[mc_name name=’Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’M000355′ ] has shown he has a monomania about at least one thing other than trashing conservatives: spending your money.

The bill cleared on a 64-35 vote, with just 18 Republicans joining all Democrats in backing the bill.

…

The debt deal had already cleared the House on Wednesday, as part of a rush by Republican leaders to get it done as quickly as possible, leaving little time for scrutiny. The 144-page deal was written late Monday, and the final Senate vote came at 3 a.m. Friday, meaning it was sped through in less than 100 hours.

That works out to more than $1 billion in new spending for every hour the bill was available, or some $558 million a page.

The debt increase, meanwhile, amounts to far more. Judging by recent borrowing, the 16-month debt holiday would work out to more than $1 trillion in new borrowing — or $13 billion for each hour Congress considered the bill.

Friday morning’s votes split the Republican presidential candidates, with Mr. Paul and Sens. [mc_name name=’Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’R000595′ ] and Ted Cruz opposing it and [mc_name name=’Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’G000359′ ], a prominent war hawk, backing it.

This is precisely how a transparent, democratic institution is supposed to run, isn’t it? Pushing through a massive disgorgement of hard-earned taxpayer money without even pausing to debate and doing so in the dead of the night is rapidly becoming standard practice in the Congress. Let’s take a quick trip back to [mc_name name=’Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’C001098′ ] on the floor of the Senate in July of this year:

The American people were told ‘if only we have a Republican majority in the House, things will be different.’ Well, in 2010 the American people showed up in enormous numbers and we got a Republican majority in the House — and very little changed. Then the American people were told, ‘you know, the problem is the Senate. If only we get a Republican majority in the Senate and retire Harry Reid as majority leader, then things will be different.’ Well, in 2014 the American people rose up in enormous numbers, voted to do exactly that. We’ve had a Republican majority in both houses of Congress now for about six months. What has that majority done? First thing we did, in December, is we came back and passed a $1 trillion ‘cromnibus’ plan filled with pork and corporate welfare. That was the very first thing we did. Then this Republican majority voted to fund Obamacare, voted to fund President Obama’s unconstitutional executive amnesty. And then leadership rammed through the confirmation of Loretta lynch as Attorney General. Madam President, which of those decisions would be one iota different if Harry Reid were still majority leader? Not a one. Not a one. This Senate operates exactly the same — the same priorities. And let me tell you why.

 “It’s not that this majority doesn’t get things done. It does get things done, but it listens to one and only one voice. That is the voice of the Washington Cartel, of the lobbyists on K Street, of the big money and big corporations.