Kentucky Democrats sell $200,000 of 'Moscow Mitch' gear in 48 hours: report

On Saturday, Fox News reported that the Kentucky Democratic Party is claiming a haul of $200,000 from their line of "Moscow Mitch" merchandise that went live on their campaign webstore just two days ago.

Kentucky Democrats are selling T-shirts, bumper stickers, mugs, and beer cozies that mock Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell with the slogan, "Just say NYET! to Moscow Mitch." They are also selling "Moscow Mitch" vodka shot glasses that are "also compatible with Kentucky Bourbon," and even traditional Russian Cossack hats emblazoned with the Moscow Mitch slogan.

"This campaign has really caught the imagination of voters in Kentucky and across the country," said Kentucky Democratic spokeswoman Marisa McNee in a statement.

The proceeds are a badly-needed windfall for the party as Kentucky heads into its 2019 gubernatorial election, where firebrand Republican Gov. Matt Bevin is fighting to win a second term despite being the lowest-polling governor in America. McConnell himself stands for re-election in 2020, and has attracted a high-profile challenger in former fighter pilot Amy McGrath.

McConnell has rapidly acquired the nickname "Moscow Mitch" due to his stubborn obstruction of a series of bipartisan election security bills to prevent the presidential election from being attacked by Russia in 2020.

McConnell has angrily denied any loyalty to Russia, claiming that he opposes the bills because he has already appropriated money for election security and the bills would give Democrats a partisan advantage — although he hasn't bothered to come up with any specific example of how they would. He has complained that the nickname amounts to "modern-day McCarthyism."