Mitch McConnell

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Mitch McConnell
Image:Mitch McConnell official photo.jpg
Senior Senator from Kentucky
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 3, 1985 Serving with Jim Bunning
Preceded by	Walter Huddleston
Succeeded by	Incumbent (2009)
22nd United States Senate Minority Leader
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 4, 2007
Preceded by	Harry Reid
Succeeded by	Incumbent
28th United States Senate Majority Whip
In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2007
Preceded by	Harry Reid
Succeeded by	Richard Durbin
Born	February 20 1942 (1942-02-20) (age 67) Tuscumbia, Alabama
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Elaine Chao
Profession	Lawyer
Religion	Baptist

Addison Mitchell "Mitch" McConnell, Jr. (born February 20, 1942) is the senior United States Senator from Kentucky. He was chosen by his Republican colleagues as the Minority Leader in November 2006, making him the top-ranking Republican in the 110th Congress, which convened January 3, 2007.

Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Career prior to the Senate 3 U.S. Senate 3.1 Initial election and subsequent re-elections 3.2 Republican leadership 3.3 Committees 3.4 Political actions and positions 3.5 Fundraising, contributors and influence 3.6 War in Iraq 4 Re-election 2008 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Early life and education

Born in Tuscumbia, Alabama to Julia Shockley and Addison Mitchell McConnell^[1] and raised in south Louisville, Kentucky, he attended duPont Manual High School and in 1964 graduated with honors from the University of Louisville College of Arts and Sciences, where he was student body president and member of Phi Kappa Tau. He graduated in 1967 from the University of Kentucky College of Law, where he was elected president of the Student Bar Association. McConnell served briefly in the United States Army Reserve during the Vietnam War-era but was discharged for unknown reasons.

McConnell has refused to discuss the exact circumstances surrounding the discharge, and representatives from his office have given differing statements on the topic. In August 1967, a telegram^[2] was sent to the commanding general at Fort Knox (where McConnell was in boot camp) from the office of former Senator John Sherman Cooper, for whom McConnell had previously worked as an intern. The telegram stated that McConnell, "being medically discharged your station optic neuritis", was "anxious to clear post in order to enroll NYU. Please advise when final action can be expected." However, no record exists of McConnell ever enrolling—or even applying for admission—into New York University.^[3]

McConnell is a member of the Baptist Church. He married Elaine Chao, the current Secretary of Labor, in 1993, and has three grown daughters from his first marriage. McConnell's first wife worked as a librarian for a small college in the Northeast.

In 1992, McConnell teamed with the University of Louisville to create the McConnell Center.

[edit] Career prior to the Senate

In March 1967, during his final semester of law school, McConnell gained experience on Capitol Hill as an intern under Senator John Sherman Cooper, later as an assistant to Senator Marlow Cook, and was a Deputy Assistant Attorney General under President Gerald R. Ford. From 1978 until his election to the Senate, he was the Jefferson County Judge/Executive, the top political office in Jefferson County, which includes Louisville.

[edit] U.S. Senate

[edit] Initial election and subsequent re-elections

In 1984, McConnell ran against two-term Democratic Senator Dee Huddleston and won by a razor-thin margin — less than half a percentage point. The race wasn't decided until the last returns came in, and it appeared that McConnell won only because of Ronald Reagan's gigantic landslide in that year's presidential election (Reagan won Kentucky by 21 percentage points). Part of McConnell's success came from a series of television campaign spots called "Where's Dee", which featured a group of bloodhounds trying to find Huddleston, implying that Huddleston's attendance record in the Senate was less than stellar. His campaign bumper stickers and television ads asked voters to "Switch to Mitch". Despite the wide perception that 1984 was a disaster for Democrats, McConnell was the only Republican to defeat an incumbent Democratic senator that year.

In 1990, McConnell faced a tough reelection contest against former Louisville mayor Harvey I. Sloane, winning by only 4.5 points. He had a slightly easier time in 1996, even as Bill Clinton narrowly carried the state. In 1996, Democrat Steve Beshear was unable to get McConnell to debate him. Bumper stickers were produced that read, "Ditch Mitch." McConnell's television ads warned voters to not "Get Besheared" and included images of sheep being sheared. In 2002, he was reelected with the largest majority by a Republican candidate in Kentucky history.

[edit] Republican leadership

McConnell was chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee during the 1998 and 2000 election cycles. In both, Republicans maintained control of the Senate. McConnell was first elected as Majority Whip in the 108th Congress, and unanimously re-elected by Republicans in the Senate on November 17, 2004. Sen. Bill Frist, the Majority Leader, did not seek re-election in the 2006 elections. After Republicans lost control of the Senate in November 2006, they elected McConnell to replace Frist as Republican Leader.

[edit] Committees

McConnell currently serves as a senior member of the Appropriations Committee. He is ranking member of the United States Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations and Related Programs, a key foreign policy perch, which he has used to continue support for the Bush administration's foreign policies. He is also a senior member of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry and the Rules and Administration Committees.

[edit] Political actions and positions

McConnell is a staunch conservative and a master of procedure, but no piece of landmark legislation bears his name. He is widely considered a "kingmaker" in Kentucky Republican politics.^[4]

Although he is an ardent conservative, he has distanced himself from the majority in his party by opposing the Flag Desecration Amendment, arguing against modifying the constitution to address "every political and social ill" the nation faces. He has, however, sponsored legislation that would illegalize flag burning but without a constitutional amendment.^[5]

In keeping with his support of free speech, McConnell has expressed strong opposition to the Fairness Doctrine, which he believes would adversely affect talk radio in the United States.^[6]

Perhaps the only issue on which McConnell has a national profile is in his opposition to campaign finance regulation. McConnell believes that legal limits on campaign contributions violates the First Amendment, reduces participation in political campaigns, and protect incumbents from competition.^[7] He spearheaded the movement against the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (commonly known as the "McCain-Feingold bill"), calling it "neither fair, nor balanced, nor constitutional."^[8] His opposition to the bill culminated in the 2003 Supreme Court case McConnell v. Federal Election Commission.

McConnell remains one of the strongest supporters of the American invasion of Iraq, which he considers a central part of the "War on Terrorism". He holds the view that the violence in Iraq is perpetrated primarily by al-Qaeda and other international jihadists, who would otherwise be engaged in terrorist actions within the United States. In an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper on January 10, 2007 (after President Bush's announcement of an escalation in troop levels in Iraq), McConnell claimed that the war in Iraq was a "success" because it had prevented terrorist attacks in the U.S. since the September 11, 2001 attacks. He warned that if the United States withdrew from Iraq, "the terrorists would come after us where we live."

In 1996, Senator McConnell demanded that President Clinton allow White House aides to testify under oath. On April 1, 2007, Chris Wallace claimed that McConnell's stance on Karl Rove and Harriet Miers testifying under oath in relation to the Dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy was contradictory. Wallace asked, "In 1996, you were saying those White House aides should testify in open hearing. These were White House aides of Bill Clinton, in open hearing under oath. Why shouldn't the same rules apply for the Bush White House and people like Karl Rove?" McConnell replied, "And what I’m telling you is the president's going to make that decision."

[edit] Fundraising, contributors and influence

In October 2006, the Lexington Herald Leader published a series of articles based on a six-month examination of McConnell's fundraising.^[9] The paper reported that McConnell had raised nearly $220 million during his Senate career. Most of the money went to the campaigns of his GOP colleagues; in return, the paper said, those colleagues "have rewarded him with power." "He's completely dogged in his pursuit of money. That's his great love, above everything else," said Marshall Wittmann, a former aide to Senator John McCain and a Christian Coalition lobbyist in Washington.

The paper found a significant correlation between McConnell's actions and his donors' agendas. He supported government action to help cigarette makers, Las Vegas casinos, the pharmaceutical industry, credit card lenders, coal mine owners, and others who gave large amounts of money. McConnell has responded that he never allows money to influence him.^[10]

[edit] War in Iraq

Sen. McConnell has been an advocate of the War in Iraq and an ardent supporter of President George W. Bush and his policies. However, after his party lost control of Congress in the 2006 election, McConnell started to change his mind.

Regarding the failure of the Iraqi government to make reforms, McConnell said the following on Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer: "The Iraqi government is a huge disappointment. Republicans overwhelmingly feel disappointed about the Iraqi government. I read just this week that a significant number of the Iraqi parliament want to vote to ask us to leave. I want to assure you, Wolf, if they vote to ask us to leave, we'll be glad to comply with their request."^[11]

On the June 17, 2007 edition of CBS News' Face the Nation, McConnell said: "Most members of my conference in the Senate believe [that September will be] the critical point to evaluate where we are ... I think everybody anticipates that there's going to be a new strategy in the fall. I find growing support in the Senate among Republicans, and for that matter, some Democrats as well, for the recommendations of the [Baker-Hamilton] Iraq Study Group"^[12][13]

On July 9, 2007, in Hopkinsville, Kentucky at Fort Campbell speaking to a contingent of troops about to ship out for a 15-month deployment to Iraq, McConnell said: "The majority of the public has decided the Iraq effort is not worth it," he said. "That puts a lot of pressure on Congress to act because public opinion in a democracy is not irrelevant."^[14][15]

[edit] Re-election 2008

Main article: United States Senate election in Kentucky, 2008

McConnell has announced he will seek re-election in 2008. He may face a Republican challenge in his re-election bid. Allies of Kentucky governor Ernie Fletcher are backing a campaign to draft Larry Forgy, a former candidate for the state Supreme Court who lost a primary for governor in 1991 and lost a close race for governor in 1995. On May 24, 2007, Fletcher won the Republican nomination for a second term as governor.^[16] Fletcher lost his bid for a second term on November 6, 2007.

As of November 2007, 44% approve of McConnell and 47% disapprove.^[17] As of July 2007, McConnell's campaign had raised $6 million for the election.^[18]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Find more information on Mitch McConnell by searching Wikipedia's sister projects
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• United States Senator Mitch McConnell, U.S. Senate site
• Mitch McConnell For U.S. Senate, Campaign site

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
• New York Times — Mitch McConnell News collected news and commentary
• SourceWatch Congresspedia — Mitch McConnell profile
• "The McConnell Machine", Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader six-month investigation into finances of Sen. Mitch McConnell

United States Senate
Preceded by Walter Huddleston	United States Senator (Class 2) from Kentucky 1985 – present Served alongside: Wendell H. Ford, Jim Bunning	Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by John Warner	Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee 1999 – 2001	Succeeded by Chris Dodd
Preceded by Harry Reid	Senate Majority Whip 2003 – 2007	Succeeded by Richard Durbin
Preceded by Harry Reid	Senate Minority Leader 2007 – present	Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by Al D'Amato	Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee 1997 – 2001	Succeeded by Bill Frist
Preceded by Don Nickles	Senate Republican Whip 2003 – 2007	Succeeded by Trent Lott
Preceded by Bill Frist	Senate Republican Leader 2007 – present	Incumbent

v • d • e United States Senators from Kentucky

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Kentucky's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators	Mitch McConnell (R), Jim Bunning (R)
Representative(s)	Ed Whitfield (R), Ron Lewis (R), John Yarmuth (D), Geoff Davis (R), Hal Rogers (R), Ben Chandler (D)
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Underwood • Robinson • McNary • Austin • McNary • White • Barkley • Wherry • Bridges • Johnson • Knowland • Dirksen • Scott • Baker • Byrd • Dole • Daschle • Lott • Daschle • Lott • Frist • Daschle • Reid • McConnell	Image:Us senate seal.png

v • d • e Chairmen of the National Republican Senatorial Committee
Bridges • Brewster • Dirksen • Goldwater • Dirksen • Schoeppel • Goldwater • Morton • Murphy • Tower • Dominick • Brock • Stevens • Packwood • Heinz • Packwood • Lugar • Heinz • Boschwitz • Nickles • Gramm • D'Amato • McConnell • Frist • Allen • Dole • Ensign

Persondata
NAME	McConnell, Mitch
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	McConnell, Addison Mitchell, Jr. (full name)
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Kentucky politician
DATE OF BIRTH	February 20, 1942
PLACE OF BIRTH	Tuscumbia, Alabama
DATE OF DEATH	living
PLACE OF DEATH

de:Mitch McConnell

fr:Mitch McConnell it:Mitch McConnell nl:Mitch McConnell pl:Mitch McConnell ru:Митч МакКоннелл fi:Mitch McConnell sv:Mitch McConnell