Bill Clinton Hammers Mitch McConnell While Campaigning for Alison Grimes In Kentucky

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Former president Bill Clinton tore apart Sen. Mitch McConnell for his belief that it is not his job to create jobs while campaigning for Democratic Senate candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes in Kentucky.

Clip of Bill Clinton campaigning with Alison Lundergan Grimes:

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Former President Clinton said that the Kentucky Senate race is about jobs, “One candidate believes it’s about jobs and incomes … and the other believes a senator has no business trying to create jobs. Nobody can tell me it’s not a senator’s job, especially one with 30 years of experience.”

Clinton also explained why he supports Grimes, “Alison, one of the reasons I really want her to win is she thinks there are a lot of smart people in rural America. She thinks there are a lot of good people in these small towns, and she’s not going to you saying, I’m not going to treat you like you have good sense and trying to make you mad all the time. I’m going to tell what I want to do, and why you ought to be part of it.”

Grimes pushed back against Mitch McConnell’s efforts to align her with President Obama by calling herself a Clinton Democrat. Besides being true, this was also a wise political decision. The Clintons are much more popular in Kentucky than President Obama, and Sen. McConnell’s entire campaign is centered around running against President Obama.

Alison Lundergan Grimes has countered the McConnell strategy by placing herself firmly in the Clinton camp. Former President Clinton said that Grimes would be serving a six-year term while Obama only has two more years left in office. Left unsaid was who she would be working with for those other four years. (Hint: She is the wife of the former president who was campaigning in Kentucky for Grimes.)

Sen. McConnell doesn’t want the Senate election in Kentucky to be about jobs, his incumbency, his record, or the Clintons. Mitch McConnell only wants to discuss President Obama. The problem is that this election isn’t about Obama. It’s about what’s best for the people of Kentucky. Democrats are bringing their big guns to the Bluegrass State, and Mitch McConnell can only counter with more negative ads about President Obama.

The latest polling shows McConnell with a big lead in Eastern Kentucky coal country. The point of Clinton’s visit was to cut into that deficit. The margin in the Senate race could be razor thin. The difference between defeat and victory for Alison Lundergan Grimes could be her ability to limit McConnell margin of victory in the rural parts of the state.

Democrats are focused on Kentucky, and Bill Clinton is doing everything he can to help send Mitch McConnell into retirement.



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