MITCH MC CONNELL: Elections[edit] 1984 Main article: United States Senate election in Kentucky, 1984 In 1984, McConnell ran for the U.S. Senate against two-term Democratic incumbent Walter Dee Huddleston. The election race wasnt decided until the last returns came in, and McConnell won by a thin margin—only 5,200 votes out of more than 1.8 million votes cast, just over 0.4%.[11] McConnell was the only Republican Senate challenger to win that year, despite Ronald Reagans landslide victory in the presidential election. Part of McConnells success came from a series of television campaign spots called Wheres Dee, which featured a group of bloodhounds trying to find Huddleston,[12][13] implying that Huddlestons attendance record in the Senate was less than stellar. His campaign bumper stickers and television ads asked voters to Switch to Mitch.[14] It is likely that he was helped by Ronald Reagans 21-point win in Kentucky that year. 1990 Main article: United States Senate election in Kentucky, 1990 In 1990, McConnell faced a tough re-election contest against former Louisville Mayor Harvey I. Sloane, winning by 4.4%. In 1996, he defeated Steve Beshear by 12.6%, even as Bill Clinton narrowly carried the state. In keeping with a tradition of humorous and effective television ads in his campaigns, McConnells campaign ran television ads that warned voters to not Get BeSheared and included images of sheep being sheared.[14] 2002 Main article: United States Senate election in Kentucky, 2002 In 2002, he was re-elected against Lois Combs Weinberg by 26.4%, the largest majority by a Republican candidate in Kentucky history. 2008 Main article: United States Senate election in Kentucky, 2008 In 2008, after a close campaign, he defeated Bruce Lunsford by 6%.[15] 2014 Main article: United States Senate election in Kentucky, 2014 In 2014, McConnell faced Louisville businessman Matt Bevin in the Republican primary.[16] The 60.2% won by McConnell is the lowest voter support for a Kentucky U.S. Senator in a primary by either party since 1938.[17] He will face Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes in the general election. Leadership[edit] During the 1998 and 2000 election cycles, McConnell was chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Republicans maintained control of the Senate in both. He was first elected as Majority Whip in the 108th Congress and unanimously re-elected on November 17, 2004. Senator Bill Frist, the Majority Leader, did not seek re-election in the 2006 elections. In November 2006, after Republicans lost control of the Senate, they elected McConnell to replace Frist as Minority Leader. Tenure[edit] Reputation According to The New York Times, in his early years as a politician in Kentucky, McConnell was something of a centrist. In later years, McConnell followed his party and his state in becoming more conservative, changing his mind on a number of subjects, including abandoning collective-bargaining rights and minimum-wage increases that he previous supported, and abandoning pork barrel projects he once delivered to the state of Kentucky.[10] According to a profile in Politico, While most politicians desperately want to be liked, McConnell has relished—and cultivated—his reputation as a villain. The Politico profile also noted For most of Obama’s presidency, McConnell has been the face of Republican obstructionism.[18] According to Salon, Despite McConnell’s reputation as the man who said his No. 1 goal was to stop President Obama from winning a second term, it’s been McConnell at the table when the big deals — be they over threatened government shutdowns, debt defaults or fiscal cliffs — have been finalized.[19] Foreign policy After winning election to the U.S. Senate in 1984, McConnell backed anti-apartheid legislation with Chris Dodd.[20] McConnell went on to engineer new IMF funding to faithfully protect aid to Egypt and Israel, and promote free elections and better treatment of Muslim refugees in Myanmar, Cambodia and Macedonia. According to March 2014 article in Politico, McConnell was a go-to guy” for presidents of both parties seeking foreign aid, but he has lost some of his idealism and evolved to be more wary of foreign assistance.[21] McConnell stands in front and directly to the right of President Obama as he signs tax cuts and unemployment insurance legislation on December 17, 2010. In August 2007, McConnell introduced the Protect America Act of 2007, which allowed the National Security Agency to monitor telephone and electronic communications of suspected terrorists outside the United States without obtaining a warrant.[22] McConnell was the only party leader in Congress to oppose the resolution that would authorize military strikes against Syria in September 2013, citing a lack of national security risk.[23] On March 27, 2014, McConnell introduced the United States International Programming to Ukraine and Neighboring Regions bill, which would provide additional funding and instructions to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in response to the 2014 Crimea crisis.[24][25] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitch_McConnell
Posted on: Mon, 13 Oct 2014 22:54:08 +0000
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