Democrats around the country have derided Mitch McConnell for years, and he’s always ignored the barbs or even embraced them with a wink. Because, back in his very Republican home state of Kentucky, the criticism just didn’t matter.

That might be changing.

“National derision followed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell home,” the Louisville Courier Journal reported Saturday, “as Democrats taunted the GOP leader with T-shirts, signs and continuous chants of ‘Moscow Mitch’ during his speech at St. Jerome Catholic Church’s annual political picnic.”

The picnic is a big deal in the Bluegrass State, a traditional kickoff of the election cycle.

The 77-year-old McConnell, a 6-term U.S. senator, has been received well at the picnic for decades. But with former special counsel Robert Mueller detailing Russia’s efforts to undermine American democracy in his report -- and making clear in recent congressional testimony that the U.S.’ former Cold War enemy continues to do so -- even some Kentuckians are starting to wonder about McConnell.

The “Moscow Mitch” moniker, launched by MSNBC host Joe Scarborough after the Senate majority leader blocked bipartisan election-security legislation, is “motivating the [Democratic] base” in Kentucky, says Courier Journal political reporter Phillip Bailey. McConnell and his team, Bailey told NBC News’ Chuck Todd, “haven’t figured out yet what to do.”

“He’s been known to be thick-skinned ... but the senator takes this more personally,” Bailey said.

Along with Scarborough’s jibe, this latest critical onslaught on McConnell gained steam after Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank wrote that “Mitch McConnell is a Russian asset.”

Milbank went on to say he wasn’t accusing the Senate majority leader of being a spy for Russia -- before noting that McConnell has refused to adequately protect U.S. elections from foreign interference. “Let’s call this what it is: unpatriotic,” he wrote. “The Kentucky Republican is, arguably more than any other American, doing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bidding.”

Joseph Gerth, a columnist in Kentucky, has picked up on Milbank’s argument, writing that McConnell has no problem with “allowing anyone to get away with anything as long as it advances his own personal goals.”

In his testimony, Mueller said it’s “generally true” that Russia’s goal has been to aid President Donald Trump and other Republican candidates.

McConnell has done his best to defend himself.

Modern-day McCarthyism is poison for American democracy. It is shameful to imply that policy disagreements make the other side unpatriotic. The people who push such unhinged smears are doing Putin’s destabilizing work for him. — Leader McConnell (@senatemajldr) July 29, 2019

“For decades, I have used my Senate seat to stand up to Russia,” the Senate majority leader insisted on the Senate floor last week. He added on Twitter that the suggestion he works for Russian interests is “Modern-day McCarthyism.”

That McConnell has taken offense at the taunting has only emboldened his detractors. They’ve pushed “Moscow Mitch” memes online and written bad poetry about McConnell and Russia. The Kentucky Democratic Party is raising money off “Moscow Mitch” merchandise.

Meet Mitch McConnell the traitor

From the party of two-faced baiters.

Our freedom we'll win

From this stooge of Putin

When we take back our country from haters! #MoscowMitchPoetry — FireflyInTheEvening (@morrigansarcher) August 3, 2019

Democratic candidates looking to face off against McConnell in 2020’s general election include two retired Marine lieutenant colonels, Amy McGrath and Mike Broihier. McConnell remains the heavy favorite to retain his seat in the Senate.

-- Douglas Perry

@douglasmperry

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