Someone lit a fire under Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell today.  I believe Senate Democrats are going to be sorry they prodded the turtle. Half of the deliciousness of the moment was watching him unload on the floor of the Senate Monday afternoon.

The other half will be watching the squirming from Senate Democrats if any media bothers to ask them about his epic rant.

You simply must see it.

Oh, HOT. DAWG.

The immediate news reactions were much like my own. (Okay, without the hooting, hollering and “F*CK, YEAHs!” while I watched.). In almost every outlet, reports used words not often associated with the Senatorial Master of Deadly Dull Delivery.

McConnell blasts Dems for ‘shameful smear campaign’ against Kavanaugh

The US Senate’s top Republican accused his Democratic counterparts Monday of throwing “all the mud they could manufacture” to try to derail the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

In a speech on the Senate floor, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) said the “shameful, shameful smear campaign has hit a new low” with the latest sexual-misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh.

“Senate Democrats and their allies are trying to destroy a man’s personal and professional life on the basis of decades-old allegations that are unsubstantiated and uncorroborated,” he said.

“BLASTS”! (I LIKEE!)

Another report used an adjective that is SO unlike McConnell, as to force one to reread it and make sure you read it correctly. Are they talking about THAT Mitch McConnell…?

McConnell defends Kavanaugh in fiery speech on Senate floor

FIERY.

What is so astonishing about today’s turn on the Senate floor is the absolute clarity with which he condemned damn near everything Democrats have done to this point. McConnell held no fire, blasting away at the delays, prevarications and blatant political expediency that has motivated them, as well as calling out the “victim/s” for the appalling lack of corroboration of ANY aspect of their piteous, contrived sob stories.

In his speech, McConnell referenced the reluctance of the New York Times – a frequent punching bag for President Trump and conservative lawmakers – to print Ramirez’s allegations. The New York Times reported that it “could find no one with firsthand knowledge” of the incident described by Ramirez and noted that “Ms. Ramirez herself contacted former Yale classmates asking if they recalled the incident and told some of them that she could not be certain Mr. Kavanaugh was the one who exposed himself.”

In a play off the New York Times slogan “All the News That’s Fit to Print,” McConnell said “the latest allegation is not fit to print” and added that Senate Democrats “just wanted another hit in the press.”

The Senate Leader was brutally direct as he laid waste to accusers’ inconsistent, ancient claims, and his Democratic colleagues’ bald faced political machinations. McConnell flat out called it a “smear campaign,” with nary a weasel word to soften his rhetoric.

 Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has not heard anything that should slow confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court and is pledging to push ahead.

“Judge Kavanaugh will be confirmed,” McConnell said on the Senate floor. He was echoing comments he made Friday, before revelations of additional accusations of sexual assault were leveled at Kavanaugh on Sunday.

The Kentucky Republican started with a fiery opening speech blasting the handling of allegations against President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee as a “smear campaign” Monday — just a prelude to Thursday’s main event, the hearing where the Senate Judiciary Committee will hear from both Kavanaugh and one of his accusers, Christine Blasey Ford.

“Senate Democrats and their allies are trying to destroy a man’s personal and professional life on the basis of decades-old allegations that are unsubstantiated and uncorroborated,” McConnell said.

There’s that “FIERY” again.

Damn. Just makes me want to giggle.

Right on cue, Christine Blasey Ford’s lawyers sent a “HE’S SO MEAN!!” letter to Senator Chuck Grassley, head of the Judicial Committee overseeing this circus. A mere technicality: adding one more excuse to the pile she’ll use when she doesn’t show up to the hearing on Thursday.

(I’m telling you – she ain’t gonna be there.) (Bet you a Tasticake Pumpkin Spice bagged mini-donut.)

New letter from Ford’s team to Grassley as obtained by WaPo (h/t to @ToddRuger for reporting 1st). Among other things, slam McConnell’s speech as “inconsistent” w/ Grassley approach, push back on hiring of “experienced sex crimes prosecutor” (whose identity they don’t know) pic.twitter.com/TbS2q655oY

— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) September 25, 2018

But old Cocaine Mitch isn’t backing down from a fight, and honestly? This is the last thing I expected to see, considering the Republicans’ predictable “hold ’em and fold ’em” philosophy, so often on display. McConnell is ON RECORD now, saying there WILL BE A VOTE…

But it was increasingly hard to see how the Ford testimony could affect the resolve of McConnell to ensure that Kavanaugh gets his up-or-down vote on the Senate floor, after accusing Democrats of “aiding and abetting” what he’s described as a takedown of the current federal appellate judge.

“Democrats have signaled for months they’d put on whatever performance the far left special interests demanded and throw all the mud, all the mud they could manufacture,” McConnell said. “Even by the far left’s standards, this evil, evil smear campaign has hit a new low.”

And to his eternal credit, Kavanaugh and his family aren’t backing away either.

It is quite unusual for a pending nominee for a position requiring Senate confirmation to agree to a TV interview, but that is what Kavanaugh did Monday, joined by his wife.

“I’m not going to let false accusations drive us out of this process, and we’re looking for a fair process where I can be heard and defend … my integrity, my lifelong record of promoting dignity and equality for women,” he told the Fox News Channel. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Not. Going. ANYWHERE. #lurves #fight

I canNOT wait to see what happens. GOP senators actually fighting FOR someone and something, rather than melting away into the darkness, vanquished as usual, is gratifying as all get out. I have to hand it to McConnell – he put the hammer down at just the right moment. Quivering piles of GOP Senate spinelessness now have a backbone they can borrow. You know, along about last Friday, they were probably already looking surreptitiously for the exit. **winkwinknudgenudge**

Thankfully, nobody’s hit the fire alarm yet.

Here’s to all out war. For once.

Feature Photo: J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE / AP