Politics

During a televised debate with Democratic opponent Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Ma., voiced his displeasure with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and said he's undecided on voting for him to lead the GOP caucus.

President Obama is leading in Massachusetts by at least 30 points, and Brown is stressing his role as a moderate Republican with a bipartisan record. Asked if he'd support McConnell next year, Brown said he was undecided and voiced disgust with Congress.

Watch (h/t LEO Weekly):

Big money is being spent this week by the political parties and outside groups in the Indiana Senate contest between Democrat Joe Donnelly and Republican Richard Mourdock.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has reportedly bought another $439,000 in advertisements for this week and the National Republican Senatorial Committee is following suit. 

For the past week, the conservative super PAC American Crossroads bas been running a nearly $1 million ad buy against Donnelly for his votes in support of President Obama's agenda. But a gang of liberal organizations led by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's Majority PAC, announced Tuesday that they are launching a $1 million campaign against Mourdock this week to highlight his opposition to the auto bailout.

Check it out:

Since taking office, Senator Rand Paul has constantly talked about reducing the national debt. 

It's also an issue that Congress seemingly discusses for every spending bill, large or small. The economy hasn't escaped this year's presidential race either, with President Barack Obama continuing to champion a plan that includes increased taxes on the wealthy to help pay down some debt. 

But in a speech to the Horse Cave Rotary Club, Paul pushed back on that idea. Paul argued doing so would hurt private enterprise, which he said helps fund public works the government does.

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear is trying to raise awareness of Kentucky's offer of amnesty to delinquent taxpayers.

Beshear kicked off the first day of the amnesty offer today, saying delinquent taxpayers can pay what they owe and a portion of the related penalties without fear of further punishment or prosecution.

Lawmakers authorized the amnesty program earlier this year at the request of Beshear, who expects it to reap $61 million for the cash-strapped commonwealth.

Kentucky businesses and other groups could set a new spending record for lobbying state lawmakers this year.

A report released by the Legislative Ethics Commission shows that $13.2 million has already been spent on lobbying during the first eight months of 2012. The biggest spenders include several tobacco companies, as well as Churchill Downs, Humana and the Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation.

During the 2012 General Assembly, lobbyists and their employers spent $8.8 million, which is more than in any legislative session in state history. And this year’s lobbying expenditures are projected to surpass the record of $16.9 million dollars set in 2008.

"And the total spent has really grown quite a bit from about $6.5 million in 1994 up to what appears to be in excess of $17 million for 2012," says Legislative Ethics Commission John Schaaf.