— by John Schaff —
Kentuckians watching their Washington politicians are witnessing Representative Andy Barr betraying his friend and mentor Senator Mitch McConnell in a way that reminds people of what Judas did to Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.
Over the years, McConnell’s hard work single-handedly built the Republican Party of Kentucky into the state’s majority party. McConnell made it possible 15 years ago for a former government lawyer like Barr to even dream of running for Congress in central Kentucky.
Without McConnell, there would be no Congressman Barr, and for years Barr followed McConnell’s lead in voting to protect Social Security, veterans, and a strong military. Sadly, Barr has gone weak and fainted into the arms of multi-billionaire government contractor Elon Musk.
As with Judas, there’s a reason for Barr’s radical reversal: he’s doing it for Elon’s money. If money is the root of all evil, Musk’s campaign contributions are certainly at the heart of Barr’s treachery toward McConnell.
Barr’s in frantic pursuit of McConnell’s Senate seat, so he’s ditching his long-time ally and desperately chasing Elon. In years to come, Barr’s lust for Musk’s money and his betrayal of McConnell will be remembered as one of the most despicable double crosses in Kentucky political history.
McConnell’s a constitutional conservative, and as the nation’s founders intended, he’s always stood up for the budget-making power of Congress, the branch of government closest to the people.
In contrast, and for Elon’s money, Barr is cheerleading for Musk, an unelected rich guy who’s plundering tax dollars that were appropriated by law (with Barr’s votes) and trying to pull the plug on Social Security so it can be handed over to Wall Street bankers.
Elon calls Social Security “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time” and Barr smiles and says: “Thank you sir, may I have another.”
Musk is a South African native who dumped about $300 million into last year’s presidential campaign. That money bought him a big government job, and with Barr’s approval, Elon is using his position to decimate programs that support Kentucky veterans and the military, Social Security, Medicare, national parks, public schools, cancer research, and disaster aid for flood victims. Musk can also use his position to steer billions of taxpayer dollars to his private businesses.
For Elon’s money, and another slap in McConnell’s face, Barr is supporting tariffs that amount to a national sales tax. Tariffs will increase inflation, and cause chaos in the stock market and the retirement accounts of millions of Americans.
Both McConnell and Sen. Rand Paul are telling Barr that “Tariffs are simply taxes. Conservatives once united against new taxes. Taxing trade will mean less trade and higher prices.”
In strongly opposing Barr’s position, McConnell explained that “tariffs could have long-term consequences (on Kentucky’s) 75,000 family farms that sell their crops around the globe, the hardworking Kentuckians who craft 95 percent of the world’s bourbon, (and) our auto industry that relies on global supply chains to support the livelihoods of thousands of workers in the Commonwealth.”
Musk is threatening to spend campaign money against members of Congress who don’t support plans to devastate American families, so Barr is kneeling and kissing Musk’s ring.
Although he’s trying hard to please Elon, Barr has a poor understanding of Kentucky politics if he thinks voters want a Senator who licks the boots of an unelected oddball whose drug use and erratic behavior worry his closest associates.
Kentuckians have voted overwhelmingly for many Presidents, including Lyndon Johnson, Ronald Reagan, and Donald Trump, but they’ve never elected a Senator who promised to be a lapdog for anybody.
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Written by John Schaff, a retired attorney and the co-author of “The Hidden History of Kentucky Political Scandals.” Cross-posted from the NKY Tribune.
