So far, the Senate minority leader has remained in the shadows. That has led some lawmakers to wonder if he will play the dealmaker this time. Democrats question whether McConnell’s 2014 reelection bid will impede his ability to support a deal. …WaPo
He’s taking his reelection in Kentucky seriously, as he should. But how does he feel about the fall his party has taken off that “cliff”? About some predictions that Republicans may be doomed in 2014?
It’s no secret that McConnell’s lifetime goal has been to become Senate majority leader, a dream that began as a Senate intern in the summer of 1963.
His first priority now is winning reelection in 2014, beginning with avoiding defeat by a conservative challenger in a primary. …WaPo
And let’s not forget Ashley Judd. McConnell certainly isn’t forgetting her challenge.
An internal poll from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s campaign shows him leading actress Ashley Judd by 4 points in a potential matchup for the Republican’s Kentucky Senate seat.
The poll, by Republican firm Voter/Consumer Research, demonstrates that McConnell’s camp is taking the possible challenge seriously. While the details were not publicly released, a memo of the results was provided to outlets including Politico and The Washington Post.
Its release comes weeks after McConnell’s campaign mocked a survey by the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling that found the same 4-point margin. …HuffPo
For the Koch v. Hollywood match in 2014, expect huge crowds of spectators.
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What may finally consume the House Republicans is their boundless contempt for the American public – a contempt bluntly demonstrated in their refusal to consider any reasonable compromise with President Obama to avoid the so-called “fiscal cliff” on December 31. They know from the election results (and every poll) that the public believes taxes should be raised on the wealthy. They know that the public wants bipartisan compromise. And they know that the approval rating of the House Republicans, in contrast to the president’s upwardly trending numbers, are veering toward historic lows. …Joe Conason, National Memo
Conason calls the Republican breakdown their “Mayan apocalypse.”