 July 28, 2021 | by Chris Cillizza and Lauren Dezenski Mitch McConnell is doing something he deserves a lot of credit for  Less than half of all Kentucky residents are vaccinated against the coronavirus. And Mitch McConnell is trying to do something about it.
The Senate minority leader is set to start running 60-second ads on 100 radio stations in the state to educate people on the vaccine and urge them to get the shot(s). (McConnell is paying for the ads out of his campaign account, where, as of the end of 2020, he had almost $7 million in the bank.)
"Not enough people are vaccinated," McConnell told Reuters of his decision to spend his campaign cash on the education effort. "So we're trying to get them to reconsider and get back on the path to get us to some level of herd immunity."
That is a very good thing -- particularly given that the Delta variant of Covid-19 is ravaging the unvaccinated in America. Not only is less than half of Kentucky vaccinated, but cases also have gone up 193% in just the last two weeks, according to data from The New York Times. (That's the 15th fastest growth rate in the country.)
McConnell has also been -- even before the ads -- a leading voice, particularly among Republicans, for vaccinations. That's explained at least in part by the fact that he contracted polio as a child. He's spoken movingly about the impact it had on his life -- and has long been a vaccine advocate.
The Kentucky Republican has also expressed frustration with the public's inability to reach herd immunity -- although he has been unwilling to note the obvious role conservative media has played in driving vaccine skepticism.
"To use a sports analogy, we're in the red zone, the last 20 yards before the end zone, but we're not in the end zone yet because there is resistance for various reasons that seem to have gotten caught up in politics," McConnell said earlier this month.
The Point: I've been plenty critical of McConnell -- particularly for the decisive role he played in submarining an independent commission on the January 6 riot. But on the vaccine front, he has been consistent. And deserves credit.
-- Chris QUOTE OF THE DAY "He's such a moron." -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, when asked about House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's criticism of the Capitol physician's mask mandate in the House. WEDNESDAY'S MUST-SEE TWEETS  1. 99.5% 2. Members of Congress are bad at following directions 4. You should have seen what they wanted to do at the Olympics opening ceremony ... 5. This is a solid Simone Biles limerick 
CHRIS' GOOD READS  The CDC hasn't exactly covered itself in glory during this pandemic. And this New York Times piece notes that the organization's latest on mask guidance is deeply confusing.
Before you offer up your hottest take about Simone Biles, check out this amazing explainer by The New York Times about what, specifically, went wrong in her now-infamous vault.
MUSICAL INTERLUDE Wolf Alice has been a big deal in the UK since the group won the prestigious Mercury prize back in 2018 for their second album, "Visions of a Life." But it's their new album -- "Blue Weekend" -- that's really caught my ear.
-- Chris MEANWHILE, IN FLORIDA  Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried on Tuesday suspended the concealed-carry weapon permits of 22 Floridians involved in the January 6 insurrection, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Fried's office oversees permitting, giving her the authority to suspend licenses from individuals who participated in the attack on the US Capitol and are charged with felonies or certain other offenses. The suspension is effective immediately.
Fried, a Democrat, is running for governor of Florida in 2022. Should she win her party's nomination, she could face incumbent GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to seek reelection. ONE FERC-A-LICIOUS FLOOR SPEECH  Illinois Democratic Rep. Sean Casten touted the benefits of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, to combat climate change in a completely inspired floor speech sung to the tune of Fergie's "Fergalicious" on Wednesday. Watch the whole thing on C-SPAN here. You are receiving this message because you subscribed to CNN's The Point with Chris Cillizza newsletter. Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get The Point in your inbox.
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