2014 A.D. — Alexander the Barely Mediocre
Corker is the one we never wanted who must be replaced by a conservative.
NO ONE needs to be in the Senate for over 30 years. Surely someone else in KY can do the job better than McConnell has done.
McConnell is also the longest serving U.S. Senator in Kentucky history. Currently he is the 8th most-senior Senator, as well as the 4th most senior Republican member.
From 2003 to 2008, among McConnell’s top 20 donors have been 5 financial/investment firms: UBS, FMR Corporation (Fidelity Investments), Citigroup, Bank of New York and Merrill Lynch.
His second wife, whom he married in 1993, is Elaine Chao, the former Secretary of Labor under George W. Bush
Senator McConnell’s personal fortune was between $9,839,049 to $44,587,000 in 2010 and he was ranked as the 10th wealthiest member of the U.S. Senate
These are just the latest installments of McConnell’s’ decision to confront the Tea Party head on. He’s sick of right wingers holding the House hostage and limiting his ability to work with Senate Democrats. After he stepped in to end the government shutdown and avoid a default, McConnell vowed not to let it happen again.
More than any other campaign in the 2014 election, McConnell’s is a battle for control over the GOP. If he can defeat Bevin and Grimes while challenging SCF and other conservative groups, it will prove that the establishment still has power within the party. If not, it will give the Tea Party yet another boost.
However, McConnell’s war is not an isolated battle. By challenging the Tea Party in a public manner, he’s forcing other GOP candidates to pick sides. Like with Sasse, candidates cannot simultaneously receive support from conservative groups and have the minority leader’s blessing. As Strong writes, “being Switzerland isn’t really an option.”
This is a risky strategy for McConnell. He’s starting a GOP civil war, something Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) has long tried to avoid. The rift in the party could have electoral consequences. An onslaught of negative ads both aimed at and produced by Republicans will hurt the party as a whole and nasty, divisive primaries could cause some Republicans to stay home in the general election.
Boehner repeatedly capitulated to the Tea Party during the government shutdown, because the greatest risk to the House GOP’s majority was a civil war. He had no choice, but to appease them. With Obamacare’s disastrous launch, the chances of Democrats retaking the House have fallen to zero. Now, Republicans have a huge opportunity to take back the Senate. But McConnell’s tactics could reduce those chances.
This was the war that Boehner has been trying to avoid for years. McConnell is now welcoming it.