The Hill: McConnell Feeling Re-election Pressure

A new story in The Hill shows how Mitch McConnell has been carrying Teddy Kennedy's water behind the scenes, while trying to stay under the radar so conservatives back home don't realize he is pushing the liberals amnesty bill. He is clearly feeling the pressure from the Larry Forgy supporters back home in the Commonwealth:

Publicly, McConnell has tried to limit talking about the issue. Reporters who pepper him with questions about immigration legislation often are greeted with silence. And recently he cut short a news conference on energy issues once questions turned to the immigration bill.

Analysts note that McConnell — who recently said next year’s reelection race will be the toughest of his career — is in a “lose-lose” situation. If the Senate passes the bill, they say, conservative critics will argue that McConnell helped facilitate its passage. If the bill stalls, Democrats will use the bill’s failure to aid in their characterization of the senator as an
“obstructionist.”