RONNIE ELLIS: Candidates and voters want it both ways

State News

Discussion

November 13, 2009

RONNIE ELLIS The Glasgow Daily Times Fri Nov 13, 2009, 08:33 AM CST

FRANKFORT — Frankfort, Ky. – Rand Paul wants it both ways. He wants to run for the U.S. Senate by lambasting members of both parties for voting for federal deficits and bailouts of Wall Street and automakers.

He wants to tap into the growing anger and resentment of those who see the increasing size and spending of the federal government as a threat. He’d love to have an endorsement from South Carolina Republican Sen. Jim DeMint who is adored by the people who gather at those Tea Parties.

But DeMint might be interested in challenging Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell as Republican Leader in the Senate. So, Paul hedged when WHAS-TV reporter Joe Arnold asked if he would support McConnell’s re-election as Leader should Paul win the other Kentucky Senate seat. He didn’t say he wouldn’t vote for McConnell. He told Arnold that he didn’t know if he could “make a judgment – I’ve got to win the primary first.”

That prompted Secretary of State Trey Grayson, the other major candidate in the Republican primary, to pounce, announcing he will “absolutely, 100 percent vote to keep Sen. Mitch McConnell as GOP leader in the Senate if I’m elected,” according to a story by AP’s Roger Alford. Paul quickly responded with praise of McConnell with whom he had a “cordial” meeting Thursday in Louisville.

It’s possible to win a Republican primary in Kentucky without McConnell’s support (just ask Ernie Fletcher) but it isn’t easy (ask Jim Bunning or Anne Northup).

Paul’s unflinching criticism of big spenders, Democrats or Republicans, is a big part of his appeal to those who are disaffected by what’s going on in Washington. He’s said he’s more a fiscal conservative than a Republican and that his own party bears responsibility for the deficits. He says he’s against all unbalanced budgets – whether proposed by Democrats or Republicans – and all earmarks in the budget.

But McConnell won re-election last year in part by touting his ability to bring back federal dollars to Kentucky. And he voted for the Wall Street bailout last fall. So Paul – who is adept at deflecting tough questions from reporters – tries to balance his criticism of Republican who voted for big spending items and showing deference to McConnell.

Grayson wants it both ways, too, of course.

Part of his appeal is his image as bi-partisan and acceptable to many independents and Democrats. That’s what makes many Republicans think he’s the most electable general election candidate. But there is anxiety among some of the Republican faithful that Grayson isn’t quite conservative enough. Paul’s entry into the race and early rise in the polls forces Grayson to run farther to the right in the Republican primary than he might have preferred. But as he tacks to the right, he risks support among those independents and moderate Democrats he’s counting on in the fall general election.

He also has to be careful not to offend Paul’s independently minded core supporters. He’ll need them in a general election and he has to avoid looking like he takes direction from McConnell and other party leaders.

Of course, a lot of Republican voters want it both ways too. They like Paul’s positions on spending – but they like the money McConnell and Congressman Hal Rogers bring back to Kentucky. They like Paul’s outsider status and fiscal conservatism, but they want to win in the fall when Grayson might be more appealing to conservative Democrats and independents. In other words, they’re like most of us who want it both ways – more government services for less cost.

That’s what elections are about. Deciding who comes closest to representing what we want.

Ronnie Ellis writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort, Ky. He may be contacted by email at rellis@cnhi.com. Follow CNHI News Service stories on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cnhifrankfort.

Text Only

State News

EVENING UPDATE: Supreme Court: Lawmakers to run in old districts
Legislative candidates will have to run in decade-old districts in this year’s elections, the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled Friday afternoon.

February 24, 2012
Stivers withdraws pseudoephedrine bill
In a move that surprised both supporters and opponents, the sponsor of a bill to require prescriptions for medications containing pseudoephedrine withdrew the bill in the state Senate Thursday.

February 23, 2012
Gambling talk, cold medicine dominates week
First it was redistricting which dominated every conversation in the 2012 General Assembly. Lawmakers couldn’t resolve that issue and it’s now before the state Court of Appeals which is expected to seek to transfer the case to the state Supreme Court.

February 17, 2012
Drug bill clears committee
It took some blunt testimony and visual evidence and the vote was close, but the Senate Judiciary Committee passed out a bill Thursday to require prescriptions for the purchase of products containing pseudoephedrine.

February 16, 2012
Senate committee looks at constables
A state Senate committee revised a proposed constitutional amendment which would have eliminated the office of constable Wednesday, choosing instead to offer a statute to allow local governments to define constables’ duties through ordinance.

February 16, 2012
Medicaid managed care groups reassure committee
Medicaid managed care organizations went before a restive Senate committee whose members have been bombarded with complaints from providers about late payments for Medicaid services.

February 16, 2012
Gambling amendment introduced
Gov. Steve Beshear and Republican Sen. Damon Thayer on Tuesday announced the much anticipated gambling amendment they hope to push through the legislature, an amendment that would allow up to seven casinos, five at existing horse racing tracks.

February 15, 2012
Activists gather to protest mountaintop removal
Their message was clear, though not everyone agrees with it.

February 15, 2012
Kentucky pharmacists unhappy with rates
A roomful of Kentucky pharmacists Monday made clear their dissatisfaction with some of their reimbursement rates under the newly implemented Medicaid managed care system before a legislative committee.

February 14, 2012
LRC appeals to Supreme Court
A lawyer for the governing arm of the state legislature has filed an appeal asking the state Supreme Court to dissolve a Franklin Circuit Court temporary injunction that 2012 candidates for the legislature run under 2002 district lines and set aside its ruling that the new district lines passed this year are unconstitutional.

February 14, 2012
More State News Headlines

State News

Search Results

Discussion

RONNIE ELLIS: Candidates and voters want it both ways

Site Map