Former President Bill Clinton stormed into Louisville today, and combined with Democratic challenger Alison Lundargen Grimes to hammer Mitch McConnell.
Alison Lundargen Grimes told the sold out crowd that Kentucky is Clinton country. She said, “We will send the message with this campaign that Mitch McConnell is out of touch out of ideas, and come November with your help and support, he will be out of time.”
Grimes told the story of she and her sisters welcoming President Clinton to Washington with flowers in 1992 when she was 14 years old. Later, she said today Washington looks just like what President Clinton found when he arrived in 1992. She said Washington is broken because hyperpartisan people like Mitch McConnell are calling the shots. She said her Senate campaign is about restoring faith in our future in Kentucky.
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Grimes called on increasing the minimum wage. She hit McConnell for increasing his pay every year while voting against raising the minimum wage 15 times. Grimes gave a very pro-middle class and pro-worker speech. She said that she believes Kentuckians don’t see this race as a toss-up, but they are ready to toss out Mitch McConnell.
Former President Clinton took the stage, and after the standard political thank you, he praised Gov. Brashear for his handling of the ACA.
Clinton said that he has reached the age where he can tell people exactly what he thinks. He talked about the things that really matter in elections. Former President Clinton hit McConnell for being anti-middle class. Clinton never mentioned McConnell by name, but accused him of pouting because Republicans aren’t in the White House, stopping anything good from happening.
Clinton told the crowd that he wanted them to go out on Election Day, and say give us back our country. The former president said, “You have a Senate candidate who says I believe in you. I trust in you, and I want this job so that I can do something for you.”
President Clinton called out the Koch brothers and the dark money ads, and said that those ads have worked for thirty years because they discourage Democrats who then stay home on Election Day.
McConnell’s amount of spending and the dark money ads were mentioned because this was a fundraiser for Grimes. Frankly, the Democrat is going to need all the money that she can raise, and then some. McConnell is trying to save his seat with millions of dollars in ads. He, and people like the Koch brothers are going to be relentlessly attacking the Grimes campaign from now until November.
Both Grimes and Clinton did an excellent job laying out the two paths for the future. The McConnell path is more of what we have already seen, obstruction, gridlock, and little concern given to the people of Kentucky. Grimes is offering to be a senator that will get things done for the people of the state. She sees a bright future for Kentucky, and her message translates well with voters who are tired of McConnell and his obstructionist games.
President Clinton was in fine form, and the role of being the 2014 Democratic turnout booster is perfect for him.
In a statement the McConnell campaign portrayed Clinton’s visit as an act of desperation by Grimes,”I guess Alison Lundergan Grimes will take any help she can get.” If Team Mitch really believes that’s true, McConnell’s campaign is completely out of touch with reality.
McConnell is running scared as President Clinton gave Kentucky voters plenty of hope that they can finally ditch the unpopular Mitch this November.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
