing something (aligning with the west) that displeased Russia. Both are also integrated to some degree in NATO already via equipment and joint exercises but haven’t done either with Russia. Sweden has a major election at the end of the summer which is what’s giving their leadership pause – again public support for joining NATO is barely fifty percent but that’s way the hell up from where it was a year ago. Or even a few months ago! I think they will follow Finland’s example, especially if the vote in their Parliament is strongly in favor of NATO membership.
As I said, it would be a fast track type of thing too. Not overnight but relatively quick. Not even countries like Hungary are opposing it which has to be giving Putin fits.
But, as you say the end of summer could make for some fun times. Right around the time the general election campaign kicks off (good ole Labor Day) the process will be well along even if it’s only Finland at that point vying for membership. THAT means right when they LEAST want to have to deal with it McConnell and GOP Senators (and Representatives for that matter) are going to get pressed on the issue and if what you are seeing about Russian war crimes so far has been sickening we have only scratched the surface. After all, Putin has just turned over Command of his “Special Military Operation” is the same guy who was given the title Butcher of Syria for his tactics of avoiding enemy troops and instead attacking civilian areas. In other words this is going to get worse before it gets better.
I think, or at least hope that Finland’s seeming to be headed for applying for NATO membership and well before the June NATO conclave will build enough momentum for Sweden to quickly follow suit. As various countries keep up a stream of “Yes – welcome aboard” this summer pressure will build here. If the timing worked out that crunch time for the GOP to declare for or against Putin was right around the main kickoff to the midterms (just before early voting) and a bunch of Republicans (and again we CAN’T let GOP House members off the hook on this) come out against it even if the U.S. ratifies the change to the Treaty it’s going to hurt the GOP. And if it puts extra hurt on Moscow Mitch as in denying him his former post as Majority Leader that’s a very thick layer of very sweet icing on the cake!
The GOP seems to have the disease of ,”Both Sider-ism”, wanting to stay employed in our Government, at way too much compensation and exotic perks … as well as putting the kibosh on anything suggested by Democrats, even if the Republican’s states would benefit …
Moscow Dipshit Mitch, has always been in the coal/oil family, hell the black lung problem with miners is just another ailment that could be prevented by alternate clean energy systems … His concern is always what is in it for him …
I’m almost certainly sure, that the Russian oligarch wanting his new aluminum factory in Kentucky … was massaged by promises from Yertle himself … in exchange, of course, for some under table rewards for McConnell as he would set things up … on the big scales system, something also tells me, the GOP side would out-weigh the Democrat’s side by many tons of criminal actions AND Actors … They have become the barrel of totally rotten apples …
There were a some stars of change a few years ago, our Grassley comes to mind … the free-for-all attitude is unbelievable, costly and dangerous to our country.
[Which Congress Critters went to see Putin in Moscow over our 4th of July holiday and what did they promise or agree to?]
Since it irritates him so, Moscow Mitch should hear the chant “Moscow Mitch Putin’s B**ch!” 24 hours a day, 365 days a year no matter where is goes or what he does! For the rest of his misbegotten life, and also have it carved on his tombstone!!
During his last reelection, we did have a huge billboard right near the airport in Louisville that he would have to pass on the way to his residence. The billboard depicted Yertle in soviet military uniform and labeled him Moscow Mitch in large red letters.
Here’s a nice little detail to throw into the mix: In a recent poll, Pew Research finds that 72% of Americans have anywhere from some to a lot of confidence in Zelensky, while “The vast majority of Americans (92%) have little or no confidence in Putin’s handling of world affairs, including 77% who have none at all.” No further comment should be necessary . . .
Hell is too nice an outcome for Moscow mitch & all the fascists bitches.