There isn't an upside. They're just as stuck as the Democrats are. Mitch isn't dead, he's likely severely incapacitated. They'd love to have him on the Senate floor voting R but he isn't healthy enough to do so, and the only way to remove a Senator is expulsion by a two-thirds vote in the Senate. That certainly wouldn't get enough votes and, at this point, is pretty irrelevant anyway since the seat would simply remain vacant.

But you are correct that as long as he's ill he isn't voting, which is a good thing, which is why there was really no need for people to be all over Andy Beshear's nuts this past month.

I heard there was also a quirk of electing a replacement. Prior to August 3rd, it would have been a new election. While republicans would normally win, they have an issue with their primary. The other republican could have run and split the vote. This could have let a democrat sneak in for 6 months.

Mitch's seat isn't as safe as you think it is. I believe Charles Booker has a good chance of defeating Andy Barr in the General.

Things I have heard, that may or may not be accurate but do not sounds like "batshit stuff."

• If its after the 3rd, they can't do the special election because its too close to the regular election, I guess it takes 3 months to organize the special election. Nevermind that the special election person would get sworn in for most of November and December.

• I have also seen, I beleive for this one, that it may be that the GOP would pick 3 replacements, and the Governor who is a Democrat, picks from.thise three, maybe I am thinking of a different state, but they risk the Governor picking the "least crazy" of the three.

• More likely, I saw a comment that if McConnel is gone, it disrupts several comittees and could shift them to the Dems or tie them. His successor is not guaranteed to be his replacement in these comittees.

Corruption by force of habit rather than directed toward any specific goal.