Mitch McConnell's last stand

[babylonsister]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122551658499990665.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Mitch McConnell's last stand
The Kentucky senator fights to hold his seat.
By BRENDAN MINITER


Will Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell be among the Republican casualties on Election Day? In the latest Lexington Herald-Leader/WKYT poll, Mr. McConnell, the GOP Senate leader, has slipped below the magic number for incumbents of 50%. If tradition holds, he can't expect to win many late-deciding voters amid a barrage of attack ads funded by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in the closing days. Though the Herald-Leader poll still has him clinging to a slim lead, 47% to 43%, he's anything but a shoo-in.

Democrats relish the thought of knocking off Mr. McConnell as payback for the defeat four years ago of their own then-Majority Leader Tom Daschle. Mr. McConnell's defeat would also move them closer to a 60-seat, filibuster-proof Senate majority. One of the party's top stars, Hillary Clinton, will even spend the last Sunday before Election Day stumping for Mr. McConnell's Democratic challenger Bruce Lunsford.

Democrats were emboldened by last year's crushing defeat of incumbent Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher by Steve Beshear. But they may be reading too much into that victory. South Dakota voters saw Mr. Daschle as an "obstructionist" and sent him packing in 2004 while giving President George W. Bush a re-election margin of 22 points. Mr. McConnell's situation is totally different. He's still a conservative in a red state that will almost certainly vote overwhelmingly for the Republican presidential candidate. In the past, Mr. McConnell has managed to hold his seat with the largest victory margins of any Republican in Kentucky history.

At the moment, though, he's being flayed for his support of the $700 billion Wall Street bailout -- which the state's other Republican senator, Jim Bunning, denounced as "socialism." Kentucky voters have a hard time understanding why they should pay for a financial meltdown that so far has barely touched their state. Still, Mr. McConnell may start to get some credit for making the hard decisions as Kentucky begins to feel the pain.

Then there's this: Both he and his opponent have taken to calling their contest "the second most important" in the country because of the prospect of a Democratic supermajority in the Senate. As Mr. McConnell told supporters Wednesday: "There is nothing the far left would like better besides winning the White House than to take me out." That argument may yet be salvation for him and several other embattled GOP Senators around the country.

[snappyturtle]

1. K&R We are going to be busy Tuesday eve watching all these

returns! I can hardly wait! :woohoo:

[catgirl]

2. I will shout with joy if we take Kentucky

It looks like in order to get to that magic 60, it could come down to KY, MS, and/or GA. We will need to win one
of these races.

[Canuckistanian]

3. May the chinless wonder fade into history

Ye shall not be missed.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

4. I don't usually swear on this site

But Mitch McConnell is such a chickensh*t.