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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMitch McConnell and "The Chao Connection"
"...the Chao family had by far the most significant effect on McConnells personal life and career. Thanks to second wife Elaine and her family, McConnell became a millionaire many times over and forged ties with contacts at the highest echelons of Chinese government and business.
Elaine Chaos father is shipping magnate, James Chao.
As McConnells acquaintance with Elaine Chao developed into a serious relationship, contributions began to pour into his campaign from the Chao family and their business associates. Their wedding ensured that the spigot was never turned off."
"Fast forward to 2018: McConnell retains his position as senate tyrant after the midterms; Elaine Chao is the Secretary of Transportation in Trumps cabinet, and the Chao family maintains extensive contacts and business investments in China including a seat on the Board of the Bank of China which is partnered with the Russian VTB Bank that is part-owned by oligarch Oleg Deripaska who shares ownership in Rusal with Viktor Vekselberg whose business partner Len Blavatnik donated $3.5million to McConnells Senate Leadership Fund.
Its little wonder then that hes blocked every bipartisan bill to protect the Special Counsels investigation."
"...Its hardly surprising when you realise how enmeshed he is in corruption. He must be terrified of being caught so the last person hed want to protect is Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
This also explains why he was so aggressively opposed to President Obama going public with warnings regarding Russias attack on American democracy in 2016."
"Because the tyrant in charge of the senate isnt just flawed, isnt just inadequate to the enormity of the situation, hes also corrupt. No honorable man would subject his fellow citizens to such privation and misery if he had the power to prevent it."
"Addison Mitchell McConnell is without conscience, without benevolence and without honor."
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/1/13/1825790/-McConnell-and-the-Agents-of-Power-and-Influence?utm_campaign=recent
Excellent breakdown of McTurtle's ties to Chinese and Russian oligarchs.
FM123
(10,111 posts)and that just barely scratches the surface....
olegramps
(8,200 posts)The Republican Party is an unpatriotic, despotic criminal enterprise of people consumed with greed and ultimate power. The situation is is no different then the tyrants that ruled civilization until the advent of democracy and the enlightenment. They are determined to destroy the constitution and enslave the working class just as the nobility did throughout Europe to the serfs. They just have different titles but are cut out of the same rotten bolt as kings, princes, Hitler, Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot thrown in.
Response to Va Lefty (Original post)
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Perseus
(4,341 posts)As long as democrats get away from the malpractice of eating their own, Gillibrand -> Franken, some democrats voicing concerns against AOC and giving fuel to repubs, so as long as that stops and they start uniting more, then all those things can happen.
As I have said in the past, it is actually very easy to do, Democrats meet in closed quarters, they discuss their agenda, agree by majority on a message and they all send the same message. I know some people think that the individuality Democrats have shown in the past is great, but ignorant voters don't see it that way, they become confused with what they perceive as in-fighting, unity has worked for repubs, no matter how childish and stupid their ideas are.
UNITY, extremely important in this times.
beachbum bob
(10,437 posts)and be willing to come out and vote in record numbers to make any difference at all....always a first time
Fritz Walter
(4,348 posts)Im keeping it dull and slightly rusty for the right occasion.
Lets hope we dont have to resort to the same tactics that brought about change in 18th Century France. But those with too much power and money havent always prevailed when confronted with people in desperate circumstances.
Just sayin
Ligyron
(7,832 posts)That is exactly what needs to happen. As much as possible, we need to speak as one voice.
BSdetect
(9,046 posts)erronis
(16,683 posts)The odds are not insurmountable but there is some tough climbing to do.
Ligyron
(7,832 posts)Yet we did it.
I believe there's little we cannot do if we all work together to address the very real and very basic concerns most Americans have and offer a unified message and plan of action that emphasizes fairness and an absolute dedication to representing all working class Americans and not the corporatocracy and 1%.
Haggis for Breakfast
(6,831 posts)MFGsunny
(2,356 posts)oh what a tangled web we weave ....... McTurtle gotta get his karma - and soon (we pray)!
pangaia
(24,324 posts)What a spider's web.
This should get to every news outlet in the country, as if it would do any good, eh.
Get him on a 'Sunday Show.' with somebody good and pump him...
PeeJ52
(1,588 posts)It's amazing...
Mr. McConnell... Is it true that your wife's family is on the same bank's board of directors as Oleg Deripaski's? It's such a small world, isn't it? So, is it the Illuminati we need to fear, or the Russian/Chinese mafia???
CrispyQ
(37,932 posts)McConnell's in this up to the tip of his ears.
PeeJ52
(1,588 posts)Seems the Republican party is being run by Communists... No wonder they hate true socialism so much...
dalton99a
(83,754 posts)He is smarter than Trump because he keeps his mouth shut
dem in texas
(2,681 posts)the Russians have donated millions of dollars to McConnell
Baitball Blogger
(47,663 posts)I hope that their ships arriving in US port get special attention from Homeland security.
watoos
(7,142 posts)Of course the Chao's weren't involved the stuff was loaded by someone else.
Most of the Fentenyl comes from China, maybe instead of a wall we should start inspecting Chao's cargo ships?
Baitball Blogger
(47,663 posts)safeinOhio
(33,845 posts)for large shipment of cocaine. No one arrested that I know of.
Raster
(20,999 posts)...passing out the illegal Russian* money to other GOP* members of Congress, via his own PACs.
watoos
(7,142 posts)passed out those tobacco checks right on the House floor.
panader0
(25,816 posts)Everyone needs to know more about the turtle.
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(114,108 posts)Are you saying the nut job who made that accusation was right?
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(114,108 posts)Hermit-The-Prog
(36,304 posts)He's holding the gutless GOP hostage and thereby holding all of US hostage, for personal gain in power and money.
If they weren't the gutless GOP, they'd elect a new leader.
geardaddy
(25,312 posts)I wonder if James Chao also has ties to financial institutions in Taiwan, since he fled China to Taiwan during the Chinese Civil War.
infullview
(1,036 posts)Never realized how bad this really was; this article lays it all out in its full sickness. This administration will go down in history as the most corrupt *ever* if we still have a democracy left after we get rid of them.
PatrickforO
(15,059 posts)Just move on!
calimary
(83,841 posts)that ends with Vladimir Putin.
https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2017/08/03/tangled-web-connects-russian-oligarch-money-gop-campaigns
dalton99a
(83,754 posts)Want to run an agency? It helps to know Mitch McConnell
Trump's nominee to run pension agency has a thin resume.
By IAN KULLGREN
12/17/2018 05:10 AM EST
Gordon Hartogensis has little professional paper trail, and has largely just managed his familys sprawling investment portfolio after striking gold in a '90s startup and retiring by the time he was 29. But he is expected to gain Senate confirmation by the end of the year to run the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, the troubled government backstop for people whose pension plans have become insolvent.
Hartogensis, 48, whos married to Chaos sister, will oversee an agency with nearly 1,000 employees that manages $100 billion in assets and handed out $5.8 billion to more than 861,000 retirees in 2018. Hell also have to deal with lawmakers as they contemplate a bailout plan that can avert a shortfall of tens of billions of dollars in the corporations cash reserves.
Hartogensis low public profile and his lack of government and management experience sets him apart from previous occupants of the job, who have typically worked in politics and at federal agencies such as the Treasury Department and the Office of Management and Budget before taking over. The nomination has drawn criticism for that reason.
SWBTATTReg
(23,943 posts)maxsolomon
(34,876 posts)This is good information. Adds context and perspective.
KPN
(16,024 posts)basis of it. Lock him up!
Texin
(2,628 posts)"Someone needs to ask McConnell why he only served in uniform for 37 days and was mustered out for "medical reasons". But get this, his service "record" has been totally sealed. Hmm.
I'm not familiar with the military protocols on what's open for discovery or not, but maybe someone else is and might be able to provide some possible reasons.
Butterflylady
(3,925 posts)from a Russian oligarch without expecting something from it. Traitor.
thucythucy
(8,689 posts)thank you for posting.
SleeplessinSoCal
(9,585 posts)And has been since WW2. it has been distilled to the extreme corruptness we have today. The 1% is thrilled with this. This is how the roll.
louis c
(8,652 posts)Joe941
(2,848 posts)BarbD
(1,210 posts)Look what he did to Obama.
Amaryllis
(9,767 posts)Hortensis
(58,785 posts)Tiananmen Square, when they were terrified of possible U.S. sanctions and were referred to him. It's been an extremely mutually beneficial relationship ever since. He craves power, they crave increased wealth, and of course he went on to marry one of their daughters.
McConnell could have passed the TPP in the senate when Obama asked him to and refused, saying future presidents could take it up. As a result, although China's ambitions had previously been thwarted by America's control (the other nations wanted America's protection and business), this basically ceded our control over Pacific Rim business to China.
Btw, I don't for a minute believe Hillary would have done that insanely irresponsible thing. She would have used the leverage populist antagonism gave her to improve some terms and signed back on.
So I do wonder what ALL was behind McConnell's actions. This furthered China's ambitions to replace us as the world's leading power just as blatantly as Trump's Syria and NATO benefit Russia.
spanone
(137,414 posts)alwaysinasnit
(5,217 posts)SunSeeker
(53,405 posts)Nitram
(24,379 posts)If the GOP and people like McConnell survive this, then our democracy won't.
UpInArms
(51,704 posts)nt
Amaryllis
(9,767 posts)he is hiding inside his shell.
Pepsidog
(6,292 posts)culture. I just want to vomit.
mountain grammy
(27,144 posts)and kudos to Daily Kos.
bdamomma
(65,693 posts)Congressional Democratic Senators and Reps know about this. Do you think Ms. Pelosi is aware of this???