In May, Politico reported that Mitch McConnell reveled in his critics’ view of him as a villain (“because there’s almost no downside unless he somehow finds himself in a competitive general election”). Certainly, the man is a master of tribal warfare, who has never exhibited any shame.

When John Brennan showed the Gang of Eight evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 election, and sought to craft a bipartisan statement for the American people, McConnell turned a blind eye to the evidence and replied, “You’re trying to screw the Republican candidate.”

By all accounts, partisan advantage for McConnell trumps consistency of principle, the preservation of democratic norms, and, yes, even defense of our nation’s security — and up till now, the senior senator from Kentucky seemed fine with his reputation for “unhinged partisanship” (to borrow McConnell’s phrase).

But, when MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough dubbed McConnell “Moscow Mitch” and the Washington Post’s Dana Milbank suggested that the senator was a Russian asset, they struck a nerve.

Could — “somehow” — McConnell “find himself in a competitive general election” in 2020? Is he anxious that his new nickname, and charges of covering for Putin’s Russia, might threaten his safe reelection?

Yes, that’s a long shot. But in the Trump era, it’s hard to take anything for granted. So much could go wrong in the next 16 months.

(Image courtesy of Kentucky Democrats.)