Tagged: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell

Kentucky Republicans are getting high-profile positions at next week's national convention in Tampa, Florida while their Democratic counterparts are either skipping their party's convention or have not been offered speaking slots.

The event is set to begin August 27, and RNC organizers announced Monday that U.S. Sen. Rand Paul is delivering his keynote speech in prime time on the first day of convention. Paul is scheduled to speak around 7:45 p.m.

Calling the comments "inexcusable" Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is urging Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin to reconsidering his bid.

Over the weekend, Congressman Akin was asked if he would support abortion in the case of women who have been raped. Akin said: "It seems to me first of all, from what I understand from doctors, that's really rare...If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."

He apologized Monday for the controversial remarks and rejected calls to drop out of the race, but GOP leaders have said the Missouri lawmaker should think twice.

WFPL requested a comment from McConnell, and received the following statement.

A Tea Party rally featuring Kentucky Senators Mitch McConnell and Senator Rand Paul in Frankfort to protest President Obama’s health care law is expected to draw a big crowd this week.

The two are expected to rail against the Affordable Care Act, which has been a punching bag for Republican leaders since its passage. Over the past year, Tea Party candidates running in Senate primaries have had impressive victories in Missouri, Indiana and Texas, and McConnell's appearance is being heralded as another sign of the movement's clout.

Tea Party activist David Adams says the rally will likely receive national attention due to McConnell and Paul’s attendance.

"The real draw on this are two U.S. Senators being there, so you may see people coming from farther away than just the 20 mile circle around the state Capitol," he says.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell is defending his leadership role against conservative critics.

Later this month, McConnell will join fellow Kentucky Senator Rand Paul at a Tea Party rally in the state Capitol. The two are expected to discuss President Obama’s health care law, which has been a punching bag for GOP leaders since its passage.

But observers have noted that McConnell has been at odds with the Tea Party movement since its launch three years ago.

Speaking with WHAS radio host Mandy Connell on Tuesday, McConnell said he has addressed Tea Party groups before and their support is important to have.

"My view is the Tea Party is an important part of the conservative base. If you look at my record leading the opposition to the president over the last three and a half years, I’ve got a lot of support among Tea Party members and I don’t view this as a potentially hostile experience," he says.

In a BuzzFeed profile piece, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., celebrates the rise of social media and is praising the fall of traditional newspaper outlets.

Like most conservatives, McConnell views traditional media outlets as bias against GOP views and he appears somewhat elated about the dwindling print media that once held a stranglehold on political coverage.

McConnell says social media allows for ideas to be heard in a more competitive landscape and commented on The Courier-Journal hiring a marketing and sales VP as its publisher earlier this year.

From BuzzFeed:

McConnell, 70, spoke to BuzzFeed in his office overlooking the National Mall; he had tweeted of his plans for the interview earlier in the day from his iPad.

“To the extent that there isn’t media domination like there was in the days NBC, ABC, CBS the New York Times, the Washington Post, particularly since most people on my side of the aisle feel they had a pretty obvious bias … those days are over,” he said. “I kind of like this new environment. I think its much more competitive, much more balanced."

LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Lexington woman has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for threatening to kill U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

U.S. District Judge Jennifer B. Coffman handed down the punishment for 50-year-old Susan Mary Collins Thursday for mailing a threatening communication.

Collins previously pleaded guilty to sending the letter on September 2 threatening to kill the U.S. Senate’s top Republican.

According to Collins’ plea agreement, McConnell perceived her letter as a genuine threat that could cause him harm.