Just how stupid does Mitch McConnell think women are? Judging by his new ‘Women For Team Mitch’ campaign, the answer is ‘plenty.’

McConnell’s new pitch for the vote of Kentucky women — in his bid for re-election to the Senate — is so full of lies and distortions, he must think his constituents never pick up a scrap of news. Or perhaps he thinks most women are gullible and easy prey for manipulation by a ‘charming’ Southern politician. In any case, the move shows how desperate he is to combat the threat from Democratic candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes.

On Friday, at the rollout of ‘Women For Team Mitch’, the Senator’s campaign issued a press release that quotes a supporter as saying:

Mitch was the co-sponsor of the original Violence Against Women Act — and continues to advocate for stronger policies to protect women.

Oh, really? Well, he was, indeed, a co-sponsor of the original VAWA back in 1991, when it died in committee. However, he withdrew his support by 1993, voting against it in 1994, 2012, and 2013. McConnell has taken to insisting that he voted against the bill because it wasn’t strong enough — an odd position, considering that all of the female Republican senators thought otherwise and voted for it.

The Senator’s spokesperson, former Congresswoman Anne Northup, attempted to frame his opposition to other bills, like the Lilly Ledbetter Act and Paycheck Fairness Act, as concern for women. She said he voted against the bills because they would “make the workplace more difficult” for women.

The media-savvy campaign of Alison Lundergan Grimes, which has been hammering McConnell on women’s issues, stayed out in front of him as his Friday event grew near. A couple of days beforehand, the campaign sent an email to The Hill that said:

Senator McConnell’s refusal to stand up for women on key issues of economic security is shameful. From voting against the Paycheck Fairness Act and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, to blocking the Violence Against Women Act, McConnell has failed to lead on issues important to women and their families. Kentuckians know there is one candidate on their side: Alison Lundergan Grimes.

In a counter-move, McConnell surrounded himself with women for Friday’s event — women from 120 counties who told anecdotal stories about how he had helped them. He was accompanied by what he obviously considers his big gun in his struggle for women’s votes — his wife, former Labor Secretary Elaine Chou. Chou wanted the crowd to know that her husband supports breast cancer research and more cancer screenings for the poor. That’s funny — she didn’t mention his opposition to the Affordable Care Act, which he wants to rip out and dispose of “root and branch”. The Obamacare legislation would, of course, vastly improve women’s access to health care insurance, provide free cancer screenings and free contraception, and put their costs on par with men’s. Ah, those pesky details!

Lundergan Grimes immediately issued the following statement:

Simply saying, ‘I’m married to a woman’ doesn’t speak loud enough. Senator McConnell’s actions over the course of 28 years show how he has failed to stand up for women.

His dismal record on women’s issues has been blatant and, of course, public. A 17-year history of how he voted on important bills can be viewed here.

Exactly who does McConnell think he can fool with his lies and distortions? He doesn’t have a prayer of making a dent with the women who are rallying behind Alison Lundergan Grimes. Apparently, however, there are 120 Kentucky women whom he has in his pocket, plus his wife. Then again, Elaine Chou worked for George W. Bush for eight years — so what does that say to you about honesty and veracity?