A viral moment of Mitch McConnell being prompted through a Senate vote is fueling the argument that Congress is a rubber stamp for donors — bad news for anyone who believes lawmakers vote their conscience.

• McConnell appeared confused during a roll-call vote and only said "aye" after being prompted from off-camera.
• The claim: almost all of Congress votes the same way — checking with staff and donors first, not their principles.
• Senators like McConnell and the late Dianne Feinstein are cast as stand-ins for the money behind them, not their states.
• TV coverage gets blamed for smoothing it over and calling the votes legitimate.

Outlook: Expect more scrutiny of aging lawmakers and donor influence as the clip circulates.