FromBill'sPoliticalBag
Justassoonasthegovernor’sraceisinthebooks…U.S.SenatorMitchMcConnell’sTVre-electioncampaignissettobegin. RecordsthatarerequiredtobemadepublicshowMcConnellhasboughttelevisiontimeinhighprofileprogrammingstartinginNovember.
McConnellisbuyingadsaroundUKbasketballgamesandotherhighprofileWildcatathleticevents.
McConnell,whohastoldsupportersinfundraisinglettersthatheexpectsastrongchallengenextyear,isgoingbacktohisroots. WhenMcConnellfirstranforthesenatein1984,hestartedveryearly. McConnelltoldusrecentlythathehopestoraise$10millionbytheendoftheyearandwillspendmostofthatontelevisionads. TheearlystrategyisnodoubtintendedtoshowanyDemocrathewillrunavigorousracenextyear. ItmayalsodemonstratetoanypotentialprimaryfoethatMcConnell’sresourcesaredeep.
Thecontentoftheearlyadsisn’tknownyet…butit’sclearthatMcConnellisdeterminedtohighlighttheprestigeofhispositionasRepublicanSenateLeaderduringthecourseofthecampaign.