Republican Nebraska state Senator Mike McDonnell, a key vote required for the Trump-and-Lindsey Graham-backed plan to give the convicted felon former president a free Electoral College vote by reverting to the winner-take-all system of 48 other states, announced on Monday that he will not support the bill should Gov Jim Pillen call a special session, the Nebraska Examiner reports.

“Elections should be an opportunity for all voters to be heard, no matter who they are, where they live, or what party they support,” said McDonnell in a statement. “I have taken time to listen carefully to Nebraskans and national leaders on both sides of the issue. After deep consideration, it is clear to me that right now, 43 days from Election Day, is not the moment to make this change.” The term-limited McDonnell is said to be eyeing Omaha City Hall for his next move and fucking the town’s voters out of an Electoral College vote would’ve been a good way to guarantee defeat.

Without McDonnell’s support, the district, which Joe Biden flipped blue in 2020 after Trump won it in 2016 and Mitt Romney took it in 2012, seems an easy pickup for Vice President Kamala Harris as what little polling there has been found her leading consistently. We were at first puzzled by what seemed to be a mutually assured destruction as Maine Dems had promised to retaliate by killing their split votes but it seemed that Republicans had done their homework on statute there as legislative rules (or maybe even the state constitution) prevent any law passed in Maine from becoming law for 90 days. Which is why they waited until now to restart the special session push.

And to think that Lindsey flew all the way to friggin Nebraska with nothing to show for it.