Toppling GOP leader a long shot for Dems

Toppling GOP leader a long shot for Dems

By BRUCE SCHREINER
Associated Press Writer


LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- For someone accustomed to being a political aggressor, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has a bull's eye on his back at the beginning of what may be his toughest re-election campaign in years.

Interest groups have run television ads attacking the Kentucky Republican for supporting President Bush's Iraq war policy and opposing legislation to expand federal subsidies for children's health care.

But McConnell's Democratic opponent likely will face an uphill climb to compete financially in what is expected to be an expensive race. As of Sept. 30, McConnell had raised more than $9 million and had nearly $7 million on hand for the 2008 campaign.

"Obviously, it will be a difficult race because he is the champion of fundraising," said Gov.-elect Steve Beshear, a Democrat who won a lopsided victory this month over first-term Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher.

Buoyed by Beshear's win, Kentucky Democrats sense an opportunity to topple McConnell, a four-term senator and the state's Republican kingpin.

"He's certainly more vulnerable now than he's been in a long, long time," said Beshear, who knows just how formidable McConnell can be, having lost a 1996 Senate race to him by more than 160,000 votes.

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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MCCONNELL_SENATE_RACE?SITE=CONGRA&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

I'm sure there are a lot of issues about McConnell that can be unearthed. :)

Nationally, Republicans under McConnell start out at a big disadvantage in trying to retake control of a Senate where Democrats now have what is effectively a 51-49 majority. Only 12 Democratic seats are in play in 2008, compared with 22 GOP seats.

While Democrats boast top-tier challengers for Republican-held seats in Colorado, Virginia, New Hampshire, Maine, Minnesota and Oregon, they make no such claim in Kentucky.

And established Kentucky Democrats aren't exactly jumping at the chance to challenge McConnell, who already is running TV ads touting his Senate leadership position and how it benefits the state.

So far, the only announced Democratic candidate is political newcomer Michael Cassaro, a Louisville-area doctor who acknowledged that his campaign headquarters for now is a spare bedroom at his father's house.

Two veteran Democratic politicians with statewide name recognition are considering runs - departing Attorney General Greg Stumbo and state Auditor Crit Luallen, who won a second term this month.

But Rick Santorum was supposed to be invulnerable, too. Anyone remember how that turned out? Conrad Burns was invincible in Montana. Tom "The Hammer" DeLay was just too powerful politically. And where are they now?

Yeah, an uphill fight. A long shot. But every dollar that Mitch McConnell, the former Senate majority leader, has to use to keep himself safe and secure, that's a dollar that he can't pass through to another candidate. Every speech and fundraiser he has to make to shore up his home state standing is a speech and a fundraiser that doesn't benefit any other troubled candidate. The Democrats don't have to do much in Kentucky to tie Mitch into knots and completely defuse his position and influence. But Kentucky Democrats have to be feeling pretty good about their efforts in the last two elections, and 2008 could be another very good year there.

Yours is much better. :D

I went and read the whole article, and it doesn't seem too bad. First things first, the Democrats need a good, credible candidate. Greg Stumbo seems like he would be a good guy to run, having statewide name recognition and all. According to the article, McConnell's got some pretty high negatives, so any Democrat who runs should expect to get an immediate 40% or more of the vote.

But I'd rather see McConnell thinking that he's fat, rich and safe right now. Sleep, Mr. McConnell. Sleep well.