In the strongest possible terms, Rand Paul told voters in Kentucky today that should he become the next Republican Senator from the Bluegrass State, he’ll lend his name to the list of the Senate Republican leader’s supporters in Washington.
“I’m going to go up there and vote for Mitch McConnell,” Paul told the crowd at a Farm Bureau candidate forum with Democratic nominee Jack Conway in Louisville, WDRB-TV reports.
Paul has run as a tea partier since the beginning of his insurgent campaign for Senate, which saw him handily defeat McConnell’s choice of candidates in the Republican primary. Paul often sought to distinguish himself from his Republican opponent on the campaign trail by ripping McConnell and the Republican establishment, and suggesting he might support someone else for party leader in the Senate if he made it to Washington. Since the primary however, Paul has tempered his rhetoric quite a bit, and tried to make nice with the establishment party leaders that tried to defeat him. But as recently as two weeks ago, Paul said “maybe” when asked if he would support Kentucky’s other Senator for another term as leader of the Senate GOP.
Seems that Paul has made it past “maybe” and shifted to “yes.”
Conway seemed surprised that Paul said what he said about McConnell at the forum.
“I’m glad you cleared up the fact that you will vote for Mitch McConnell,” he said. “That’s been in some doubt for a while now.”
The TPM Poll Average shows Paul leading Conway 48.9-42.2.
Late Update: In a Q&A session with reporters following the forum, Paul offered more praise for McConnell.
“I am a very big fan of Sen. McConnell, I think that he’s been a great minority leader and I can see no reason why I won’t vote for him for leader,” Paul said. But he also suggested his vote for McConnell isn’t entirely set in stone just yet.
“That’s the best I can do since there really isn’t a race or anything going on,” Paul said. “But I do emphasize — and people say, why are you hedging? What are you not saying this? — it’s because I want people to know that I am a distinct person and that I will be an independent voice for Kentucky in the U.S. Senate and that I won’t be a rubber stamp for anyone.”
